Mayor, HPD say no evidence of serial killer after multiple drownings in Houston bayous

Mayor John Whitmire and Houston Police Department officials said at a press conference in Houston that there is no evidence a serial killer is responsible for multiple recent drownings found in city bayous and urged residents to rely on verified information while investigations continue.

The mayor opened the briefing by saying, "There is no evidence that there is a serial killer loose on the streets of Houston," and pressed the media and the public to stop circulating unverified claims. He described the five drownings discovered over a five-day span as "alarming" and said the city will let investigators and the medical examiner complete their work before drawing conclusions.

Police Chief Diaz told reporters HPD's dive team recovered five bodies from bayous across the city and that, "there is no evidence, and I repeat no evidence to suggest that any of these incidents are connected." Captain Zia, the homicide captain, gave a case-by-case summary and…