Serial Misinformation

Online speculation about an Austin serial killer sign of social media epidemic, experts say

BY MICHAEL KARLIS

On April 1, award-winning Austin-American statesman reporter Tony Plohetski tweeted that the body of a young man had been pulled from the depths of Lady Bird Lake. It was the second such incident in the past two months.

Plohetski’s tweet has since garnered over 1,000 likes, arguably giving root to the online speculation that a serial killer is stalking Texas’ capital city.

Since then, social media users have dubbed the theoretical slayer the Austin Serial Killer and the Rainey Street Ripper, and the media has also weighed in. The Houston Chronicle wondered aloud in a headline “Is a serial killer stalking men in Austin, Texas,” and Fox News shared the breathlessly titled piece “Bodies stack up in Texas city.”

Amid the rampant speculation, a dedicated Facebook group called Lady Bird Lake Serial Killer/Rainey St Killer has exploded, growing from 20,000 members in April to its current tally of nearly 100,000. That growth has come even as authorities a ribute the string of Austin deaths to accidents and downplayed the notion that a killer is stalking the streets.

Described as a “place to discuss the possible serial killer in Austin Texas” and a safe space to “advocate for the family and friends” of alleged victims, the group is run by administrators with no experience in criminal investigations. Some don’t even reside in Austin.

Experts said the assertions aired in the online forum are evidence of the U.S. epidemic of misinformation. Among the claims fostered in the group are that the Austin Police Department is involved in a conspiracy to cover up the murders.

“Back before the dawn of the internet, it was harder for people to persist in denial of truth,” said Althea Delwiche, a Trinity University communication professor who researches fake news and online disinformation. “But now, there’s a loss of faith in media outlets, in police departments, and there’s a real sense that the facts are what you make of them.”

The Facebook group’s administrators didn’t respond to the Current’s requests for comment on this story. Instead, an administrator from Arkansas named Carissa Morgan said she would put the publication in touch with family members of the dead with whom group members are “in regular communication.” So far, that hasn’t happened.

Just the facts

What police and online speculators can agree on is that four men between the ages of 30 and 40 have been discovered in Austin’s Lady Bird Lake since the beginning of the year.

Jason John, 30, was last seen walking the urban lake after a night out with friends on Rainey Street. His body was recovered more than a week later on Feb. 13, and the corpse of Clifton Axtell, 40, was discovered less than month after. On April 1, authorities confirmed they’d found the body of 33-year-old Jonathan Honey. He was last seen grabbing a bite to eat at a Taco Truck on Rainey Street. The body of John Christopher Hays-Clark, 30, was discovered on April 15.

Austin Police said they don’t expect foul play in any of the four cases, saying all appear to be accidental drownings.

“One common theme of the drownings in Austin this year is the combination of alcohol and easy access to the lake, which has numerous access points,” Austin PD wrote in a statement. “Many of these access points can be challenging to see at night.”

During a press conference following the discovery of Hays-Clark’s body, Austin PD spokesman Michael Bullock assured reporters there was no reason to believe a killer was stalking young men.

“We definitely understand people that have concerns, and if we did have any information that there was something specific that was concerning or suspicious related to criminal activity, those are things that we try to convey to the public as soon as we possibly can,” he said.

Conspiracies are hard work

Those explanations apparently didn’t satisfy some members of the Lady Bird Lake Serial Killer Facebook group. Many posted comments accusing the police of a conspiracy to cover up the evidence of a killer, potentially to save the state capital millions in lost tourism revenue.

Indeed, the group appears to be sticking by that claim.

When Texas Monthly published an article earlier this month debunking the conspiracy theories floated in the online group, the administrators cleaned house. Posters who agreed that the theories had no basis found themselves kicked out in a mass dismissal.

Some in the group even accused Peter Holley, the article’s author, of being “bought off” by Austin PD. Others said they had sent him direct messages on Facebook to voice concerns about alleged “inaccuracies” in his reporting.

St. Mary University’s Law Professor Gerald Reamey, a former legal advisor to the Irving Police Department, said he has no reason to believe Austin police could cover up the presence of a serial killer, even if they tried.

“There’s a lot of information that leaks from police departments,” Reamey said. “If you want to find out what’s going on, go talk to some police officers. A lot of them will say they have no comment. But you’ll find somebody eventually who will feel like whatever is happening isn’t right, and they’ll say, ‘Well, don’t quote me on this, but here’s what’s going on...’”

