Unsolved Mysteries’ James “Buffalo Jim” Barrier case: Have there been any updates?

Unsolved Mysteries volume 3 continues this week with a new batch of episodes, detailing true crime cases and an intriguing account of the paranormal. Episode 4, “Death in a Vegas Motel,” tells the story of James “Buffalo Jim” Barrier, a popular Las Vegas personality who was found dead in a hotel room in 2008. The beloved local wrestler and business owner lived a big life that was taken far too soon. In the episode, his daughters and friends still search for answers.

On Unsolved Mysteries, we learn that Buffalo Jim was found in a hotel bed with his pants rolled down to his ankles and a white substance around his mouth and facial hair. The toxicology report determined he had cocaine in his system, and his death was ruled heart failure from cardiomyopathy. However, some of the suspicious details around Jim’s death raised red flags for his loved ones.

What happened to Buffalo Jim?

One of the reasons Jim’s daughters believed his death involved foul play was because of a voicemail they found on his phone. A woman named Lisa was apparently with him the night before his body was found, and when she was brought in for questioning, she told police that Jim suffered a seizure and she left the hotel without calling for help. Ultimately, Jim’s loved ones believe Lisa was used in a set-up for someone to kill him and make it look like an accident.

We also learn in the Unsolved Mysteries episode that Jim had a pretty big enemy in another local business owner, Frederick “Rick” Rizzolo. This man was allegedly linked to the mob, and with the help of Jim, he was sentenced to prison for tax evasion. However, his sentence was cut short due to good behavior, and shortly after he was released, Jim was found dead.

It was believed by his family and friends that Jim had been clean from drugs for years, and to this day they do not believe he willingly took cocaine that night. But as we learn in the episode, they still don’t have closure.

Are there any Buffalo Jim case updates?

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like there are any new updates on the Buffalo Jim case to report. When he died in 2008, his daughters rallied around him and fought hard to find the truth, speaking to the media, lawyers, and law enforcement. They ordered their own independent autopsy report after being unsatisfied with the reported cause of death, but to our knowledge, it was either never released to the family or just never made public by them.

Our hope is that if foul play was involved in Buffalo Jim’s death, someone will come forward with details after watching the new episode of Unsolved Mysteries. If any new updates do come up, we’ll be sure to let you know.

Unsolved Mysteries volume 3, episodes 1-6 are now streaming on Netflix.