Photo: Moment RF
The Houston Police Department has confirmed that at least 12 bodies have been recovered from the city’s bayous over the past year, including five found in the last week, prompting concerns over a possible serial killer.
Among the most recent victims was 20-year-old Jade McKissic, a University of Houston student. McKissic was last seen on September 11 after leaving a bar and stopping at a gas station. Her body was found four days later in Brays Bayou. According to authorities, an autopsy revealed "no signs of trauma or foul play."
Other recent discoveries include a body found in a canal near Greens Bayou, which was ruled a natural death, a body in White Oak Bayou, a person reportedly seen entering Buffalo Bayou and never emerging, and a fifth body discovered near the 900 block of N. York Street on Saturday (September 20).
The five deaths within a week have fueled speculation online about a possible serial killer.
“We have a serial killer and no one is saying it,” one user wrote on X.
“That’s too many bodies that keep showing up in the bayou," another added.
“Watch out for your family, man,” a third social media user warned on TikTok. “Women, y’all watch y’allselves.”
Criminology expert Dr. Krista Gehring of the University of Houston-Downtown cautioned social media users from jumping to conclusions.
“Unless you have stab wounds, gunshots, strangulation marks—clear signs of homicide—it’s not a serial killer,” Gehring said, per the Houston Chronicle. “People slip, people fall, people drown. That’s reality.”
“We’d see the same demographics, same trauma, same location. Right now, this looks random," she added.
The Houston Police Department said there is currently no evidence to support that the deaths are connected.
“Each death is different,” a department spokesperson said. “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.”
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