‘Doing their research’

The online cha er about an Austin serial killer is likely a symptom of the longing of Americans for a sense of community coupled with the democratization of media, Trinity University’s Delwiche said.

“The problem is that people are ‘doing their research,’ but they’re only finding the parts that they want to agree with that confirm their biases,” she said of the mindset behind online conspiracy theories. “They’re not doing the research that would question their biases.”

Indeed, in the Lady Bird Lake Serial Killer Facebook group, much of what’s posted is touted as “evidence” or a “clue” that could bring true-crime enthusiasts a step closer to cracking the case.

Graffiti of smiley faces found near Lady Bird Lake? Obviously, a sign left behind by the serial killer, posters in the group argue. Police cars responding to a call near the lake? Evidence another body was found — and that authorities soon will be covering up the discovery.

It doesn’t help that podcasters, TikTokers and other members of the nation’s “true crime industrial complex” are looking to cash in on conspiracy theories, validating outlandish online claims, Delwiche said.

“What I’m really worried about in the age of AI is that we’re going to become so cynical that we will emerge from this moment where people seem so gullible,” she added. “And we’ll find ourselves in a moment where people won’t believe anything you say, no ma er how much you prove it or how much the facts and documented evidence seem to support it.”

THU | 05.18SUN | 05.28

THEATER

Measure For Measure

Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure walks the line between comedy and tragedy, mixing emotional elements in with its humorous puns and hijinks. Directed by Liz Fisher, a newcomer to the Classic Theatre of San Antonio, the play explores themes of bodily autonomy, justice and authoritarianism. It follows the story of Duke Vincentio (Mark McCarver), who hands over power to the strict Lord Angelo (Michael Roberts) in a bid to clean up the city’s vices. Angelo is a harsh enforcer of the law, sentencing a young man named Claudio (Guy Martin) to death for improper behavior with his fiancée. Claudio’s sister Isabella (Randee Nelson), a young nun, is forced to plead for her brother’s life. As the lives of these characters intertwine and knot together, the play brings up surprisingly relatable questions about the dangers of autocracy. This production of the iconic play will also feature an audiovisual installation by local artist Mark Anthony Martinez, inspired by themes explored in Measure for Measure $24-$39, 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Radius Center, 106 Auditorium Circle, (210) 589-8450, classictheatre.org. — Macks Cook

FRI | 05.19

COMEDY

MATTEO LANE: THE AL DENTE TOUR

New York-based comedian Ma eo Lane’s stand-up hinges on two primary facets of his personality: being gay and being Italian. Throw into the mix his classical training in opera, his Mexican heritage and his fluency in what he describes as four-and-a-half languages, and you get a recipe for some naturally off-the-wall impersonations and anecdotes. One of Variety’s Top Ten Comics to Watch for 2022, Lane has appeared on Netflix’s The Comedy Lineup as well as the streaming service’s queer comedy special Stand Out. He’s also made the rounds on talk shows including Late Night with Seth Meyers and series such as The Comedy

Jam and Adam Devine’sHouse Party. Along the way, he’s also shared stages with Chelsea Handler, Aziz Ansari, Hasan Minhaj and Bob the Drag Queen. $33-$99, 8 p.m., H-E-B Performance Hall, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. —

Dalia Gulca

SAT | 05.20

EVENT

Special

THERESA CAPUTO LIVE! THE EXPERIENCE

Sure, naming a touring show in which the star claims to reach the dead “Live! The Experience” is a just a li le bit contradictory. But chances are Theresa Caputo, the self-proclaimed “Long Island Medium,” doesn’t give a shit what we have to say about it. The big-haired reality TV personality has made a name — and a fortune — by charging people for her mystical services, and she’s frequently been accused of exploiting people’s grief for personal gain. But, hey, those are just minor details. Caputo will bring her traveling circus of pseudoscience and cheesy theatrics to the Alamo City on Saturday, May 20. If you’re in the mood for smoke, mirrors and potentially paranormal entertainment, go ahead and enjoy. $49.50 and up, 7:30 p.m., Majestic Theatre, 226 E. Houston St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com. —

Nina Rangel

SAT | 05.20

Film

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

The City of San Antonio World Heritage Office and Slab Cinema are bringing a free moviegoing experience to the Mission Marquee Plaza with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). The film is the sequel to Marvel Studios’ runaway hit Black Panther (2018), which starred Chadwick Boseman as the titular hero also known as King T’Challa. Boseman died from colon cancer in 2021, yet the makers of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever moved forward, keeping both the actor and the character alive in memory. The movie focuses on T’Challa’s younger sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), as she takes up the Black Panther role to protect Wakanda from new conflicts that arise following her brother’s death. Audiences are invited to bring blankets, lawn chairs and snacks to enjoy as they watch the film. Food trucks also will be available. Free, 8:30 p.m., Mission Marquee Plaza, 3100 Roosevelt Ave., (210) 212-9373, slabcinema.com — Christianna Davies

TUE | 05.23 + THU | 05.25

FILM

Inland Empire

Lingering on the precipice of being considered lost media, David Lynch’s first digitally shot film, Inland Empire (2006), has been remastered as a part of the Criterion Collection for a Blu-ray and 4k release. This three-hour dream sequence of a movie was initially shot in disparate scenes on a low-resolution Sony handheld camera, meaning that even viewers who could find it online were in for a visual experience not unlike watching an early 2000s home video. Now that it’s been remastered under the careful supervision of Lynch himself, Inland Empire can be experienced with full clarity, projected on the big screen. The experimental psychological thriller film loosely follows the experiences of promising actress Nikki Grace (Laura Dern) after she’s given a once-in-a-lifetime acting role. Her prospects slowly unravel as it becomes clear that the film’s production is cursed. $10, 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, Arthouse at Blue Star, 134 Blue Star, (210) 212-9373, slabcinemaarthouse.com. — Macks

Cook

THU | 05.25

SPECIAL EVENT

The Psychology Of Serial Killers

Here’s something for avid true crime fans. Criminology expert Sco Bonn, who’s provided expert analysis for a number of renowned true crime TV shows and documentaries on networks including A&E, Oxygen and Discovery, will present a talk throwing back the curtain on true crime, and explaining why fans are so drawn to it. During his presentation, Bonn will discuss the myths and misrepresentations that surround serial killers: why some get press and why some do not, why we largely only know the names of white serial killers and the mistaken beliefs around killers that power the true crime engine. He also promises to answer a question that dives deep into viewers’ psyches: why am I so interested in serial killers? $25-$35, 7:30 p.m., H-E-B Performance Hall, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — DG

THU | 05.25 -

SUN | 02.25

ART

‘BIG LITTLE STAGE’

The McNay Art Museum’s “Big Little Stage” o ers a peek into the set design process for live theater productions. The new exhibition showcases a striking variety of maquettes — or scale models — of stage setups through the ages, which range in medium from simple cardboard, newspaper and watercolor to robust wood, plexiglass and stainless steel. Some works date back to the 19th century, such as Hanging Gardens of Babylon (1860) by Victor St. Leon, but 21st century renderings, such as Joel Steinberg’s La Périchole (2013), also will be on display. In this atmospheric exhibition, visitors can even step inside and move around inside an enchanting full-sized set inspired by Steinberg’s La Périchole maquette. “Big Little Stage” will be on view through February 2024 and is included with museum admission. $10-$20, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday, McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave., (210) 824-5638, mcnayart.org. — Caroline Wolff

Reminder:

Although live events have returned, the COVID-19 pandemic is still with us. Check with venues to make sure scheduled events are still happening, and please follow all health and safety guidelines.

FRI | 05.26 -

MON | 05.29

SPECIAL EVENT

Memorial Day River Walk Artisan Show

Memorial Day weekend may present a San Antonians with a perfect excuse to leisurely stroll the River Walk and playing tourist in their own city. The weather isn’t unbearably hot (yet), and the Memorial Day Artisan Show will bring more than 40 booths from San Antonio artisans to the downtown a raction, The booths will include po ery, jewelry, woodwork, paintings, textiles and other arts and crafts showing off the ingenuity and skill of the city’s makers. Free, 11 a.m-11 p.m. Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday, San Antonio River Walk, 602 E. Commerce St., thesanantonioriverwalk.com. — DG

FRI | 05.26 -

SAT | 05.27

SPECIAL EVENT

HISTORY THAT DOESN’T SUCK

Even for those of us who remember high school, history class was quite often a snooze fest. However, learning about important milestones

SAT | 05.27

SPECIAL EVENT

Utsa Asian Festival San Antonio

In observance of May as Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, the University of Texas at San Antonio is hosting its annual UTSA Asian Festival for the first time since the onset of the pandemic. Formerly held at the Institute of Texan Cultures, the festival has moved to UTSA’s Downtown Campus this year. This family-friendly event celebrates the diverse Asian diaspora throughout San Antonio and South Texas with food, hands-on activities and performances from featured artists including headliners Korean soloist BettySoo and Indian band Red Baraat. Other performers include Echo E ect K-Pop, Kalalaya Indian Performing Arts, the SACA Dragon Dance Team and the San Antonio Lion Dance Association. The festival will also showcase vendors such as DASHI Sichuan Kitchen + Bar, Pasha Mediterranean Grill, Suck It: The Restaurant and others serving beloved AAPI eats. $5-$15, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., UTSA Downtown Campus, 501 W. César E. Chávez Blvd., asianfestivalsa.org. — CD from our nation’s past doesn’t have to be, according to Professor Greg Jackson. Host of the popular podcast History That Doesn’t Suck, Jackson is on a mission to teach U.S. history in a fun, humorous and apolitical way. Although it’s unclear what eras of history Jackson will discuss during his two San Antonio shows, his more than 100 podcast episodes cover anything from the Boston Tea Party and the Lewis and Clark expedition to the Civil War and World War I. $39-$45, 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Carlos Alvarez Studio Theater, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — Michael Karlis

FRI | 05.26MON | 09.04

ART

‘SOUTHWEST RISING: CONTEMPORARY ART AND THE LEGACY OF ELAINE HORWITCH’

Elaine Horwitch was known for her influence on the Southwestern art scene as a gallery director and art dealer starting in the 1970s. She brought contemporary national and international art into a space previously dominated by historic and Western traditional creations. What’s more, her appreciation for innovative art styles fueled the careers of hundreds of Southwestern artists and made her a leader in fostering “Southwest pop” art. She backed Indigenous, Latino, folk and craft art by placing it alongside widely known international pieces, making way for the regional form’s expansion from its traditional norms. “Southwest Rising: Contemporary Art and the Legacy of Elaine Horwitch” features 45 works drawn from the Tucson Museum of Art and private loans from New Mexico, Oklahoma and San Antonio. It includes works by Bob Wade, Anne Coe, Georgia O’Keeffe and Billy Schenck, among others. $8-$14, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday-Monday May 26-Sep. 4, Briscoe Western Art Museum, 210 W. Market St., (210) 299-4499, briscoemuseum.org. — Dana Nichols

Primo Premiere

San Antonio author Shea Serrano brings comedy series based on his upbringing to Amazon Freevee

BY KIKO MARTINEZ

It wasn’t until Shea Serrano was in Los Angeles casting for Primo, the new coming-of-age comedy series he created, that he realized his dream was finally coming to fruition.

“I remember there was a sign that said, ‘Primo Casting,’” Serrano, 41, told the Current during a recent interview. “When the first person walked into audition, I thought I was gonna start crying.”

Inspired by Serrano’s upbringing in San Antonio, Primo follows Rafa (Ignacio Diaz-Silverio), a teenager maneuvering his way through high school and a home life that he shares with his single mother and five uncles.

While Serrano is the bestselling author of the books The Rap Year Book, Basketball (and Other Things) and Movies (And Other Things), the series marks his jump into an altogether different art form — and one with a potentially massive audience. Primo premieres May 19 on Amazon Freevee.

During our interview, Serrano, a graduate of Southwest High School, talked about the kind of series he wanted to make for the streamer and how much of it is based on his real life. We also went off script to chat about other Latino shows and one of his favorite movie franchises, The Fast and the Furious.

What’s going through your mind now that the premiere of Primo is finally here?

I’m super nervous. But also, I feel really good about how the show turned out. That’s the thing I worried about the most when we were making it — that it was going to get turned into a thing that I didn’t want it to be, which is a story you hear happens in Hollywood sometimes. But we had [producer] Mike [Schur] and [Amazon executive] Lauren Anderson who worked together on Parks and Recreation. They protected [Primo] the whole time. I’m really proud of it.

