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Criminologist professor at Big Ten college offers warning to students as police probe possible serial killer

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Cairns, K. (2026, October 14). Criminologist professor at Big Ten college offers warning to students as police probe possible serial killer. Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/us/criminologist-professor-big-ten-college-offers-warning-students-police-probe-possible-serial-killer

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Fox News · collected 2026-10-14 · by Kelsie Cairns
Content note This article describes violence described in detail.

Quick Summary

A criminology professor at Michigan State University in Lansing, Michigan, is cautioning students and residents about potential dangers as police investigate five recent deaths possibly linked to a serial attacker along the Lansing River Trail. The attacks have primarily targeted homeless individuals over the past year, with one confirmed stabbing death and four other fatalities from head injuries or blunt force trauma. Karen Holt warns that such crimes often target vulnerable victims whom offenders perceive as less likely to be credible witnesses or suspects.
Written by AI on 2026-10-14, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

As of October 15, 2026, Lansing Police Chief Robert Backus is investigating whether recent attacks along the Lansing River Trail indicate a serial killer targeting unhoused individuals. Over the past year, five homeless men were found dead on a one-mile stretch of the trail between midnight and 6 AM; four suffered severe head injuries, while one was stabbed to death. The police have arrested Edward Joseph Smith for the stabbing but he is not charged in the other deaths. Chief Backus confirmed that authorities are examining patterns and trends among these incidents but no definitive conclusions have been drawn yet. This situation has heightened concerns about safety and public notification policies within the city, especially given Lansing's growing homeless population. The city responded by increasing patrols and deploying mobile cameras along the trail to enhance security. Local residents and community groups are also conducting nighttime patrols in response to these fears.

Written for “Possible Serial Killer In Michigan” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 10 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Possible Serial Killer In Michigan
Crime & Law · 11 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 8% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Criminology professor shares warning to students amid possible serial killer near Michigan State University Same event
New York Post
Hedges 1 of 24 claims Outlet record 66/100
Midwest police chief fears serial killer may be to blame after five bodies were found along river Same event
Daily Mail
Hedges 7 of 33 claims Outlet record 68/100
5 people have been found dead near a river trail in Michigan, sparking serial killer fears Same event
The Independent
Hedges 5 of 43 claims Outlet record 59/100
Five bodies found along a 1.6km trail, triggering serial killer fears Same event
The Sydney Morning Herald
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 3 of 58 claims Outlet record 61/100
Potential Michigan serial killer may have left behind valuable evidence, former FBI profiler says Different event
Fox News
Hedges 3 of 14 claims Outlet record 69/100
“The articles mention different experts (former FBI profiler vs. criminology professor) commenting on a similar situation involving possible serial killings, but they are not describing the same specific incident or occurrence.”
Serial killer fears strike college town as school fortifies security amid popular river trail deaths Different event
Fox News
Hedges 3 of 22 claims Outlet record 69/100
“While both articles discuss a potential serial killer situation involving deaths on a river trail near Michigan State University, they describe different aspects or stages of the investigation and do not clearly refer to the same specific incident at the same time.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
25
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
8%
2 of 25 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
69/100
Fox News's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
11
Crime & Law
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-14 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

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Running correction rate · 11 correction(s)
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Who wrote this

Kelsie Cairns
28 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
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🔮 Although this is a gut punch, our prayers were answered that we would find Kaden and Jackson, allowing some closure for the family."
2026-10-29 · assertive framing · Deputies find bodies of missing college students who went hiking on treacherous mountain trail
🔮 Fox News Digital has reached out to the mayor's office for comment.
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🔮 "We recognize that the decision the law and constitution required us to make on Sunday morning may not be popular.
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🔮 Earlier this month, the Lansing Police Department announced it is investigating the unnerving possibility that five recent deaths may be connected to an attacker allegedly lurking along the Lansing River Trail.
2026-10-14 · assertive framing · Criminologist professor at Big Ten college offers warning to students as police probe possible serial killer
🔮 Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement in part, "My administration remains committed to doing everything in our power to ensure safety on the CTA for its commuters and its committed employees who make public transit possible."
2026-10-12 · mixed framing · Transit worker allegedly killed by felon on electronic monitoring despite repeated probation violations
🔮 A potential "serial killer" may be stalking a popular river trail near Michigan State University, where five deaths have fueled growing safety concerns.
2026-10-10 · assertive framing · Serial killer fears strike college town as school fortifies security amid popular river trail deaths
🔮 Authorities in Michigan are investigating a string of five killings that may be connected, police said.
2026-10-08 · mixed framing · Michigan police probe possible serial killer after 5 men suffer fatal injuries along popular trail
Also by Kelsie Cairns
‘Your kids are the target’: College drug deaths, alleged coke ring expose lethal threat, warns retired cop
2026-10-30 · Fox News
Judge grills AG’s office in Cornell sex assault case as ex-frat bro’s lawyer demands ouster over alleged bias
2026-10-29 · Fox News
Deputies find bodies of missing college students who went hiking on treacherous mountain trail
2026-10-29 · Fox News
Radicals bring life in America's largest city to screeching halt and vandalize 9/11 Memorial
2026-10-28 · Fox News
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 28 articles by Kelsie Cairns →

