As serial killer rumors swirl, Austin residents launch petition for lighting along waterfront

As online rumors about a possible Austin serial killer continue to swirl, concerned residents launched a petition demanding that city officials add lighting and emergency call stations along Lady Bird Lake.

“With more than 2.6 million visitors a year, the 10-mile hike and bike trail is Austin’s most recognized and popular recreational area,” the petition says. “However, directly next to this urban path lies Lady Bird Lake, which has now been the scene of over a dozen deaths within the last decade.”

The petition comes after the body of Jonathan Honey was recovered from Lady Bird Lake last Saturday. His was the second corpse to be pulled from the body of water in a month and the seventh in the past 10 months, according to media reports.

In a recent statement, Austin police said they’re still investigating the recent cases. However, they added that alcohol and easy access to the lake — not foul play — most likely explain the deaths there.

The petition, which has garnered more than 3,000 signatures at press time, calls on the City of Austin to add solar-powered lighting and emergency blue lights to the trail along the lake.

Despite the Austin Police Department’s statement, rumors and speculation about a possible serial killer some have dubbed the “Rainey Street Ripper” run rampant on social media. A Facebook Group called “Lady Bird Lake Serial Killer / Rainey Street Killer” has nearly tripled in size since Monday.

Nearly 55% of the more than 5,000 purported Austinites who responded to a poll on Twitter posted by @EvilMopacATX said they believe a serial killer is stalking Rainey Street.

Even so, in a note posted on Substack yesterday, @EvilMoPac encouraged Austinites not to jump to conclusions too quickly, adding that human error is a plausible explanation for the string of deaths.

“One commonality amongst many who have died is intoxication and wandering off alone in a poorly-lit area close to water,” @EvilMoPac wrote. “While one may see these as an ideal environment for a brutal murderer, Occam’s Razor suggests human error.”

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This article appears in Apr 5-18, 2023.