Primo follows the character Rafa (second from left) as he navigates high school and a complicated home life.

Why did you decide to create this story with Parks and Rec-style dry humor?

I think those are my favorite shows — the ones that tell a joke without trying to sell a joke. A person might say … the most innocuous statement ever, and it could be the funniest thing in the world if the context makes it. Those to me are the shows I enjoy watching the most — Parks and Rec, The Office, Abbo Elementary. It’s about trusting the writing and trusting the delivery. That was the only kind of show I wanted to make.

No laugh track.

No laugh track. No sassy, Latina mom with a chancla I didn’t want to do that. I wanted it to feel like there was a camera inside somebody’s house, and that’s all.

What percentage would you say Primo mirrors your life in San Antonio?

It’s probably like 30% or 40%. It’s not an insignificant amount. All the characters are based on real people. The Drea character is based on my mom. The five uncles are based on my real-life uncles. The Maya character is based on my wife, Larami. We didn’t meet in high school like on the series. I met her during my first year of college, but we’ve been together for 23 years. You take li le pieces and put them in [the script] and you do it in service of the story. I didn’t want to recreate [my life] moment for moment. It’s more fun to imagine stuff and create characters.

Can your real uncles tell which character is supposed to represent them in the series?

Yeah, we did a screening for the family a couple of weeks ago. It’s the first time that they got to see it. Immediately, they were like, “OK, that’s my character. Cool.” They loved it. They were really into it. They were super excited about how handsome all of the actors [portraying them] were.

Did it help that you had your real uncles around as references?

Yeah, it was super helpful. You don’t realize that when you start pitching stuff. If you and I were talking, we’d be like, “We have a bunch of uncles and aunts.” Birthday parties on Saturdays probably look the same at both of our houses. But then you walk into Hollywood, and you realize that other people didn’t grow up like that. Mike will tell you his family was the opposite. They were not involved in each other’s lives. Everybody is very reserved. They don’t offer their unsolicited opinion. At our house, you have to lock the door and put a chair up against it to keep somebody from telling you what they think you should do.

Do you think we’re past the point in Hollywood where a studio would make a series like Primo without Latinos in the writers’ room?

I don’t know about other writers’ rooms, but I know we [had Latinos] in ours. We were like, “We have to have Latinos and Blacks and Asians in there.” Mike was the only white person in the room, which is always really funny because those are the only writers’ rooms that I’ve ever been in. You talk to people and they’re like, “I’ve never been in a room that looked like this before.”

Were you at all disappointed that the show wasn’t shot in San Antonio, I’m assuming because of incentives?

Yeah, you get tax breaks [in Albuquerque, where Primo was shot]. At this particular moment, there’s no infrastructure in San Antonio. We needed stages to shoot on. We needed to bring all the crew down and put them all up. I was hoping that it would happen, but it just wasn’t feasible.

What do you think is going on with so many Latino-centric series getting canceled these days after one or two seasons? In my opinion, shows like Freeridge, On My Block, Gentified and Gordita Chronicles weren’t given enough time to build an audience. The list goes on and on.

If I had to guess, I think when we get more [Latinos] in positions of power, then that will become less of a thing. I hope that’s a trend that is headed in the opposite direction. I loved Gentified. I thought it was so good. I’m like, “We need six seasons of that!” I thought Keyla [Monterroso Mejia] was great in Freeridge. She’s the fucking funniest person. When you watch that show, it’s like, “This person is obviously a star.”

I know you’re a big fan of The Fast and the Furious franchise. How did you feel when it was revealed in the last movie, F9, that Vin

MRafa’s five uncles play a significant role in the comedy series.

Diesel’s character, Dominic Toretto, has been Latino for the last 20 years? (Laughs.) Oh, yeah, that was a fun twist. But at that point, they were bringing people back from the dead already. It was like, “Alright, whatever you say, I’m in! Let’s do it!”

As a diehard Spurs fan, where are you going to be on May 16 when the 2023 NBA Lotto happens, and are you lighting a candle for us to land the No. 1 pick, so we can get Victor Wembanyama? (Note: This interview was conducted before the draft.) Oh, my God. I’m so excited. We’ve got a 14% chance [to get the No. 1 pick]. Like, please, if we get Victor, I’m gonna lose my goddang mind. I miss the playoffs so much.

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