Latest news with #serialkiller
The Sun
16 hours ago
- The Sun
My serial killer dad stopped horrific sex attack to call & wish me happy birthday…then sent me X-rated letters from jail
EVERY family has a secret, but none so dark as Donna Carr's. For almost 50 years she has tried to hide the fact that her dad was a serial killer, rapist and paedophile. 15 15 15 Robert Frederick Carr III was arrested in 1976 for raping a hitchhiker - and then shocked detectives by confessing to four rapes and murders, and six further rapes. He'd kept his first victim, a 16-year-old girl, captive in a forest for 10 days, raping her throughout before finally strangling her. He also picked up two 11-year-old boys who were hitchhiking, raped them, strangled one and killed the other four days later. During one of his sickening sex attacks, evil Carr told his victim that he had to stop so he could find a payphone to call Donna to wish her a happy birthday. Donna was just 12 years old when his twisted crimes - nearly all of which involved children under the age of 18 - were exposed, and along with her mother and younger brother, she was vilified in her local community. They were forced to live their lives in the shadow of their father's horrifying crimes, bearing the stigma of being the children of a sadistic killer. When teenage Donna refused to go and see her father in prison, sickeningly this led Carr to send sexually explicit letters to his own daughter from his cell. He died in prison of prostate cancer, aged 63, and after years of hiding her family's devastating secret, Donna decided to bring it out into the open in the hope of making peace with her heritage. Donna, from West Virginia, says: 'That is the secret I have been keeping my entire life and it has affected every aspect of my life. "I honestly feel like it is time for me to move past this. It happened when I was 12 and I am now 60 and I am tired of it hanging over my head. 'I honestly think that there are some mental illnesses that you are born with. I honestly do believe that some people are just born evil -and I think my father was one of those people.' The Dull Truth About Serial Killers In the years before he was caught, Carr - a TV repairman and car salesman - was constantly on the move, trying to out-run his evil crimes. For most of Donna's childhood she lived out of her father's car as he moved the family from state to state. He kept them under tight control, subjecting her mother to horrific abuse and making sure they never stayed in one place long enough to put down roots. 'The memories with my father, there are very few that are good,' she recalls. 'They were mostly bad. He always had an underlying anger about him... when I was 12 my dad was actually caught in the process of a rape and he was arrested, and that was when he decided to tell them that he had murdered four people, raped and murdered them. 'When he had one of his victims he told her he had to stop and find a payphone to call me for my birthday, and I remember that phone call. I honestly think that there are some mental illnesses that you are born with. I honestly do believe that some people are just born evil - and I think my father was one of those people Donna Carr 'I've always felt horrible for what he did. It bothered me for a very long time, when this came out I was no more than 13 years old and it had been all over the national news. 'For years I was afraid of sharing my story and that is because my father was still alive in prison. He is dead now. "One of the reasons this became such a family secret is because every time I shared the information, immediately I no longer mattered. It became about what he had done, and so I stopped talking about it.' 'Long line of bad men' 15 15 15 15 Thirty years ago Donna decided to begin searching her family history in the hope she would find someone good from her ancestry to help her put to bed the horrors of her father. Donna, who is married to husband Jim and has a 27-year-old daughter, Hailey, says: 'Family means everything to me. "I started doing family history research because I wanted to find somebody in my family who was good, who was a little bit better along the Carr family line, because my father is a serial killer.' She adds: 'I just think that to know that not everybody in that line of family was bad... that at some point in time there was somebody I could've looked up to.' But Donna had her work cut out, coming from a "long line of not very good men". Her grandfather spent time in prison for a grand-theft auto charge. But her 10-year search also led her to a man she suspected was her great-great-grandfather, Nicholas Carr. Donna hoped that he would be the kind, family man she longed for in her family's history. I started doing family history research because I wanted to find somebody in my family who was good, who was a little bit better along the Carr family line, because my father is a serial killer Donna Carr But there were two Nicholas Carrs - so a new documentary for Acorn TV, called Relative Secrets with Jane Seymour, sent British archaeologist Natasha Billson to the US to help Donna uncover her family's past. Natasha explains: 'I think Donna found comfort in looking at the genealogy, trying to find someone who was relatively good in all the other male figures of her family line. She had been doing it for 30 years. "She had folders and folders of all the information she had collated over that time. She was just trying to find an answer. "It took her 10 years to find Nicholas Carr, but there were two of them and she couldn't find which one was her ancestor, which is where we came in. 