Lansing Police Probe Possible Links in Five Trail Deaths

By Andrew Powell (/journals/andrew-powell)

Michigan authorities are investigating whether five deaths in the Lansing area over the past year could be connected, including several cases involving victims found along or near the Lansing River Trail. According to Fox News, Lansing Police Chief Rob Backus said Friday that investigators are examining the possibility that the deaths may be related. He cautioned that police have not determined whether a single person is responsible. The cases share several similarities, according to investigators. Police said the victims may have been attacked overnight, while four of the five cases involved blunt force trauma to the face. No weapon has been recovered in connection with the four deaths involving blunt force injuries. The first case dates to Oct. 14, 2025, when 54-year-old Gino Chouinard was found unconscious along the trail. He died nearly two weeks later, on Oct. 27, and authorities said his cause of death remains undetermined. On July 9, 2026, 70-year-old Denis Dunnebacke was found unresponsive beneath the Kalamazoo Street bridge. He died July 16, and his cause of death also remains undetermined. On July 13, another death was reported. Robert Smith, 57, was found with severe head injuries on July 13 and died July 17. The medical examiner determined that his death was a homicide caused by blunt force trauma. The investigation took another turn Aug. 20, when 22-year-old Daniel Lusk was found dead beneath the East Michigan Avenue bridge after suffering fatal stab wounds. Police arrested 23-year-old Edward Joseph Smith on Sept. 3 in connection with Lusk’s death. Authorities are investigating whether that case could have any relationship to the other deaths, but Smith has not been charged or identified as a suspect in those cases. The fifth death occurred Aug. 30, when 57-year-old Louis Woodruff was found beneath the East Cesar Chavez Avenue bridge with severe facial injuries. He died Sept. 1, and police said his death was ruled a blunt force homicide. The Lansing River Trail extends toward Michigan State University’s campus, making the location of the deaths a particular concern for investigators and the community. Backus acknowledged that police have been asked whether Lansing could have a serial killer. He said investigators are actively considering possible connections while continuing to treat each death as an active investigation. Authorities said the victims appear to have been homeless White men who may have been sleeping when they were attacked. Police have not confirmed that one person is responsible for the five deaths. Watch the video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjM_4sQmDMw