In the last two and a half years in Austin, Texas, over a dozen bodies have been pulled from Lady Bird Lake, also known as Town Lake. The lake runs adjacent to downtown Austin, making it a very popular waterway.
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On Thursday, March 27, the 17th body was found in the lake in a spot near where the others were recovered.
With body after body after body being pulled from the water, people worldwide have set their sights on Austin. Many think there is a serial killer on the loose. Police insist this isn’t true.
Thursday’s call came in initially as a welfare check to 90 Congress Avenue. Austin Police Department (APD) officials say this is where they headed to check on a patient possibly in distress.
Then they got a tip that changed the trajectory of the case.
“We did have a caller call our 911 center stating that while they were jogging, they believed to observe an individual face down in the water,” said APD Corporal Jose Mendez.
@fordsanders BREAKING NEWS: A search is underway for a “patient” in Lady Bird Lake/Towne Lake. Austin Fire is on the scene searching the water for whoever may have gone in there. Will update soon! #crime #crimestory #criminalsminds #ladybirdlakeaustin #ladybird #ladybirdlake #lake #austin #austintx #austintexas #atx #breakingnews #news #newsanchor #newsreporter ♬ original sound – Ford Sanders
Authorities have released little additional information, except to say that they don’t suspect foul play.
Users on the Citizen app claim they could see that the person was male and stripped nude.
Police have not confirmed any of this, but there is a video showing the deceased being pulled to the shore of the trail that runs along the lake.
Police assurances do little to convince the public
Interest in the case runs high across the country and the web. Comments on my TikTok about the case include theories about why bodies are turning up in Lady Bird Lake.
One wrote, “Every serial unaliver out here like ‘✍️lady bird lake never gets flagged for foul play even if they’re finding an average of one body per month.”
In most cases, police have said that no foul play was involved within hours of the bodies being found. Many of the deaths have been ruled accidental drownings. APD says they have no reason to believe a serial killer is behind the deaths.
Despite these assurances, speculation that there’s a serial killer runs high.
In January, the Daily Dot spoke exclusively with Conner Deserly about his experience near the lake. Deserly claims to have been drugged and ended up in a coma when he was visiting Austin. He survived. No one has been accused or charged with drugging or assaulting him.
His case fueled speculation that there’s a serial killer prowling Austin, Texas.
Another commenter on TikTok, @paperclipjones, said, “Could be naive of me but if it ‘isn’t foul play’ then maybe the city should look into putting up some kind of protective barrier so this doesn’t happen as much? Did all 17 happen in the same place?”
This sentiment has long been echoed by city officials and residents alike. In the last few years, the city has added patrols, lights, and cameras near the trail by the lake. There are also barriers to keep people from falling into the water. But there are many breaks in the fencing that allow for easy access to the water.
What are authorities saying?
APD says the most recent body was found facedown in the water around 8:30am CT. This aligns with images posted on the Citizen app posted Thursday morning.
Authorities have provided no further information about the case, except to say yet again that no foul play is suspected.
It’s a familiar refrain that will likely do little to quell interest in why bodies are piling up in Lady Bird Lake.
APD did not respond to a request for comment and more information about the case.
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