According to Jesperson, Pentland attempted to double the fee she charged for the sex he had been engaged in with her. Some of his victims, as seen in this timeline, have never been identified. She called him a second time, but his cell phone seemed to be out of battery. Julie Winningham is seen here in this undated photo. 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". However, a part of him wanted to claim credit, so he wrote about murdering Bennett in a bus terminal bathroom. One day, she watched, horrified, as he hung stray kittens from the family's clothesline. 'Happy Face Killer' case tapes reveal the lengths woman went to frame boyfriend Meanwhile, the real killer carried out a series of murders over five years. PHOTO: Justice for Mason/Facebook. 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Gannon and Gilbertson also notedthe body appeared to have been staged three sticks were strategically placed around his body, and there were shoe and drag marks in the soil. [26], In 2008, Moore published a book titled Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer's Daughter. Her real name remains a mystery. And just like his British counterpart, the police denied . [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. "I sometimes now wonder, if he was freed now, if he was released, would he kill again? was 23 years old when he went missing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 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 apprehended before he kills again. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Eight murders were eventually linked to Jesperson. "Theyhave her tell me the story and I looked at her again, and I said, 'Mom, are you sure?' Idaho Murders: What Led Police to Bryan Kohberger, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Birth Year: 1955, Birth date: April 6, 1955, Birth City: British Columbia, Birth Country: Canada. 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. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. whos serving multiple concurrent sentences in Oregon State Penitentiary. On January 1, 2000, Northern Illinois University junior. Investigators installed a hidden recording device in their home hoping to catch Sosnovske making incriminating statements. "I don't think she was in love with him. The Smiley Face Killer. Sosnovske pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! NR Jul 18th, 2021 Documentary. Victim 2: California Jane Doe. Director Rick Bota Writer Richard Christian Matheson Stars David Arquette Gloria Reuben Daryl Shuttleworth See production, box office & company info For now it remains only a theory that has yet to be proved. Buddy up at all times. On January 25, 2017 around 11:30 p.m., James was walking back to his apartment after a night out drinking with friends and co-workers. Jesperson killed his next victim in June 1993 in Santa Nella, California. Tension in the marriage increased, and after fourteen years, while Jesperson was on the road, Hucke packed up her and her children's belongings and drove 200 miles away to live with her parents in Spokane, Washington. The renowned crime journalist and author of The Misbegotten Son turns his attention to serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, the "Happy Face Killer" from Oregon who strangled eight women in the 1990s, detailing his evolution from angry child to psychotic murderer. One of them was to a friendwho said she heard Geib say, "I'm in a field" before the call dropped. She was a mother and approximately 45 years old at the time she was killed. [6] Approximately one year later, Jesperson was swimming in a lake when another boy held him underwater until he blacked out. Before serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, known by his nickname "Happy Face Killer," turned himself in, authorities believed they had solved the murder of his first victim Taunja Bennett. 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. Jesperson got away easily so long as he was killing women he did not know, but his impulsivity got the best of him, and eventually, he murdered someone he did knowhis own girlfriend. 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 . Remembering the first known victim of Happy Face serial killer. Notorious serial killer Keith Jesperson, better known by the "Happy Face Killer" nickname he was given in the '90s, has spent decades behind bars but his daughter believes he would kill again if released from prison today. The only difference was that the American version, operating in the Midwest throughout the 1990s, spray painted a smiley face on his victims. On April 23 in Hamburg and the following weekend in Dusseldorf, the bodies of young men were retrieved from waterways. Welzien's friends said he had only three or four drinks, but by the end of the night he seemed very intoxicated. According to detectives Anthony Duarte and Kevin Gannon, the Smiley Face Theory came into . In. When the body of Taunja Bennett was found along the side of an Oregon highway in 1990, investigators never imagined that it would lead to the capture of a vicious serial killer. While in custody, Jesperson shared details of his eight murders. [8][16] This led Phil Stanford, the journalist working the story for The Oregonian, to dub Jesperson "The Happy Face Killer". He would go on to share details of the crime on other restroom walls. In the days following, Jesperson decided that he was certainly going to be arrested, and after two suicide attempts turned himself in hoping it would result in leniency during his sentencing. Daun Slagle is the sole survivor of the "Happy Face Killer." She is the only person to survive an attack by the infamous serial killer. In one six-page letter to The Oregonian newspaper, the serial killer revealed . Keith grew to be a large, imposing man. All drowned after getting intoxicated. