When 20-year-old College of Houston pupil Jade McKissic was discovered useless in Brays Bayou final week, the invention despatched shockwaves throughout the campus neighborhood — and stirred new fears after Houston police recovered 5 our bodies from native bayous in a six-day span.
McKissic, a junior majoring in strategic communications and promoting, was final seen Sept. 11 after an evening out with pals. Investigators say she left her cellphone at a bar and later stopped at a close-by gasoline station for a Slush. From there, she was seen strolling towards Brays Bayou.
4 days later, on Sept. 15, police found her physique within the bayou about 2.5 miles away.
Investigators stated they don’t suspect foul play, and an post-mortem confirmed no indicators of trauma or foul play. Nonetheless, the circumstances of her demise have left many in Houston demanding solutions.
“Jade was a light-weight in everybody’s life and he or she will likely be missed,” stated her pal, Kyrin Hustin.
The College of Houston described McKissic as “a campus resident and pupil worker, and a pal to many in our neighborhood.” She was additionally an editorial workforce member of UH’s Her Campus chapter, which known as her “an distinctive author with a vibrant future” in a tribute posted on-line. Fellow college students gathered on Monday for a vigil in her honor.
A string of discoveries
McKissic’s case is one in every of 5 our bodies recovered from Houston’s bayous in lower than per week:
Sept. 15: Later the identical day as McKissic’s discovery, police discovered a physique in Greens Bayou close to the East Freeway.
Sept. 16: A physique was recovered from White Oak Bayou simply north of downtown.
Sept. 18: Officers responded to Buffalo Bayou after stories of a person coming into the water. The reason for demise stays underneath investigation.
Sept. 20: One other physique was found in Buffalo Bayou, noticed by somebody paddling close to N. York Avenue east of downtown.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire has sought to calm public fears.
“I perceive the general public is anxious about every of the tragic deaths. The Houston Police Division is investigating and I’ve confidence of their work,” Whitmire stated in a press release to The Defender. “The 5 instances are usually not associated, the circumstances in every case are totally different. The medical expert will decide the reason for demise for every deceased particular person. HPD will launch further data because it turns into accessible.”
These deaths are on high of eight different our bodies being found in Houston bayous this yr, and has the neighborhood on excessive alert, although the Harris County medical expert has not launched causes of demise in any of the instances. Opposite to stories, authorities have additionally not launched the race and/or gender of the opposite twelve victims.
Skepticism and distrust
Regardless of rampant rumors of a serial killer being on the unfastened in Houston, police dispute that declare, as soon as once more citing no foul play in McKissic’s homicide. However not everyone seems to be reassured.
Group strategist Tomaro Bell, who lives close to the bayou, stated she is skeptical.
“I stay off McGregor and the bayou. And I see large snapping turtles. I see large alligators. We obtained an eagle household over right here. But there have been no marks on this child? Nothing?” Bell stated.
She added that rumors of the place McKissic was final seen didn’t line up with what close by companies reported and questioned why the case has not drawn wider nationwide consideration.
“Had she had blonde hair, blue eyes, that might’ve been on CNN or ABC. However as a result of she wasn’t like that, she was one in every of us, they don’t wanna say something.”
Tomara Bell
“Had she had blonde hair, blue eyes, that might’ve been on CNN or ABC,” Bell stated. “However as a result of she wasn’t like that, she was one in every of us, they don’t wanna say something … If we don’t communicate up, if we don’t say something, they positive aren’t gonna say something.”
Bell, a UH alumna, additionally raised issues about pupil security round campus.
“I went to U of H, I lived within the dorms. We don’t go on Spur 5 … They discovered that child’s physique on the bayou behind the medical college. We don’t go over there. Particularly for those who’re an out-of-town pupil, you don’t go over there,” she stated.
Requires security
On campus, pupil advocates are urgent for extra motion.
“Clearly, you hear a pupil — similar to you — who died minutes away from campus … and persons are going to be outraged,” stated Mina Vuong, president of Deeds Not Phrases, a UH advocacy group.
The group criticized college leaders for not publicly addressing McKissic’s disappearance earlier and urged stronger assist for pupil security. UH officers famous the demise occurred off-campus however stated counseling and assist providers can be found for college students.
Bigger security questions fall to the town and county companies that oversee Houston’s bayous and trails.
For now, classmates, family and friends are left to mourn McKissic’s loss — and await readability about how a promising younger life got here to an abrupt finish.
