Editorial Transparency
These resources are compiled from Lansing Police Department statements as reported by WILX News 10, City Pulse, FOX 47, and CBS Detroit, including Chief Rob Backus’s October 2, 2026 press conference. All evidentiary claims are sourced to the outlet that reported them. No one has been charged in connection with a pattern. Edward Smith, charged with open murder in Daniel Lusk’s death, is presumed innocent. This case became public because a victim’s family asked questions in public, and this library exists to keep that record.
5
Men died after being found on the trail
11
Months from the first death to the last
1
Death never announced until Oct. 2
2
Deaths with no ME homicide finding
Start here: Lansing Police Saw a Pattern in July. A Daughter Made It Public in September.What police knew, what the public was told, the death that was never announced, and the daughter who forced the question.
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01Case Timeline
Interactive Reference
Lansing River Trail Deaths: Case Timeline
A filterable chronology from earlier trail and river cases through each of the five deaths, the mayor’s August statement, the Woodruff family’s public questions, the homicide ruling, and the October 2 press conference. Entries flag where what investigators knew and what the public was told diverged.
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Filter Categories
Deaths · Police · City · Family and Community · Charges · Earlier Cases
Disclosure Gaps Flagged
The unannounced Dunnebacke death · the July similarity kept internal · the nine-week homicide ruling · the tip line’s timing
02Who’s Who
Reference Document
Who’s Who: The Lansing River Trail Deaths
Profiles of the five men who died, Joanna Woodruff, the trail advocate who has spoken throughout, Chief Rob Backus, Mayor Andy Schor, the medical examiner’s office, and the man charged in one of the deaths. Closes with a plain statement of what has not been established.
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03Location Map
Interactive Map
Where the Men Were Found
A schematic of the downtown and Old Town stretch of the trail with the location police gave for each death and the earlier cases under review. Two of the men were found on the same stretch of East Oakland Avenue nine months apart. One was found under the same bridge as a 2016 death.
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04Reading List
Research Guide
The Reading List: Reporting, Police Statements and Earlier Cases
Fifteen numbered sources in recommended reading order, from the Clutch Justice kickoff piece and the October 2 press conference through each individual case report, the community response, and the earlier trail cases on Clutch’s review list.
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Evidentiary Standard
Every claim in these resources is sourced to a named outlet or public statement. Where a finding is Clutch Justice’s own assessment, it is labeled as such. Police have not said the five deaths were committed by the same person. Two of the five have no medical examiner finding of homicide.
What These Documents Are Not
These are research reference documents, not legal findings, accusations, or conclusions. They are compiled so readers can follow this case with the same source context Clutch Justice’s reporting draws from. If you are a researcher, journalist, or attorney using them as a starting point, verify all claims against primary records before acting on them.
Tip Line · Live Case
If you knew any of these men or saw something on the trail, speak up.
Lansing police have a dedicated line for these cases. Clutch Justice also wants to hear from families, people who live or sleep near the trail, and anyone with records about how these deaths were handled. Anonymous tips are welcome.
Lansing police tip line: 517-483-6023
Clutch Justice: Clutch Intel Tip Portal