Cops confirm woman is 10th body pulled from lake and issue key homicide update after Rainey Street Ripper fears

THE latest body pulled from an increasingly infamous lake has been identified as female as police continue to debunk serial killer theories.

A total of 10 bodies have now been pulled from Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas, in the last 18 months.

The body of the unidentified woman is the 10th to be pulled from the lakeCredit: KXAN

Public Information Officer Ariel Crumes initially announced that the death was being investigated as a homicide but an update has revealed this is no longer the caseCredit: Facebook /Austin Police

The body hasn't been identified yetCredit: KVUE

The most recent victim was found on Monday following a 911 call from a resident reporting a dead body 20 feet in the water.

"Homicide is actively investigating this as a death investigation," Public Information Officer Ariel Crumes initially told the media in a briefing after the body was found.

However, an update on Facebook by the police department has since declared that the death "is not being ruled a homicide" and that "toxicology reports are still pending."

While confirming the victim is female, no further identification details have been released.

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True crime fanatics and armchair detectives have shared their theories on the Lady Bird Lake Serial Killer in a True Crime Facebook group and on Reddit.

They believe that a killer is targeting young men.

Jason John, 30, disappeared on February 5, 2023, while he was out celebrating a promotion at work.

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His body was pulled from the lake over a week later.

This was followed just a few weeks later by the body of Johnathan Honey, 33, which was discovered at the lake.

Other men pulled from the lake were Clifton Axtell, 40, found on March 5, 2023, and John Christopher Hays-Clark, 30, on April 15, 2023.

All men were between the ages of 20 and 40.

However, the identification of the latest body as female has thrown this unsubstantiated theory into question.

"There are a lot of allegations that there’s a serial killer, but there’s no proof or evidence in any of our investigations to sustain that," Austin Police Department Assistant Chief Jeff Greenwalt told local NBC affiliate KXAN in April 2023.

Numerous family members of the victims pulled from the lake have pleaded for new measures to increase safety following the mounting deaths.

In February 2023, the families of Martin Guiterrez, 25, and Jason John, 30, pleaded with the Austin City Council to install safety measures in the lake area.

Guiterrez disappeared on November 19, 2018, and was found dead in Lady Bird Lake on November 26, 2018.

"Multiple people have gone missing with no changes," Mitchell Gutierrez, Martin’s brother, said at the time.

Meanwhile, Reegan Aparicio was left shocked when the father of her child, Hays-Clark, was pulled from the lake.

"I don't want anyone to go through this, and I am sorry this keeps happening and there are no answers for it because it's very sad," Aparicio told local Fox affiliate KTBC following the discovery of the dead woman.

"There is no evidence in any of these cases to support allegations of foul play," police said in a statement after the body of Johnathan Honey was found.

"The circumstances, exact location, and demographics surrounding these cases vary," the department said.

In the statement, police also highlighted the issue of having a large body of water near city nightlife.

"One common theme of the drownings in Austin this year is the combination of alcohol and easy access to Lady Bird Lake, which has numerous access points," they said.

However, Aparicio is not entirely convinced, saying, "I feel like there is a connection and there is something going on at Lady Bird Lake and the police are choosing not to do anything about it.