Eight dead bodies have been recovered from Lady Bird Lake in the past 10 months, causing concern among Austin residents that a serial killer could be on the loose.
Although local police maintain that they suspect no foul play in the deaths, some social media users have dubbed the purported suspect the “Rainey St Killer.” Others are calling them the “Lady Bird Lake Killer.”
The latest body to be pulled from the lake belonged to Christopher Hays-Clark, 30. He was found drowned near Longhorn Dam last Saturday, KXAN reported.
Following media reports about residents and true crime enthusiasts speculating on the possibility of a serial killer preying on people in the city, the Austin Police Department (APD) posted a statement on Twitter:
“[APD] is aware of speculations regarding the recent drownings in Lady Bird Lake. Although these cases are still under investigation and evidence is being analyzed, at this time, there is no evidence in any of these cases to support allegations of foul play.
“While each incident has occurred at the lake, the circumstances, exact locations, and demographics surrounding these cases vary. Our investigators approach every case with an open mind and objectively examine all available evidence.”
The statement went on to suggest that a combination of alcohol and easy lake access may have been at play in at least some of the eight reported incidents.
“I have a real problem with people just falling and drowning in these rivers and lakes,” said psychotherapist and criminal profiler John Kelly, speaking with Fox News Digital.
Kelly suggested to the news outlet that trying to find similarities between the alleged victims could be worthwhile.
Elsie John, mother of 30-year-old Jason John — whose body was recovered from the lake back in February — seems to agree that the incidents are connected, telling Fox 7 that she does not agree with the coroner’s determination that her son died of an accidental drowning.
“We definitely don’t agree with that. Jason was 30. Jonathan Honey was 33. [Two] in the morning. Rainey Street. So there were some similarities in the case,” John said.
The last four bodies to be pulled from the lake were all men in their 20s and 30s, according to Chron. Before turning up dead, all four were last seen around the Rainey Street area — a neighborhood with a vibrant nightlife.
It is currently unclear whether the four recovered between July and December of 2022 were of a similar demographic.
Still, even as Austin death investigators are looking into the matter, police are not lending support to the rumors.
“One thing to keep in mind is that Austin has thousands of acres of green space and waterways. It’s a very nature-focused, large metropolitan area. We would just encourage people to always be aware of your surrounding and, if you can, go with friends, keep yourself safe, so that way we don’t have unfortunate incidents that can occur,” said APD Public Information Officer Michael Bullock at a press conference this past weekend, per Spectrum News.
Roughly 80% of accidental drownings happen to males, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency suggests that “risk-taking behaviors, and alcohol use” factor into this statistic.
Meanwhile, in Dallas, authorities have logged 90 confirmed murders this year as of Monday. For its part, Austin has reported just 22 homicides through April 13, according to KXAN.