A fourth body was found in an Austin lake amid widespread worries of a serial killer, but Texas authorities have found no evidence of foul play.
John Christopher Hays-Clark, 30, was identified by police as the latest victim on Monday afternoon. He was declared deceased at the site.
Initial Statement From Texas Police
Texas police have stated that while their investigation is just getting started, they do not suspect any foul play based on the data they currently have. No additional information is available at this time as the investigation is still ongoing.
Saturday at 1:20 p.m., multiple 911 respondents reported an unresponsive person in the water, according to police. Police stated that they had found no evidence of foul play in the previous incidents.
As investigations are ongoing and evidence is being evaluated, Austin police said, “At this time, there is no evidence in any of these incidents to support charges of foul play.” Each incidence did take place at the lake, but the demographics, specific locations, and surrounding conditions were all different.
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Rumors Of A Possible Serial Murderer
In February, police discovered the body of 30-year-old Jason John in Lady Bird Lake, a week after he was last seen on Rainey Street, which has a popular run of bars near the water.
Another unidentified man was discovered deceased on March 5. And Jonathan Honey, 33, was located on April 1, one day after his last known location at a food vendor on Rainey Street.
The autopsy reports were not made public, but according to the police, the victims exhibited no symptoms of trauma or foul play.
The combination of alcohol and simple access to Lady Bird Lake, which has multiple access points, is a recurring theme in the drownings in Austin this year, according to police. Many of the access points are difficult to spot at night.
In addition, they mentioned that these areas close at 10 p.m. and urged individuals not to access them at night.
The police were unable to corroborate the gender of the most recent decedent but said they appeared to be an adult. In addition, it was unknown how long they had been in the water before being discovered.
In spite of the absence of evidence of foul play, rumors of a possible serial murderer have circulated.
Prior to the period of Jack the Ripper, there was another serial killer in Austin.
It is believed that the Servant Female Annihilator murdered eight women between December 1884 and December 1885. No one was ever apprehended.
Beginning in 1997, a gang of Smiley Face Killers with similar characteristics has been suggested as the cause of numerous fatalities in the Midwest.
In these instances, the corpses of young, physically fit men were discovered in bodies of water after they were last seen drinking.
