Authorities in Lansing, Michigan, are increasingly concerned about a potential serial killer targeting homeless individuals following several similar deaths near a hiking trail.
Since last October, at least five men have died along a short section of the Lansing River Trail, with all of them believed to be homeless and possibly sleeping at the time of their deaths, according to Police Chief Robert Backus during a recent press briefing.
Backus mentioned that a common question is whether a serial killer is active in Lansing, and emphasized that they are looking closely into all the cases, noting a suspected pattern among them.
The five deceased men—all white and aged between 22 and 70—were found over about a one-mile length of the 20-mile Lansing River Trail, which runs from downtown Lansing to Michigan State University in East Lansing, as indicated by a city website.
This stretch of trail is a popular spot for runners, cyclists, and pedestrians.
Backus pointed out that the victims were likely in vulnerable positions when they were killed, stating, “they were laying down, potentially even sleeping,” though he clarified that this is still uncertain.
Most of the men suffered severe facial injuries consistent with blunt force trauma, while one victim had been stabbed, Backus reported.
The first victim, identified as 54-year-old Gino Chouinard, was discovered on October 14 last year with facial injuries. Chouinard died nearly two weeks later, and the exact cause remains unknown.
Then, on July 9 of this year, the oldest victim, 70-year-old Dennis Dunnebacke, was found unresponsive under the Kalamazoo Street Bridge, also with facial injuries. He passed away a week later, and officials are still determining the cause of his death.
Just days later, on July 13, 57-year-old Robert Smith was found with head injuries and died three days afterward. Following that, on August 20, 22-year-old Daniel Lusk was discovered dead from a stab wound under the East Michigan Avenue bridge.
Edward Smith, 23, has been charged with open murder in connection with Lusk’s death, yet there’s no evidence linking him to the other cases.
The last victim was 57-year-old Louis Woodruff, found with facial injuries under the East Cesar Chavez bridge on August 30. He died two days later, with authorities ruling his death a homicide.
Backus expressed his frustrations, wishing he had more definitive information to share. He acknowledged the complexities involved with these cases, particularly the challenge posed by the locations and timing of the incidents due to a lack of surveillance cameras or witnesses.
“We simply don’t have a lot of surveillance footage, and more cameras, definitely, could provide much-needed evidence in these situations,” he said.
