Worrying trend emerges as at least 34 bodies pulled from US city river sparking serial killer fears
Over 200 people have been found dead in Houston’s bayous since 2017
A concerning pattern has been revealed after at least 34 bodies have been pulled from rivers and lakes in Texas.
The latest figures suggest that over 200 people have been found dead in Harris County bayous since 2017. And there's been a record number of bayou-related deaths in the past two years, sparking serial killer concerns amongst locals, though police and authorities have continuously denied this.
Seven bodies were found in less than a month between September and October, with authorities coming across three more bodies in two different local bayous last week (22 December).
“There must be someone out there…it’s ridiculous that so many people are dying in the bayou,” local Erick Cortez told ABC13, while visitor Juan Sandoval added: “The math isn’t mathing. I think there’s a serial killer.”
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An exclusive report by the Houston Chronicle has examined nine years' worth of evidence to get to the bottom of why the toll has continued to rise after the pandemic.
The Chronicle reports that, according to an analysis of medical examiner records, the victims are predominantly male and black, with men accounting for 171 deaths, which is around 85 per cent of all cases.
Black men over the age of 35, meanwhile, were the largest demographic. They also accounted for over 20 per cent (43 people) of the cases. But in 2025, black people made up at least 52 per cent of the annual tally.
Even more shockingly, the rise in deaths occurred in areas where Black residents made up the minority in Downtown, Second Ward and Greater Eastwood.
Another staggering stat is that 40 per cent of cases recorded since 2017 were due to suicides, homicides and blunt force injuries.
But because many deaths have multiple contributing factors, the individual causes of death do not add up, with the cause of death for 68 victims still undetermined.
Erin Barnhart, the chief medical examiner of Galveston County, explained: "Typically, when someone is found on land...they're generally found in an environment that tells us something about them and what was going on at the time of their death.
"For example, if they're found in their home, if they're found in their car, if they're found in an alley, etcetera; whereas we're missing that when a body is found in water."
Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz and Mayor John Whitmire have both spoken against the serial killer rumours, with Chief Diaz saying that 'rumors stir fear and anxiety in our communities'.
Meanwhile, Whitmire said: "I grew up in Houston. Unfortunately, drowning in our bayous is not a new phenomenon… We have 2,500 miles of waterways in Houston."
"I tell the citizens of Houston, we have a relatively safe city for the most part," added retired Houston Police Captain Greg Fremin of the serial killer rumours.
"But it's just like any other big city, there is crime, you have to be vigilant, have situational awareness of what's going on but this is not anything to be concerned about."
LADbible Group has contacted the Houston Police Department and the Mayor's Office for comment.
Anish Vij