Authorities in Lansing, Michigan, are investigating the possibility of a serial killer after a series of five deaths occurred along a short stretch of the Lansing River Trail since October of the previous year. Lansing Police Chief Robert Backus stated that the victims, all believed to be homeless, were found in circumstances suggesting they may have been sleeping at the time of their deaths.
"One question that we are being asked is ‘Do we have a serial killer in Lansing?’" Backus said during a press conference, confirming that all cases are under investigation and that authorities suspect a "pattern."
The victims, described as white men between the ages of 22 and 70, were discovered along approximately one mile of the 20-mile trail, which connects downtown Lansing to Michigan State University. While Backus cautioned that it is not yet confirmed, the manner in which the victims were found suggests a potential pattern.
Most of the deceased individuals sustained injuries consistent with blunt force trauma to the face, though one victim was stabbed. The first incident on record involved 54-year-old Gino Chouinard, found on Oct. 14 with facial injuries. His death occurred nearly two weeks later, with the cause remaining undetermined.
On July 9, 70-year-old Dennis Dunnebacke was discovered unresponsive with facial injuries. He died a week later, and his cause of death is also pending confirmation. Less than a week after that, 57-year-old Robert Smith was found with head injuries and died three days later. His death has been ruled a homicide.
Daniel Lusk, 22, was found stabbed to death on Aug. 20. A suspect, 23-year-old Edward Smith, has been charged with open murder in Lusk's death, though police have not directly linked him to the other cases. The most recent victim, 57-year-old Louis Woodruff, was found with facial injuries on Aug. 30 and died two days later. His death was also classified as a homicide.
Backus cited challenges in the investigation, including the lack of surveillance cameras and witnesses in the areas where the incidents occurred. "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," he stated, adding that such footage could provide crucial objective evidence.