Man charged in River Trail murder had prior assault history

Edward Joseph Smith, 23, has been charged with open murder in the August 2026 stabbing death of Daniel Lusk, 22, on the Lansing River Trail. Court records from the Eaton County Prosecutor’s Office show Smith admitted to a probation violation in December 2025 for assaulting a 69-year-old man outside a homeless shelter in Lansing.

Smith was placed on probation in 2023 after pleading to aggravated stalking charges against his father. During that probation period, he assaulted the elderly man on October 13, 2025. Prosecutors recommended revoking his probation and sentencing him to 180 days in jail to facilitate mental health treatment, a recommendation the court accepted.

Lusk’s death is one of five potentially violent deaths along the river in the last year. Lansing Police Chief Rob Backus said he cannot rule out a serial killer in four of the cases, though Smith is currently charged only for Lusk’s death. All five victims were unhoused, and four were attacked while believed to be asleep.

Read the full story at lansingcitypulse.com.