Five bodies found along a 1.6km trail, triggering serial killer fears

Lansing, Michigan: The Lansing River Trail, a greenway that winds through Michigan’s capital, has long drawn walkers and cyclists to the Grand River. But lately, the trail has become known for something else: suspicious deaths.

In less than a year, five homeless men died from injuries suffered in the middle of the night on a 1.6-kilometre stretch near downtown Lansing, Michigan. Each was lying down, possibly sleeping, police said. Four suffered head injuries. A fifth was stabbed.

A suspect has been charged with murder in that attack, but the others remain under investigation.

Public awareness of the deaths among the homeless spread only recently. In September, The Lansing State Journal noted similarities among four of the killings. Soon after, investigators confirmed the details of a fifth. Then Police Chief Robert Backus raised the question that has the city on edge.

“Do we have a serial killer in Lansing?” Backus said during a news conference, adding: “We are looking at the idea – or the possibility – that these may be related cases.”

The prospect of a killing spree in a public park has frightened residents and prompted nighttime patrols by community groups and police. The deaths have also renewed questions about how Lansing handles homeless encampments, park safety and public communication about crimes. The police department has faced sharp criticism from local leaders, homeless residents and a victim’s father for failing to warn the community.

“It’s scary knowing that even if you’re homeless, you can’t even lay out here and go to sleep without somebody beating you,” said Derick Byrd, 56, who has stayed along the river and knew three of the men who were killed.

Backus said that temporary cameras were now along the trail, and that the city was considering better lighting and permanent surveillance. The chief said he considered the trail safe – except overnight.

Along the trail downtown, public squares, playgrounds, art installations and apartment buildings sit near woods with homeless encampments. The path winds under bridges that are dark and isolated at night, serving as popular sleeping spots. Last Friday (US time), homeless people on the trail far outnumbered others.

At Lansing Shuffle, a bar just steps from the greenway, bartenders discussed the deaths, and Austin Smith, 28, a patron, said talk of a serial killer had kept friends off the trail. They “just pass it by, find a different route,” he said, “because why even take the chance?”

Lansing’s homeless population has grown in recent years, officials said, with clusters of tents scattered in the same downtown where Michigan lawmakers and lobbyists gather in marbled hallways and high-dollar restaurants. A 2023 study estimated the city of more than 113,000 had a homeless population of 2371.

Along the river, the string of deaths among the homeless began October 14, 2025, when Gino Chouinard, 54, was found unconscious with injuries to his face. He died 13 days later. The medical examiner listed his cause of death as undetermined, but Backus said it was now under review.

Then, over the summer, four more men died within two months of one another.