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! She was convicted of felony murder and sentenced to life in prison with a 10-year minimum served. Authorities came to believe they had convicted the wrong people. Jesperson resides in the Oregon State Penitentiary, where he spends much of his time making art. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! At age 35, Keith was 6'7.5" tall and weighed 240lbs. The body of a woman found near Gilroy, California was this week identified as Patricia Skiple, a victim of the Happy Face Killer. Director Carl Hindmarch Stars Doug Bates Janine Brugnone Beghtol Rick Buckner See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist 1 User review The footage captured James entering a dark alley, and that was the last time he was seen alive. Jesperson met 21-year-old Bennett in a bar in Portland, Oregon. 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. For example, the Canadian-American serial killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, who murdered at least eight women in the United States during the . Pavlinac soon admitted to making up her entire story, but her claims were ignored. Jesperson grew up in Chilliwack, Canada before moving to Selah, Washington with his family when he was 12. Keith Hunter Jesperson committed his first murder in 1990. "Now, I'm thinking, 'She's confessed she's pointed out the dump site, she's confessed to us on tape. In the years following, Jesperson said he often thought about what it would be like to do the same to a human. "To come clean get it all over, the record straight. Six days after his disappearance,Hurley's body was foundin the Charles River, close to where he asked Mahoney to pick him up. . went missing after leaving a Bruins hockey game in Boston,Massachusetts. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Jesperson is currently serving a sentence of life without parole at the Oregon State Penitentiary. After a night of barhopping, Homan headed home at around 10 p.m. with a friend. RUIN SMILEY'S DAY: Follow these tips to minimize the danger of vanishing into thin air one night and ending up another unsolved "drowned" statistic: 1. In the summer of 1992, Jesperson met "Claudia" at a truck checkpoint in California. They were able to identify her as Skiple on April 13. Jesperson signed each letter with a smiley face. Or 'I will cause trouble for your family. California investigators have identified a victim of the Happy Face Killer using DNA nearly 30 years after her body was left near a California highway. He enjoyed watching animals kill each other as well as the feeling he got from taking their lives. Various witnesses outside the hotel saw Welzien vomiting in the street. Jesperson's last victim was Julie Winningham, who'd been his girlfriend. Dr. Laura Pettler, along with her partner in crime-fighting, Melissa Moore, are taking a deep dive into murder cases in the upcoming podcast, "Life After Happy Face." "Life After Happy Face" is a follow-up to Moore's "The Happy Face Killer" podcast, which followed the case of Keith Jesperson, a serial killer who wreaked havoc in the Pacific Northwest during the 1990s. In later years, Jesperson also sent anonymous letters to The Oregonian newspaper about what had become his multiple murders. Despite the distance between them, some detectives think that drownings are actually the work of a serial killer or group of serial killers. The DNA Doe Project identified Skiple's body in partnership with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office after it was found near westbound State Route 152. After getting in an argument with Bennett, he strangled her to death with his hands and disposed of her body. He was known as the "Happy Face Killer" because he drew smiley faces on his many letters to the media and authorities. He met the developmentally disabled Bennett while out drinking and convinced her to go to his house. He then sought work again as an interstate truck driver after relocating to Cheney, Washington. jocks) usually after a night of drinking at a bar are kidnapped, tortured, murdered and then their . In September 1994, the body of a woman was found in Florida. . What doesn't make sense is that many of the 40 cases the investigators have looked into have puzzling evidence. A few days before his arrest, he wrote a letter to his brother in which he confessed to having killed eight people over the course of five years. He was known as the "Happy Face Killer" because he drew smiley faces on his many letters to the media and prosecutors. Jesperson reported that he was raped at age 14. It had been washed ashore on a beach in Gary, Indiana, 30 miles south of Chicago. 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. . Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Surveillance footage captured Booth entering the bar where the celebration took place, but there is no video evidence of him leaving. His death was ruled an undetermined drowning. The morning of October 2, Homan's body was found not far from the shore of the Mississippi River. After Jesperson was in custody, he provided the location of Bennett's purse, which only the killer would know. Victims of the Smiley Face Killer | Photo Credits: Oxygen The Team of Men that Came Up With the Theory. Jesperson claims he killed her after she tried to double charge him for sex, according to Snapped Notorious: The Happy Face Killer., Because Jesperson allowed her to use his credit card to make a phone call, he devised a depraved way to conceal her identity. The day of his disappearance, Homan had been celebrating Oktoberfest with his friends. At the time, he was being investigated for the murder of 41-year-old Julie Winningham, who some described