Fresh 'serial killer' fears have been sparked in one part of the US after 19 bodies were recovered from the same lake in the past three years.
Suspicions have emerged of a killer possibly prowling the streets of a major city in Texas as more than a dozen bodies have now been pulled from a lake in a short period.
The concerns come as a body believed to be of a teenage boy who went missing on Sunday (June 1) was found by a paddleboarder in Lady Bird Lake, Austin, on Tuesday (June 3), bringing the total tally to 19 people in three years, the Metro reports.
The tragic news has ignited fears that the so-called 'Rainey Street Ripper' is at large in the city, which is home to almost a million people.
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The nickname refers to the fact Lady Bird Lake sits close to Rainey Street, which is a nightlife hotspot with a popular bar scene in downtown Austin.
However, police have insisted a killer is not lurking around Austin, confirming only one case to be a homicide, though at least six of the bodies recovered from the lake have unknown causes of death.
In the case of the latest body, whose identity hasn't been revealed, the authorities say the teen was kayaking with his family on the lake when he fell in and failed to come to the surface, as per Fox 7 Austin.
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Corporal Jose Mendez of the Austin Police Department told the outlet: "Another paddleboarder was here out on Lady Bird Lake and notified us that it appeared that an individual was deceased and floating on Lady Bird Lake."
The news outlet further reports that of all of the 19 deaths linked to Lady Bird Lake, two have been teenagers, while 60 per cent were aged between 39 and 49.
Amongst the causes of death have been drug overdoses, suicide and accidental drownings.
One of the victims found under a nearby bridge in April had reportedly suffered a 'cardiac arrest', Metro reports.
The authorities suspect the popular nightlife on the street, which sits just feet from the water, could be behind the high number of deaths. As a result, the city has erected new fencing and lighting around the lake as part of $800,000 upgrades to improve the health and safety of the area.
They also plan on stationing paramedics at the end of Rainey Street to assist with intoxicated people.
Despite this, residents are still concerned that many of the deaths have not been drunken accidents, with a petition racking up more than 5,000 signatures last July that was titled, 'Austin Police Department – Acknowledge That The Austin Drownings May Not Be Accidents', according to My San Antonio.
In response to My San Antonio, police said that a medical examiner conducts a 'hands-on body exam' to determine any physical injuries before going to the toxicology department to be examined for internal damage.
"Through this process, one death near Lady Bird Lake in December 2022 was ruled a homicide. The other deaths in and around Lady Bird Lake are not considered suspicious due to the results of these investigations." they continued.
UNILAD has contacted Austin Police Department for further comment.
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