Overview

• Mayor John Whitmire and HPD Chief J. Noe Diaz said there is no evidence the recent deaths are connected or the work of a serial killer.
• Five bodies were recovered between Sept. 15 and 20 across four bayous, with only University of Houston student Jade McKissic publicly identified and showing no signs of trauma in preliminary findings.
• HPD reported 14 bodies recovered from local bayous so far in 2025 compared with 24 in 2024, and causes of death in the latest cases remain pending with the Harris County medical examiner.
• Investigators described distinct circumstances across the recoveries, including a witness report of a person entering the water and a paddler discovering a body, and noted one additional victim has been identified pending next-of-kin notification.
• Officials urged residents to rely on verified information as experts emphasized drowning homicides are rare and cited Texas State University research that found no serial-killer pattern in similar Austin cases.