AUSTIN SERIAL KILLER FEARS: Families' Anger Boils

In 1960, Lady Bird Lake was built by the city of Austin. The river-like reservoir was created as a cooling pond for Austin's then-new city power plant. The 416-acre lake is now primarily used for recreation, but many in the area are now concerned it's the hunting ground for a killer. There have been 10 deaths reported in the last two years: four in 2022, five in 2023, and one in the past few days.
Even though police have given no indication there are signs of foul play, social media has lit up with speculation. According to the San Antonio Current, rumors of a serial killer hunting young men and dumping their bodies in Lady Bird Lake ran rampant last April. That's when Police recovered the bodies of Jason John, Clifton Axtell, Jonathon Honey, and Christopher Hays-Clark from Lady Bird Lake.
Reegan Aparicio says she has no doubts that her longtime boyfriend Chris Hays-Clark was placed in Lady Bird Lake. The dental nurse says despite police assurances that there was no foul play in Hays-Clark's death, she believes he was already dead when he went into the water. That sentiment is shared by others who have lost loved ones to the lake. Jason John’s parents also believe there is more to his disappearance and his former roommate believes he was drugged. Martin Gutierrez’s brother says he believes Martin was murdered in 2018.
Despite family concerns, Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon says, "Nothing has come to light that would indicate that there is a serial killer in Austin."

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[VikkiBounds]

I have to admit, I used to find you a bit abrasive for my taste, but I've been watching these shows here & have changed my mind. Victims needing justice were blessed to have you in their corner. ❤

[cindysmith]

As a Texan, I see reports of lots and lots of cases of people being drugged in bars on Rainey Street, 4th Street and 6th Street in Austin and later robbed. Men and women both. The word on the street is that the bartenders or bar patrons will spike the drink, then when the target leaves the bar, the perpetrator notifies their comrades, who pose as ride share drivers, or someone trying to "help" them. They pick them up and rob them. We can only speculate that they may unintentionally overdose the one's that die, and dump their bodies in the river. That's the most common theory I'm hearing...

[leahyamazaki]

Nancy..sadly I know what I’m saying..ten suicides in my family…the man duck taped is absolutely NOT A SUICIDE..keep up the good work!

[SithLadyDarthAnnakus]

Houstonian here! We’re all so skeptical right now. This is too many bodies not to have something going on. It’s just too many.

[Scatback]

@Nancy Grace There is a man who actually lived, he washed up on the other side of lake and had been drugged. He was one of the lucky ones.

[ULTRAMAGATRUMP]

Look at the case in Philadelphia a girl was stabbed over 20 times and 10 of those were in the back and they said it was

[jjsilv]

It’s just not safe to go out and party like once before. Crime, drugs, corruption, is high right now and no consequences. Party at home much safer.

[momoni]

Thank you Ms. Nancy for bringing this out. We as Austinite's have been outraged by the police not doing their jobs properly. In 1 year there were more than 3 only week apart, barely months apart. None of it makes sense to us here. And Austinite's demand a clear picture for our safety while the police just put it aside. There are so many things that scream we have a killer and police don't care for our safety.

[WickedWest]

I live here. It's scary. It's not like bodies have been floating in that river forever. This is crazy

[BradKittelTTH]

This is not limited to Austin. Paris, France is a place where many of the same sorts of issues. My son drowned in the Seine River, 13 years ago this month, and the police determined it was accidental drowning, which was hard to hear. He was a lifeguard, but the water was only 42 degrees, and he would have been crippled fast how did he get in there without his backpack, guitar, I-phone, and money. Accidental and he would have been a John Doe had we not gotten help to find him after 3 weeks of being lost after missing his flight back to the USA. The police do not want Paris known for drowning due to criminal activity, tourists robbed and thrown in so they would accidentally drown and the evidence trail lost. Sad. I empathize with the parents who get nothing for answers.

[margieshelnutt]

Nancy THANK YOU!!! I’m from Austin and I appreciate you covering this story for us. As usual GREAT

[kerrbear]

I have lived in Austin since 2002. I’ve never seen as much homelessness and crime ever in this city. The police department is incompetent and the homeless situation has no solutions at all.

[drayeupton]

7 bodies??? Omgosh that's awful 😢, not a coincidence 😮, thank you Nancy for covering this.Texas loves you

[coffeenut]

has to be a serial killer and I want them to explain to me how one commits suicide by bounding body and duct taping my mouth shut? why are they not properly investigating this? and why has not the FBI came in on these cases very sus

[LoLuvLo]

When I studied law it was always stated there are no coincidence in law NONE

[cassandraclapp]

7 bodies? Girl where have you been???? Its more like 50 bodies over a time period of many many many years

[Mamamills]

What about earlier bodies? 4 in 2014. 5 in 2015. 2 in 2016.

[leahyamazaki]

He had drugs in his body…could have been drugged in his drink

[ForestBlue]

Austinite here. Born and raised 50 years old. Swimming was banned due to health dangers. Outside species of fish and plant life have been introduced to the river that haven’t worked out so well. Creating waters that can have dangerous bacterias. Along with pollution from surrounding city. I remember when there were River Rat races where the public built homemade craft and raced them. After such festivities like that and Aquafest, the public, with city workers, volunteer scuba divers cleaned and picked up. Austin was an incredible place to grow up. As it is, I can barely afford to live within the city limits of my own home town. With growth we’ve lost our identity and feeling of community, and I pray that those that have come here will begin helping in the rebirth of such humanity.

[brittneycarter]

There's a whole reddit on people getting roofied at two local bars. And if it wasn't for friends those people would have both been in the water!