Chilling Lansing Deaths Raise Fears of a Serial Killer

Five homeless men have died near a river in Michigan’s capital over the past year, raising concerns among investigators that the deaths could be connected.

Lansing's Last Known Serial Killer

The last time a serial killer was talked about in Lansing was Donald Gene Miller. From 1977 to 1978, Miller was responsible for six attacks that resulted in four murders, the rape of a 14-year-old girl, and the attempted murder of a 13-year-old boy.

Miller was convicted and sentenced to prison in Michigan. He’s applied for parole nine times over the years, but has been denied each time. He’ll be eligible to apply again in August 2027. If he serves his entire sentence, he’s projected to be released on March 24, 2031, at 77 years old.

Is a Killer Targeting Lansing’s Homeless Population?

Five homeless men have been found dead near Lansing’s River Trail over the past year. Police say four of the deaths were similar, with the victims suffering blunt force trauma. The fifth case involved a stabbing that was captured on surveillance video.

WXYZ 7 reported that the Lansing Police Department is investigating the suspicious deaths and looking into whether they could be connected. Here’s a breakdown of each case:

October 2025 - 54-year-old Gino Chouinard was found injured near East Oakland Avenue and later died.
July 2026 - 70-year-old Denis Dunnebacke found unresponsive under Kalamazoo Street Bridge.
July 2026 - 57-year-old Robert Smith found bleeding from blunt force trauma to the head and later died.
August 2026 - 22-year-old Daniel Lusk was found stabbed to death under Michigan Avenue Bridge.
August 2026 - 57-year-old Louis Woodruff was found injured under a bridge near East Cesar Chavez Avenue and later died.

Police believe the attacks occurred at night, possibly while they were sleeping. Investigators have also noticed similarities in how the victims and the scenes were found, suggesting a possible pattern.

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As police continue their investigation, they’ve increased patrols and added more surveillance cameras around the River Trail area.

👇BELOW: Six MI Serial Killers That Are Currently Serving Life in Prison👇

Six MI Serial Killers That Are Currently Serving Life in Prison

Michigan does have a lot of great history, but also some dark sides too. Below you will find six Michigan serial killers that are currently serving life sentences.

Gallery Credit: MDOC