Five bodies. Five days. Five bayous. The Houston Police Department confirmed at least 12 bodies has been recovered from bayous across the city over the past year— five discovered just last week. Now, some Houston residents are speculating online if something more sinister is at play, including the possibility of a serial killer.
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Jade McKissic, a 20-year-old Black University of Houston college student, had left a bar with friends, was last seen leaving a gas station solo on Sept. 11, and was never heard from again. Four days later, the junior strategic communications and advertising major was found deceased in Brays Bayou, Fox 26 reported. According to authorities, her autopsy showed “no signs of trauma or foul play.”
Another body was found in a canal near Greens Bayou, and the cause of death for that person was natural, according to local news station KIAH. Additionally, a third body surfaced in the White Oak Bayou. According to the outlet, witnesses said they saw yet another person enter the Buffalo Bayou and never came out, bringing the total to four, and Click 2 Houston reported another body was found in a bayou located in the 900 block of N. York Street on Sept. 20. That’s five within a one-week timespan.
The influx of bodies surfacing in Houston bayous has ignited widespread concern.
“We have a serial killer and no one is saying it,” one person wrote on X.
A second person also wrote on X, “We’ve been saying there’s a serial killer in Houston since earlier this year and the police kept denying that these cases had anything to do with each other.”
“Feel like Houston got a serial killer,” another X user said. “That’s too many bodies that’s keep showing up in the bayou.” The discourse continued on TikTok.
One Black TikToker, Tone, encouraged “everybody to look out for their family man. […] Women, y’all watch yallselves. Hey fathers, husbands, y’all watch out for y’all loved ones and y’all wives.”
Dr. Krista Gehring, a criminology professor at the University of Houston-Downtown, shot down suspicions of a serial killer, according to Chron. “Unless you have stab wounds, gunshots, strangulation marks—clear signs of homicide—it’s not a serial killer,” she said. “People slip, people fall, people drown. That’s reality.”
The bayous, especially during periods of heavy rain, are known for a higher number of tragic incidents, including accidental drownings.
She added that if a serial killer is indeed on the prowl, “We’d see a pattern—same demographics, same trauma, same location. Right now, this looks random.” Dr. Gehring concluded, “When you live near water, unfortunately, you’ll see deaths related to water.”
The Houston Police Department has also addressed communities’ concerns.
“Each death is different,” said a Houston Police spokesperson. “It’s all determined by the cause of death, which is released by the Medical Examiner after an autopsy. It’s unfortunate, but each death is different.”
They also added that there’s no indication the deaths are connected. Investigations are ongoing for each separate incident.
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