9 Currently Active Serial Killers: Unsolved Cases in 2022 (2023) Jesperson signed each letter with a smiley face. Remains found in Merced County, California on June 3, 1993, belonged to a Jesperson victim he has said was called "Cindy." was 23 years old when he went missing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Laverne Pavlinac, right, touches the tear-stained face of her grandaughter, Nicole Sullivan, after being released from prison in Salem, Ore., Nov. 27, 1995. He would often get into trouble for behaving badly, sometimes violently, and would be severely punished by his father. Hunting Down Privileged Men: The Smiley Face Killings At age 35, standing 6feet 7inches (2.01m) and weighing approximately 255 pounds (116kg),[9] Jesperson began working toward the goal of joining the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), but an injury suffered while training ended this endeavor. However, Jesperson.css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;} later said he actually killed another woman and did not recognize Wilcox's photo. He strapped the woman beneath his big rig, the New York Post reported. She threatened to call the police, and he strangled her. When she recanted, Pavlinac said she falsely confessed because she was stuck in a volatile relationship with Sosnovske, desperately seeking a way out and wanting him in prison. Jesperson, who was born in British Columbia in 1955 and moved to the US when he was 12, kept on killing until he was caught in 1995. Serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as the "Happy Face Killer," brutally murdered eight women between 1990 and 1995. "[He said] I better not open my mouth. ABC News/YouTube By Jean Mendoza / June 8, 2021 9:24 am EST Keith Hunter Jesperson is a serial killer who claimed the lives of eight women between 1990 and 1995. But a few days later, they got another call from Pavlinac. Her identity remains unknown. In 1975, when Jesperson was aged 20, he married Rose Hucke, and the couple had three children: two daughters and one son. Jesperson killed his next victim in June 1993 in Santa Nella, California. On January 21, 1990, after taking her to his rental place, plans to have sex went awry and he beat her senseless, he told Phelps. The Pittsburgh police theorized James fell into the river while crossing a bridge near the city center and drowned. Smiley Face Murders: More Victims, A Mother's Torment and Strange , who survived a violent encounter with Jesperson when she was 21. I have been a killer for five years and have killed eight people." . [00:02:14] Pavlinac made this false statement because she wanted to escape her abusive relationship with Sosnovske. [29][30] In September 2018, podcast network HowStuffWorks began releasing a show called Happy Face[31] featuring interviews with Melissa about her childhood and her father. That night, he had been celebrating a friend's 21st birthday with a group of friends. . Patricia Skiple of Colton, Oregon, had been known only as "Blue Pacheco" for the color of her clothing until genetic genealogy was used to identify her last week, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office said. Although two different people were originally charged in Bennett's murder, the real killer turned out to be Keith Hunter Jesperson, who the media already knew as "The Happy Face Killer." Keith grew to be a large, imposing man. Today, we're finishing our look at Keith Jesperson, the twisted murderer otherwise known as the Happy Face Killer. The Smiley Face Killers | Dancing with Nazis A television movie, Happy Face Killer, starring David Arquette as Jesperson, aired in 2014. The night of his disappearance, Geib made several calls from his cell phone. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. He was reported missing later that day by his mother, and a massive manhunt ensued. Investigators have revealed the name of a heretofore unidentified victim of the Happy Face Killer, nearly 30 years after her murder. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. His father often punished Jesperson by hitting him with a leather belt. ". One of the things about my dad - which made me very uncomfortable as a young woman - was that he was very explicit about his sexual relationships. 2. A journalist noticed the symbol and came up with the Happy Face Killer nickname. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! In March 2018, she was featured in an episode, titled "Put on a Happy Face", of the Investigation Discovery true crime series Evil Lives Here. "Just so many bad things that happened in her life that I think, I don't know, it caused her to kinda snap or something," McAlpine said. "Then it becameserious,a seriousargument. His blood-alcohol concentrationwas only 0.08 percent. Skiples remains were found on the side of California State Route 152 in the Gilroy area about 80 miles southeast of San Francisco in June 1993, in an area known as Pacheco Pass. ". Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Hundreds of college-aged men have died in accidental or undetermined drownings. Happy Face stands out because of Moore 's intimate tie to the criminal in question. He showed signs of psychopathic behavior from an early age which included torturing animals and attacking other children. [13] Police originally considered her death a drug overdose. Investigators have confirmed that he killed at least 8 people, including the woman now known to be Skiple. Canadian-American serial killer (born 1955), "Happy Face Killer" redirects here. This led Jesperson to violently attack Martin until his father pulled him away. She then described how she watched Sosnovske have sex with Bennett while he directed her to hold a rope around her neck, and that she believed she pulled the rope too tight, killing Bennett. Who is the Happy Face Killer Keith Hunter Jesperson? When an Oregon newspaper ran a five-part series called The Happy Face Serial Killer in 1994, an anonymous author took credit for the five murders. The purse had not been found at the crime scene, and its location was considered information only the killer would know. When Young came back to the hotel around 4 a.m. and realized