Lansing police investigate possible serial killer along River Trail

Lansing Police Department has been investigating a series of deaths along the River Trail that may indicate a serial killer, according to Police Chief Robert Backus. Since last October, five men, all believed to be homeless, have died along the trail in a pattern that suggests a common cause.

The victims, ranging in age from 22 to 70, were found with injuries to the head in the early morning hours. The first death occurred on Oct. 14, 2025, when 54‑year‑old Gino Chouinard was found with facial injuries and was pronounced dead at a local hospital on Oct. 27. The second death, of 70‑year‑old Denis Dunnebacke, was discovered on July 9, 2026, and he was pronounced dead on July 16. The third victim, 57‑year‑old Robert Smith, was found on July 13 and died on July 17. The fourth, 22‑year‑old Daniel Lusk, was stabbed on Aug. 20 and a suspect, Edward Smith, 23, has been charged. The fifth death, of 57‑year‑old Louis Woodruff, was discovered on Aug. 30 and pronounced dead on Sept. 1.

Backus said the department has set up camera trailers along the trail and increased night‑shift officers to investigate the deaths. Community advocates, including Khadja Erickson, have highlighted the need to protect unhoused residents and to address the stigma of visible poverty. The investigation is ongoing and the city’s efforts to clear homeless encampments continue.

Read the full story at East Lansing Info.