In Austin, following the retrieval of eight corpses from the Lady Bird Lake in a mere span of 10 months, in addition to the most recent cadaver, speculation is rampant regarding the presence of an unapprehended serial murderer. Comparable fatalities have been documented and remains have been discovered in previous years as well.
The Police Department in Austin has been criticized for alleged inaction. Families of the victims claim there is certain foul play involved, but Police have dismissed the claims that a serial killer is involved.
The department stated on Twitter that their investigators approach each case with a receptive attitude and impartially analyze all accessible evidence. While the circumstances, precise locations, and demographics related to these cases differ, they all took place at the lake. Currently, there is no evidence in any of these cases that substantiates accusations of wrongdoing. Despite ongoing investigations and the analysis of evidence, the Austin Police Department acknowledges the speculation surrounding the recent drownings in Lady Bird Lake. On April 4, the Austin Police Department refuted the assertions that foul play might have been a factor in the deaths.
We closely work with the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office, which conducts parallel investigations into each of these types of death investigations. The autopsies of these investigations have not revealed any indication of foul play or trauma to the bodies.
We advise the public to follow the rules when visiting the department’s added closures park. The parks, which are the areas that close at 10:00 pm, are the ones where most of these drownings occur after the park closes. Lake Bird Lady has numerous access points that can be challenging to see at night, and a common theme of drownings in Austin this year is the combination of easy access to the lake and alcohol.
Knouse stated, “In my capacity as a government official, my utmost priority is ensuring the safety of individuals.” Knouse further mentioned, “If there is any alarming information, I would not hesitate to disclose it.” Addressing the recent death, Knouse clarified that all the investigations pertaining to the deceased bodies found in the lake are separate from each other. When questioned about the speculations regarding a serial killer, Knouse responded.
The bodies of the men were discovered where the vehicle, filled with bullet holes, was retrieved by Austin police from Lady Bird Lake in May. Among them were Clifton Axtell, 40, Jonathan Honey, 33, and John Christopher Hays-Clark, 30, along with Jason John, 30, the unidentified man who was pronounced dead today, and the four bodies retrieved from the lake this year.
Members of the Family of victims are part of a community that has been ensuring the reach of their narrated stories. Facebook users have formed a group called ‘Killer Serial Lake Bird Lady’ to raise awareness about the cases.