Fears that a possible serial killer may be on the loose in Lansing, Michigan, have the Big Ten college town on edge.
Earlier this month, the Lansing Police Department announced it is investigating the unsettling possibility that five recent deaths could be connected to an attacker allegedly lurking along the Lansing River Trail.
According to police, five men were attacked along the popular trail over the past year. One of the victims was found stabbed to death under a bridge. Police said all of the victims were homeless.
Karen Holt, a criminology professor at Michigan State University, urged residents to stay level-headed.
“I definitely think we need to be cautious, but we also need to be rational,” Holt told Fox News Digital.
Holt said her thoughts immediately turned to who was being targeted and how.
“As someone who studies violence, the first thing that came to mind was the victims and the vulnerability of these victims and the method of the violence,” she said.
She raised serious questions about what the attacks say about the community.
“If we have a community where people can be attacked in this way, then I don’t necessarily know that we can call it a safe community,” Holt said.
The criminologist explained that violent offenders often zero in on the most vulnerable.
“One of the patterns with either single or serial homicide offenders or just violent offenders is that they tend to go after individuals who are particularly vulnerable,” she said.
According to Holt, homicide offenders often view such victims as people “who lack credibility” and may believe that targeting homeless individuals “decreases the likelihood that they’re going to be caught.”
Here is a timeline of the deaths:
On Oct. 14, 2025, Gino Chouinard, 54, was found unconscious along the trail. He died on Oct. 27, 2025, and police said his cause of death remains undetermined.
On July 9, 2026, Denis Dunnebacke, 70, was found unresponsive under the Kalamazoo Street bridge. He died on July 16, 2026. His cause of death was undetermined.
On July 13, 2026, Robert Smith, 57, was found suffering from severe head trauma. He died on July 17, 2026, and the medical examiner ruled his death a blunt force homicide.
On Aug. 20, 2026, Daniel Lusk, 22, was found fatally stabbed under the East Michigan Avenue bridge. Police said they arrested a suspect, 23-year-old Edward Joseph Smith, on Sept. 3 in connection with the stabbing.
On Aug. 30, 2026, Louis Woodruff, 57, was found under the East Cesar Chavez Avenue bridge with severe facial trauma. He died on Sept. 1, 2026, and police said his death was ruled a blunt force homicide.
Police have not yet confirmed any arrest of the possible serial killer.
The string of deaths has left the community grappling with troubling questions, as investigators work to determine whether the five cases along the Lansing River Trail are linked and whether a single attacker has been preying on some of the city’s most vulnerable residents.
