HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The parents of a 22-year-old man found dead in Buffalo Bayou are seeking public assistance as they seek clarity surrounding their son’s tragic death.
Kenneth Cutting Jr.’s body was discovered in the bayou near Swiney Street in the Fifth Ward.
According to his parents, Kenneth Cutting Sr. and Tiffanie Bruno, Cutting Jr. had gone to Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar on Friday night with his two roommates. They left the bar around midnight.
Around 2 a.m., Cutting Sr. received a text from one of his son’s roommates stating that Cutting Jr. had become highly intoxicated and “went berserk.” The roommate indicated that Cutting Jr. had engaged in verbal and physical altercations before abruptly leaving their car on I-10 East near Waco Street.
Reportedly, Cutting Jr. ran towards oncoming traffic along I-10. The text message mentioned that he had left behind his phone and wallet inside the car. The family visited Cutting Jr.’s roommates on Saturday morning and filed a missing persons report. His body was discovered three days later.
“My son did not jump into the bayou,” Bruno emphasized.
Cutting Sr. mentioned that when his son’s body was found, he was wearing only pants, undergarments, a belt, and a single earring. His shoes, shirt, the other earring, and Apple Watch were missing.
Houston police closed the missing persons case after locating Cutting Jr.’s body and are not currently actively investigating the case. However, a public information officer informed that they would assign an investigator if an autopsy reveals indications of foul play.
“I want to understand exactly what happened to my son,” Cutting Sr. expressed.
Bruno described her son, who stood at just 5 feet 3 inches and weighed 120 pounds, as having a “beautiful spirit.”
“He was really fun to be around. He was very loving, had a heart of gold. He was beautiful,” she recalled. “He didn’t deserve this.”
