Michigan Police Probe Possible Serial Killer After 5 Men Die on Trail

Authorities in Michigan are examining whether five deaths may be connected, Lansing police said.

At a news conference, the Lansing Police Department said the deaths occurred over the past year and share troubling similarities, FOX 2 reported.

The victims were found along the Lansing River Trail, a pathway that runs directly to Michigan State University’s campus.

“One question that we’re being asked is, do we have a serial killer in Lansing? What we need the public to know is we are investigating all of these cases. They are all active investigations, and we are looking at the idea or the possibility that these may be related cases,” Lansing Police Chief Rob Backus said during a Friday news conference, according to FOX 2.

Investigators said all five victims may have been attacked during the overnight hours.

Backus said four of the five cases involved “blunt force trauma to the facial area.” Police have not recovered a weapon.

Backus said detectives are investigating whether a single assailant, potentially the person already in custody, could be linked to all five deaths. He emphasized that authorities have not determined that the individual is responsible for the other killings.

Smith has not been identified as a suspect or charged in the remaining four cases.

According to reports, all five victims appear to have been homeless White men who may have been sleeping when they were attacked.

Police said every death remains under active investigation.