as his girlfriend. His death was ruleda probable drowning, and there wereno signs of trauma. Skiples remains were found on the side of. Jesperson attempted suicide but ended up confessing to Winningham's murder. Potential "Smiley Face Killers" victim Todd Geib. If you need help or need help supporting someone else, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. , "I'm in a field" before the call dropped. Homan and his friend somehow got separated during their walk home, and his friend ended up at the ER detox with a head injury after being picked up by police. Sosnovske pleaded no contest to first-degree murder and kidnapping charges to avoid the possibility of a death sentence and was sentenced to life in prison. "The greatest human tragedy is that Laverne Pavlinac derailed the investigation in 1990, and in four years, Keith Jesperson killed more women," said Jim McIntyre, the Multnomah County, Oregon, prosecutor who handled the cases. 2. Pavlinac's daughters said their mother "was never the same" after she divorced their father after discovering he left her for another woman. On January 1, 2000, Northern Illinois University junior Brian Welzien went missing from Chicago, Illinois, after a night of celebrating Y2K with his friends. A Navy veteran, 24-year-old William Hurley went missing after leaving a Bruins hockey game in Boston,Massachusetts. Jesperson sent the photo to the Duquesne University students. He introduced himself to Bennett at a bar and invited her to a house he was renting. Homan did not arrive for a golf outing the next day. Angela Surbrize was the name of Jesperson's second-to-last victim. Oddly,Geib's head and shoulders were sticking out of the wateras if he had gone for a swim. "She was that kind of woman. Some of his victims, as seen in this timeline, have never been identified. At the time, Pavlinac said she was able to dupe authorities because she had learned details of the crime from newspaper articles and from reading the search warrant without police noticing. Her actual identity is unknown, but "Susanna" which Jesperson has stated may have been her name was confirmed to be one of his victims because he knew about the tie wraps found around her throat. The Happy Face Killer Raven Gender Male Birth Date April 6, 1955 (age 67) Place of Birth Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada Occupation Truck driver Pathology Serial Killer Serial Rapist Modus Operandi Strangulation Type Disorganized No. Canadian-American serial killer (born 1955), "Happy Face Killer" redirects here. Her identity remains unknown. His last known victim was a woman he dated, which led to his capture and, During his depraved spree, Jesperson taunted authorities with anonymous. Rather than fall victim to the trauma surrounding her father's crimes and arrest, she processed the events. We need to report this, John.' Jesperson claims Rose was a sex worker who entered his truck at a truck stop while he slept. The last known sighting of the Duquesne University graduate student was caught on asurveillance camera in the downtown area. Jesperson is serving four life sentences without possibility of parole in Oregon. To learn more about this case, watch Snapped Notorious: The Happy Face Killer, streaming now on Oxygen. No serial killer loose in Boston, police say, as another man vanishes; Here Are 6 Of The Alleged Victims Of The 'Smiley Face Killings' Is a Serial-Killer Gang Murdering Young Men Across the U.S.? "I'm told to place her into a holding cell I say, 'OK, Laverne, now you need to go into that room right there,' She turned around and she looked at me and she gave me a hug. One of Welzien's friends, Nick Young, stayed behind. Victim 4:Laurie Ann Pentland, 26. Geib's body was found three weeks later in a lake that had previously been searched. She also examined her father's actions in the podcast Happy Face. Victim 1: Taunja Bennett. He never made it home. Victim 5: California Jane Doe. GHB was also found in his system along with alcohol. In both cases, and as per usual . But when investigators were unable to match the purse and denim piece to Bennett, they confronted Pavlinac about fabricating evidence. 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. Laverne Pavlinac, right, touches the tear-stained face of her grandaughter, Nicole Sullivan, after being released from prison in Salem, Ore., Nov. 27, 1995. But it was all a lie. That's when they said she implicated herself in the murder, according to Det. At some of the sites where the victims' bodies were found, smiley face graffiti had been left behind. She maintains a very private lifestyle, so not much is known about her. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Jesperson was born on April 6, 1955, in British Columbia, Canada. In 1975, when Jesperson was aged 20, he married Rose Hucke, and the couple had three children: two daughters and one son. After he strangled them, he dumped the dead bodies on the side of the road. [32] The series had 12 episodes. "Madonna, that's what she listened to all day," White said. In 2006, the serial killer submitted a letter to the Santa Clara County District Attorneys Office admitting to sexually assaulting and killing an unknown female subject along a dirt turnout on Highway 152, the department wrote in its release, and a year later he pled guilty to killing her. Others say there is no killer. Jesperson eventually settled in Selah, Washington with his wife and three children. He told investigatorshe could not remember anythingthat happened that night. