Michigan Police Probe Whether 5 River Trail Deaths Are Connected

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan authorities are investigating whether the deaths of five men found along a river trail over the past year may be connected.

Lansing Police Chief Rob Backus addressed the growing concern during a news conference Friday, Oct. 2, as investigators work to determine whether the incidents share a common link.

According to the Lansing State Journal, the first victim was discovered last fall. On Oct. 14, 2025, a man with severe head trauma and other injuries was found unconscious on the Lansing River Trail. He died nearly two weeks later.

The investigation continued into 2026. On July 9, another man was found along the trail with critical brain injuries and spinal fractures. Four days later, a third man was discovered nearby suffering from severe head trauma.

The newspaper reported that a fourth man was fatally stabbed on the trail Aug. 20. Ten days after that, a fifth man died following an assault that left him with serious facial injuries.

The victims were identified as Gino Chouinard, 54; Denis Dunnebacke, 70; Robert Smith, 57; Daniel Lusk, 22; and Louis Woodruffj, 57, the Lansing State Journal reported.

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Police said all five men were unhoused and appeared to have been attacked while lying down or asleep. Investigators have classified two of the deaths as homicides.

A 23-year-old man identified as Edward Smith has been charged with murder in connection with the fatal stabbing. Authorities have not determined whether he is linked to any of the other deaths.

At Friday’s news conference, Backus responded to a question the department has been asked repeatedly:

“One question that we are being asked is: ‘Do we have a serial killer in Lansing?’ What we need the public to know is that 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,” he said.

Police have stepped up patrols and expanded camera coverage along the Lansing River Trail. Officials are also coordinating with advocacy organizations to help move unhoused residents away from the trail during the early morning hours.

Investigators have established a dedicated tip line at 517-483-6023. Information may also be shared anonymously through Crime Stoppers or the Lansing Police Department’s social media pages.