Michigan Police Weigh Possible Serial Killer in Trail Deaths

Police in Lansing, Michigan, said they are investigating whether five deaths of unhoused men found along the city’s River Trail over roughly 11 months may be connected, and have not ruled out the possibility that a serial killer is responsible. The victims, all men between the ages of 22 and 70, were found between October 2025 and September 2026 along a mile-long stretch of the trail, most with severe injuries to the face.

At an Oct. 2 press conference, Lansing Police Chief Robert Backus sought to address a question that has alarmed residents across Michigan’s capital. “One question that we are being asked is ‘Do we have a serial killer in Lansing?’” he said, according to WILX News 10. “What we need the public to know is that we are investigating all of these cases. They are all active investigations, and we are looking at the idea or the possibility that these may be related cases.”

Backus added that investigators “look for information, we look for trends, we look for patterns. And we have developed some.” He stressed, however, that police have not confirmed a link and are still awaiting complete medical findings in some cases.

The Five Cases

The deaths stretch back more than a year and share striking similarities. According to police accounts compiled by ClickOnDetroit:

• Gino Chouinard, 54, was found beaten with facial injuries on Oct. 14, 2025, near Center and Monroe streets. He died Oct. 27. The medical examiner issued an undetermined cause of death, and no suspect information has been released.
• Denis Dunnebacke, 70, was found unresponsive with facial injuries on July 9, 2026, beneath the Kalamazoo Street bridge. He died July 16. Police said conflicting medical information left it unclear whether the incident was criminal, and the medical examiner has not issued a finding.
• Robert William Smith, 57, was found bleeding from the head on July 13, 2026, in the same area where Chouinard was found. He died July 17. His death was later ruled a homicide, with no suspect information released.
• Daniel Lusk, 22, was found stabbed to death on Aug. 20, 2026, beneath the Michigan Avenue bridge. He is the only victim for whom a suspect has been charged.
• Louis Woodruff, 57, was found with severe facial injuries on Aug. 30, 2026, near E. Cesar Chavez in the Old Town section of the trail. He died Sept. 1, and his death was classified as a homicide.

Four of the five cases involved apparent blunt-force trauma or traumatic injuries to the facial area, with no weapon identified. Lusk, by contrast, was stabbed — a difference some experts say does not rule out a connection.

The Victims Were Unhoused

All five men were believed to be experiencing homelessness, making them “a particularly vulnerable population for violence,” criminologist David Hayes told CBS News Detroit.

“We have a definite victim type. If these are connected and we have a definite M.O., they were all around the bridge. They were probably all sleeping rough,” Hayes said. “What it looks like is, if they are connected, then there could potentially be a single offender with this.”

Police believe the victims were attacked while lying down, possibly sleeping, during overnight or early morning hours. “Based on how we found our victims and their surroundings, it would lead us to believe that this could be a pattern,” Backus said.

Karen Holt, a professor at Michigan State University, noted that a change in the manner of death — such as the shift from blunt-force trauma to a stabbing — is not necessarily significant. “In the media that we consume and the portrayals of serial killers, we typically think they’re going to do the exact same thing. They’re going to leave that signature at every scene. But that’s not necessarily the case,” Holt told CBS News Detroit.

One Suspect in Custody

Edward Joseph Smith, 23, was arrested and charged with open murder in connection with Lusk’s stabbing. He was arraigned on Sept. 3, 2026. No suspect information has been released in the other four cases, and authorities have cautioned against drawing premature conclusions.

“Using a suspect, and then with that name using that to develop or find evidence that meets your theory, that leads you down a road of inappropriate charges, misidentification, some very big problems,” Backus said. “So in law enforcement, our responsibility and our ethics demand that we approach this in the right manner.”

The Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office declined to comment on the deaths.

Community Anxiety and a Push for Answers

The investigation has unsettled residents and advocacy groups working with the city’s unhoused population. Kelsea Hector, executive director of the outreach group Punks with Lunch, said the uncertainty has put her community on edge.

“We just have a lot of anxiety around, could one of our people be next?” Hector told ClickOnDetroit. She said she does not believe another unhoused person is responsible and that the lack of information is frightening.

Lansing Mayor Andy Schor confirmed a suspect is in custody connected to one of the homicides and said the city has increased its presence along the trail. “LPD has greatly increased their presence on the river trail at all hours of the day and night,” Schor said in a statement to ClickOnDetroit. “We also continue to reach out to the unhoused residents through street outreach teams to offer access to services and overnight shelter.”

Families of the victims are also demanding answers. “I’m really concerned for the community,” Robert Chouinard, uncle of victim Gino Chouinard, told the Lansing State Journal, according to ABC News 4. “It’s (the place) where I grew up and lived. To know that this has happened too much, too often, there has to be a better effort to stop this.”

Teresa Sumpter, a cousin of victim Robert William Smith, described the severity of his injuries to the Lansing State Journal. “His face he was beaten really bad. The brain swelling was so bad doctors said he wouldn’t recover,” she said.

Investigative Challenges and a City’s Response

Police have cited a lack of surveillance footage and few overnight witnesses as significant obstacles. “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,” Backus said.

In response, the department has deployed camera trailers and increased patrols along the trail, and is exploring permanent camera fixtures near overpasses and bridges. Authorities also established a dedicated tip line at (517) 483-6023 and have worked with advocacy groups to keep unhoused residents away from the trail during early morning hours — a step officials said has produced a roughly 50% reduction in people in those areas.

Richard Miles, president of the Friends of the Lansing Regional Trails, said greater transparency from police would help. “If you do exercise the kinds of precautions that are just reasonable for being out and about, then you’re likely not going to have any issues,” he told WILX. “The more transparency that the Lansing police can provide, I think the better off we are.”

What’s Next

Backus said his department has found no other assault-related deaths on the River Trail beyond the five cases, and that he does not have safety concerns on the trail outside the overnight and early morning hours.

The investigation remains active and unresolved. The central questions — whether the cases are in fact linked and whether a single offender is responsible — hinge on pending medical examiner findings and new leads. Officials are urging anyone with information to come forward, and the families of the victims, along with outreach workers, are watching closely for answers.