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

Read the original at Fox News ↗
Cite

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

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

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 locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-14, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

AI analysis runs on qwen2.5:14b, locally

Story summary

As of October 14, 2026, Lansing Police Chief Robert Backus announced a possible serial killer responsible for five recent deaths along the Lansing River Trail in Michigan. The victims, all unhoused men ranging from ages 22 to 70, were found between October 2025 and September 2026. Four of these cases involve blunt force trauma or head injuries; one victim was stabbed to death. Despite arrests for some incidents, the suspect has not been linked to all deaths.

Criminologists warn that due to outdoor attacks where victims were likely sleeping, valuable forensic evidence may remain at crime scenes. Karen Holt, a criminology professor at Michigan State University, emphasized concerns over vulnerable populations being targeted and urged caution while stressing the need for a rational response to ensure community safety. The university has enhanced security measures along the river trail near campus in response to these incidents.

Written for “Serial Killer Investigation In Michigan” on 2026-10-14, grounded in this article and the 7 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political question, so it has no leaning score. That is an answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political position.
No political leaning scored for article 79307 · logged 2026-10-14

Story

📰 Serial Killer Investigation In Michigan
Crime & Law · 8 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.
Midwest police chief fears serial killer may be to blame after five bodies were found along river same event · 95%
Daily Mail
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 21% hedged 7 of 33 📰 publisher trust 64
“Both articles discuss the investigation into a possible serial killer responsible for five deaths along the Lansing River Trail in Michigan.”
Potential Michigan serial killer may have left behind valuable evidence, former FBI profiler says different event · 85%
Fox News
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 21% hedged 3 of 14 📰 publisher trust 70
“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 · 50%
Fox News
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 14% hedged 3 of 22 📰 publisher trust 70
“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
70/100
Fox News's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
8
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

Fox News · 4044 article(s) · 7 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 7 correction(s)
2026-10-08
ELI STEELE: France's schools are burning. White guilt is helping fan the flames
2026-10-08
Maryland man accused of girl's fatal shooting released from prison days before
2026-10-08
Former corrections officer accused of killing wife, forcing kids to help
2026-10-03
Tennessee's state corrections chief resigns following failed execution of Christa Pike
2026-09-30
Repeat offender with lengthy rap sheet accused of gunning down Kentucky trooper during traffic stop
2026-09-23
Missouri mom who put newborn in oven instead of crib learns fate as murder charge dropped
2026-08-04
Pennsylvania school bus aide accused of sexually assaulting special needs teen

Who wrote this

Kelsie Cairns
18 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 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
🔮 All were taken to the hospital and are expected to recover.
2026-10-08 · assertive framing · Mom goes on alleged stabbing spree against husband, toddler and 10-month-old baby
🔮 However, his conviction was overturned in May 2026 after the South Carolina Supreme Court found that former Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca "Becky" Hill improperly influenced jurors.
2026-10-07 · mixed framing · Alex Murdaugh prosecutors torch ‘manufactured’ cellphone claim, ‘glad’ to offer evidence again for 2TB drive
🔮 The U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service continues to actively investigate the case; the agency seized "Soulmate" in May.
2026-10-04 · assertive framing · Lynette Hooker case far from ‘put to rest’ 6 months later as feds quietly reconstruct scene: former FBI agent
🔮 Authorities are ramping up their search of Horsch's home on Chew Avenue in Olney – an effort they said will shut down roads and involve more digging at the property, according to the outlet.
2026-09-29 · assertive framing · Philadelphia serial killer probe brings in reinforcements to dig through home tied to missing women: report
🔮 Fox News Digital first reported Amer Alowdi, 40, was indicted in 2022 and fled the country before he could face formal prosecution documents allege.
2026-09-28 · mixed framing · Yemen-born vape shop owner near Ole Miss fled country after synthetic drug trafficking indictment: docs
🔮 Texas criminal attorney Dick DeGuerin has been practicing law for six decades; he is currently representing Lee Gilley. Gilley, 39, is the Houston husband accused of murdering his pregnant wife Christa Bauer Gilley, 38, inside the family's home in October 2024. Investigators say the murder suspect cut off his ankle monitor and fled from the U.S. to Italy in May, weeks before his trial was supposed to start.
2026-09-27 · assertive framing · Lee Gilley’s Texas attorney ‘never had one like this’ as accused wife killer clings to Italian lifeline
Also by Kelsie Cairns
Transit worker allegedly killed by felon on electronic monitoring despite repeated probation violations
2026-10-12 · Fox News
Serial killer fears strike college town as school fortifies security amid popular river trail deaths
2026-10-10 · Fox News
Michigan police probe possible serial killer after 5 men suffer fatal injuries along popular trail
2026-10-08 · Fox News
Mom goes on alleged stabbing spree against husband, toddler and 10-month-old baby
2026-10-08 · Fox News
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 18 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
💬Give feedback
🕘History 🎫Support
Terms · Privacy · beta v2.0.0
Articles to 14 Oct 2026