In the last few weeks, some TikTok videos and posts on Redditt about Rockford have been stirring up a lot of worrisome dust. These videos and posts claim that a serial killer could be on the loose in Rockford, and I DO NOT like it.

Honestly, I first read about this on the Q98.5 app, and this line in the article had my mouth gaping and blood pressure rising immediately;

Posted on the Serial Killers section of Reddit, a user named DoeHare says "I'm pretty sure there's a serial killer in my city and the police aren't being transparent."

Yes, local authorities have found at least 5 bodies in the Rockford area since 2021 began, but could all these bodies really be somehow connected?!?

The short answer? No.(Thank God!)

Mystateline.com recently reached out to Winnebago County Coroner Bill Hintz about these disturbing claims on TikTok and Redditt, and his response has me feeling a whole lot better. Hintz said; "

100%, this is not a serial killer.

I can only speculate, but spread throughout a year, we might get four missing bodies a year. So, did we just find ours at the beginning of the year and the rest of the year will be okay? I think it’s a mere coincidence. I don’t think there’s anything to it.

It might be good news that local investigative authorities don't believe we have a serial killer on our hands, but finding 5 dead bodies in a few months span is definitely not a good thing. Police investigations are ongoing in all these cases, and as a community we need to have faith they will get to the bottom of it soon. We also need to give them the space and patience to do it.

LOOK: Here are the 25 best places to live in Illinois

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in Illinois using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.

On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.

More From 96.7 The Eagle