Authorities are investigating whether a possible serial killer is targeting homeless people in Lansing, Michigan, after five deaths were reported along the same section of a popular river trail.
At least five people have died along a short stretch of the trail since October, and each victim appeared to be homeless, Lansing Police Chief Robert Backus said during a news conference. The victims may have been sleeping when they were attacked, he said.
“One question that we are being asked is ‘Do we have a serial killer in Lansing?’” Backus said. Police are examining every case and believe the deaths may show a pattern.
“We are looking at the idea or the possibility that these may be related cases,” the chief added, while stopping short of confirming that a serial killer is responsible.
The five victims were white men ranging in age from 22 to 70. Their bodies were found along an approximately one-mile section of the 20-mile Lansing River Trail near downtown.
The heavily used trail, popular with runners, cyclists and pedestrians, runs from downtown Lansing to Michigan State University in nearby East Lansing, according to the city’s website.
The victims appeared to have been “laying down, potentially even sleeping” when they were attacked during the early-morning hours, Backus said. However, he emphasized that investigators cannot confirm that detail.
“But based on how we found our victims and their surroundings, it would lead us to believe that this could be a pattern,” the chief said.
Most of the men sustained injuries that appeared to have been caused by blunt-force trauma to the face. One victim had been stabbed, Backus said.
The first case was reported Oct. 14 last year, when 54-year-old Gino Chouinard was found along the trail at about 7:35 a.m. with facial injuries, according to Backus.
Chouinard died nearly two weeks later. His cause of death has not been determined.
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On July 9 this year—268 days after Chouinard’s death—70-year-old Dennis Dunnebacke was found unresponsive beneath the Kalamazoo Street Bridge at about 1:30 p.m. He had facial injuries, the chief said.
Dunnebacke died a week later, and officials have not confirmed his cause of death.
Fewer than seven days later, on July 13 shortly before 8 a.m., 57-year-old Robert Smith was found unresponsive and bleeding from the head, Backus said. Smith died three days afterward.
On Aug. 20, just over a month later, 22-year-old Daniel Lusk was found stabbed to death beneath the East Michigan Avenue Bridge shortly before 4 a.m.
Edward Smith, 23, has been charged with open murder in Lusk’s death. Backus said investigators have not connected Smith to the other cases.
The fifth victim, 57-year-old Louis Woodruff, was found beneath the East Cesar Chavez Bridge at approximately 3:30 a.m. on Aug. 30 with facial injuries, according to the chief.
Woodruff died two days later, on Sept. 1. His death was ruled a homicide.
“When I’m reporting these patterns to you, I wish I had more information to share,” Backus said. “I wish I could be more certain and concrete in what I say, but there are challenges in these cases.”
Among those challenges are the locations and timing of the incidents, the chief said. Investigators also have found no surveillance footage or witnesses to the attacks.
“Because of location, [we] don’t have a lot of surveillance footage. And that’s a hot topic right now, and I do believe more surveillance would help us, more cameras would help us in this scenario,” Backus said.
“It would give us that objective evidence, especially during the times and locations that we’re covering today.”