Full Breakdown
Possible Serial Killer Linked to Five Deaths Along Lansing River Trail
By Drooid · · How we work
The Investigation Unfolds
Lansing Police Chief Robert Backus said investigators are examining a possible serial-killer pattern behind five recent deaths of unhoused men discovered along a mile-long stretch of the River Trail in Lansing, Michigan. The cases span from October 2025 through August 2026 and are all listed as active investigations.
Timeline of the Five Deaths
- October 2025 – 54-year-old Gino Chouinard found with facial injuries; cause undetermined.
- July 9 2026 – 70-year-old Denis Dunnebacke discovered beneath the Kalamazoo Street Bridge; died July 16, cause pending.
- July 13 2026 – 57-year-old Robert Smith found with head bleeding; ruled homicide on September 18 2026.
- August 20 2026 – 22-year-old Daniel Lusk stabbed to death beneath the Michigan Avenue Bridge; Edward Joseph Smith arrested on September 3 2026.
- August 30 2026 – 57-year-old Louis Woodruff found with severe facial injuries; classified as homicide.
Victim Profile & Patterns
All five victims were white, unhoused men aged 22 to 70. Four deaths involved blunt-force trauma to the head or face; the fifth was a stabbing. Police note each incident appears to have occurred overnight, likely while the victims were sleeping.
Official Statements & Responses
The department has set up a tip line and deployed temporary camera trailers along the trail to offset the lack of permanent surveillance. Night-shift officers have increased early-morning patrols.
Criminologist David Hayes called the victims a “definite victim type” and said a single offender could be responsible if the cases are linked.
Verbatim Quotes
- “One question that we are being asked is ‘Do we have a serial killer in Lansing?’” — Robert Backus
- “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.” — Robert Backus
- “Because of location, 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,” — Robert Backus
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The medical examiner’s findings vary: Chouinard’s death is “undetermined,” Dunnebacke’s cause remains pending, while Smith, Lusk, and Woodruff are ruled homicides. Only Lusk’s case has an identified suspect, Edward Joseph Smith, who has not been charged in the other deaths. Police have not disclosed forensic links to the blunt-force incidents.
What Comes Next
Lansing authorities will keep the tip line active, expand camera-trailer use, and maintain heightened patrols. Outreach groups are being consulted to relocate unhoused individuals to safer locations while investigations continue. All five cases remain open, and investigators urge the public to report any information that could clarify whether a single perpetrator is responsible.