Welzien was not in their room, he searched the area outside the hotel. [7] He had watched and laughed as the kittens clawed each other to escape, then he killed them. After he raped and strangled her, Jesperson dumped her body near the Columbia River Gorge, outside Portland. In reality, smiley face is a joyous symbol to convey happiness and joy, which is used everywhere from message chatting to letters to wall decoration in our daily lives. The Insane Details of the Smiley Face Killers Theory; The Most Recent Alleged Smiley Face Killers' Victims Highlight How Long This Theory Has . In September 1994, another Jane Doe was found in Crestview, Florida. Often Keith would dream of becoming an RCMP officer, the power of a position like that appealed to him, but his dream was dashed in 1990 after an injury prevented him from qualifying. A journalist noticed the symbol and came up with the Happy Face Killer nickname. That night, he had been celebrating a friend's 21st birthday with a group of friends. To learn more about this case, watch Snapped Notorious: The Happy Face Killer, streaming now on Oxygen. That this never happened. While he has claimed to have killed many more people, officials can only confirm that Jesperson killed eight women between 1990 and 1995 in California, Washington, Oregon, Florida, Nebraska and Wyoming. He was sentenced to life in prison while Pavlinac was sentenced to no less than ten years, much more than she had anticipated. New clues in alleged 'Smiley Face Killer' murders - FOX 32 Chicago Patricia Skiple of Colton, Oregon, had been . Taunja Bennett was the first to die. Jesperson was a. Victim 1: Taunja Bennett. Jesperson described murdering her, like other women he killed, as putting her out of her misery.. Jesperson married Rose Hucke on August 2, 1975. She previously claimed to the FBI that he was a wanted bank robber and frequently complained to Sosnovske's probation officer that he was drinking too much. He is serving three consecutive life sentences at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem. [3], Treated like an outcast and a black sheep by his own family and teased by other children for his large size at a young age, Jesperson was a lonely child who showed a propensity for torturing and killing animals. Rather than fall victim to the trauma surrounding her father's crimes and arrest, she processed the events. Because of their relationship, authorities connected her death to him. Jesperson is currently serving a sentence of life without parole at the Oregon State Penitentiary. At her trial, Pavlinac recanted her confession, but the jury found her guilty. After the murder, Jesperson remembered they'd spent days together and he'd let her use a credit card. The Smiley Face Killer. GHB was also found in his system along with alcohol. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Happy Face Presents: Two Face iHeart True Crime True Crime 4.3 8.5K Ratings; What would you do if you learned you were adopted, your biological . Her body was discovered behind the Blueberry Hill Cafe in Turlock, California. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Jesperson sent the photo to the Duquesne University students. At age 35, Keith was 6'7.5" tall and weighed 240lbs. On April 23 in Hamburg and the following weekend in Dusseldorf, the bodies of young men were retrieved from waterways. Jesperson, who was born in British Columbia in 1955 and moved to the US when he was 12, kept on killing until he was caught in 1995. Various witnesses outside the hotel saw Welzien vomiting in the street. The Chilling Story Behind the 1999 Smiley Face Murders Investigators believedhe could have walked to the edge of Lake Michigan, a five-minute walk from the hotel, and fallen in. When that did not create the attention he desired, he wrote letters to media outlets and police departments confessing to his murders, starting with a six-page letter to The Oregonian in which he revealed the details of his killings. , "I'm in a field" before the call dropped. In both cases, and as per usual . More than 25 years have passed since the ordeal, and in that time, both Sosnovske and Pavlinac have died. "I don't remember going to no gorge, dumping no body for God's sake. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? The Happy Face Killer: Mind of a Monster - IMDb After Jesperson came forward in March 1995, he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder charges for Bennett and Winningham of Camas, Washington, his last known victim. 'Happy Face Killer' case tapes reveal the lengths woman went to frame She was killed in Washington state on March 10, 1995, and her body was discovered the next day. The couple divorced in 1990.[8]. Moore recounts living with Jesperson until her parents' 1990 divorce, and noticing how her father was different when she was in elementary school. Published: Apr. 'Happy Face Killer' Bay Area murder victim identified - SFGATE Police have not saidif a smiley face was present near the death site. While police didn't get any hard evidence, the recordings demonstrate how Pavlinac attempted to convince her boyfriend he played a role in Bennett's death. Editor Note: This is rerun of 2018 post. He was known as the "Happy Face Killer" because he drew smiley faces on his many letters to the media and prosecutors. FILE - Accused murderer Keith Hunter Jesperson, dubbed the Happy Face Killer, right, listens to his attorney . 'Happy Face' Serial Killer Victim Identified Nearly 30 Years After Her The only difference was that the American version, operating in the Midwest throughout the 1990s, spray painted a smiley face on his victims. Taunja Bennett, 23, is seen here in this undated photo. I'm thinking, 'My God, she is actually involved in this,'" Ingram said. One of them was to a friendwho said she heard Geib say, "I'm in a field" before the call dropped. One of them was to a friend. He claimed to have victims in five states: Washington, California, Florida, Wyoming and Oregon. Keith Hunter Jesperson - Crimes. Family & Letters - Biography Director Rick Bota Writer Richard Christian Matheson Stars David Arquette Gloria Reuben Daryl Shuttleworth See production, box office & company info Jesperson claims that her name was Susanne. The area had been searched repeatedly in the weeks before his body was discovered, but no one had seen Booth. ET on ABC. I'llgo to the pen. After moving to Selah, Washington, United States, he had trouble fitting in and making friends because of his large size. A smiley face had been spray-painted on a tree near where Geib's body was found, and a smiley face sticker was later placed on his gravesite. A Navy veteran, 24-year-old William Hurley went missing after leaving a Bruins hockey game in Boston,Massachusetts. 