Lady Bird Lake stretches six miles through the Texas capital, making it appear more like a river than a lake. Built in 1960, it reaches a depth of 18 feet and is largely used for recreational purposes. Police have found 10 bodies in the past 20 months.
On Feb. 5, police discovered the body of an unknown female in Lady Bird Lake.
Following the discovery of the tenth body in the lake since July 2022, some speculated that a serial killer was prowling the streets of Austin and using the reservoir as a disposal site. However, residents of Austin can relax knowing that every time a new body is found in the reservoir, law enforcement consistently rules out the possibility of a serial killer.
Stretching six miles through the capital of Texas, Lady Bird Lake gives the impression of being more of a river than a lake. Constructed in 1960, it descends to a depth of eighteen feet and is mostly utilized for leisure.
A city ordinance prohibits swimming in the lake, primarily because of the numerous drownings that have occurred there over the years. People have been pulled under by the powerful currents on several occasions when the lake meets the Colorado River.
The Travis County Medical Examiner reports that at least two of the ten fatalities that took place over the previous 20 months were due to accidental drownings.
- Jason John: Feb. 13, 2023
- Jonathan Honey: April 1, 2023
Four other deaths were not linked to foul play, according to the Austin Police Department:
- Ricky Parks: July 14, 2022
- Christopher Gutierrez: Dec. 10, 2022
- Kyle Thornton: Dec. 28, 2022
- Christopher Hays-Clark: April 15, 2023
Police stated that two deaths were not being looked into as homicides:
- Mogga Dogale: June 27, 2023
- Unidentified Female: Feb. 5, 2023
Police discovered Josue Moreno dead inside a partially submerged truck on Dec. 19, 2022. An investigation determined that someone shot Moreno while he was driving alongside the lake and his truck went through a guardrail and off a bridge into the body of water. Police arrested 19-year-old Joel Santiago Gonzalez-Paron in Morenos killing in February 2023. According to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by KXAN-TV, authorities said Gonzalez-Paron told them he thought someone else was in the truck that Moreno was operating that ended up crashing into the lake.
On March 5, 2023, police discovered the body of Clifton Axtell. The Travis County Medical Examiner could not determine the cause of death in that case, prompting increased speculation about a possible serial killer.
Police did not investigate that death as suspicious.
Following several fatalities in late 2022 and early 2023, police issued a statement in the midst of mounting rumors.
“The combination of alcohol and easy access to Lady Bird Lake, which has numerous access points, is one common theme of the drownings in Austin this year,” the APD stated in a statement. “It can be difficult to see many of the access points at night.” The majority of these drownings have happened in parks that close at 10 p.m. m. and occur after the park closes. We encourage everyone to abide by the park closure policies. “.
Though eight bodies were discovered in Lady Bird Lake’s waters in the seven months between December 2022 and June 2023, there hasn’t been a body discovered in the lake as of last week.
“Dogs swim in the lake, we paddle board there,” Smith remarked. “That is disgusting; the lake is already filthy from all the pollution and seaweed, but finding a dead body is just disturbing to consider.” “.
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“This cannot be a coincidence,” Austin resident Brandy Smith remarked. “I was born and raised here in Austin. I’ve lived here my entire life, and until the last few years, this has never been a problem. “.
Austin police claim that none of the cases involve foul play. Some residents are not convinced.
Concern is growing along Lady Bird Lake. Five men were found dead in the water last year, and a little more than a month into the new year, a woman’s body was also found there.
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