Sixth body spotted in Texas lake where five others have been found dead in past months, probe underway

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AUSTIN, TEXAS: On Monday, February 5, a body was observed floating on the north side of Austin's Lady Bird Lake in the afternoon. 

This was reportedly the sixth body that has been retrieved from the lake since January 2023. As of now, the identities of only four out of the five recovered bodies have been released. The bodies belonging to men aged between 30 and 40 were recovered within weeks of each other.

According to Daily Mail, authorities are treating the case as a death investigation. No details regarding the deceased's name, age, gender, or manner of death were provided. 

Discovery of dead bodies in Austin's Lady Bird Lake gives rise to speculations about the presence of a possible serial killer

The police discovered the body on Monday after they received a 911 call at around 1.30 pm, notifying the sighting of a possible corpse approximately 20 feet from the north side of the lake.

Upon arriving at the 300 block of West Caesar Chavex Street, the individual found in the water was officially pronounced dead, stated Austin Police Department PIO Airtel Crumes during a news conference.

The circumstances surrounding the deaths of the people recovered from the lake remain mysterious, leading some to speculate about the possibility of a serial killer in Austin.

Concerns have been raised, with locals expressing fears that someone may have been spiking drinks in the city's popular areas.

In the last week of January, the Austin Police Department announced they were searching for a woman in connection with multiple incidents involving men being drugged and robbed in the downtown area.

However, it's yet to be known if there's any connection between her and the bodies discovered at Lady Bird Lake. 

Identity of the four men whose bodies have been found in Austin's Lady Bird since February 2023

On February 13, 2023, Jason John was last spotted on Rainey Street, a week before his body was discovered in Lady Bird Lake. An autopsy report obtained by Fox News Digital revealed that a transient bystander witnessed him stumble into the water.

Following this, the medical examiner classified his death as "accidental drowning." However, John's parents remain unconvinced of the cause of death, asserting that there is more to the story behind their son's disappearance and demise.

On March 5, 2023, the body of 40-year-old Clifton Axtell washed up near 110 West Riverside Drive. The married father-of-two had reportedly gone missing near Stubb's Bar-B-Q restaurant in downtown Austin on February 25.

His cause of death was deemed "undetermined," but the Austin Police Department stated that no suspicious activity was observed at the time.

The body of Jonathan Honey, 33, was found on April 1, 2023, near 10 Rainey Street. He was last seen at a food truck along Rainey Street's strip of bars and food trucks.

His death was also ruled as accidental drowning by the medical examiner. 

Two weeks later, on April 15, 2023, John Christopher Hays Clark, 30, was found dead near the 2700 block of Canterbury Street. The APF stated that no foul play or suspicious circumstances were involved.

His long-time partner, Reegan Aparicio, expressed her belief that foul play was involved in his mysterious death and disappearance.

Notably, four other unidentified bodies were recovered from the lake in 2022, but their investigations were closed.