Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
Americans are bracing themselves as fears grow that a potential serial killer could be on the loose after as many as 38 bodies have been pulled from one lake in just three years.
If the deaths of all 38 were related, it could mean the US has one of the country’s most prolific serial killers at large with a body count even higher than that of the wicked John Wayne Gacy, who claimed the lives of at least 33 people.
However, authorities do not believe it to be the case, despite there having been more than three dozen corpses discovered in just one water system and one man having ‘survived’ an alleged attack.
Where the bodies were located
The bodies were discovered in Texas, or to be precise, all 38 were pulled out of Lady Bird Lake, in Austin.
Since 2022, it has been a frequent occurrence for residents in the area to hear that a body has been found washed up on the side of the river-like reservoir that flows through the heart of the city.
All 38 bodies were recovered from Lady Bird Lake, in Austin, Texas (Getty stock)
To note some geography of Lady Bird Lake, it is part of the Colorado River and just so happens to be located beside the vibrant nightlife of Downtown Austin, and more specifically the popular drinking strip – Rainey Street, which now lends its name to the alleged serial killer locals have dubbed the ‘Rainey Street Ripper’.
What the police have said
However, police have insisted a killer is not lurking around Austin, confirming only one case to be a homicide, though at least six of the bodies recovered from the lake have unknown causes of death.
In the case of the latest body, whose identity hasn’t been revealed, the authorities say the teen was kayaking with his family on the lake when he entered the water and failed to come to the surface, as per Fox 7 Austin.
Corporal Jose Mendez of the Austin Police Department told the outlet: “Another paddleboarder was here out on Lady Bird Lake and notified us that it appeared that an individual was deceased and floating on Lady Bird Lake.”
The force has consistently pushed back on claims that a serial killer is at large, having previously taken to social media to address rumors.
Back in 2023, Austin Police Department posted on Facebook: “The Austin Police Department is aware of speculations regarding the recent drownings in Lady Bird Lake. Although these cases are still under investigation and evidence is being analyzed, at this time, there is no evidence in any of these cases to support allegations of foul play.
“While each incident has occurred at the lake, the circumstances, exact locations, and demographics surrounding these cases vary. Our investigators approach every case with an open mind and objectively examine all available evidence.
“We work closely with the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office, which conducts a parallel investigation into all deaths. The Medical Examiner performs autopsies in each of these types of death investigations. The results of these autopsies have not revealed any trauma to the bodies nor indication of foul play.”
It continued: “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. Many of the access points can be challenging to see at night.
A body was reported to police on June 3 (Fox News)
“The parks in which most of these drownings have occurred are park areas that close at 10pm and occur after the park closes. We advise the public to follow the rules on park closures.”
Demographic of bodies pulled from lake
The latest body is the 30th male to be pulled from the water since 2022, with two further bodies being found in the area in April.
According to Fox News 7, 60 percent of the bodies that have been recovered have been aged between 39 and 49, while there has also been two teenagers recovered.
Who is Jeff Jones?
Jeff Jones believes that he survived an attack of the so-called ‘Rainey Street Ripper’, having been found beneath a bridge and later a toxicology test confirmed that there were traces of benzodiazepine in his system, which the date-rape drug Rohypnol falls under.
The incident took place in June 2023, while the 39-year-old was enjoying a bachelor party with around a dozen of his friends, who he’d flown over with from Boston, Massachussets.
Jeff Jones was found at the bottom of a bridge in Austin with a traces of a date-rape drug in his system (Facebook)
“Whoever they may be just missed the target and I hit the ground, and luckily because of that I didn’t drown,” Jones told the Mail Online last year.
“I just got lucky… Not many people can say they potentially survived a serial killer, so that’s a story I can tell, I guess.”
His body was found at the bottom of West Sixth Street Bridge, which is carried over Shoal Creek that in turn flows into the Colorado River.
Jones fell into a coma before complications meant he had to be induced again while he underwent surgeries, including metal rods being fitted to his back, but has since made a full recovery.
UNILAD has contacted Austin Police Department for further comment.
Featured Image Credit: Getty stock
Joe Yates
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Everything we know after car plows into Liverpool FC fans as authorities speak out
Hundreds of thousands of Liverpool supporters flocked to the city center for the team’s victory parade, after winning the Premier League
A 53-year-old white British man is currently in custody after a car plowed into a crowd of Liverpool supporters at the club’s victory parade.
As many as 47 people are understood to have been injured at the scene, on Water Street – in Liverpool city center, yesterday (May 26) at around 6pm local time.
Merseyside Police is not treating the incident as a terror attack.
Authorities have confirmed that 27 of those have been hospitalised, while the remaining 20 were treated at the scene.
Of those in hospital, two have sustained serious injuries – one of them is a child.
Four children in total were injured during the rampage, one of whom was stuck under the car alongside three adults who were all freed by firefighters after being mowed down by the vehicle.