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Detectives first became aware of Pavlinac when she anonymously called them to report that she overheard Sosnovske at a bar bragging about killing Bennett. Jesperson was a. More than 25 years have passed since the ordeal, and in that time, both Sosnovske and Pavlinac have died. Other students hold photos of Mr. Jesperson's victims. He is serving three consecutive life sentences at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem. Santa. A victim of the Happy Face Killer has been identified nearly 30 years after her body was left near a California highway, authorities said Monday. In the majority of the cases, the victims were successful students and athletes who disappeared after a night out drinking with friends, and they were ultimately found dead in a body of water. I have been a killer for five years and have killed eight people." April 19, 2022, 7:31 PM PDT. Jespersons fifth victim was known only as Susanne, whom he met in Crestview, Florida. "I don't remember going to no gorge, dumping no body for God's sake. [00:02:05] Hi, everyone. His friend told him to get out of the car while he parked. Jesperson claims she was a sex worker who climbed into his truck, even though he told her he wasnt interested in her services, according to the two-hour Oxygen special. Tommy Booth, 24, disappeared on January 19, 2008 from a bar in Woodlyn, Pennsylvania. Dubbed the Long Island Serial Killer or the Craigslist Ripper, the extent of these unsolved crimes is still unknown. Safety in numbers is the name of the game, before, during and after a night out on the town. The two would often get into trouble together, and Jesperson claimed he was often punished many times for things Martin had done and shifted the blame. On January 25, 2017 around 11:30 p.m., James was walking back to his apartment after a night out drinking with friends and co-workers. She ran to get her mother, and when they returned, the kittens lay on the ground dead. 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. Today, we're finishing our look at Keith Jesperson, the twisted murderer otherwise known as the Happy Face Killer. He is now 66 years old, according to his prison records. After moving to Selah, Washington, United States, he had trouble fitting in and making friends because of his large size. Jespersons second victim, known only as Claudia, was found murdered on August 30, 1992 in Blythe, California. Local police theorized the men simply got too drunk, fell into the water and drowned, but Gannon, Donovan, Duarte and Gilbertson investigated their deaths as the work of an organized group of serial killers dubbed "The Smiley Face Killers." She's told her own daughter the same story, very convincingly.' The area had been searched repeatedly in the weeks before his body was discovered, but no one had seen Booth. When Mahoney called Hurley to find out where he was waiting, Mahoney said he answered the phone, and she heard him ask someone where he was located. I'm thinking, 'My God, she is actually involved in this,'" Ingram said. He later claimed his intention was to kill the boy. Investigators had been trying to nail down a suspect for weeks when Pavlinac brought Sosnovske to their attention. Geib's remains also had very little signs of decomposition, which would have been present if he had died the day he went missing 22 days before the recovery of his body. Laverne Pavlinac convinced investigators she and John Sosnovske had killed Taunja Bennett, when they hadn't. After Pavlinac confessed to investigators, her daughter said she got a call from the detectives asking her to come to her mother's house right away. Jesperson met 21-year-old Bennett in a bar in Portland, Oregon. Pavlinac had made the whole thing up. GILROY (CBS SF/AP) A victim of the Happy Face Killer has been identified nearly 30 years after her body was left near a rural Gilroy highway . "I said 'Why is she dead?'" [33] The episode was released on July 9, 2021. T he Smiley Face death toll continues to climb, this time in Germany. Pieces of his artwork have been seen on "murderabilia" sites. Their house bordered an apple orchard, and Jesperson killed stray cats and gophers that wandered nearby. And they were laughing," Pavlinac told investigators. 45 colleged-aged males across a 20-year span. The 21-year-old finance student rarely partied since he was dedicated to the university's soccer team, but he decided to have a few drinks for the new year. Eight murders were eventually linked to Jesperson, whos serving multiple concurrent sentences in Oregon State Penitentiary. ". She later rescinded her confession, but in 1991 a jury still found her guilty. Who is the Happy Face Killer Keith Hunter Jesperson? John Ingram, who worked on the case. [8], In November 2008, Jesperson's daughter, Melissa G. Moore, appeared on Dr. Phil to talk about her father. Jespersons heinous crimes as well as shocking twists in the case including a couple who took the blame for one of his homicides are covered in bracing detail in the Oxygen special Snapped Notorious: The Happy Face Killer, now streaming. Following the discovery of Bennett's body in January 1990, Laverne Pavlinac lied to police that she'd aided her boyfriend John Sosnovske in committing the crime. He received multiple life sentences for several of these crimes but was spared the death penalty. Between 1990-1995, a series of murders were discovered over several states, all with a very similar MO. They divorced in 1989. His brother gave this letter to law enforcement. Bennett was found strangled to death near a scenic overlook at the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. During his depraved spree, Jesperson taunted authorities with anonymous confessions signed with a smiley face. The body of Julie Winningham, 41, of Camas, Washington, was found alongside a Washington State road in 1995. "Her persistence in this manipulation resulted in her own conviction.". Her body disintegrated against the hot asphalt as he drove. Her body was found after his arrest. