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Another body has been discovered in a Houston bayou, adding to the recent series of deaths that've sparked online speculation of a serial killer.
On Wednesday (October 8), Houston police said officers responded to reports on Marie Street, where the department's dive team recovered a man's body in White Oak Bayou, per KHOU. The Houston Police Department said there were no immediate signs of foul play. A cause of death is set to be determined by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
During a press briefing Wednesday, Houston Mayor John Whitmire maintained that investigators haven't found any evidence linking the recent bayou deaths.
“No evidence whatsoever that they’re connected,” Whitmire said. “Most of the individuals were making personal decisions, such as swimming in the bayou, his friends see him go down and don’t come back up.”
The mayor warned against misinformation spreading online, which he said disrespects the victims and their families.
“We have 2,500 miles of bayous. It’s been politicized by candidates and others, which is unfortunate,” Whitmire said. “These kinds of incidents have happened for decades.”
“People living under a bridge… they lose their life to cancer or diabetes. The encampment doesn’t call a funeral home. Oftentimes, the person ends up in the bayou,” he added. “It’s sad, and it shows why we need to do everything we can to get folks into shelters.”
Between September 5 and 26, six bodies were recovered from bayous across the city. Among the bodies found within days was Jade McKissic, a University of Houston student who went missing on September 11.
Law enforcement and city officials have denied social media rumors suggesting a serial killer may be involved.
“There is no evidence that there is a serial killer loose on the streets of Houston,” Whitmire previously said. “Enough is enough on speculation, out of respect for the families and also the 2.3 million Houstonians in our region.”
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