'She was carrying that surname and it was tainted by all these abusive men.' 15 Natasha's team of experts uncovered that the Nicholas Carr who matched her family tree had travelled alone from Ireland, where he was born, to New York by ship in 1853, just after the end of the potato famine. As Donna's DNA revealed she had very few ancestors left, they believed Nicholas fled Ireland after losing his entire family to the famine. But that wasn't the end of his tragedy, In 1866 he had an altercation with a neighbour that ended in bloodshed and Nicholas Carr spent a year in prison in 1867 for manslaughter. Donna says: 'Hearing that is a little gut-wrenching. The last thing I wanted to find in my family history was another person that was a murderer.' Reformed character But unlike many prisoners at that time, Nicholas didn't attempt a prison escape, even when his young daughter died. He stayed and served his sentence - and tried to atone for his crime in the most unusual way. Natasha says: 'He stopped the other prisoners trying to escape. And he made a record of all the prisoners which he gave to the police. Prison records were not well-kept at the time.' A letter from the local sheriff was published in the local newspaper declaring: 'We are indebted to Mr Nicholas Carr for a list of prisoners confined in the county jail since last 24 October with the nature of their crimes.' Natasha says: 'Courage and honour. Like Donna, Nicholas was brave enough to confront his past.' Despite his conviction for manslaughter, he became Detective Carr and opened up his own detective agency, the first of its kind in Wilmington where he lived. And Natasha's team found more than 100 newspaper articles detailing how Nicholas Carr went on to help people. Natasha says: 'There are so many - a child went missing, within two weeks he found her. A young lad who wanted to go to Ireland to meet his family. He went to buy a ticket and was scammed of his money. "What did Nicholas Carr do? He went and found who scammed the young man and got the money back and got him on the ship to go to Ireland. He has gone above and beyond for his community. 'There is respect associated with his name, and we see it built up over a decade. We can see his determination and perseverance for justice, wanting to help his community.' Robert Frederick Carr III's crimes ON May 30, 1976, Carr was caught by police while he was raping a hitchhiker at knifepoint. On his arrest he shocked detectives by confessing to four murders, explaining the crimes in detail. Tammy Ruth Huntley, 16, vanished while waiting for her mother to pick her up. Carr drove her from Miami to Mississippi. On April 7, 1972, after raping her over the 10 days he kept her captive in the woods, he strangled her, saying, "I killed her because she looked like she was getting despondent.' In late 1972 Carr visited Florida, and on November 13 that year he picked up 11-year-old friends Todd Payton and Mark Wilson, who were hitchhiking from North Miami Beach. The inside back doors in the car were disabled and the boot was filled with food, jars of petroleum jelly, and a shovel. Carr raped the boys and strangled Payton. Four days later he strangled Wilson. In 1973, Carr was convicted of rape in Connecticut and sentenced to four to eight years in prison, but was paroled in 1976, after serving less than three years. Upon his release in Connecticut, he would kill his fourth and final victim, 21-year-old Rhonda Holloway, before burying her body in a rural area. Carr confessed that after Tammy Huntley's murder he raped an additional four girls and two boys. Only four were reported, for which he was charged and pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to life in prison for the rapes and murders. He died of prostate cancer in prison in 2006. David Simmons, the detective who arrested Carr, said: "In my 33-year career in law enforcement, Carr ranks as the most dangerous child sexual predator-murderer I ever investigated." A tearful Donna says: 'A developing city needed him. Not bad for a hungry boy from Ireland. "I needed this. I do have a father and what he did is horrific. But I didn't do it. 'I have had to out-run this my entire life, so learning about Nicholas and finding out what kind of person he was is just amazing to me. "I know he is the good one in the family line. He was a human and he was part of the community and loved. 'I believe I am drawing closer, learning to deal with emotions. Letting it out for the first time in my life has been therapeutic and difficult, but good.' Natasha adds: 'It is hard enough to read about it, let alone speak to someone who is the daughter of a serial killer, and that being her defining phrase that has always gone with her, she can't escape it. 'I just had so much respect for Donna, that she was able to live through that, overcome it, and also see that it was not normal, and break the cycle, make her own path - and also to tell others that if you have been through trauma, you can get through it.' Relative Secrets with Jane Seymour is streaming now on Acorn TV. 15 15 15
