Authorities and local reports indicate that Texas police have discovered a minimum of 16 bodies in the bayous near Houston this year, raising fears of a possible serial killer, though city officials are trying to allay these concerns.

Houston’s mayor has said police have no evidence of a serial killer, but experts are calling for an extensive investigation into the deaths.

“There’s something going on,” said Joseph Giacalone, a former NYPD sergeant and now a criminal justice professor at Penn State-Lehigh Valley. “Is it just a coincidence? Probably not. It’s essential to thoroughly investigate each case, particularly focusing on the 48 hours before the individuals were reported missing.”

The spate of apparent drownings is reminiscent of another concerning number of deaths in the waters of Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas.

Whitmire suggested that when homeless people die, their friends often throw them in the water.

“Unfortunately the homeless, when they pass, often end up in the bayou,” he said.

He also pointed to alcohol use and mental health problems as potential factors in the deaths.