Man charged in one of River Trail killings had previously assaulted elderly man at homeless shelter, records show
A man charged with open murder in one of the 2026 Lansing River Trail deaths admitted to a probation violation for assaulting a man at or near a homeless shelter in 2025, according to court records from the Eaton County Prosecutor’s Office.
Edward Joseph Smith, 23, has been charged with open murder in the August 2026 stabbing death of Daniel Lusk, 22.
Lusk’s death was one of five potentially violent deaths along the river in the last year, and all are being investigated individually.
Lansing Police Chief Rob Backus has said he cannot rule out a serial killer in four of the deaths, which have several similarities, but the charge against Smith reflects that police currently believe he is responsible for one death.
Medical examiners have confirmed the deaths of Lusk and one of the other four as homicides, with one death considered undetermined and two pending investigation. Police said they are treating all five as suspicious cases. Other connections include that all the victims were unhoused and four were attacked while believed to be asleep or lying down.
Lusk was in his 20s, while the other four victims were all over 50. Lusk’s death is the only one with a clear weapon — a knife — Backus said earlier this month when he made his most extensive comments so far about the deaths and the Lansing Police Department’s investigation.
Smith is the only person charged in any of the deaths, and police have not linked him to the other four.
He was prosecuted and received plea deals twice in recent years from the Eaton County Prosecutor’s Office, led by Doug Lloyd, who is running for attorney general.
According to records and an account from the prosecutor’s office, Smith was charged in 2023 with aggravated stalking against his father, who had a protective order, and was ultimately sentenced to time served and probation.
“Our office was advised by Smith’s family that they were going to pursue an order of some sort through the Probate Court to assist with facilitating his mental health treatment and medication,” Chris Anderson, chief assistant prosecutor for Eaton County, said in a statement.
While on probation, Smith was charged in 2025 with assaulting a 69-year-old man outside a Lansing homeless shelter on Oct. 13. He later admitted to a probation violation for the assault during a Dec. 2, 2025, hearing.
Smith faced up to five years for the probation violation, according to the judge, and prosecutors recommended revoking his probation and sentencing him to 180 days, with credit for 80 days served.
“Since Smith had engaged in assaultive behavior, was homeless, and had yet to receive the services that were ordered by the Court as part of the plea agreement, our office recommended revocation of probation and a sentence at the top of his sentencing guidelines in order to provide him shelter for the winter, and more importantly to provide him a window of time to engage with CMH (Community Mental Health) who provides services to inmates in the jail,” Anderson said. “It was the hope, and our experience, that engagement with CMH while incarcerated results in the ability to continue with engagement once released. Ultimately the decision on engagement lies with the individual and CMH.”
The assault Smith was sentenced for during the Dec. 2 hearing happened on Oct. 13, 2025.
The first death along the Lansing River Trail occurred the very next day, when Gino Chouinard was found beaten on Oct. 14, 2025, within a mile of where Smith allegedly attacked the older man.
Chouinard died several weeks later, and the circumstances of his death remain unclear — a violent attack remains possible, but a medical incident has not been ruled out — despite potential connections to three subsequent deaths, according to police.
