A Study Concluded There's No 'Rainy Street Ripper.' People Still Don't Believe It.

After years of speculation and international headlines, a new study by Texas State University criminologists and the Austin Police Department has concluded the “Rainey Street Ripper” — a purported serial killer targeting Austin men on the edges of Lady Bird Lake — isn’t real.

At least 21 bodies have been recovered from the lake since 2018, reported the Austin American-Statesman. As more bodies were pulled from the lake over the years, the rumor of a serial killer became widespread and passionate, resurfacing in 2023 before spreading in recent months to Fox News, Nancy Grace, BuzzFeed, Newsweek, and at least three stories in The Daily Mail.

MySA reported that an Arkansas woman created a Facebook group called “The Lady Bird Lake Serial Killer” in February 2023, which has now grown to more than 92,000 members. Various viral TikTok videos spotlighting the theory of the “Rainey Street Ripper” have garnered more than 44,000 likes and hundreds of comments.

Despite the spread of the theory online, Austin police have for years remained consistent that there was no evidence of a serial killer. Now, Texas State’s study has concluded the same — that there is “neither direct evidence nor indirect warning signs of a serial murderer.”

https://thebarbedwire.com/2025/09/02/no-rainey-street-ripper-conspiracy/