‘Do we have a serial killer?’ Arrest made in one of five deaths along Michigan trail

(The Center Square) – Lansing police are investigating possible connections between the deaths of five homeless men along the city’s river trail over the past year, after a 23-year-old man was charged with murder in one of the cases.

Edward Smith was arrested Sept. 2 in connection with the Aug. 20 death of 22-year-old Daniel Lusk, who was found stabbed to death beneath the Michigan Avenue bridge in Michigan’s capitol city.

Lansing Mayor Andy Schor told The Center Square in a statement that law enforcement continues to investigate possible links between the cases.

“The investigation into the tragic deaths of several unhoused residents is ongoing and includes all possible connections between them,” Schor said. “The Lansing Police Department has identified patterns and trends and continues to look into all potential leads.”

Smith currently faces one open murder charge. In Michigan, an open murder charge allows prosecutors to pursue a murder conviction without specifying the degree of murder in the initial charge.

The five deaths occurred over the span of about 10 months, with a gap of 268 days between the first and second.

According to information provided to The Center Square by the Lansing Police Department: