AUSTIN (KXAN) – Rumors of a serial killer still cloud Mitchell Gutierrez’s mind years after his little brother, Martin, disappeared from a shoreside entertainment district in downtown Austin. For days, their family joined police searching for the young man, before his body surfaced in Lady Bird Lake. A KXAN analysis of autopsy reports and law enforcement records reveals he was among at least 30 drowning victims – many intoxicated – over the past decade in this urban waterway.
As criminal conspiracies spread through social media, we sought answers by comparing Austin’s drowning numbers to other cities with similar features. Our data-driven, multi-platform investigation also examines solutions effectively preventing tragedies elsewhere – tactics local leaders are now exploring after our findings.
This week, on a special, on-location edition of our weekly “Inside the Investigation” program, KXAN Director of Investigations & Innovation Josh Hinkle and Investigative Reporter Arezow Doost discuss updates to their team’s “Beneath the Surface” project and where the investigation could go next.
Related items:
- Beneath the Surface: Original KXAN Project
- Docuseries: 30 Drownings in a Decade
- Catalyst Podcast: Season 8 – Serial Drownings
- Lady Bird Lake Victim Memorial
- Other Cities’ Solutions to Drowning Deaths
You can watch all new episodes of Inside the Investigation on the KXAN+ app every Friday starting at 1 p.m. Just search for KXAN on your preferred streaming devices, such as Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV.You can also listen to KXAN’s investigative podcast, where we feature audio versions of our weekly “Inside the Investigation” episodes. You can find new episodes every Saturday morning wherever you get podcasts — search for KXAN Investigates.…