Topics

Big Ten Lansing Michigan Michigan State University the Lansing Police Department

Subjects

Holt PERSON · 4× Daniel Lusk PERSON · 2× Edward Joseph Smith PERSON · 2× Lansing GPE · 2× Lusk PERSON · 2× Big Ten ORG · 1× Karen Holt PERSON · 1× Michigan GPE · 1× Michigan State University ORG · 1× the Lansing Police Department ORG · 1×

Narrative

Holt says Lusk's murder "stands out" in comparison to the other alleged killings in that the victim was stabbed – whereas the other four victims suffered some sort of head injury or possible blunt force trauma.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-14
🔮 Earlier this month, the Lansing Police Department announced it is investigating the unnerving possibility that five recent deaths may be connected to an attacker allegedly lurking along the Lansing River Trail.
2026-10-14 · Fox News
Criminologist professor at Big Ten college offers warning to students as police probe possible serial killer · assertive framing

Claims (25 extracted, 2 hedged)

Concerns over a possible serial killer in Lansing, Michigan, have the Big Ten college town on edge. asserted
Concerns → have → edge
Earlier this month, the Lansing Police Department announced it is investigating the unnerving possibility that five recent deaths may be connected to an attacker allegedly lurking along the Lansing River Trail. uncertain
deaths → announce → Trail
"I definitely think we need to be cautious, but we also need to be rational," Karen Holt, a criminology professor at Michigan State University, told Fox News Digital. asserted
Holt → think → Digital
Police said over the last year five men were attacked along the popular trail; one of the victims was found stabbed to death under a bridge. asserted
one → say → bridge
"As someone who studies violence, the first thing that came to mind was the victims and the vulnerability of these victims and the method of the violence," Holt said. asserted
Holt → study → violence
All the victims were homeless, police said. asserted
police → say → ?
"If we have a community where people can be attacked in this way, then I don't necessarily know that we can call it a safe community," Holt said. asserted
Holt → have → it
She continued, saying, "One of the patterns with either single or serial homicide offenders or just violent offenders is that they tend to go after individuals who are particularly vulnerable." asserted
who → continue → individuals
She says homicide offenders often see these victims as individuals "who lack credibility" and may assume that going after homeless victims "decreases the likelihood that they're going to be caught." uncertain
they → say → likelihood
Timeline of killings - Oct. 14, 2025 – Gino Chouinard, 54, was found unconscious along the trail. asserted
Chouinard → find → trail
He died Oct. 27, 2025 and police said his cause of death remains undetermined. asserted
cause → die → death
- July 9, 2026 – Denis Dunnebacke, 70, was found unresponsive under the Kalamazoo Street bridge. asserted
Dunnebacke → find → bridge
He died July 16, 2026, with his cause of death undetermined. asserted
cause → die → death
- July 13, 2026 – Robert Smith, 57, was found suffering from severe head trauma. asserted
Smith → find → trauma
He died July 17, 2026, and the medical examiner ruled it a blunt force homicide. asserted
it → die → ?
- Aug. 20, 2026 – Daniel Lusk, 22, was found fatally stabbed under the East Michigan Avenue bridge. asserted
Lusk → find → bridge
Police said they arrested suspect Edward Joseph Smith, 23, on Sept. 3, in connection to the stabbing. asserted
they → say → stabbing
- Aug. 30, 2026 – Louis Woodruff, 57, was found under the East Cesar Chavez Avenue bridge with severe facial trauma. asserted
Woodruff → find → trauma
He died Sept. 1, 2026, with police saying his death was ruled a blunt force homicide. asserted
death → die → ?
On September 3, Edward Joseph Smith, 23, was arrested in connection to the deadly stabbing of Daniel Lusk, 22. asserted
Smith → arrest → Lusk
"I would love to learn more about the relationship between that victim and perpetrator," she said. asserted
she → love → victim
Police have not announced any motive in Lusk's murder. asserted
Police → announce → murder
Smith has not been accused of any crime or wrongdoing in the four other deaths. asserted
Smith → accuse → deaths
Holt says Lusk's murder "stands out" in comparison to the other alleged killings in that the victim was stabbed – whereas the other four victims suffered some sort of head injury or possible blunt force trauma. asserted
victims → say → injury
Police have yet to confirm any arrest of this possible serial killer. Holt maintains Lansing needs to remain vigilant. "Don't walk the trail would be my advice. asserted
walk → confirm → trail
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