17 Bodies Found
'17 Bodies Found Wrapped In Plastic' is a hoaxScreenshot

A hoax, which claims that at least 17 bodies were found in the Ohio River near Henderson, Kentucky, has been doing the rounds on the internet.

It was first reported by Empire News - a satire website. In the report, which was published on 7 July, the website stated that the police recovered 17 bodies, individually wrapped in plastic bags, from the Ohio River. 

The website compared the news with TV show "Dexter", which tells the story of a serial killer who only killed criminals. And, the story went viral on Twitter, with several users believing that the news was real.

The website quoted Captain Owen St. Pierre of the Henderson police department.

"This could be the most prolific, active serial killer in the United States. Two of the bodies identified so far have been determined to have extensive criminal records; we are considering the possibility that these murders could be inspired by the television series Dexter," Owen said.

Another person from the search and rescue was also quoted by the satire website.

"Kentucky law requires that an attempt be made to resuscitate if possible," Joseph Goldsmith, a member of the search and rescue team, said. "I know it seemed to be a long-shot, given the body was in several different pieces, but they require us to make an attempt."

It further reported that the police is investigating and has questioned some of the street gang members.

The story came out after Kentucky.com reported that a human leg was found in the Ohio River.

Several readers fell for the hoax and posted the report on Twitter, saying that the killer is a "real life Dexter". The story went viral on Facebook and Twitter and got 58, 000 Facebook shares within hours.