Rewind the news, week of October 21, 2026
A cow escaped or fell out of a trailer on US 127 near Lake Lansing Road and was euthanized after six hours of attempts by police and others to corral it. The cow initially had minor road rash and bumps and appeared to be otherwise fine, according to an East Lansing Police Department statement, which acknowledged that a loose cow was a “new one” for them. The initially jovial attitude turned more serious after several hours, including delaying the release of a nearby elementary school. Professionals including veterinarians, MSU Police and Public Safety, Ingham County Animal Control, Potter Park Zoo and more were involved in person or consulted. Officials used nine tranquilizer darts, attempted to herd it, brought a veterinarian out and spoke to the transporter prior to making the final decision. The cow was returned to the owner after being killed.
Moores Park Pool in Lansing is full and while it’s a bit chilly for a test dip, the weather is fine for a test run of the pool’s waterproofing. The century-old oblong pool, a template for the many community pools that exploded around the nation around that time, is one of the few surviving examples of a Wesley Bintz pool, built by the one-time Lansing city engineer. The attraction has been closed since 2019 and was expected to open this year. But construction complications pushed back the timetable, Lansing Parks & Recreation Director Brett Kaschinske said earlier this year. It should be open for swimming, however, in summer of 2027. The renovations are being funded by a $6 million state grant given in 2024.
Lansing plans to take the owners of one of the city’s largest apartment complexes back to court to ask for a receiver to be returned after the property owners allegedly missed deadlines to fix up more than 100 apartments. The Sycamore Townhomes property in southwest Lansing – with 339 apartments – was under a court-appointed receiver after legal action from the city in 2024. The receivership ended in March 2026 with an agreement from owners to invest more than $16 million into the property to bring units up to code under a timeline. The renovation was expected to lead to 120 units opening in September, part of a phased-in process for the whole complex. The city alleges that work has stopped and the units have not been fixed by the mortgage company that was included in the legal actions, Arbor Mortgage. “Since Arbor took over from the receiver, the required renovations have stalled and Arbor has failed to deliver any units,” the city said in a statement Friday. “No meaningful progress has been made on the required refurbishment. This large housing complex continues to sit vacant, making further court action and a request for a new receiver necessary.”
The East Lansing City Attorney’s Office said in a statement Friday that it will not be pursuing charges against a 20-year-old woman who was arrested in August. The body camera footage from the four officers who arrested her will be released as part of the end of the case against the woman, according to a statement from the city. The Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office previously declined to press charges a month ago, allowing the city to consider lesser or different charges. She was arrested outside Harper’s Restaurant and Brewpub and video of her arrest, which appears to show an officer striking a person on the ground, has been added to the public critiques of the police department in the past year. Friday’s announcement resolves the cases against the woman, according to police.
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“(T)his decision does not call into question the propriety of the officers’ decisions on the night of (her) arrest,” said East Lansing City Attorney Carlito Young, in a statement. “They responded to a difficult and rapidly evolving situation, cooperated fully with all subsequent reviews and have maintained professionalism throughout more than two months of public scrutiny.” The city plans to release redacted versions of the body camera footage from four officers involved in her arrest. “Redactions have been made to protect (her) privacy, bystanders’ privacy and personal information as required by law. The City attempted to contact (the woman) to discuss the release of the video, but she could not be reached,” the city said in a statement. “(The woman) and her family, as well as the involved officers, have faced a difficult two months. However, closing the matter will not stop the ELPD’s continued commitment to enforcing the law while at the same time ensuring equal treatment of everyone who lives in, works in or visits East Lansing.”
Lansing Police said last week that medical examiners have determined that the manner of death in two of the Lansing River Trail deaths are “indeterminate,” that one is a homicide and a fourth is pending. Manner of death is one of several classifications on a death certificate, including cause and mechanism. Manner is typically one of only six options: Natural, accidental, homicide, suicide, undetermined or under investigation. Lansing Police Chief Rob Backus has acknowledged public concern about a “serial killer” in the community. The chief has said similarities between at least four of the five known deaths mean that police are seriously considering links between the deaths. “For example, we believe that all of our victims are members of our unhoused community,” he said in an Oct. 2 news conference. “We suspect that in these instances, the injuries occur overnight, in the early morning hours. We believe that our victims in this case were lying down, potentially even sleeping.”
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Gino Chouinard, 54, died on Oct. 27, about two weeks after he was injured. His death is considered indeterminate, according to a statement from UM Health-Sparrow, which handles medical examinations in Ingham County. Dunnebacke’s manner of death was pending earlier this month and has been moved to indeterminate, according to a LPD statement on Wednesday afternoon. Denis Dunnebacke was found with serious injuries on July 9 and he died a week later. Backus said medical officials initially described it as a medical cause rather than criminal, but the chief said police treated it as a suspicious case from the onset. Robert Smith, 57, was found on July 13 and was pronounced dead on July 17. His manner of death is classified as a homicide, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office. The outlier is the stabbing death of 22-year-old Daniel Lusk, which happened on Aug. 20; a man has been charged with open murder in that incident. His manner of death was a homicide, according to the examiners. The most recent case was over a month ago, when Louis Woodruff, 57, was found with severe facial injuries. Woodruff’s manner of death remains pending, according to the examiners.