Chicago River-Lake Michigan serial killer claims

From 2022 to 2023, a number of drowning deaths in Lake Michigan and the Chicago River prompted fears of an active serial killer in the Chicago area from news outlets and users on social media. 12-18 people have been identified as potential victims, having either drowned in Lake Michigan (including one in the state of Michigan), or in both branches of the Chicago River.

Investigators believe it is unlikely that the deaths are the work of a serial killer, and a number of the deaths tied to the case have been ruled as either accidental or suicides.

## Supposed victims

* March 28, 2022 - Kathleen Martin, 49, disappeared from her Albany Park home. Her body was discovered on March 31 in the North Branch of the Chicago River in Caldwell Woods park, and was identified in mid-April. Police stated there were no signs of trauma on her body.
* April 3, 2022 - Edén De La O, 31, was last seen leaving a bar in McKinley Park. His body was discovered in the South Branch of the Chicago River on April 30, near Cicero Avenue.
* April 8, 2022 - Karina Peña Alanís, 31, a pregnant mother of three, was last seen in-person on April 7. The following day, she texted her father, saying she was okay. Later, when her father tried to call her, an unknown man picked up and said he found her phone abandoned on the Halsted Street bridge. Her body was discovered in the South Branch on April 23, about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) from where her phone was found.
* April 12, 2022 - An unidentified male was found in the North Branch near Caldwell Woods.
* April 16, 2022 - Yuet Tsang, 80, was found in the South Branch near Eleanor Street. It is unknown how long she was missing for.
* April 23, 2022 - An unidentified female was found in the Chicago River near North Riverside Plaza.
* April 30, 2022 - Natally Brookson, 22, a University of Illinois Chicago student, was last seen leaving her workplace in Budlong Woods. Her body was discovered on May 2 in Lake Michigan near Kathy Osterman Beach.
* April 30, 2022 - Daniel Sotelo, 26, was the boyfriend of Brookson. He was last seen in Pilsen, and disappeared on the same day as Brookson. His body was also discovered in Lake Michigan, roughly a mile away from the shore.
* June 21, 2022 - Hayward Brown, 34, was seen struggling to swim out of Lake Michigan near 31st Street Beach. He was pulled from the water, but was pronounced dead at the hospital.
* December 3, 2022 - Krzysztof Szubert, 21, disappeared after leaving a party in River North. Surveillance video from Oak Street Beach seemed to show Szubert stumbling into Lake Michigan that night. His body was discovered on December 7 after washing ashore on a nearby beach.
* December 17, 2022 - Peter Salvino, 25, disappeared after leaving a party in Lincoln Park. Like in the case of Szubert, he was seen entering Lake Michigan and struggling to get back out. His body was discovered on December 20 in Diversey Harbor.

## Serial killer theory

Theories of an active serial killer gained traction following the death of Noah Enos in June 2023.

Though the causes for death have not been released for all, a number have been ruled as accidental. The deaths of Alanís and Rucker were ruled as suicides.

## Citations

1. ↑ https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/woman-49-reported-missing-from-chicagos-northwest-side
2. ↑ https://www.journal-topics.com/articles/body-found-in-chicago-river-in-caldwell-woods-identified/
3. ↑ https://newsrnd.com/news/2022-04-21-a-pregnant-latina-mother-of-three-disappears-in-chicago.SkuVhrREc.html
4. ↑ https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/body-of-pregnant-hispanic-mother-recovered-from-chicago-river/2814674/
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12251293/The-18-people-pulled-Chicago-waterways-2022.html
6. ↑ https://www.yahoo.com/video/1-3-bodies-found-chicago-193931129.html?guccounter=1&guce\_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce\_referrer\_sig=AQAAANt\_UlesIN8GmqHROtf2q\_YUzVHbX7UmXmJYUWOK2sUWTlz6bggYzPT81JLSTRre5xc-GzGhwaFtyD9sZuyfUY9SVLGPQK9GVIluIXX4ksSbbE\_kYUS4-5gHK\_8Eqb85QAc4brzmA6V2ZUpbpXI02uUbGuX2AfXiMqo9Qq08lJCU
7. ↑ https://nypost.com/2023/06/28/16-bodies-pulled-from-chicago-waterways-spark-serial-killer-fears/