Fear grows in Houston as five bayou deaths in a week raise serial-killer fears

Houston leaders and residents faced growing fears as five bodies were pulled from the bayous of the city in a six-day span, prompting renewed questions about a potential serial killer in America’s fourth-largest city. Police have said the remains of five people were discovered in separate waterways between Sept. 15 and Sept. 20, bringing the year-to-date total of recovered bodies in Houston’s bayous to 14. Constable Alan Rosen of Harris County Precinct One told Fox 26 Houston that the concentration of discoveries in a single week is unusual and raises questions about how the deaths occurred, whether foul play was involved, and what the underlying circumstances may be.

One of the victims, Jade 'Sage' McKissic, a 20-year-old University of Houston student, was reported missing Sept. 11 and was found Sept. 15 in Brays Bayou. Police said the autopsy showed no signs of trauma or foul play, and investigators have not yet determined a cause of death. Officials cautioned that autopsy results for other cases are pending and that each death is treated individually.

Other bodies were discovered in the days that followed: on Sept. 16, another body surfaced in Green Bayou; later the same day, investigators reported a third body in White Oak Bayou, and on Sept. 18 a fourth body was found in Buffalo Bayou near downtown. The most recent discovery came Saturday in Buffalo Bayou, raising the total for 2025 to 14 across Houston’s waterways. Police have not publicly ruled out homicide, and autopsies are continuing.

Houston Police officials emphasized that each death is different and that the cause of death is determined by the Medical Examiner after an autopsy. The city’s bayous, long nicknamed the 'Bayou City' for their trails and waterway network, are popular sites for jogging and kayaking, which has intensified concerns among residents about safety and the possibility of a serial killer.

Some locals have contrasted Houston’s response with Austin, where authorities say there is no evidence of a serial killer despite a higher toll in Lady Bird Lake. Krista Gehring, Ph.D., a criminology professor at the University of Houston, said that without clear signs of homicide such as stab wounds or gunshots, authorities should be cautious about labeling a series of deaths as murder. 'People slip, people fall, people drown. That’s reality,' she told a local outlet.

Authorities said it is too early to draw conclusions about a pattern, and investigators will continue to review each case as autopsy results become available. In the meantime, residents are urged to remain vigilant and report any information to investigators.