Residents of a Texas city have been left in shock after another body was pulled from the water.
It's the fourth body this year to be pulled from Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas, prompting many to fear and speculate a serial killer on the loose. All four men were around the same age, prompting many to wonder whether they were targeted victims instead of unlucky men who had been drinking on nearby Rainey Street.
The first body of 2023 was recovered on February 13, that of Jason John, 30, who disappeared on February 5. On March 5, Cliff Axtell, slightly older at 40, was pulled from Lady Bird Lake.
Jonathan Honey, 33, was last seen outside a taco truck at 2am on March 31, and was found on April 1. While 30-year-old Christopher Hays-Clark was found on April 15.
Prior to that, Julio Santos, 22 was found in 2015; Martin Gutierrez, 25, was found in 2018, and Christian Pugh, 21, was found in 2019 - however, he was alive. He had reportedly been hit in the head and had bruised hands.
Some have even suggested ties to the so called 'Smiley Face Murders' theory - which was proposed following a string of deaths in the late 1990s and 2010s.
Almost 50 young men were pulled from bodies of water, deceased. The similarities between the deaths left retired New York Police Department detectives Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte questioning what had happened.
They eventually concluded that not only were the deaths linked, but foul play was involved. At many of the original sites where bodies were found, graffiti of a smiley face was found.
The theory came about after the 1997 death of Patrick McNeill, 21, a student at Fordham University. He was last seen alive drinking with friends in a Manhattan bar.
Two months later, and around 12 miles away, his half-naked body was found near the entrance to New York Harbor.
So-called victims of the Smiley Face Killer were said to be college-aged white males, who were fit or athletic, often described as 'popular and sporty'. The victims may be slightly older now, however there have been theories that they have aged along with the suspect.
Gannon and Duarte have explained their theory and how they believe the men met their ends. They theorise that the men were accosted outside bars, or inside, often while under the influence. They say they are then further drugged and led somewhere, before they are overpowered, abused, tortured and then killed.
They said the bodies are later left in nearby bodies of water to obscure marks or bruises and wash off traces of DNA.
Coroner's reports of some victims say drowning was not the actual cause of death, and many victims found themselves in the water post mortem. Patrick McNeill was found with faint 'binding marks' still visible on the skin.
In 2019, 21-year-old Christian Pugh was found still alive, reportedly having been hit in the head, and with bruised hands.
Toxicology reports in a large number of cases linked to the Smiley Face theory showed the presence of date rape drug GHB to some degree in victims.
Many in Texas are concerned there is a 'roofie killer' on the loose, targeting men around the same age, using drugs like GHB to spike people's drinks - known as 'roofies'.
Due to a swirl of speculation on social media, the Austin Police Department issued a statement addressing the deaths.
"Although these cases are still under investigation and evidence is being analysed, at this time, there is no evidence in any of these cases to support allegations of foul play," it said.
"While each incident has occurred at the lake, the circumstances, exact locations, and demographics surrounding these cases vary.
"Our investigators approach every case with an open mind and objectively examine all available evidence."
The statement went on to talk about the autopsies, saying: "The results of these autopsies have not revealed any trauma to the bodies nor indication of foul play."
Police also expressed their theory that the deaths may be a result of alcohol-fuelled accidents.
"One common theme of the drownings in Austin this year is the combination of alcohol and easy access to Lady Bird Lake, which has numerous access points," the statement said.
"Many of the access points can be challenging to see at night. The parks in which most of these drownings have occurred are park areas that close at 10pm and occur after the park closes."
The latest statement from the Austin Police Department mirrors one issued by the FBI in April of 2008, addressing the Smiley Face Killer theory.
Its statement said: "The FBI has reviewed the information about the victims provided by two retired police detectives, who have dubbed these incidents the "Smiley Face Murders", and interviewed an individual who provided information to the detectives.
"To date, we have not developed any evidence to support links between these tragic deaths of any evidence substantiating the theory that these deaths are the work of a serial killer or killers.
"The cast majority of these instances appear to be alcohol-related drownings. The FBI will continue to work with the local police in the affected areas to provide support as requested."
The family of Jason John believes this latest spate of deaths in Austin could be connected - despite his autopsy listing his death as an accidental drowning.
His mother, Elsie John, said: "We definitely don't agree with that. Jason was 30. Jonathan Honey was 33. Two in the morning. Rainey Street. So there were some similarities in the case."
When it comes to the possible link to the Smiley Face Killings, many of the deaths from the 90s and 2000s did not, in fact, have the graffiti tag which gave the theory its name.
With the Austin deaths, there has been no evidence released so far of any smiley face graffiti.
For those in favour of the theory, they say the culprits simply stopped leaving their signature motif at the scene, while doubters say the lack of motif is proof the 'Smiley Face' theory doesn't stand up to scrutiny.
There are a number of potential possibilities which may explain the spate of Austin deaths, as well as the so-called 'Smiley Face Murders'.
First, it could be the work of one extremely prolific serial killer. They would have to be hard-working and intelligent, as well as careful, to commit so many murders and not be caught.
However, the sheer scale of the murders is likely too big for just one person. Therefore, it could be the work of a group of killers collaborating, signing their crimes with the same smiley face tag.
This is the explanation preferred by Anthony Duarte. "It's so widespread," he said to CNN.
"We have so many different victims in so many different areas. It would, in my view, be impossible to be one person..."
Expanding on the group of serial killers theory, it could be the work of a violent cult. With how consistent and similar the killings are, many may see them as ritualistic in nature - which could mean a sect or cult are behind the deaths.
An option likely preferred by law enforcement is that the deaths are simply unconnected. There's no overarching connection.
However, they could be the work of separate people with individual grudges or motives, instead of just accidents.
Another view is that the smiley face tags left behind are graffiti tags as part of a gang initiation that requires a particularly violent task to be carried out.
The deaths could also be suicide - young men taking their own lives by jumping into cold and dangerous bodies of water. In fact, it's illegal to swim, bathe, wade or go into the waters of Lady Bird Lake, unless you're rescuing someone else.
Suicide sadly isn't as rare as people would like to think, especially among men. In 2021, the suicide rate for men was around four times higher than that of women. Men may make up 50 per cent of the population, but they account for nearly 80 per cent of suicide.
Then there's the theory that Austin Police seem to be most in favour of - that it was simply an accident. Accidental drownings are more common among young me, with men making up around 80 per cent of drowning victims.
But with there being so many bodies pulled from the water in Austin, and so many cases linked to the 'Smiley Face' theory, that it could be a combination of the reasons above. Some may be random one-off murders, others accidents or suicides, but some may be the work of a group - whether a group of serial killers or a cult
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