A new study released this week aims to put a stop to the rumors swirling about a potential serial killer in Austin. Researchers from Texas State University in collaboration with the Austin Police Department found no evidence of a serial murderer during a review of nearly 200 cases.
While the idea of a Rainey Street Ripper has been a popular conspiracy on social media, the study found that alcohol consumption and the proximity of bars to the shore of Lady Bird Lake are the bigger contributing factors in the reported deaths.
How did the serial killer rumor start?
Theories about lake drownings being linked to a serial killer — dubbed by some online commenters as the “Rainey Street Ripper” — can be traced to early 2023.
Rumors surfaced after Jason John, 30, and Jonathan Honey, 33, went missing weeks apart from each other in 2023. Both had been on Rainey Street and disappeared. Their bodies were later found in the lake…