Three more bodies pulled from Houston's bayous are rekindling alarm, but city officials maintain there's nothing to see here.
According to the Daily Mail, with at least 34 bodies recovered from the city's waterways this year alone, residents are growing skeptical of repeated denials from officials who say these deaths are just an unfortunate pattern of accidents and unrelated tragedies.
On Monday, Houston police discovered two bodies in separate locations—one in Buffalo Bayou near the 100 block of Crawford Street and another in Brays Bayou near Texas Spur 5 and Old Spanish Trail.
More Bodies, Fewer Answers
A third grim recovery came on Christmas Eve, when a body was found floating near 3500 Memorial Parkway, also in Buffalo Bayou. These latest incidents bring 2025’s bayou body count to just shy of last year’s total—34 compared to 35 in all of 2024.
Since 2017, at least 198 bodies have reportedly been recovered from bayous across the Houston area, according to records from the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office. Yet officials lean on vague explanations, pointing to drug use, homelessness, and misadventure as primary culprits. Theories that a serial killer may be involved first took root in late September after five bodies turned up in just five days. Still, Houston’s leadership remains firm in denying any foul play.
Mayor Dismisses Serial Killer Speculation
Mayor John Whitmire has repeatedly pushed back on the serial killer narrative, stating, “We do not have any evidence that there is a serial killer loose.” Instead, he has laid blame on societal issues, particularly Houston’s homeless crisis and substance abuse problems.
Whitmire added, “What do you think happens when a homeless person dies from an illness, diabetes or cancer? What do you think his friends and associates do?” According to him, those decedents may simply end up in bayous—not through foul play, but through neglect. But not all the victims fit the profile city hall keeps pointing to. University of Houston student Jade Elise McKissic, 20, disappeared after a night out, only to be found in Brays Bayou in September. No drugs, no trauma, no clear explanation.
Victims Raise Questions About Official Story
Jade’s unsettling story parallels that of Kenneth Cutting Jr., 22, who disappeared after a night downtown. His body later turned up in Buffalo Bayou. An autopsy revealed no trauma and no drugs. Does that sound like just another accident?
Raymond Hatten, 30, was found deceased in July. Anthony Curry, 35, in May. These aren’t faceless folks society forgot—they were sons, students, professionals. Still, answers remain elusive, drowned in bureaucratic deflection. Even within City Hall, logical consistency seems to be in short supply. Mayor Whitmire claimed “each one was very unique” while touting the effectiveness of bayou barricades. That’s a tough sell for grieving families who keep hearing the same justifications over and over as the body count rises.
Grieving Families Push Back on Narrative
Kenneth Cutting Sr., the father of one of the deceased, isn’t buying it. “All those people didn’t commit suicide or fall into the bayou accidentally and drown. It’s ridiculous,” he said. “There’s been so many of them in the last three years.”
His niece Lauren Freeman also finds the official narrative hard to swallow. She pointed out the similarity between Kenneth Jr. and McKissic’s deaths—both went missing under nearly identical circumstances, each after leaving a bar alone, without their phones. Among the nearly 200 bodies recovered since 2017, the official data reveal that only 17 have been ruled as murders. But what about the 75 still classified as “undetermined”? That’s a whole lot of question marks floating downstream.
Statistical Trends and Public Demands
The leading cause of death has been marked as accidental drowning with 45 cases, followed by 25 suicides. But among all those recovered, individuals aged 30 to 39 account for roughly a quarter—hardly a demographic easily written off as “vulnerable.”
As the community becomes more vigilant, calls for increased safety measures around the bayous have intensified. Whether it's better lighting, more cameras, or simply greater transparency, Houstonians want to feel someone’s paying attention—because clearly, the bodies keep showing up. Retired NYPD sergeant Joseph Giacalone believes the evidence warrants more than shrugging. “Just the sheer number of cases,” he said, “the fact that a few of them could be connected... the percentage of something being connected—at least one or two of them—is pretty high.”
Time for Real Answers, Not Excuses
Giacalone added that these incidents are “worthy of further investigation” and said authorities should explore “companion cases, or dare I say, patterns.” At this point, “dare” doesn’t seem like the right word. Inaction does. As the new year looms and the death toll nears 200 since 2017, the city’s deflections and rationalizations are wearing thin. The families and the people of Houston deserve better than recycled excuses and vague assurances. If each case is “very unique,” then it’s time someone in power took a unique interest in getting some truth. Houston may not have a confirmed serial killer—but pretending nothing’s wrong might be just as dangerous.
