Police in Michigan are probing whether a possible serial killer could be behind a number of deaths.
In Lansing, the River Trail runs for about 20 miles. But a mile-long stretch between Old Town and Kalamazoo Street has seen the deaths of five men.
“One question that we are being asked is: Do we have a serial killer in Lansing?” Lansing Police Chief Robert Backus said during a press conference on October 2. “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.”
All of the men were unhoused white males, ranging in age from 22 to 70.
Backus said police believe that the incidents occurred overnight, in the early morning hours.
“We believe that our victims in this case were lying down, potentially even sleeping,” he said. “We don’t know that, but based on how we found our victims and their surroundings, it would lead us to believe that this could be a pattern.”
One person has been charged in relation to one of the cases, which involved a stabbing.
Backus said that the other four cases involved “what appear to be blunt-force trauma, traumatic injuries to the facial area.”
A weapon has not been identified.
The unhoused community can be at a heightened risk of violence. A 2024 report from the National Coalition for the Homeless showed a rise in targeted violence against homeless people, reporting 97 attacks between 2019 and 2022, 48 percent of which were fatal.
Newsweek has contacted the Lansing Police Department and the Lansing Mayor’s Office for comment.
Timeline of Incidents
Newsweek has compiled a timeline of the incidents in Lansing, based on the information shared at the press conference.
October 14, 2025
Lansing police received a call and responded to the river trail in the 300 block of East Oakland. Major-crime detectives found Gino Chouinard, a 54-year-old male who had injuries to the face. He was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead on October 27. The cause of death is undetermined, and there is no new suspect information.
July 9, 2026
Lansing police were working on the river trail under the Kalamazoo Street Bridge and located 70-year-old Dennis Dunnebacke. He was breathing but covered in vomit and had facial injuries. Major crimes responded and investigated. Dunnebacke was transported to a hospital and pronounced dead on July 15.
July 13, 2026
Robert Smith, 57, was found on the river trail, unresponsive and bleeding from his head. He was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and pronounced dead on July 17. On September 17, his cause of death was ruled a homicide.
August 20, 2026
Daniel Lusk, 22, was found on the trail stabbed to death. Police have confirmed that they have a suspect, Edward Joseph Smith, who has been arrested and was arraigned on September 3. Charges have been issued for open murder.
August 30, 2026
On the 200 block of East Caesar Chavez Avenue under the bridge, 57-year-old Louis Woodruff was found with facial injuries. He was transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries and pronounced dead on September 1. His death was ruled a homicide.
What Happens Next
The police have set up a tip line specifically for River Trail assaults. People can share information at 517-483-6023.
Information can also be anonymously shared through Crime Stoppers at 4837867.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes and Dave Siminoff.