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Austin residents fear a serial killer is on loose as 8th body found in Lady Bird Lake in 10 months

Prior to the recent discovery, the authorities had retrieved three bodies from Lady Bird Lake over the past six weeks

AUSTIN, TEXAS: Residents of Austin, Texas are becoming increasingly alarmed after the shocking discovery of the eighth dead body in Lady Bird Lake in just 10 months. Concerns are growing among locals that a potential serial killer may be responsible for the deaths. The latest victim of the recent string of deaths has been identified as  John Christopher Hays-Clark, 30, whose body was recovered from the lake on April 15.

Lady Bird Lake was reportedly being patrolled by the Texas police by boat after they got the reports of an unresponsive person in the lake on Saturday afternoon. At present, it is unclear for how long Clark's body had been submerged underwater. Prior to this recent discovery, the authorities had already retrieved three bodies from the lake over the past six weeks.

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The reality of Lady Bird Serial Killer?

Those who have recently died have been identified as 33-year-old Jonathan Honey, found dead on April 1, one more unidentified man found on February 13 and Jason John, 30, found on February 13. The eight bodies getting discovered within ten months have sparked speculation that there might be a serial killer in the Texas Capitol, Chron reported 

Following the discovery of Jason John's body in February, a private Facebook group called Lady Bird Lake Serial Killer was created, which now has over 50,000 followers. People on TikTok and other social media have also voiced their concerns. Scores of user IDs have also been created to cement the claim. One of the users claimed that the victim's drinks were drugged as the lake is far from Rainey. While another social media user posted a thread on earlier suspected deaths. 

Police say no foul play but keep an 'open head'

To address these concerns police have ruled out any foul play and suggested that the bodies had no signs of trauma. However, the investigations continue and police stated that they are keeping an "open mind."

Police further suggested that the combination of alcohol and easy access to the lake, and the numerous access points that could pose a threat at night is the reason for most of the drownings.  

'There were some similarities'

Jason's mother, Elsie John, earlier expressed her concern about her son's death and questioned the initial ruling of no foul play. She fears that more men might end up dead and told Fox 7, "We don't know how many Jasons, how many Martins, and how many Jonathans are going to be losing their lives again. And this is not acceptable." She also added, "Jason was 30. Jonathan Honey was 33. Two in the morning. Rainey Street. So there were some similarities in the case."

Rainey Street is a vibrant area in Austin known for its nightlife and has an array of bars, food trucks, and restaurants. Lady Bird Lake is about 1.8 miles or a 35-minute walk away from the street, and there are no cameras around the lake. Some other young men found in the lake are 22-year-old Julio Santos, who was found in 2015 and 25-year-old Martin Gutierrez was found in 2018. Moreover, 21-year-old Christian Pugh was found alive in the lake back in 2019, he had been hit in the head and had bruised hands. 

Similarity with Smiley Face Killers?

Besides Tik ToK warnings, some have pointed out that the circumstances the men were found dead have strong similarities with the victims of the Smiley Face Killers, who were responsible for several deaths that began in 1997. Most of the men were young, athletic, and academically high achievers, the Daily Mail reported. 

Retired NYPD Detective Kevin Gannon and his team of investigators have been working on the Smiley Face Killers case since 1997. Gannon told the media outlet, they have evidence that 100 of the men may have been murdered by a gang. A key piece of evidence is that the team found smiley face graffiti symbols at all of the sites where the bodies were discovered. Gannon and his team also believe that some of the deaths in Lady Bird Lake may be related to the Smiley Face Killers.

Some of the victims, including William Hurley in 2009, had alcohol and a hypnotic depressant - a date rape drug - in his system. One of the deaths that the team believes to be suspicious is that of Dakota James, a 24-year-old who was found dead in the Ohio River in January 2017 after a night out with his friends in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.