HOUSTON – Another body was found Tuesday in Buffalo Bayou downtown, adding to a growing number of human remains discovered in Houston’s waterways.
Tim Miller of Texas EquuSearch, a volunteer search organization, believes there are likely more bodies trapped in vehicles submerged in the city’s bayous.
He noted that dozens of cars are known to be resting at the bottom of these waterways.
The City of Houston, in partnership with other agencies, later approved a pilot program to remove about 20 of the sunken vehicles. No bodies were found in those vehicles.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare and Mayor John Whitmire both say there is no evidence of a serial killer behind the recent discoveries.
Miller agrees, explaining that the bodies found are in different locations and involve different types of people.
Miller believes there are still cars underwater that could contain bodies. He is willing to remap the locations but notes that funding remains a major obstacle to removing the vehicles and potentially recovering remains.
“I’d be more than willing to go ahead and sew it out again and compare what we have now to what we had back then if more cars had been put in there and I anticipate that answer is going to be Yes,” Miller said.
City of Houston Response:
“Currently, there is not an initiative similar to the 2016 program. The Houston Police Department’s Dive Team responds immediately to all scenes where patrol officers report a submerged vehicle. The scene is assessed, and the vehicle is addressed at that time. Additionally, the Dive Team surveys Houston’s major bayous at regular intervals throughout the year. When a vehicle or other target is identified for further investigation, the Dive Team conducts a more thorough assessment of that scene. If conditions are appropriate, the Dive Team will facilitate the recovery of the vehicle,” a city spokesperson said.