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Dexter' Is Leaving Netflix: Where To Watch The Beloved Michael C. Hall Slasher Series Online
Dexter Morgan never dies. Fans who watched the finale of 2021's Dexter: New Blood thought they'd seen the last of their favorite serial killer. But nope! Paramount+ with Showtime's upcoming series, devilishly titled Dexter: Resurrection, centers on Dexter (Michael C. Hall) as he follows his son Harrison to New York City after recovering from his near-fatal gunshot wound. Per Paramount+, 'When Miami Metro's Angel Batista (David Zayas) arrives with questions, Dexter realizes his past is catching up to him fast. As father and son navigate their own darkness in the city that never sleeps, they soon find themselves deeper than they ever imagined — and that the only way out is together.' If you recall, it was actually Harrison who shot (and presumably killed) Dexter in the New Blood finale, so their father/son reunion in Resurrection should be very interesting. If you were planning on a Dexter rewatch before Dexter: Resurrection premiereson Paramount+ with Showtime (July 11), well, we have some bad news: The original series is leaving Netflix. When is Dexter leaving Netflix? Where can you watch Dexter online? Here's everything you need to know. Yep. Unfortunately, the beloved Michael C. Hall series is leaving Netflix. The last day to watch Dexter on Netflix in the United States is Wednesday, June 18. It appears as though the licensing agreement between Paramount and Netflix that allows Netflix to stream Dexter in the United States is set to expire. Never fear, Paramount+ with Showtime is here! All eight seasons of Dexter are streaming on the platform, which is available for $12.99/month. Paramount+ offers a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. Individual episodes and complete seasons of Dexter are available to purchase on Amazon. You can also add Paramount+ with Showtime to your Amazon account for an additional $12.99/month. Amazon offers a free trial for new subscribers. Yes. While you can't watch Dexter on Hulu with a traditional account, you can add Paramount+ with Showtime for an extra $12.99/month. The new Dexter series debuts Friday, July 11, 2025, on the Paramount+ with Showtime plan.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Gilgo Beach suspect mutters two words to attorney during critical murder trial hearing on DNA evidence
The Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect muttered the words 'good job' to one of his defense attorneys during the critical murder trial hearing taking place this week. Defense attorney Danielle Coysh was given the high praise by accused murderer Rex Heuermann after she wrapped up her questioning with their expert defense witness Nathaniel Adams, a systems engineer at Ohio-based Forensic Bioinformatic Services, Inc, Newsday reported. Coysh has been an integral part of Heuermann's legal team and has been working alongside lead attorney Michael Brown since Heuermann's arrest in July 2023. At the Frye hearing held at at the Arthur M Cromarty Complex in Riverhead, Long Island the defense and the prosecution continued to spar over the science. The defense challenged the DNA evidence that prosecutors say links Heuermann to six out of the seven murders he has been charged with. During a press conference on Wednesday Brown said the expert witness 'did well' and were not certain at this time if they will produce another witness for the defense at next month's hearing set for July 17. Brown noted that the earliest the case will go to trial is 2026 and pointed out that 'Rex complimented the work of Ms. Coysh on her work today and yesterday.' He spoke about Rex looking forward to his 'day in court.' 'He is very anxious to get to trial, but is a patient man and appreciates that fact that we are dotting our i's and crossing our t's,' he added. Heuermann dressed in a dark suit, white button down shirt and navy tie, listened intently. He studied the screen that was in front of him, as Brown intermittently leaned in to speak to him as the expert witness testified. Though his ex-wife Asa Ellerup, who he was married to for 27 years, and his daughter Victoria Heuermann, 27, did not appear in court on both day of the hearings, Heuermann seemed alert and focused on what his legal team was doing. Sometime after 10.15am Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney's continued his cross-examination of the defense witness on how he came to his conclusion that