Two people were seriously injured (DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)
Harrowing footage circulating online shows the motorist blasting his horn at supporters in the city center prior to accelerating into the crowd, before coming to a stop at the scene – where he was detained and subsequently arrested.
Hundreds of thousands of Liverpool FC fans had gathered in the city to celebrate the team’s first ever Premier League win in front of the fans, with the last one coming in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking at a press conference last night, assistant chief constable Jenny Sims said: “Firstly, my thoughts are with all those injured in tonight’s horrific incident, their families and friends, and all those affected by the terrible tragedy that has taken place today.
“I want to thank all the emergency services, partner agencies and members of the public who came to the assistance of the injured following this evening’s shocking events.
As many as 47 people were injured after a motorist ploughed his car into a crowd of supporters at Liverpool FC’s victory parade (PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
“This had been a joyous day in Liverpool with hundreds of thousands of people lining the streets to celebrate Liverpool Football Club’s victory parade.”
She continued: “Sadly, at just after 6 o’clock this evening, as the parade was drawing to a close, we received reports that a car had been in collision with a number of pedestrians on Water Street in Liverpool city centre.
“A number of people have been injured and were taken to hospital. In addition a large number of people of all ages were treated at the scene but did not require hospital treatment.
“Specialist officers have been put in place to support the injured and their families.”
She went on to explain that the 53-year-old white British man who has been arrested was from the Liverpool area and is believed to be the driver of the car.
Sims added: “The incident is not currently being treated as terrorism. We would ask that people refrain from sharing distressing footage from the incident online and please share any information directly with our investigation team.”
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/PAUL ELLIS
Joe Yates
Police speak out after 8 people found dead in area within weeks as serial killer fears heighten
Police have issued a statement amid fears over a ‘New England serial killer’
Police have issued a statement after eight people were found dead in the same area within just weeks of each other, raising concerns that a serial killer may be on the loose.
On Tuesday (April 22), a woman was found unresponsive off a bike path in Springfield at the 1500 block of Hall of Fame Avenue.
When officers and medical professionals arrived at the scene, the woman was soon pronounced dead, Springfield Police Department spokesperson Ryan Walsh confirmed.
Walsh said: “The SPD Homicide Unit under the direction Captain Trent Duda is conducting an unattended death investigation in conjunction with the @HampdenDA Murder Unit, pending an autopsy by the Medical Examiner.”
A woman was found responsive in Springfield (Getty Stock Photo)
While police have issued this initial statement, it remains unclear what exactly happened to the woman.
Eight people, most of whom are believed to be women, have died in both March and April in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, prompting many to wonder whether there could be a serial killer.
Over the past two months, human remains have been located in the likes of New Haven, Norwalk, Groton and Killingly, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
Authorities have not announced any connection between the eight deaths, with Walsh telling Fox News Digital that ‘internet rumors are just that’.
Connecticut State Police have also released a statement recently, saying ‘there is no information at this time suggesting any connection to similar remains discoveries, and there is also no known threat to the public at this time’ in relation to the multiple deaths in the state.
Police have spoken out after eight people have been found dead (Getty Stock Photo)
A Facebook group previously dubbed ‘New England Serial Killer’ began the speculation, though its name has since changed due to rules and regulations in place on the social media site.
Peter Valentin, who is the chair of the Forensic Science Department at the University of New Haven, has been speaking to Fox News Digital amid recent stories.
He noted the important point that Springfield police have yet to reveal a cause of death for the woman who was found unresponsive on the bike path.
Valentin told the outlet: “I am curious about what was recovered around the body. There might have been paraphernalia suggestive of activity that is deemphasizing homicide (perhaps incorrectly) to the investigators because that article is quite tepid. It is filled with very cautious language (surely taken right from police press releases), which might be intentional to not feed into what is now turning into intense scrutiny over every suspicious death in New England.”
UNILAD has contacted the Springfield Police Department for comment.
Featured Image Credit: Western Mass News/YouTube
Topics: Crime, News, US News, Connecticut
Everything we know about runner who ‘attacked’ opponent with baton before she was officially charged
Alaila Everett has been hit with charges after insisting the incident was not intentional
Now that high school student Alaila Everett has been hit with charges for striking her competitor’s head with a baton, here’s everything we know about the incident so far.
The dramatic scene unfolded during the second leg of the 4×200-meter relay race during the Virginia State High School League Championships at Liberty University in Lynchburg. Footage from the event shows Everett and a fellow runner, Kaelen Tucker, making their way down the track when Everett’s baton struck Tucker across the head, causing her to fall to the floor.
Check out the footage below:
Who is Alaila Everett?
A track athlete and senior in high school, Everett joined the championship event to represent I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth.
Who is Kaelen Tucker?
Everett’s opponent in the race was Tucker, a junior who entered the competition to represent Brookeville High School. After she was struck by the baton, Tucker was diagnosed with a concussion and a potential skull fracture.
Alaila Everett insists it was an accident (WAVY TV 10)
What has Tucker said about the incident?
After the incident, Tucker described her version of events in an interview with WSLS.
She explained: “When you go to the other side of the track, you have to cross into lane one, you have to merge in. As I was coming up on her, she kind of like made me get cut off a little bit, so I backed away.
“Then, as we got around the curve, she kept bumping me in my arm. Then finally we got off the curve, I like slowly started passing her and then that’s when she just hit me with the baton and I fell off the track.
“I could feel like a headache coming up, so I just sat out. I recently went to the doctor, and they prescribed me with a concussion and a possible fractured skull.”
What has Everett said about the incident?
For her part, Everett has insisted that she didn’t mean to hit Tucker with the baton.
Speaking to WAVY-TV 10, she said: “After a couple times of hitting [Tucker] with my baton, I got stuck behind her back […] and it rolled up her back. I lost my balance, and when I pumped my arms again, she got hit.
“I know my intentions and I would never hit somebody on purpose,” Everett added.
Tucker fell to the ground after being struck with the baton (ABC News)
What has Everett been charged with?
As an investigation into the incident continues, the commonwealth’s attorney for the city of Lynchburg confirmed charges against Everett.
In a statement to ABC News, attorney Bethany Harrison said the high schooler had been charged with misdemeanor assault and battery.
What have authorities said about the incident?
Tucker’s parents have received an apology from both the athletic director at I.C. Norcom High School and Everett’s father in the wake of the incident, though other officials remain involved.
The Virginia High School League has said it is reviewing the incident, telling ABC News: “The VHSL membership has always made it a priority to provide student-athletes with a safe environment for competition.”
Meanwhile, the Portsmouth NAACP has said it is looking into the incident as well as alleged ‘racial slurs and death threats’ that have been aimed at the Everett family.
In a statement, the organization said: “We are committed collectively to ensuring that the criminal justice system, which we feel is not warranted in this situation, is executed fairly and based on due process.
“From all accounts, she is an exceptional young leader and scholar whose athletic talent has been well-documented and recognized across our state. She has carried herself with integrity both on and off the field and any narrative that adjudicates her guilty of any criminal activity is a violation of her due process rights.”
Featured Image Credit: ABC News
Emily Brown
Father of son, 17, who died being ‘attacked’ during track meet makes desperate plea to stop school ‘rewarding’ alleged killer
Alleged killer Karmelo Anthony is under house arrest
The father of a 17-year-old teenager who was stabbed while at a track meet has made a desperate plea to stop the school from ‘rewarding’ an alleged killer.
Austin Metcalf was stabbed in the heart when he out with his younger brother, Hunter, at the track and field championship at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco on April 2.
Karmelo Anthony, 18, is accused of pulling out a knife during a fight over seats in the stands. Metcalf is said to have died in his brother’s arms.
Speaking to NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, police stated that officers were called to the scene at approximately 10am, stating: “Despite lifesaving measures by police and fire personnel, including CPR and the administration of blood, the (17)-year-old victim died.”
Frisco police arrested and charged Anthony, releasing him from jail and allowing him to be held on house arrest, according to NBC News.
Karmelo Anthony is accused of killing the 17-year-old (Collins County)
In recent developments, Jeffrey Metcalf, Austin’s father, has filed a formal complaint about Centennial High School awarding Anthony his diploma amid the ongoing accusations.
Dominque Alexander, Anthony’s spokesperson, confirmed to the Daily Mail that a complaint had been put through.
“Now you have a father filing a complaint to the TEA [Texas Education Agency],” he said.
While Anthony looks set to receive his diploma, the Daily Mail reports the suspected killer is not expected to be involved in the graduation ceremony or walk on the stage at Frisco Independent School District to collect his reward as he remains under house arrest.
UNILAD has reached out to Frisco ISD for comment.
“We are in arrangements of doing an early gradation. They have agreed to allow him to graduate. They were literally trying to expel him – period,” Alexander said last week.
Austin Metcalf was stabbed to death in Texas while at a track meet (GoFundMe)
Last month, Metcalf admitted to showing up at a press conference which was held by the Anthony’s family, who suggested they plan to fight their son’s first-degree murder charge.
Anthony’s mother, Kala Hayes, spoke about ‘lies and false accusations that have been said about us, especially over the past week’ as she claimed they ‘put my family in danger.’
The suspected killer’s parents previously claimed he acted in self-defence when Austin allegedly attacked him.
When Metcalf turned up at the press conference, he said that he was ‘disrespected’ when he was escorted from the conference by police.
“They should have pulled me up [to the front] and said, ‘We are so sorry. Our condolences.’ The only thing I would have said was, ‘Okay, can we pray together and show the world we’re united’,” he told the New York Post.
