Police investigating possible serial killer after 5 deaths linked to popular trail

Dr. David Hayes, a criminologist, spoke about the investigation into a potential serial killer in Lansing, Michigan. (WJBK)

Dr. David Hayes, a criminologist, noted that investigating these crimes is incredibly difficult. Because unhoused individuals often lack the physical and digital "footprints" (like cell phone data or consistent daily routines) that housed people have, finding the "connective tissue" between the cases is much harder. He emphasized that if the cases are connected, it is a tragic instance of a killer preying on highly vulnerable people. (WJBK)