The Austin Police Department pulled a fourth body from a Texas lake over the weekend, further igniting rumors that a serial killer using “roofies” to drug victims might be on the loose, despite authorities insisting there is currently no evidence of foul play in any of the deaths.
On Saturday around 1:30 p.m., police discovered 30-year-old John Christopher Hays-Clark deceased in Lady Bird Lake, according to Austin Police Officer Michael Bullock.
“Our homicide unit did respond to the scene and are investigating this incident. As of right now, it is a very unfortunate incident, but up to this point, we have not discovered anything suspicious tied directly to this incident,” Bullock said during a press conference.
The incident marked the fourth time this year that Austin police have pulled a body from Lady Bird Lake, sparking rumors of a serial killer. All of the drowning victims were males around 30 to 40 years of age.
In February, the body of 30-year-old Jason John was removed from the water. He was reported missing a week before, with his last known whereabouts on Rainey Street, a mile-long strip with bars and restaurants near the lake.
Another man, 40-year-old Clifton Axtell, was found deceased in the lake in March.
Johnathan Honey, 33, was pulled from the water one day after he was reported missing. Honey was also last seen on Rainey Street.
According to authorities, John, Axtell, and Honey died from a “combination of alcohol and easy access to Lady Bird Lake.” None of the three men showed signs of trauma or foul play.
Medical examiners are still determining the cause of death for Hays-Clark.
The Austin Police Department released a statement in early April regarding the deaths of the first three men. Authorities claimed the lake’s many access points “can be challenging to see at night” and likely contributed to the drowning deaths.
“One thing to keep in mind is that Austin has thousands of acres of green space and waterways. It’s a very nature-focused large metropolitan area. So we would just encourage people to always be aware of your surroundings and if you can go with friends, keep yourself safe so that way we don’t have unfortunate incidents that can occur,” Bullock stated.
He added, “If we did have any concerns, that is not something we would try to be hiding from the public.”
Locals believe a serial killer may be at large and using roofies to prey on victims. Roofies, or GHB, quickly metabolize and, therefore, could be out of a victim’s system before the body reaches a forensic pathologist.
Kevin Gannon, a former New York Police Department detective sergeant, told Fox News Digital that the bars on Rainey Street had been around for years.
“All of the sudden [these deaths] happen at the same time? It’s not consistent with normal accidental drownings,” Gannon stated. “Just from the sheer number and the fact that there’s so many in a short period of time, I don’t believe that it’s accidental.”
No autopsy reports have been released at this time, and the investigations into all four cases remain ongoing.
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