Bodies Keep Washing up in Houston's Bayous — Does Texas Have a Serial Killer?

Just west of downtown Houston sits a 160-acre urban space known as Buffalo Bayou Park. There are trails for hiking and biking, a dog park, plenty of room for picnics, public art, and, of course, a bayou that's prime for kayaking. The 10-mile stretch is carefully tended to by Buffalo Bayou Partnership, a non-profit organization devoted to its mission of bringing fresh ideas to the park for all who want to enjoy it.

Despite the lush beauty found in Texas's largest city, there is a dark history in Houston that many residents can't forget. This was the place where Dean Corll, along with two teenage accomplices, murdered approximately 29 young men between 1970 and 1973. Corll was killed by one of his cohorts and never answered for his crimes. The two accomplices ended up in prison. More than 50 years later, bodies are popping up around Buffalo Bayou Park. Is there another serial killer? Here's what we know.

Fear of a serial killer in Houston intensified when three bodies were found in one week in the middle of the holiday season. Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare told KPRC2, "There are many reasons for these deaths. None of them are a serial killer." The first body was pulled from Buffalo Bayou on Dec. 22. A Houston Police spokesperson confirmed to NBC News that another was recovered that same day from the Brays Bayou in the Pine Valley neighborhood.

Two days later, a third body was discovered near the Rice Military neighborhood, whose southern boundary is marked by the Buffalo Bayou. Autopsies for all three bodies are currently pending. This is not the first time Houston residents have been concerned about a possible serial killer. In October, a rash of bodies resulted in a press conference held by Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Police Chief Noe Diaz. Both said there was no evidence of a serial killer.

In 2025, more than 30 bodies were recovered from Houston's waterways. Teare believes the city's "massive homeless problem" is partially to blame, as this usually goes hand-in-hand with mental health issues and/or substance abuse problems. "It’s kind of a little-known fact, but when you get into the bayous, it is very difficult to get out," he explained.

Of those cases, 40 percent are classified as undetermined. In other words, investigators have no idea if the deaths were accidents, suicides, or homicides. "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 said to KPRC2. "If we were more intentional and better at helping our unhoused population find places to live and supporting them, we would likely see a drop in the numbers."