the IBDGem software was 'unreliable.' The IBDGem software was created by Dr. Richard Green, a professor in biomolecular engineering at the University of California in Santa Cruz since 2010 and co-founder of Astrea Forensics. Part of what the computer software does is create likelihood rations. In April, Green was the prosecution's star witness, and gave comprehensive testimony regarding the technology his lab used to identify the DNA on hairs found on some of the Gilgo Beach victims. According to investigators, hairs found on the victims' bodies were traced back to Heuermann's wife and daughter and a third unnamed individual. Tierney questioned Adams on the amount of notes he produced after analyzing the 28 Terrabytes of data that supported the work of Astrea Lab, and appeared perplexed that only 7 to 8 pages were generated. According to 28 Terrabytes of data is equivalent to 229376 Gigabytes, and is a voluminious amount of data. He also asked Adams why he did not review the IBDGem 2.0 software if it was downloadable and publicly available online. 'It is only about the science and the witness today focused on the computer program aspects of IBDGem,' Coysh told Daily Mail. 'Some of the data is publicly online but not all of it is and there were some materials that the District Attorney's office had, some if it is public and some is proprietary.' She further explained that 'the issue here is if it is generally accepted in the scientific community and that is what it is. We are the first in New York State to address this,' she said. 'In New York Sate the government has the burden to prove that this scientific testimony and evidence is generally accepted in the forensic scientific community so it can be introduced in a New York State of Law. She added: 'It's brand new. 'It is up to Judge Mazzei.' Rex looks straight ahead as his legal team Michael Brown (center) and Danielle Coysh prepare their notes during the Frye hearing on Wednesday During Tuesday's testimony, Tierney appeared to mock Adams and questioned his credibility during the grueling two hour cross-examination and his proficiency in the field. He took apart his 10-page CV asking him why it took nearly 10 years for him to obtain his college degrees. The 38-year-old Adams who has an associate's degree in computer information systems and a bachelor's degree in computer science said he was still working on obtaining his Master's degree and was also working towards his master's thesis. Adams explained that part of the delay in his master thesis was that he changed the topic and that it went beyond just probabilistic genotyping and that he was in the final stage of completion. The DA pointed out that Dr. Green went through the vigorous doctorate program, which Adams agreed, but Tierney seemed amused to some degree that he was judging Green's work. Brown pointed out that their expert witness 'did well. 'You don't have to have a Phd and you don't have to have Master's degree in order to to explain the analysis and evaluation 'What the prosecution has lacked any verification or validation of this product and this potential science that the Astrea folks wants to introduce. 'None of their witnesses were able to introduce any evidence about validation and verification and our witness confirmed and corroborated that it is not there.' He added, 'Quite frankly there is no general acceptance in the realm community of the scientific community and hopefully the judge agrees with that.' Brown said in part, that 'the biggest thing that the prosecution wants to do is generate this likelihood ratio and throw that in front of a jury.' The pointed out that during Green's testimony, 'he didn't even know the name of his own program' and also took note that his lab Astrea Labs is 'not a certifiable lab.' 'How can they (the prosecution) claim it is generally acceptable in the scientific community. You can't,' he said. When Brown was asked what his game plan is if the evidence is ruled admissable and if the whole genome sequencing is precluded, his response it that they will 'take it one step at a time.' 'He has maintained his innocence from day one. He wants his trial and is looking forward to his trial and we are going to keep going , Brown said. Rex Heuermann's family members are speaking out in the new Peacock docuseries 'We are going to suppress evidence that is unconstitutionally obtained or illegal until we get to to the point to try the case,' he said. The documentary reveals never-before-heard admissions from Heuermann's family and of a man accused of living a double life. In a bombshell twist, Victoria admits to producers that she believes her father 'most likely' committed the murders though her mother steadfastly defends her ex-husband's innocence. She came to her own conclusion after she reviewed the facts that were available on the case and what was explained to her. She shared the revelation with producers, a week before the series launch. Though she did not speak about in the documentary, it was revealed in a statement at the end of the final episode. Heuermann has been charged with the murders of seven women during a two-decade reign of horror from 1993 to 2011. All the victims were sex workers who vanished before their remains were found along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach as well as other remote spots on Long Island. Since his arrest, prosecutors have unveiled a trove of evidence, including hairs allegedly belonging to Heuermann and his family members found on some of the victims, cellphone data allegedly placing him in contact with them, and a chilling 'planning document' in which he allegedly outlines his killings in detail. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Fears that a serial killer or killers were operating on Long Island began in May 2010 when 24-year-old sex worker Shannan Gilbert disappeared in strange circumstances one night. During a search for Gilbert that December, officers found the body of Melissa Barthelemy, 22, in the marshes by Gilgo Beach. Valerie Mack (left) disappeared in 2000 and parts of her body were discovered in Long Island that November. Jessica Taylor (right) vanished in 2003 with some of her remains being found in Manorville that year Sandra Costilla (left) was murdered in 1993, making her the earliest known victim. Karen Vergata's (right) remains were identified in 2023. Heuermann has not been charged in connection to her death Within days, three more bodies - Amber Costello, 27, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25, and Megan Waterman, 22 - had been found. They became known as the Gilgo Four. Over the following months, the remains of seven other victims were found. Earlier this year, Tanya Denise Jackson, 26, also known as Peaches, and her two-year-old daughter Tatiana Marie Dykes were identified this year. Their deaths have not been linked to Heuermann.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Gilgo Beach suspect's loyal ex-wife skips key hearing as expert raises serious questions about DNA evidence
The loyal ex-wife of the alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer has skipped a key hearing - as an expert raises serious questions about DNA evidence being used in the case. Asa Ellerup has continued to attend her ex-husband Rex Heuermann's court hearings despite their divorce in April. But on Tuesday the mother of two was nowhere in sight. Ellerup's attorney Robert Macedonio said there was 'no specific reason' why she was not present at court, and did not want to comment further. Ellerup, who was married to Heuermann for 27 years and shared two children - Victoria, 27 and Christopher, 35, before she filed for divorce after his arrest in July 2023. On Tuesday, Suffolk County Criminal court heard from Nathaniel Adams, a systems engineer with Forensics Bioinformantics Services, a biotechnology company based in Fairborn, Ohio. Adams told the court that the IBDGem software that was used by the prosecution's star witness Richard 'Ed' Green, Phd, a biomolecular engineer and co-founder of Astrea Labs, who testified in April, did not appear to follow a formal discipline that would confirm if the software was dependable or not. Using a powerpoint presentation, Adams spoke about the 'zone of chaos' when defects occur in the early or mid-development stages, but explained aren't caught until late development or post -release. 'All of these defects can exist and can manifest in serious problems and not be apparent to the users. They may not know that there is an error occurring.' He noted that the IBDGem software used by Astrea Labs followed 'no quailty control framework.' One operational concern he spoke about was when the Astrea team had a reed sample in the lab that returned challenging results. Adams concluded that if the team had a standardized processes in place that would not have taken place. 'You don't want bad software getting involved in the process,' he said. 'Formal and regular inspections of software prevents the zone of chaos from taking place.' He further testified that there were 65 total edits - also known as commits - made on the IBDGem software since June 2020, 15 edits and four new updated versions, also called 'releases' since March 2023. He explained that IBDGem software is not the same one that tested the data sample used in the case, and said Green's team adjusted the code after they did testing on the case adding that 'the (software) release was done after the testing.' When defense attorney Danielle Coyosh asked Adams if these tests are not completed right can the system still be considered valid and verified, he responded, 'No, by definition it is unreliable.' The defense witness also pointed that Green's team are scientists and don't use the same type of validity in developing code and software to do the scientific analysis as a systems engineer would. The 38-year-old Adams who has an associate's degree in systems engineering and bachelors in computer science said he was still working on obtaining his Master's degree and working towards his master's thesis. However, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney appeared to