Five bodies have been discovered near a river trail in Lansing, Michigan, prompting an investigation into possible links between the deaths
Police in Lansing, Michigan, are investigating whether a serial killer is responsible for the deaths of five men found along a short stretch of a river trail in the city over the past year.
The victims, aged between 22 and 70, were all believed to be homeless. Their bodies were discovered along a 1.5-mile (2.4-km) section of the trail near downtown Lansing between October 2025 and August 2026.
”One question that we are being asked is ‘Do we have a serial killer in Lansing?’” Police Chief Robert Backus told reporters at a recent briefing.
”What we need the public to know is that we are investigating all of these cases. They are all active investigations, and we are looking at the idea or the possibility that these may be related cases.”
Four victims suffered apparent blunt-force injuries to the face, while the fifth was stabbed. Three deaths have been ruled homicides, one remains undetermined, and the cause of the fifth has yet to be established.
Edward Smith has been charged with murder in connection with the August 20 stabbing of Daniel Lusk, 22, but police have not linked him to the other deaths. Another victim, Louis Woodruff, 57, was found injured on August 30, after Smith’s arrest, and died on September 1.
Investigators suspect some of the men may have been attacked overnight while lying down or sleeping, although police stress that this theory remains unconfirmed.
A lack of witnesses and limited surveillance footage have hampered the investigation. Police have stepped up patrols and deployed mobile surveillance cameras along the trail, while social workers are reaching out to homeless residents to help them secure housing.
Serial killings are rare in the US, accounting for less than 1% of all murders according to the FBI. One of the country’s most high-profile recent cases involved Rex Heuermann, arrested in July 2023 in connection with the Gilgo Beach murders in New York. He was sentenced to life in prison this June after admitting to killing eight women.
