A second man’s body was pulled from Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas, in two months, fueling fears a serial killer is hunting the city’s downtown social hub.
But Austin Police say the recent drownings are coincidental, and there’s no evidence of foul play.
The community’s speculation was discussed openly during Thursday’s city council meeting. Several men have gone missing in recent years after a night out on Rainey Street, the heart of Austin’s nightlife that’s lined with bars, high-end hotels and live music venues. They were later found in the lake about a mile away.
“There are too many people that have gone missing,” resident Christopher Pugh said during Thursday’s meeting. “There are too many people that have been injured. There are too many people that can walk off, and we still have absolutely no answers as to what has happened to any of those folks.”
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Austin Police homicide and missing persons unit detectives, the lake patrol unit and crime scene specialists responded to investigate. (FOX 7 Austin)
Pugh’s 21-year-old son mysteriously went missing in November 2019 after a night out on Rainey Street and was found days later with “serious” injuries by the lake.
“Two more people have died since the last time I came down here and talked to you, and I’m going to bet we have no video camera on anything that happened with those incidents,” Pugh told city council.
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Other speakers shared similar stories about their family members and friends who went missing after a night out on Rainey Street and died by drowning.
Pugh was referring to Jonathan Honey, 33, a Washington, D.C., man who was reported missing March 31 and was found dead in the lake April 1, and Jason John, 30, who was last seen on Rainey Street before going missing for eight days before police pulled his body from the lake.
Christopher Pugh’s 21-year-old son, Christian, mysteriously went missing in November 2019 after a night out on Rainey Street in downtown Austin, Texas, and was found days later with “serious” injuries by the lake. (April 13 Austin City Council meeting)
A list of the recent bodies found in Lady Bird Lake in recent years. (FOX 7 Austin)
“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,” Austin Police said in an April 3 statement. “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.”
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The department said it works with the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office, which conducts parallel investigations and performs the autopsies.
“The results of these autopsies have not revealed any trauma to the bodies nor indication of foul play,” according to Austin Police.
The investigation into Jonathan Honey’s death is ongoing, and the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine his cause of death. (FOX 7 Austin)
“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,” the statement said. “Many of these access points can be challenging to see at night.”
The city council addressed the safety concerns during the meeting and agreed to allocate funds toward increasing patrols, installing security cameras and developing a safety plan.
“There is something happening, and I think that’s why it’s important to add these safety measures but also to look at what’s going on on Rainey Street as a whole,” council member Zo Qadri said.
Mitchell Gutierrez, whose brother died of an accidental drowning after going missing from Rainey Street in 2018, said he believes 12 people have died in similar fashion “by his count” since his brother’s death.
Mitchell Gutierrez, whose brother died of an accidental drowning after going missing from Rainey Street in downtown Austin, Texas, in 2018, speaks at an April 13 city council meeting. (April 13 Austin City Council meeting)
In previous interviews, Gutierrez noted contusions and other injuries that his brother suffered.
Pugh also talked about injuries that his son suffered, including bruised hands and a blow to the head.
“I think making sure that we are doing our due diligence and looking at every avenue,” Qadri said. “Whether these are accidental drownings. Whether it’s people being drugged. Whether it’s something we aren’t even thinking about, making sure we’re doing everything we can to stop this from happening again.”
