Criminologist professor at Big Ten college offers warning to students as police probe possible serial killer
Lansing police are investigating whether five attacks on men found dead or seriously injured along the city’s River Trail over the past year may be connected. Michigan State criminology professor Karen Holt urged residents to take sensible precautions while avoiding assumptions, and said the case raises concerns about the safety of people using the trail.
Police say all five victims were homeless. Holt noted that four victims reportedly suffered head injuries or possible blunt-force trauma, while Daniel Lusk, 22, was stabbed; Edward Joseph Smith, 23, was arrested in connection with Lusk’s death on 3 September, but has not been accused in the other four deaths. Police have not confirmed a serial killer, established a motive or announced that the deaths are linked; Holt advised choosing another route instead of walking the trail.
- Police are checking whether five deaths along Lansing’s River Trail are connected.
- All five victims were homeless, police said.
- A suspect arrested over one death has not been linked to the other four.
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Lansing is a city in Michigan, in the United States, and its River Trail is a public route used by people on foot and by cyclists. The trail runs through the city, including areas where people without stable housing may sleep or spend time.
Police are examining whether five cases involving men found dead or badly hurt near the trail are connected. All five men were homeless, according to police; the cases include different reported injuries, and one man’s death led to an arrest that has not been linked to the other cases.
A criminologist studies crime and how it affects people and communities. Professor Karen Holt has urged sensible precautions while police investigate, a process that will need to establish whether the cases are related and what happened in each one.