Chilling Alert: Four deaths stoke fears of serial killer in Texas

A series of deaths in Austin, Texas that have taken place over the past year sparked fears on social media about the possibility of a serial killer on the loose. 

The latest death took place on Monday afternoon when 30-year-old John Christopher Hays-Clark was found unresponsive in the water at Lady Bird Lake. He was pronounced dead at the scene. 

"While the investigation is still in the early stages, we do not suspect foul play was involved based on the information we have at this time," police said. "The investigation remains ongoing, and we have no further information to provide."

However, speculation of a serial killer has taken social media by storm as many are linking Hays-Clark’s death to three other similar incidents in the Austin lake. 

Police found Jason John, 30, in Lady Bird Lake in February after he had been out drinking in the bars around the lake. On March 5, police found another man floating in the water, who has not yet been identified. And on April 1, Jonathan Honey, 33, was found. 

Given the similarities between the three cases, a Facebook group called Lady Bird Lake Serial Killer/Rainey St. Killer grew to more than 50,000 members after it was opened in February, warning people about the murders. Similarly, hundreds of videos theorize about the “Austin serial killer” on TikTok. 

The autopsy reports of the four deaths are not yet publicly available. However, police said there were no signs of trauma or foul play on the victims’ bodies. 

"One common theme of the drownings in Austin this year is the combination of alcohol and easy access to Lady Bird Lake, which has numerous access points," police said. "Many of the access points can be challenging to see at night.”

Austin’s last serial killer “Servant Girl Annihilator” is thought to have killed eight women between December 1884 and December 1885. The killer was never caught. 

However, more recently, a gang that goes by the name of “Smiley Face Killers” has been behind multiple deaths in which the bodies of young men were found floating in the water.