More than 30 bodies have been pulled from Houston-area bayous in 2025 — including three just last week — but officials are still disputing it’s the work of a serial killer.
The latest discoveries put the total number of bodies recovered from the swamps at 34, just one short of 2024’s record, the Houston Chronicle reported. Netizens were quick to speculate the gruesome toll could suggest something nefarious is afoot, many even going as far to speculate a serial killer might be responsible.
However, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare was quick to shut down the rumor mill, telling local NBC affiliate KPRC that there’s no evidence to suggest the three recently discovered bodies were connected in any way.
“There is nothing, nothing, and I want to be crystal clear, to indicate that there is someone operating here as a serial killer,” he said. “There are many reasons for these deaths. None of them are a serial killer.”
Teare went on to blame the body count on issues including homelessness, mental health and substance abuse.
“All of those things are contributing to a lot of the bodies that we’re discovering,” he said.
“Yes, there are times where we recover bodies that were placed in the bayou criminally, no question, but that is not something that is a regular occurrence,” Teare added.
On Dec. 22, a body was pulled from the Buffalo Bayou in Downtown Houston and another was recovered from the Brays Bayou in the Pine Valley neighborhood on the same day, authorities told NBC News. The third body was found on Dec. 24, also in the Buffalo Bayou, not far from the Rice Military neighborhood. The autopsy for all three are still pending.
Nearly 200 bodies have been recovered from the city’s sprawling bayou system since 2017, according to records cited by KPRC, with roughly 40% of their causes of death listed as undetermined.
“One death is too many, and I extend my condolences to those whose loved ones were discovered in a local bayou,” Mayor Whitmire told the station. “Houston has 2,500 miles of bayous and waterways. The Houston Police Department is routinely patrolling the bayou trails on horseback and bike and other significant ways to enhance safety.”
