HOUSTON – Houston bayous have been gaining national attention after several bodies were recovered within a span of 10 days in September, bringing the number of bodies found to 22 this year, according to the medical examiner’s office records.
While many people are trying to piece together why this is a growing problem, Houston police continue to investigate the deaths, but at this time have not linked them to foul play.
Recent fears of a serial killer prompted the mayor and police chief to publicly address the situation, urging the public that there is currently no evidence of foul play or any connection between the cases. Investigations into the deaths remain ongoing.
KPRC 2 has gathered a list of names from the medical examiner’s office of those who were found dead this year in Houston bayous.
Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz confirmed there have been over a dozen bodies pulled from Houston bayous this year. Last year, there were 24 pulled from area bayous.
We will continue to update this list with the recent names of those who were found dead this year and have yet to be identified.
January 11, 2025
- Location: White Oak Bayou (Heights area, 2200 block Patterson St.), Houston
- Name: Douglas Sqearingen
- Manner of Death: Accident
- Primary Cause of Death: Drowning
- Contributory Cause(s): Acute methamphetamine toxicity
February 14, 2020
- Location: Unspecified bayou
- Name: Carl Newton
- Manner of Death: Accident
- Primary Cause of Death: Sudden cardiac death (Hypertensive cardiovascular disease, KCNQ1 variant with hypothermia)
March 30, 2025
- Location: Unspecified bayou
- Name: Anthony Azua
- Manner of Death: Pending
- Primary Cause of Death: Pending
March 31, 2025
- Location: Brays Bayou in southeast Houston (6000 block Old Spanish Trail at S. Wayside Drive)
- Name: Juan Garcia Loredo
- Manner of Death: Pending
- Primary Cause of Death: Pending
April 15, 2025
- Location: Buffalo Bayou near Downtown Houston (bridge near I-69 & I-10 / Runnels St.)
- Name: Jesse Steel
- Manner of Death: Undetermined
- Primary Cause of Death: Multiple blunt force injuries
May 7, 2025
- Location: Unspecified bayou
- Name: Kenneth Jones
- Manner of Death: Undetermined
- Primary Cause of Death: Undetermined
May 9, 2025
- Location: Unspecified bayou
- Name: George Grays
- Manner of Death: Pending
- Primary Cause of Death: Pending
May 9, 2025
- Location: Buffalo Bayou, 800 block of N. York (Second Ward, Houston)
- Name: Culcois Racius
- Manner of Death: Pending
- Primary Cause of Death: Pending
May 17, 2025
- Location: Brays Bayou
- Name: Anthony Curry
- Manner of Death: Accident
- Primary Cause of Death: Drowning with acute toxic effects of PCP and ethanol
May 30, 2025
- Location: Brays Bayou
- Name: Shannon Davis
- Manner of Death: Accident
- Primary Cause of Death: Drowning
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June 9/10, 2025
- Location: White Oak Bayou meets Buffalo Bayou (Downtown Houston)
- Name: Ernest Armstrong
- Manner of Death: Undetermined
- Primary Cause of Death: Undetermined
July 7, 2025
- Location: Unspecified bayou
- Name: Raymond Halten
- Manner of Death: Pending
- Primary Cause of Death: Pending
August 21, 2025
- Location: Brays Bayou
- Name: Latracia Amos
- Manner of Death: Pending
- Primary Cause of Death: Pending
August 27, 2025
- Location: Brays Bayou
- Name: Jamal Alexander
- Manner of Death: Pending
- Primary Cause of Death: Pending
September 15, 2025
- Location: Brays Bayou, 4998 Medical Service Dr., Houston
- Name: Jade McKissic
- Manner of Death: Pending
- Primary Cause of Death: Pending
RELATED: No foul play, or trauma signs found on body of missing UH student Jade McKissic, HPD says
September 15, 2025
- Location: Hunting Bayou at 13400 East Freeway
- Name: Rodney Chatman
- Manner of Death: Pending
- Primary Cause of Death: Pending
September 16, 2025
- Location: White Oak Bayou, Houston
- Name: Unidentified (No name)
- Manner of Death: Pending
- Primary Cause of Death: Pending
September 18, 2025
- Location: Buffalo Bayou at 400 Jensen Drive, Houston
- Name: Unidentified
September 20, 2025
- Location: Buffalo Bayou at 900 N. York Street
- Name: Michael Rice
September 26, 2025
- Location: Intersection of Commerce and Milam streets, beneath a bridge by the University of Houston-Downtown
- Name: Unidentified woman
Woman’s body recovered from downtown Houston bayou; police rule out link to other cases