Michigan police probe possible serial killer after 5 men suffer fatal injuries along popular trail

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Authorities in Michigan are investigating a string of five killings that may be connected, police said.

The Lansing Police department announced in a news conference that the five deaths occurred over the last year with unnerving similarities linking all of them, FOX 2 reported.

Victims were discovered along the Lansing River Trail, which feeds directly into Michigan State University's campus.

"One question that we’re being asked is, do we have a serial killer in Lansing? What we need the public to know, is we are investigating all of these cases. They are all active investigations, and we are looking at the idea or the possibility that these may be related cases," Lansing Police Chief Rob Backus said at a news conference on Friday, FOX 2 reported.

The Lansing River Trail near the 200 block of East Cesar Chavez Avenue on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, in Lansing. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)

Police in Lansing, Michigan are investigating a possible serial killer who may be linked to five deaths along the Lansing River Trail. (FOX 2 Detroit)

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In each of these five cases, investigators said victims may have been attacked overnight.

The Lansing River Trail near to where Louis Woodruff was critically injured and later died in the 300 block of East Oakland Avenue on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, in Lansing. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)

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Four out of five incidents involved some sort of "blunt force trauma to the facial area," Backus said. No weapon has been recovered.

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Lansing Police Chief Rob Backus speaks about the string of recent deaths along the Lansing River Trail during a news conference on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, at police headquarters in downtown Lansing. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)

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Timeline of killings

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Backus said investigators are exploring whether all five trail deaths are connected to a single killer, possibly the person in custody – but did not confirm he is responsible for all the killings.

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Lansing Police say they are investigating five deaths along the Lansing River Trail. (Google Maps)

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Smith has not been named a suspect or charged in the other four cases.

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All victims appear to be homeless, White men who were possibly sleeping, reports say.

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Police are actively investigating all deaths.

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