Lansing Police Acknowledge Five Homeless Men Killed Along River Trail
Five men experiencing homelessness were killed in attacks along the Lansing River Trail over the past year, Lansing police acknowledged during an October 2026 press conference. The confirmation followed investigative reporting by the Lansing State Journal, which brought the fatalities to public attention after city officials and police had not fully disclosed them.
Police Chief Rob Backus stated that his department is aware of no additional deaths beyond the five reported by the newspaper. Investigators have not yet determined whether a single suspect or a serial killer is responsible for the violent deaths, which include one fatal stabbing and four victims who were beaten and later died.
Investigation and Public Disclosure Timeline
The Lansing State Journal published reports on September 17 detailing four of the deaths. Following further inquiries with victims’ families, the newspaper uncovered a fifth death that occurred in July and published those findings on September 28.
For several weeks, the exact number of suspicious deaths along the trail remained undisclosed by the administration of Mayor Andy Schor and the Lansing Police Department. Officials provided varying accounts for why the river trail fatalities were not publicized before media reports prompted the October press conference.
Community members subsequently shared the reporting across social media platforms. While many readers directed traffic to the original news articles, other posts circulated unverified figures, including an inaccurate claim on Facebook of a sixth death involving a man who died near the trail from non-attack-related causes.
Next Steps for Lansing Law Enforcement
Police have established a dedicated tip line to gather community information regarding the river trail attacks. Authorities anticipate that broader public awareness and official transparency will generate leads to help investigators solve the crimes and clarify safety conditions along the municipal trail system.
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