Several Men Found Dead On One Trail, Sparking Serial Killer Fear

Authorities are investigating whether a serial killer is responsible for the deaths of five homeless men found dead or fatally injured along a Michigan trail.

“What we need the public to know is we are investigating all of these cases,” said Lansing Police Chief Robert Backus. “We are looking at the idea or the possibility that these may be related cases. Based on how we found our victims and their surroundings it would lead us to believe that this could be a pattern.”

Four of the five men were found with severe facial injuries, and police said all of the victims appear to be homeless white men. All five men were found along roughly the same one-mile stretch of the Lansing River Trail. Police suspect the injuries were inflicted overnight or in the early morning, possibly while the men were lying down or sleeping along the trail. Investigators have not established that the deaths are connected.

The first victim, Gino Chouinard, 54, was found unconscious with head trauma on October 14, 2025. He died on October 27, and his cause of death remains undetermined. Denis Dunnebacke, 70, was found with severe head trauma on July 9, 2026, and died from his injuries on July 16. Robert Smith, 57, was found with severe head trauma on July 13 and died on July 17. 

Daniel Lusk, 22, was found with a fatal stab wound along the trail on August 20. Police arrested Edward Joseph Smith, 23, in connection with Lusk’s death. He has not been accused of involvement in the other four deaths. Louis Woodruff, 57, was found with facial trauma on August 30 and died on September 1.

Lansing Mayor Andy Schor sought to reassure the public, saying, “The Lansing River Trail and our downtown remain safe for residents and visitors. LPD has significantly increased their presence downtown and on the river trail at all hours of the day and night.”

The deaths have also sparked concern at nearby Michigan State University. Fox News reported that Lusk’s stabbing occurred less than a mile from campus. A spokesperson for the Michigan State University Department of Police and Public Safety said, “The MSU portion of the trail has upgraded security measures to include additional LED lighting and Green Light emergency phones with public safety cameras, and it is routinely patrolled by MSU Police Officers on bike patrols.” 

“We encourage students using the trail to remain aware of their surroundings and take reasonable precautions to help ensure their safety, especially at night.”

Research has documented a broader decline in the number of known active serial killers in the United States. A 2023 Northeastern University article reported nearly 300 known active serial killers in the 1970s and more than 250 in the 1980s, when they accounted for between 120 and 180 deaths annually. By the 2010s, the number of known active serial killers had fallen below 50.

Northeastern criminologist James Alan Fox attributed the decline to advances in forensic technology, higher incarceration rates, and changes in public behavior, including the decline of hitchhiking, which once gave killers opportunities to target strangers.

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