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Houston police are investigating after three more bodies were discovered in the city's bayous in less than two weeks.
The latest discoveries come after 34 bodies were found in Houston's waters during 2025, fueling speculation online that a serial killer could be operating in the area.
However, officials have repeatedly pushed back against those theories, and police have said there is no indication that the latest discoveries are connected.
According to the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office, at least 201 bodies were found in Houston's bayous between 2017 and late November 2025.
The first of the latest discoveries was made on July 29, when a lawn care crew reported finding a woman's body near Sims Bayou in the 8100 block of the Gulf Freeway.
Police later identified the woman as 33-year-old Yvonne Lopez, the Houston Chronicle reported.
While her cause of death remains pending confirmation, personnel from the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, alongside members of the Houston Fire Department Arson Bureau, determined that her body had been partially burned.
Then, on August 10, a man's body was spotted floating in Brays Bayou in southeast Houston.
His identity and cause of death have not yet been confirmed, and an autopsy has been scheduled.
Just one day later, on August 11, another man's body was located along the banks of Buffalo Bayou near 2200 Nance St.
Police said in a press release that the man's body was in a state of advanced decomposition and showed no obvious signs of trauma. His cause of death has yet to be confirmed.
The latest cases come amid widespread concern over the 34 bodies recovered from Houston's waters in 2025.
However, officials have maintained that there is no evidence that a serial killer is responsible.
The majority of the deaths have been linked to Houston's homeless population, with accidents, overdoses, and a lack of medical treatment cited as common causes.
Official records also frequently list homicides, suicides, and blunt force trauma, which together account for more than 40 percent of cases.
Speaking in September 2025, Houston Mayor John Whitmire directly addressed the fears.
"We do not have any evidence that there is a serial killer loose," he said. "What do you think happens when a homeless person dies from an illness, diabetes or cancer? What do you think his friends and associates do? They do not take him to a funeral home."
“Unfortunately, the homeless, when they pass, often end up in the bayou," he added.
Miles of bayous, rivers, and other waterways run through Houston, with many of the city's homeless population living in encampments along their banks.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare has also firmly rejected speculation that a serial killer is behind the deaths.
Speaking to local news outlet KPRC 2, Teare said: "There is nothing, nothing, and I want to be crystal clear, to indicate that there is someone operating here as a serial killer...There are many reasons for these deaths. None of them are serial killer."
Texas State University professor Kim Rossmo similarly said the pattern of deaths does not point toward a serial killer.
"Serial killers stab or strangle or sometimes shoot, but drowning is uncommon,
"We don't have a serial killer, but we do have a drowning problem," Kim added.
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