mock Adams and questioned his credibility during his grueling two hour cross-examination. Tierney took apart his 10-page CV asking him why it took nearly 10 years for him to obtain his college degrees. At one point, Judge Timothy Mazzei intervened and asked Adams' what was going on between 2004 to 2011?' His response to the judge was that he had 'various jobs' but didn't elaborate. During the cross-examination, the DA asked the witness why he only listed 12 cases on is his CV if he was acted as an expert witness for the defense in 30 cases. He also asked if he graduated with honors, and if had any other industry experience besides working for his current employer. He also inquired about the journals and publication Adams had published in and the conferences he presented at. 'You're supposed to be an expert, but you don't even know who your adviser was or if you graduated summa cum laude or not,' Tierney said. The expert witness will return to the stand on Wednesday for day two of the hearing. Tuesday's hearing comes exactly one week after the three-part Peacock documentary The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets first aired. The documentary reveals never-before-heard admissions from Heuermann's family and of a man accused of living a double life. In a bombshell twist, Victoria admits to producers that she believes her father 'most likely' committed the murders though her mother steadfastly defends her ex-husband's innocence. She came to her own conclusion after she reviewed the facts that were available on the case and what was explained to her. She shared the revelation with producers, a week before the series launch. Though she did not speak about in the documentary, it was revealed in a statement at the end of the final episode. Melissa Barthelemy (top left), Amber Costello (top right), Megan Waterman (bottom left), and Maureen Brainard-Barnes (bottom right) became known as the 'Gilgo Four' Valerie Mack (left) disappeared in 2000 and parts of her body were discovered in Long Island that November. Jessica Taylor (right) vanished in 2003 with some of her remains being found in Manorville that year Sandra Costilla (left) was murdered in 1993, making her the earliest known alleged victim. Karen Vergata's (right) remains were identified in 2023. Heuermann has not been charged in connection to her death Heuermann has been charged with the murders of seven women during a two-decade reign of horror from 1993 to 2011. All the victims were sex workers who vanished before their remains were found along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach as well as other remote spots on Long Island. Since his arrest, prosecutors have unveiled a trove of evidence, including hairs allegedly belonging to Heuermann and his family members found on some of the victims, cellphone data allegedly placing him in contact with them, and a chilling 'planning document' in which he allegedly outlines his killings in detail. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Fears that a serial killer or killers were operating on Long Island began in May 2010 when 24-year-old sex worker Shannan Gilbert disappeared in strange circumstances one night. During a search for Gilbert that December, officers found the body of Melissa Barthelemy, 22, in the marshes by Gilgo Beach. Within days, three more bodies - Amber Costello, 27, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25, and Megan Waterman, 22 - had been found. They became known as the Gilgo Four. Over the following months, the remains of seven other victims were found. Earlier this year, Tanya Denise Jackson, 26, also known as Peaches, and her two-year-old daughter Tatiana Marie Dykes were identified this year. Their deaths have not been linked to Heuermann.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
People Think There's A Serial Killer Loose In Texas Right Now — Here's Why
Are you into dark and creepy things? Subscribe to the That Got Dark newsletter to get a weekly post with topics just like this delivered directly to your inbox. Recently, rumors of a serial killer in Austin, Texas started gaining traction (again) when a teenage boy's body was pulled from the area's Lady Bird Lake on June 3. Although authorities claim the boy's death was not "suspicious," it was enough to make people in the area (and the internet) bring up the "Rainey Street Ripper" — a moniker that's been given by locals to a suspected killer in Austin. Here's the story: the past three years, 19 corpses have been found in Lady Bird Lake (which is actually a reservoir) in Austin, Texas. you should know that swimming has actually been banned in Lady Bird Lake since 1964. However, kayaking and paddleboarding are allowed. According to KVUE, the reservoir contains a lot of construction debris from old bridges, concrete, and rebar, as well as junk like shopping carts and even needles. Also, untreated water runoff from the city can pollute the reservoir with things like oil and gasoline. to My San Antonio, bodies have actually been found in Lady Bird Lake for a long, long