45 colleged-aged males across a 20-year span. [19] To avoid the possibility of facing the death penalty, Sosnovske pleaded no contest. Detective Rick Buckner has to prove Keith Jesperson is the serial killer known as Happy Face Killer, guilty of murdering a woman in 1995, and has to make sure he is . [22] She was also featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show,[23] the Lifetime Movies network series Monster in My Family,[24][25] and a 20/20 special on ABC. His older daughter has described witnessing acts of animal cruelty that included Jesperson killing kittens. Keith Hunter Jesperson (born April 6, 1955) is a Canadian-American serial killer who murdered at least eight women in the United States during the early 1990s. California 'Happy Face Killer' victim identified nearly 30 years later Jesperson was a middle child, with an older sister and brother and a younger sister and brother. Brown also believes that the smiley face images found in some of the cases are likely nothing more than coincidences based upon making a guess at where the body entered the water and searching a wide . Based on Pavlinac's statements, and that Sosnovke failed a polygraph test, authorities arrested Sosnovke on murder charges. How "Happy Face Killer" Keith Jesperson's Daughter Discovered His Alcohol and antidepressants were foundin Geib's toxicology screen, but it was reported thatGeib was not sufferingfrom any form of depression at the time. The footage captured James entering a dark alley, and that was the last time he was seen alive. More than a dozen of these cases have been outlined in Gannon and Gilbertson's book "Case Studies in Drowning Forensics," but there are six deaths in particular that stand out as potential Smiley Face murders: Dakota James was 23 years old when he went missing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Possible Smiley Face killers victim Mason Cox. Smiley face murder theory - Wikipedia The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. He strangled her and left her corpse in Oregon. His brother gave this letter to law enforcement. And just like his British counterpart, the police denied . Pentlands body was found in November 1992 after being discarded in Salem, Oregon. Between 1997 and 2008, authorities pulled the dead bodies of more than 40 young white men out of rivers and lakes in more than 25 cities across 11 states. "Pavlinac has selfishly engaged in an obsessive and persistent obstruction of justice which deflected the investigation at an early stage, causing it to focus on her boyfriend, Sosnovske, while the real killer remained free to kill again and again," Lipscomb wrote in 1995. Soon after his injury was when Keith started to kill. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! After a series of letters are sent to the press, the killer earned the moniker, the Happy Face Killer. [4] Because of this, Jesperson was a shy child, content to play by himself much of the time. He split from his wife in 1990 after 15 years of . However, a part of him wanted to claim credit, so he wrote about murdering Bennett in a bus terminal bathroom. The daughter of a man dubbed the "Happy Face Killer" has revealed the suffering she went through after discovering her father, Keith Jesperson, was a serial rapist and murderer who preyed on what he once claimed was as many as 185 people over a five-year span. Search dogs scoured the downtown area where Homan was last seen alive. Pavlinac and Sosnovske were released from prison in November 1995. 'Happy Face Killer's' daughter believes he would kill again if released Soon after Angela Subrize ran into Jesperson at a bar in Spokane, Washington in January 1995, she traveled east with him in his truck. On October 8, 2009, Hurley went to the game with two friends. At the time of the incident, the females body was dressed in blue clothing and her identity was unknown, they wrote. [21], Following Bennett's murder, as all the attention was going to Pavlinac and Sosnovske, Jesperson wrote a confession on the bathroom wall of a truck stop and signed it with a smiley face. She had changed her story so many times that investigators said they wondered if she was telling the truth. On October 8, 2009, Hurley went to the game with two friends. 9 Currently Active Serial Killers: Unsolved Cases in 2020 . Ciao ragazzi, oggi vi raccontiamo la storia di un assassino seriale che ha ucciso almeno 8 vittime in cinque anni e soprannominato "The Happy Face Killer". Punched her, slapped her. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Jesperson would capture birds and stray cats and dogs around the trailer park where he lived with his family, severely beating the animals and then strangling them to death, something for which he claims his father was proud of him. In 2019, investigators began utilizing genetic genealogy in an attempt to identify Blue Pacheco, partnering with the nonprofit DNA Doe Project. Convicted murderer Keith Jesperson, right, shown here at a Nov. 2, 1995, court appearance in Portland, Ore., with attorney Thomas Phelan, has recanted all his previous murder admissions. Smiley Face Killers - Fact or Fiction? - Positively Pittsburgh The smiley face murder theory (also known as the smiley face murders, smiley face killings, and smiley face gang) is a theory advanced by retired New York City detectives Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte, as well as Dr. Lee Gilbertson, a criminal justice professor and gang expert at St. Largely considered an urban legend, the Smiley Face Killer, like the Manchester Pusher, murdered his victims by drowning.