City officials in Houston are facing growing scrutiny as 16 bodies have been recovered from the city’s bayous this year, raising concerns about a potential serial killer. Mayor John Whitmire, a Democrat, has publicly dismissed the idea of a serial killer, attributing the deaths to factors like homelessness, drugs, and alcohol, which has drawn criticism from grieving families.
Kenneth Cutting Jr., a 22-year-old whose body was found in Buffalo Bayou, is the subject of a family’s demand for answers. The family claims the body shows no signs of wounds, trauma, or drugs, suggesting foul play, and is criticizing Whitmire’s stance as ‘gaslighting.’ The family maintains their son was not homeless or using substances and points to the similar circumstances of another recent victim, Jade McKissic, a University of Houston student, who was also found dead in Brays Bayou without any signs of trauma or drug use.
The mayor’s dismissal of serial killer speculation has sparked calls for a more thorough investigation into these deaths, with families arguing that the circumstances strongly suggest a pattern. The family of Cutting is urging city leaders to revisit the case, as the lack of clear cause of death and the similarities to other recent cases suggest a possible link. A retired NYPD sergeant, Joseph Giacalone, has also been following the situation, noting that while each case is investigated separately, the patterns indicate a need for further inquiry beyond blaming homeless individuals.