Data shows 192 bodies recovered from Houston bayous since 2017
Data from the Harris County medical examiner's office shows there have been a total of 192 bodies found in the Bayou since 2017.
We’re taking a closer look at the bodies found in Houston bayous from the last decade.
KPRC 2 requested data from Jan. 2015 until now, but the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office was only able to provide data from Jan. 2017.
Here’s what we found.
Since the beginning of 2017, there have been a total of 192 bodies found in the bayou. We excluded the bodies that were found in a vehicle along the bayou.
Here is the breakdown by year:
| 2017 | 18 |
| 2018 | 17 |
| 2019 | 12 |
| 2020 | 26 |
| 2021 | 15 |
| 2022 | 19 |
| 2023 | 22 |
| 2024 | 34 |
| 2025 | 29 |
Here is the breakdown by zip code:
| 77002 | 21 | Downtown Houston / Buffalo Bayou Park |
| 77023 | 17 | Eastwood / Lawndale–Wayside |
| 77003 | 17 | East Downtown (EaDo) / Navigation Blvd |
| 77017 | 8 | Glenbrook Valley / Southeast Houston |
| 77021 | 7 | Third Ward / MacGregor Park |
| 77012 | 7 | Magnolia Park / Manchester |
| 77015 | 6 | Jacinto City / Greens Bayou |
| 77009 | 6 | Near Northside / White Oak Bayou |
| 77020 | 6 | Fifth Ward / Denver Harbor |
| 77506 | 5 | Pasadena / Buffalo Bayou Extension |
| 77007 | 5 | Memorial Park / Washington Corridor |
| 77036 | 5 | Sharpstown |
| 77072 | 4 | Alief / Bellaire West |
| 77029 | 4 | Galena Park / Clinton Park |
| 77096 | 4 | Meyerland / Brays Bayou South Loop |
Here is the breakdown by manner of death:
| Undetermined | 75 | 39% |
| Accident – Drowning | 47 | 24% |
| Suicide | 25 | 13% |
| Homicide | 18 | 9% |
| Accident (Other) | 11 | 6% |
| Pending | 9 | 5% |
| Natural | 7 | 4% |
Here is the breakdown by age:
| 0–17 | 5 | 3% |
| 18–29 | 40 | 21% |
| 30–39 | 48 | 25% |
| 40–49 | 29 | 15% |
| 50–59 | 30 | 16% |
| 60–69 | 28 | 15% |
| 70–79 | 4 | 2% |
| 80+ | 3 | 2% |
Here is the breakdown by sex:
| Male | 164 | 85% |
| Female | 27 | 14% |
| Unknown | 1 | <1% |
The most recent body was found on October 8 of a man. The medical examiner’s office has not identified the person yet.
City leaders previously said there is no evidence of a serial killer connected to these bodies and that many of the victims may be from the homeless population.
KPRC 2 previously interviewed the sister of Anthony Curry, whose body was found in May. She told us her brother was not homeless and she is still seeking answers to the circumstances of her brother’s death.
