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.

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

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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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Timeline of killings

Oct. 14, 2025 – Gino Chouinard, 54, was found unconscious along the trail. He died Oct. 27, 2025 and police said his cause of death remains undetermined.
July 9, 2026 – Denis Dunnebacke, 70, was found unresponsive under the Kalamazoo Street bridge. He died July 16, 2026 with his cause of death undetermined.
July 13, 2026 – Robert Smith, 57, was found suffering from severe head trauma. He died July 17, 2026 and the medical examiner ruled it a blunt force homicide.
Aug. 20, 2026 – Daniel Lusk, 22, was found fatally stabbed under the East Michigan Avenue bridge. Police said they arrested suspect Edward Joseph Smith, 23, on Sept. 3, in connection to the stabbing.
Aug. 30, 2026 – Louis Woodruff, 57, was found under the East Cesar Chavez Avenue bridge with severe facial trauma. He died Sept. 1, 2026 with police saying his death was ruled a blunt force homicide.

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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 allthe killings.

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SUSPECT IN DEATHS OF 5 FOUND DEAD AFTER COPS UNCOVER GRIM SCENE AT RURAL PROPERTY OUTSIDE PORTLAND