Overview
- Police and a dive team recovered a body from White Oak Bayou on Oct. 8 after a possible drowning call near White Oak Drive and Taylor Street, with no obvious signs of foul play reported.
- Houston police report at least 16 bodies recovered from bayous this year, compared with 26 in 2024, according to Mayor John Whitmire.
- The Harris County medical examiner identified September victims as Seth Hansen, Arnulfo Alvarado and Michaela Miller, and ruled Anthony Azua’s March death a drowning, while many other cases remain pending or undetermined.
- County records list 22 bayou deaths through September and indicate the latest recovery would bring the total to at least 23, a broader count than the 16 within Houston Police Department’s jurisdiction.
- City leaders continue to reject serial killer rumors, citing the city’s 2,500 miles of waterways and factors such as homelessness, alcohol use and mental health, and some officials question the effectiveness of adding fencing near bayous.