Family calls for serial killer investigation after 19th body pulled from Lady Bird Lake
After the 19th body in three years was pulled from Lady Bird Lake, a grieving family is calling for an investigation into the possibility of a serial killer.
The body of Irewamiri Shote, 17, is the latest in a series of bodies pulled from the Colorado River reservoir, which passes directly through downtown Austin, serving as a popular recreational boating location with waterfront attractions like parks, restaurants and, perhaps most notably, nightlife.
Shote's body was found floating in the Austin, Texas, lake by a paddleboarder on June 3. His death reignited theories that a serial killer is targeting young men in the up-and-coming city — specifically seeking out men who enjoyed nights out on Rainey Street, a bustling hub of bars and restaurants and a few clubby spots.
Dubbed the "Rainey Street Ripper" by some, the alleged murderer has been elusive. In fact, many, including the Austin Police Department, don't believe there's a killer at large.
In a statement to Express US in February, an APD public information officer said the APD homicide unit investigated each of the 19 deaths at the lake and determined that only one of the deaths was suspicious — that of Josue Moreno, 45, whose killer was put behind bars in April 2024.
The other 18 "are not considered suspicious due to the results of these investigations," the spokesperson said. A medical examiner did a complete hands-on body examination to determine whether there were any signs of physical injuries, and a toxicology unit then determined whether there was any internal damage. None consistent with murder were found.
Several bartenders and employees working at the various establishments on Rainey Street told Express US when the publication visited back in July 2023 that they fear "there's something going on."
Gus Delgado, who worked security at Icenhauer's — a bar on Rainey Street — two years ago, said he recalls a woman coming in a few years before who was looking for her missing husband. That wasn't the first or the last time that happened, either.
"There's something going on," he said. "We don't know what, but we just know people are going missing."
He said he knows "everything that goes on" on Rainey Street and that the idea of a serial killer is somewhat of a "joke" between the employees and establishment owners up and down the street.
"No one's really saying anything or doing anything about it," he said. "But, at the same time, we know it's kind of serious."
He said the manager at Icenhauer's told the younger, white, male employees to walk with someone when leaving the bar, "because that's who they were pulling out of the lake was smaller white guys."
A lot of the time, he added, patrons of the establishments on Rainey Street would walk down to the head of the trail that runs along Lady Bird Lake, which is located at the south end of the street, past all the bars and shops.
He implored people not to walk down there alone, however, noting the darkness of the trail and how easy it is to fall into the water with a single wrong step or drunken stumble.
The police alleged that many of the men who were found dead in the lake tumbled into the water from the trail.
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Maybe put up a railing or fence along the trail?
