Officials Refute Serial Killer Claims Amid Rising Bayou Deaths in Houston

Officials in Houston have confirmed that recent deaths reported in the city’s bayous are not linked to a serial killer, despite speculation circulating online.

At a September news conference, Houston Mayor John Whitmire and the Houston Police Department stated that there is no evidence of a serial killer connected to the recent recoveries of bodies from Houston’s waterways. The announcement followed growing concern after the body of 20-year-old University of Houston student Jade McKissic was found in Brays Bayou on September 15, 2025.

According to police, McKissic disappeared after an evening out with friends. She was last seen leaving a bar and stopping at a nearby gas station without her cellphone. An autopsy by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences found no signs of trauma or foul play, though her cause and manner of death remain pending.

Officials reported that seven deaths were recorded in Houston-area bayous in September 2025 alone. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences confirmed at least 25 bayou-related deaths this year, compared to 14 deaths by the same time in 2024 and 20 for the entire year. Sixteen of the 2025 cases have undetermined or pending causes of death.

Houston Police Captain Salam Zia stated that the victims varied in age, race, and gender, and no consistent pattern was identified. Data from the medical examiner’s office show that of the 25 victims, 15 were Black, three were Hispanic, and six were White, ranging in age from 14 to 69 years old. The majority were men.

Authorities said the fatalities occurred across several bayous: five in Brays Bayou, three in Buffalo Bayou, and one in White Oak Bayou. Most incidents took place within the city limits. Causes of death included accidental drownings, drug toxicity, blunt force trauma, cardiovascular disease, and one suicide.

Mayor Whitmire emphasized that drowning incidents in Houston’s bayous are not new, noting that the city has over 2,500 miles of waterways. Council Members Letitia Plummer and Carolyn Evans-Shabazz advised residents to remain cautious and travel in pairs near bayous while investigations continue.

Authorities continue to review the cases, but none of the deaths have been ruled as homicides.