Are there serial killers named Alice Chapman and Ryan Edward? San Antonio police respond as viral posts spark concern 

The San Antonio police have confirmed that there are no serial killers named Alice Chapman and Ryan Edward on the loose after a viral Facebook post claimed they were "on the run after killing 3 female police officers on Saturday."

The Facebook post, uploaded yesterday, states that Alice Chapman and Ryan Edward were armed and dangerous and were wreaking havoc across the Lone Star State. However, Newsweek has reported that the reports have been fabricated, noting that they were likely designed to instil fear.

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San Antonio police say there are no serial killers named Alice Chapman and Ryan Edward on the loose: Here's what we know

The Facebook post shows two images of a man and woman, supposed to be Ryan Edward and Alice Chapman. The caption reads as follows:

"URGENT: Alert !! Please lock your doors and stay vigilant. A dangerous couple Husband serial Killer Ryan Edward (51) and the woman Alice Chapman(32), a House Burglar are on the run after killing 3 female police officers on Saturday here in #perth. Warn others."

The post goes on:

"They go around preying on elderly people, vandalizing parked vehicles, knocking on peoples' doors claiming to be homeless ,seeking for help & then attacking you after gaining your trust. They're ruthless and very dangerous. They're also armed so if you see them please do not approach just call the police. LET'S BUMP THIS POST AND HELP WARN OTHERS."

However, SAPD spokesperson Camelia Juarez told Newsweek via email that officials "are aware of the post. We know the post is false." SAPD spokesperson Nicholas Soliz said to the Express-News about Alice Chapman and Ryan Edward:

"The goal is to get the fake story to go viral and then once it has accumulated enough shares, change the content to whatever the scammers or hackers want to draw visibility to."

Notably, just a few weeks ago, a serial killer named Lloyd Strack was rumoured to have been on the run in Florida, though the same was also debunked by officials from Texas cities Seguin and Duncanville. The Bradenton Police Department in Florida said in a statement, as reported by Newsweek:

"The photo is of a man wanted for a 2022 crime in California. The actual Lloyd Strack is behind bars in CA (and isn't a serial killer). The post is an example of the 'bait-and-switch' scam that encourages people to share the post." They went on, "When enough people share the post, the scammers swap the photo and information for something else, usually a cheap rental home ad or donation site, designed to defraud people of money or personal information. If you see this post, do not share it."

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At the time of writing, it remains unknown exactly whose images are circulating online, though another post that mentioned Alice Chapman and Ryan Edward bore different images altogether.