Authorities have confirmed that a body recovered from Brays Bayou last week has been identified as Jade “Sage” McKissic, a 20-year-old University of Houston student whose disappearance drew widespread attention across the city.
McKissic, a junior studying Strategic Communications and Advertising, was reported missing on September 11. Four days later, on September 15, her body was discovered in Brays Bayou near Spur 5. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences officially identified her on September 18.
Investigators say there were no signs of foul play or visible trauma, though the official cause of death is still pending as the medical examiner completes a full autopsy. Police noted that McKissic had last been seen leaving an area near Third Ward bars before stopping at a gas station. According to investigators, she then left on foot toward the bayou without her phone.
McKissic, affectionately known as “Sage,” was active in student life at the University of Houston, working as a front-desk assistant, serving on the orientation team, and participating in campus media and other organizations. Raised in the Spring Independent School District, she was described by classmates and faculty as a “friend to many” whose energy and involvement left a lasting mark on the campus community. The university has offered counseling and support services for grieving students.
Her death marks the 13th body recovered from Houston’s waterways in 2025, part of a troubling trend that has seen multiple discoveries in recent weeks. Just days before McKissic was found, three other bodies were recovered from Greens Bayou, White Oak Bayou, and Buffalo Bayou under separate circumstances. Police stress that there is no evidence linking the cases.
For now, investigators are focused on piecing together McKissic’s final hours and determining how she entered the water. Whether her death will ultimately be ruled accidental or otherwise will depend on the results of the ongoing medical and police investigations.
