Fears that a Texas serial killer may be on the loose have been reignited after the discovery of two more bodies in the same Austin lake.
The still unidentified victims were rescued from the famous Lady Bird Lake within days of each other.
The discoveries mean that a staggering 12 bodies in total have been recovered from the body of water since 2022.
Police continue to insist that there is no killer at large, but rumors of a possible “Rainey Street Ripper” have continued to circulate as the bodies continue to pile up.
While police have ruled out foul play in several cases, at least one death remains unsolved.
Fears that a Texas serial killer may be on the loose have been reignited following the discovery of two more bodies in Lady Bird Lake, Austin.
Cliff Axtell, 40, was found in Lady Bird Lake on March 5 after going missing near Stubb’s downtown on February 25. His death has been deemed “undetermined.”
Four bodies were found in Austin’s Lady Bird Lake in 2023, including Jonathan Honey (pictured), 33, who was found dead on April 1.
Jason John, 30, was found on February 13, 2023 after being last seen on Rainey Street a week earlier. His parents believe there is more behind his disappearance.
The first body was found under the South 1st Street Bridge on April 9 and was described as a “cardiac arrest” style event. However, police continue to investigate the death.
Just five days later, a fisherman called to report another body near 515 S. Pleasant Valley Rd. The death was not being investigated as a homicide.
Police have managed to rule out foul play in some of the reservoir-related deaths, saying they were most likely accidental drownings due to the lake’s proximity to popular nightlife spots.
These include that of Ricky Parks, 59, whose body was first found in July 2022 and who is believed to have drowned.
The deaths of Christopher Gutierrez, Kyle Thornton, 56, and Christopher Hays-Clark, 30, were also not considered suspicious.
Two of the deceased, Jason John, 30, and Jonathan Honey, 33, were considered to have accidentally drowned. Both men were last seen on Rainey Street.
One man, Josue Moreno, was shot while driving and his vehicle plunged into the reservoir, police said.
The death of 46-year-old Clifton Axtell, who was found in March 2023, was deemed “undetermined.” The remaining bodies were not being investigated as homicides.
The death of father Christopher Hays-Clark, 30, (pictured with his son) was not considered suspicious.
Rainey Street (above) is a vibrant area of ​​Austin known for its nightlife and offering of bars, food trucks and restaurants. Lady Bird Lake is approximately 1.8 miles, or 35 minute walk up the street. There are no cameras around the lake.
However, a local bartender told the US Sun He finds it difficult to accept that there isn’t something more sinister at play.
“The number of people who have been found dead is enormous,” he said. “Now we have police patrols on the street quite regularly,”
—It’s also a strange place for people to go. I find it hard to understand how people could leave Rainey and end up in the lake. You have to walk blocks to get there.’
Last year, the city of Austin announced it would implement new safety measures, including lighting and fencing around the lake.
The city is also considering placing park rangers around the water, as well as more surveillance cameras.
Former Austin Police Department coroner Mark Gillespie previously emphasized in an interview with KVUE that the public should believe police when they say there was no criminal act.
“They’re looking for foul play, so when APD comes out with the statement that at this time they don’t suspect foul play, I promise you they were looking for it, and they were looking for it very carefully.” so I respect that,” Gillespie said.
In an interview with KXAN, Dr. Carsten Andresen of St. Edward University said rumors about the deaths at Lady Bird Lake are similar to conspiracy theories spreading in cities across the country.
A memorial left near where Chris Hays-Clark’s body was found in Lady Bird Lake
Last year, the city of Austin announced that new safety measures would be implemented, including lighting and fencing around the lake.
Lady Bird Lake is a popular destination in Austin for water activities, including kayaking.
‘Human nature has always observed things and looked for patterns that may or may not exist. But also social media and the ability to put these rumors online and have them die out like wildfire,” he said.
Andresen noted that Austin has a reputation as a city where people go to drink and party.
“I don’t think we’ve seen anything that would lead us to conclude that there is a serial killer out there. But we do know that people drink excessively in Austin and that men often engage in risky behavior,” he added.