Bombshell: Night Predator Stalks

Triangular warning road sign with exclamation mark on a rural highway — Photo: Oualiid / Shutterstock

Five men found dead or gravely hurt along one Midwestern trail pushed police to test a chilling possibility: one predator hunting at night.

Story Snapshot

Police are examining whether five River Trail deaths in Lansing are connected.
Victims were unhoused White men, ages 22 to 70, found after overnight hours.
Three cases are classified as homicides; two remain unresolved.
A Michigan State professor urged students to avoid the trail for now.

Police Probe A Pattern On Lansing’s River Trail

Lansing Police Chief Robert Backus said detectives are investigating five deaths along the Lansing River Trail to see if they are connected. He stated that all five are active cases and that police are “looking at the idea or the possibility” they are related. The timeline spans roughly eleven months. Officers believe injuries occurred overnight or in the early morning, when the path is dark and quiet. This is a slow, careful probe. Detectives must test links, not assume them.

Three of the five deaths are classified as homicides. Two remain under investigation or have not been ruled one way or the other by medical authorities. That spread of determinations leaves room for more than one explanation. A single offender could be responsible for some, or none. The facts on the ground matter more than labels. Police say they will follow the evidence. Residents want answers fast, but these cases require methodical work.

Who Was Targeted And When

Reports based on police statements describe a clear victim profile. The dead were unhoused White men, ages 22 to 70, found along the River Trail after dark. That shared setting and schedule point investigators to the hard hours before dawn. The profile also points to people who sleep outdoors and face special risks. The alleged attacks did not target joggers at noon. They struck when the path was empty and the victims were most exposed.

One case saw a quick arrest. Police say 22-year-old Daniel Lusk was fatally stabbed under the East Michigan Avenue bridge. Officers arrested 23-year-old Edward Joseph Smith in that stabbing, which complicates any single-offender theory for all five deaths. A cluster often masks mixed causes. Some deaths may be linked; some may not. Prosecutors and medical examiners will sort this out one file at a time. The point is simple: do the work, then draw the map.

Campus Caution Versus City Reassurance

Michigan State University associate professor Karen Holt urged practical caution. She told Fox News Digital that people should be careful and rational, and said, “Don’t walk the trail… Maybe walk a different trail” for now. That advice is plain. It fits the facts we know. The setting is narrow, the hours are late, and three deaths are homicides. A short detour beats a risky shortcut. Her warning is a precaution, not a panic button.

"If we have a community where people can be attacked in this way, then I don't necessarily know that we can call it a safe community."

That's a Michigan State University criminology professor reacting to the possibility that a serial killer is targeting homeless men along the… pic.twitter.com/DuzyHDUEG7

— Fox True Crime (@FoxTrueCrime) October 14, 2026

Lansing Mayor Andy Schor tried to calm nerves. He said the general public had not been targeted and pointed to unhoused men sleeping on the trail as the victims in these cases. That message aims to steady daily life. It also highlights a gap. People who sleep outdoors cannot “avoid the trail” at night. They live there. A strong city response would protect them with light, patrols, outreach, and shelter beds while detectives chase leads.

What “Serial Killer” Really Means, And Why Words Matter

Reporters asked the hard question: is there a serial killer? The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines serial murder as the unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender in separate events. That definition requires linkage to one offender, not just similar locations or victims. The Lansing facts justify serious concern and an active probe. They do not, by themselves, prove one killer. Responsible coverage should reflect that line.

Smart safety beats fear. Avoid the River Trail overnight. Use lighted routes in the early morning. Travel with a friend when you can. Call in tips if you saw anything near the river path before dawn. Police must own the forensics. City leaders must harden the target. Residents can stay vigilant without slipping into rumor. When officials finish the work, the label will matter less than the result: stopping whoever is harming that trail.