“A serial killer is not born but made,” said Mr. Lyle Hayden, our psychology teacher. Between August and October of this year, the deaths of the five victims have occurred in the Michigan area along the Lansing River Trail. All victims found suffered blunt-force trauma to the head and face as well as one victim who suffered fatal stab wounds.” Police believe the victims, homeless white men in their 20s, were murdered while either sleeping or laying on the ground,” according to Fox News.
Although the police have charged Edward Joseph Smith, a 23 year old, for the death of Daniel Lusk, one of the five victims, investigators are still trying to determine whether the deaths are connected or from separate cases.
According to Mr. Hayden, apprehending a killer is, “the equivalent to swimming in the ocean, and out of nowhere, a great white shark hits you… you know they're out there, but you just don't know where, and by the time you do, you're dead.” Hence why Mr. Hayden believes Edward's confession for the victims would be false. In Mr. Hayden’s view, the most common misconception society makes, is they assume that a serial killer is “some crazed lunatic in a hockey mask with a machete that chases teenagers through the woods; when they are actually your next door neighbor, boss, your best friend, or someone that you borrowed a cup of sugar from-that's how they hide so well.”
Many of our students have siblings who attend the nearby Michigan State University. Alexis Vujitech, 9 has two brothers attending the university. “We definitely felt a little nervous knowing it was so close to them, but after texting them and knowing that they were safe-it was definitely a weight off our chest,” said Alexis.
The various deaths along the Lansing’s River Trail has created fear, sadness and uncertainty for many who have learned about these crimes. Although investigators continue to work to determine whether these 5 crimes are connected, this case brings another point of attention, the vulnerability of homeless individuals. According to a recent article in the Latin Times, “unhoused victims create an investigative blind spot: no digital foot print, no routine that witnesses can verify, and most people who live alongside them, are unwilling to talk with law enforcement.”
By Averie Wier