Kathrine Frich
Fears are rising in one of America’s largest cities after a series of grim discoveries in local waterways.
While residents search for explanations, officials are urging calm and pushing back against speculation.
The latest recoveries have added fresh urgency to a debate that has been simmering for months.
Houston has once again found itself at the center of public anxiety.
Several bodies were recovered from the city’s bayous in recent days, prompting renewed questions about safety and unanswered concerns among residents.
Growing unease
Three bodies were found over the past week in Houston’s network of waterways.
Two were recovered on Monday, December 22, while a third was discovered on Christmas Eve, according to Houston Police.
One body was pulled from Buffalo Bayou after a passerby alerted emergency services. Later the same day, another was recovered from Brays Bayou.
Police confirmed the third body was also found in Buffalo Bayou, adding to a growing tally that has unsettled the community.
Numbers behind fears
According to records from the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office obtained by KPRC 2, at least 34 bodies have been recovered from Houston’s bayous so far in 2025.
That figure is just one fewer than the total recorded in all of 2024.
Since 2017, nearly 200 bodies have been found in the city’s waterways, the data shows.
The rising numbers have fueled online speculation about a possible serial killer, despite repeated reassurances from authorities.
Officials push back
Houston Mayor John Whitmire has publicly rejected the idea that a killer is responsible.
“We do not have any evidence that there is a serial killer loose,” he said in September.
The mayor also offered an explanation tied to the city’s vulnerable populations.
“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.”
Expert perspective
Criminologists have also questioned the serial killer theory.
Texas State University professor Kim Rossmo noted that drowning is an uncommon method for serial offenders.
“Serial killers stab or strangle or sometimes shoot, but drowning is uncommon,” Rossmo said. “And one of the reasons is, if you think about it, it’s really hard to kill somebody by drowning.”
He added: “We don’t have a serial killer, but we do have a drowning problem.”
Sources: KPRC 2, Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office, Houston Police Department, Unilad.
