Lansing Police Probe Five River Trail Deaths as Potential Serial Killer Case
Lansing police are investigating whether five deaths of unhoused men along a 1.5-mile stretch of the River Trail between October 2025 and September 2026 are connected to a single serial killer. Chief Robert Backus confirmed active investigations into all cases, noting that while three are confirmed homicides, the other two remain undetermined. A suspect, Edward Smith, has been charged in connection with the stabbing of Daniel Lusk, but no suspect has been identified for the other four deaths, which involved blunt force trauma to the face.