Why Houston keeps finding bodies in bayous after death toll rises to 34 as police address serial killer fears

Dozens of bodies pulled from Houston’s winding bayous this year have sparked chilling rumors online - but authorities say the truth behind the deaths is far less sinister than many fear.

Police and city officials say the unsettling pattern is much less daunting, with the reality behind the deaths rooted to homelessness, accidents, and safety concerns rather than one single suspect.

The Texan city is crisscrossed by miles of bayous that run close to neighborhoods and homeless encampments.

According to data from the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office, at least 201 bodies have been found in Houston’s bayous since 2017 up until late November 2025, with causes of death ranging widely.

Suicides, homicides and blunt force trauma are frequently listed in official records, appearing in more than 40 percent of cases - sometimes alongside drowning or other contributing factors.

Despite the context, public anxiety has grown as discoveries continue as three bodies were recovered in just one week, including two last Monday (December 22).

Houston's Buffalo Bayou has claimed the lives of dozens of Texans, with a homeless encampment situated nearby (Getty stock)

One was spotted by a passerby in Buffalo Bayou, prompting a 911 call and a response from the Houston Police Department dive team. Another was found the same day in Brays Bayou, with a third confirmed on Christmas Eve in Buffalo Bayou.

Houston Mayor John Whitmire has repeatedly tried to calm fears, saying the tragic recoveries should not be viewed as evidence of a killer at work.

"We do not have any evidence that there is a serial killer loose," he said back in September.

He later added: "What do you think happens when a homeless person dies from an illness, diabetes or cancer? What do you think his friends and associates do? They do not take him to a funeral home. Unfortunately, the homeless, when they pass, often end up in the bayou."

City of Houston workers, accompanied by police officers, cleared a homeless encampment along the Buffalo Bayou back in October (Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare echoed that message, telling KPRC 2: "There is nothing, nothing, and I want to be crystal clear, to indicate that there is someone operating here as a serial killer. There are many reasons for these deaths. None of them are a serial killer."

While at one of the recent recovery scenes, an officer told Houston Public Media there was little immediate clarity.

"Right now, face value, there’s not a lot that we can see or determine from the body," they said.

Experts also say the theory doesn’t add up.

"Serial killers stab or strangle or sometimes shoot, but drowning is uncommon," Texas State University professor Kim Rossmo explained. "We don't have a serial killer, but we do have a drowning problem."