time, dating back to when it was called "Town Lake" back in the '60s. what really shook locals, was that in 2022, a "cluster" of six bodies were found. The victims were Rocael Lopez, Ricky Parks, Amos Olatayo, Christopher Gutierrez, Kyle Thornton, and Josue Moreno. Interestingly, they reportedly all had similar features. in 2023, five more bodies were found, again, all men. It was reported that each had gone missing after having a night out on the nearby Rainey Street, which is a popular nightlife area with many bars, music venues, and food trucks. Related: Well, Well, Well, For The Second Time In 2 Weeks, People Are Letting JD Vance Know EXACTLY How They Feel About Him In Public moniker "Rainey Street Ripper" was given by locals to this believed serial killer because of Lady Bird Lake's proximity to Rainey Street. according to My San Antonio, the Austin Police Department has said, "There is no evidence to support that these deaths are suspicious in any way. The vast majority of the cases either involve someone suffering from mental illness, substance abuse, or a medical issue." locals have not been satisfied with the APD's statements, with many apparently "suspicious" of police. fact, there is a Facebook group, The Lady Bird Lake Serial Killer, which was created in February 2023 and has over 92,000 members. Related: This Dem Lawmaker Is Going Viral For His Extremely Shady Question To Secretary Kristi Noem former Austin resident (and YouTuber) Colin Browen believes the APD is "a very strange organization," and even started a petition in 2024, asking the APD to "acknowledge that the Austin drownings may not be accidents." The petition has over 6,000 signatures. In the petition, it states they are asking for: 1.) Install proper lighting, trail cameras, and safety barricades along Lady Bird Lake. 2.) Reopen cases that have been categorized as "accidents" and investigate them as "criminal incidents." to Browen's petition, none of the deaths that have been deemed "accidents" by police have been "thoroughly investigated as more than that — an 'accident.'" further says, "I have spoken to multiple family members of victims who believe that their loved ones were targeted and or murdered by a person or persons that is currently operating in the Austin city area. There is a belief amongst family members of victims that their loved ones were drugged before their deaths (another possibility that the APD refuses to acknowledge)." petition also highlights what Browen alleges are "inconsistent autopsy reports, misleading toxicology reports, unexplained injuries, unexplained routes of victim travel, and leads that were never properly investigated." more fuel to the suspicion fire, in the last few years, several young men have been found either beaten to near death or actually killed on a trail surrounding Lady Bird Lake that is poorly lit and has no surveillance cameras. The lack of lighting and security cameras is actually an issue that victims' friends and families have brought up to lawmakers many times. example, in 2018, 25-year-old Martin Gutierrez disappeared from that trail and was found a week later, dead, in Lady Bird Lake. According to his brother, Martin had "decided to go out with some friends on Rainey Street, and he never came back." 2019, 21-year-old Christian Pugh was found "barely alive" at Lady Bird Lake after having a night out with friends on Rainey Street days before. Although he was found on the opposite side of the lake (from Rainey Street) and his injuries were bad enough to put him in a coma, the APD said that he "fell from the bridge in a 'tragic accident.'" However, Pugh's family believes he was thrown into the lake from a nearby bridge. 2022, 29-year-old Joshua Crow had been riding his bike on that trail when he reportedly died from "blunt force trauma to the head and chest." According to his family, he'd been on his way to work at a bar on Rainey Street. February 2023, 30-year-old Jason John went missing after a night out with friends and was found dead in Lady Bird Lake eight days later. According to the autopsy reports, he was found "fully dressed with all his personal property, including his wallet and phone, in his pockets." His death, like the other ones, was ruled an accident by the police. then, in April 2023, 33-year-old Jonathan Honey was pulled from Lady Bird Lake. Joney had been in town for a bachelor party when he initially went missing on March 31. The medical examiner's office ruled that Honey died from drowning and that the death was accidental. What do you think? Is it possible there's a serial killer active in Austin, Texas? Are all of these deaths truly "accidental," or do you think authorities (or someone) need to investigate this high number of deaths further? Are you someone who lives in Austin and have thoughts about it? Sound off in the comments below. Do you like going down dark rabbit holes like this? Subscribe to the That Got Dark newsletter to get a weekly post with topics just like this delivered directly to your inbox. 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