A Burning Man crazier than usual: A murder mystery, 'demonic' claims and a surprise birth

Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times on Sep 2, 2025

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Burning Man, the eclectic desert festival known for its art, music and spirit of "self-expression and self-reliance," wrapped up one of the strangest annual celebrations in memory with a major dust storm, an unexpected birth in the desert, and an as-yet unsolved murder reported in the middle of the festivities.

Known for drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the desolate Black Rock Desert in Nevada, about 120 miles north of Reno, the nine-day festival has a reputation for introducing the unexpected to revelers, and this year seemed to be no exception.

The event started out with its challenges right off the bat, with a major dust storm that knocked down tents, damaged art installations and forced organizers to temporarily close the event gates and a nearby airport.

The intense winds reportedly injured four attendees and damaged some of the pieces of art displayed in what is known as Burning Man Playa.

The strong gusts also brought down Burning Man's famous Orgy Dome, an enclosed, air-conditioned, 4,000-square-foot structure with mattresses and dozens of volunteers who monitor that all attendees are of age, sober and with a partner.

SFGATE reported that when the dome was brought down by the winds, a whiteboard was posted in its place, notifying visitors that it had been damaged, and that organizers were working to erect it once more.

"We got f—d too hard," the sign reportedly read. "We need help to reopen."

The famous festival, which also draws millionaires and tech executives, was also the site of a surprise birth after a woman, who said she was unaware she was pregnant, delivered a baby Wednesday at Black Rock City on the Playa.

"It's an absolute miracle," the father, Kasey, 39, of Salt Lake City, told The Times.

His wife suddenly went into labor inside their RV last week and gave birth to a 3½-pound baby girl.

An obstetrician, pediatrician and a nurse who were nearby, also attending the festival, responded to the cries for help and assisted with the delivery and care of the newborn.

The couple, and their new daughter, were first cared for at Burning Man's medical tent, until a helicopter arrived to take the child to a neonatal intensive care unit in nearby Reno.

Then, as the large wooden effigy known as the "Man" burned Saturday — symbolizing the culmination of the nine-day festival — a homicide investigation was also sparked by the discovery of a dead man in a pool of blood Saturday.

A festivalgoer flagged down a Pershing County sheriff's deputy to report the death in the campsite. No arrests have been made as of Tuesday.

On Monday, Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen asked for the public's help for information on the case, and for help to identify the victim, who was described as a white man between 35 and 40 years old, and 6 feet tall with short brown hair.

"We are also currently seeking information regarding any suspect identifiers for any person who would commit such a heinous crime against another human Being," Allen said in a statement.

Officials have not released details in the case, or how the victim was killed, other than saying that the attack appeared to be a "singular crime."

The festival also drew attention from outside the desert after Nicole Shanahan, a Silicon Valley attorney and former vice presidential running mate for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., pondered on social media whether the desert celebration was demonic.

"I used to be a devoted 'Burner,' having attended faithfully every year from 2014 to 2022," Shanahan wrote in a lengthy post on X. Shanahan was formerly married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin, and has since questioned the safety of vaccines and proclaimed herself to be a "new Christian."

In the post, she wrote that in her previous visits to Burning Man, she saw that "thousands of people moved about with smiles, intoxicated by freedom, and joy, and navigating the city of Black Rock with an ephemeral air."

"Yes, there are constant orgies," she wrote. "Yes, drugs are consumed in staggering quantities. And yes, sexual assault and rape occur at Burning Man, along with tragic, often preventable deaths. Nudity is everywhere. Overdoses happen so frequently that they rarely interrupt a party or shut down a camp."

She claimed the event was filled with "occult symbols" and ceremonies, calling it not just an eccentric festival but "one of the most effective tools for Satan to misdirect souls away from our Heavenly Father."

"I am a newbie to demonology, but there is clearly something dangerous at work here," Shanahan said.

Organizers of the event did not respond to a request for comment on this year's incidents but published a post on Instagram on Sunday — just hours before the burning of the Man — a message addressed to its attendees.

"Tonight the Man burns, a reminder of all you've endured and created through a challenging week," the post read. "Weather shifts, unpredictability rises, yet this community thrives because of you."

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