Along the River Trail, the Night Has Become a Danger

There is a particular kind of dread that settles over a community when violence chooses its victims not at random, but with a quiet logic—when the pattern becomes visible only after the bodies have accumulated. In Lansing, Michigan, that pattern has taken shape along a stretch of the River Trail, a greenway that has long drawn walkers, cyclists, and, in recent years, people with nowhere else to sleep. Five men are dead. All were homeless. All were attacked in the dark, while lying down.

The Lansing Police Department confirmed this week that it is investigating the possibility that a serial killer is responsible for the deaths, which occurred over the past year along a one-mile stretch of the trail . The victims ranged in age from 22 to 70. Four suffered blunt-force trauma to the head or face. The fifth was stabbed . "We believe that our victims in this case were lying down, potentially even sleeping," said Police Chief Robert Backus .

The first death came in October 2025, when Gino Chouinard, 54, a National Guard veteran who had served in Iraq, was found unconscious with severe facial injuries. He died thirteen days later. His uncle, Robert Chouinard, told CNN that his nephew had been turned away from a shelter the night before after missing the intake window by minutes. "He called his girlfriend and told her he was going to sleep at the river trail" .

After a months-long gap, four more deaths occurred within two months over the summer. Denis Dunnebacke, 70, was found in July near the Kalamazoo Street Bridge with facial trauma; he died days later. Robert Smith, 57, was found bleeding from the head on July 13 and died at a hospital. Daniel Lusk, 22, was found stabbed to death under a bridge on August 20—the only case in which a weapon was used. Louis Woodruff, 57, was found with severe facial injuries on August 30 and died September 1 .

Police have arrested and charged one suspect, 23-year-old Edward Joseph Smith, in connection with Lusk's stabbing death. Surveillance footage allegedly captured a man leaving the scene, stopping at a drinking fountain to wash his arm. Blood was found on the fountain, and a sweatshirt matching the suspect's clothing was located in a tent . Smith remains in custody without bond and has been referred for a competency evaluation . Whether he is connected to the other four deaths remains under investigation.

The city has increased patrols, deployed temporary surveillance cameras, and restricted trail access at night . But for the families and advocates, the response has come too late. State Senator Sarah Anthony called the deaths "terrifying" and said police would have acted more urgently if the victims had not been homeless . At a protest outside Lansing City Hall, demonstrators demanded an emergency shelter .

The trail remains open during daylight hours. The investigation continues. And in Lansing, a community is left to wonder whether the pattern is complete—or whether it is still unfolding.

The images in this article are AI-generated and serve illustrative purposes only.

Sources: The Independent, SBS News, CNN, CTV News, Stuff.co.nz, The New York Times