---
title: "Profiler Says Trail Scenes May Hold Evidence"
url: https://www.herelansing.com/2026/10/12/lansing-trail-deaths-profiler-evidence-angle/
date: 2026-10-12T07:06:51-04:00
modified: 2026-10-12T08:39:58-04:00
author: "Ian E. Mendoza"
categories: ["Public Safety"]
site: "HERE Lansing"
attribution: "HERE Lansing"
---

# Profiler Says Trail Scenes May Hold Evidence

> LANSING, Mich. — A former FBI profiler says outdoor crime scenes linked to five deaths along the Lansing River Trail may hold valuable forensic evidence as investigators weigh whether the cases are connected. Mary Ellen O’Toole told a weekend national program that outdoor attacks are high risk for an offender because the person enters an

*Source: [HERE Lansing](https://www.herelansing.com/2026/10/12/lansing-trail-deaths-profiler-evidence-angle/) — October 12, 2026 by Ian E. Mendoza*

LANSING, Mich. — A former FBI profiler says outdoor crime scenes linked to five deaths along the Lansing River Trail may hold valuable forensic evidence as investigators weigh whether the cases are connected.

Mary Ellen O’Toole told a weekend national program that outdoor attacks are high risk for an offender because the person enters an open area and then has to leave, often without cleaning the scene. She said that pattern can leave evidence for investigators to analyze.

The five deaths, reported between October 2025 and August 2026 near the trail in Lansing, Mich., involved men believed to have been unhoused. Police have arrested a suspect in connection with one stabbing death but have not linked that person to the other cases.

O’Toole said detectives still need to determine whether the cases are related, including reviewing unsolved homicides in Michigan and nearby states for earlier crimes that could show a wider pattern.

Lansing police have increased patrols along the trail while stressing they have not confirmed a serial killer. National coverage this weekend kept the capital’s River Trail investigation in focus for residents and Michigan State University neighbors.