Lansing, Michigan police probe whether one killer is behind five River Trail deaths

Mixed · 2Police in Lansing, Michigan, are investigating whether five recent deaths along the Lansing River Trail are connected and whether a serial killer is responsible. 1 2 Mixed · 2At an October 2 press briefing, Police Chief Robert Backus said: "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." 1 2 Centre · 1Newsweek says the deaths occurred in a mile-long stretch of the roughly 20-mile trail between Old Town and Kalamazoo Street. 2

Mixed · 2The victims were aged 22 to 70, and Backus said the attacks appear to have happened overnight or in the early morning hours. The Independent reports that all were homeless, and Newsweek describes them as unhoused white men. 1 2 Mixed · 2Backus said police believe the victims were lying down, possibly sleeping, and that this could indicate a pattern, though he said police do not know that for sure. 1 2 Mixed · 2One person has been charged in one case, a stabbing. The other four cases involve what appear to be blunt-force injuries to the face, and no weapon has been identified. 1 2

Mixed · 2The stabbing victim was Daniel Lusk, 22. Police have arrested Edward Joseph Smith, who was arraigned on September 3. Newsweek reports he was charged with open murder. 1 2 Left · 1Gino Chouinard, 54, was found with facial injuries and died on October 27. The Independent dates the first incident to October 14, 2025, and says the medical examiner could not determine a cause of death. 1 Mixed · 2Robert Smith, 57, was found bleeding from the head and died on July 17. His death was ruled a homicide, which Newsweek says happened on September 17. Louis Woodruff, 57, was found with facial injuries under a bridge, died on September 1, and his death was ruled a homicide. 1 2

Mixed · 2The 70-year-old victim, Dunnebacke, had facial injuries and no cause of death was determined, according to the Independent. The two outlets differ on his first name (Denis or Dennis) and on his date of death (July 16 or July 15). 1 2 Mixed · 2Asked whether the arrested suspect could be responsible for all the deaths, Backus said that is a challenging question to answer and that he had to be very cautious. Police have set up a tip line for River Trail assaults at 517-483-6023. 1 2 Centre · 1Newsweek adds context from a 2024 National Coalition for the Homeless report, which found 97 attacks on homeless people between 2019 and 2022, 48 percent of them fatal. It said it had contacted the Lansing Police Department and the mayor's office for comment. 2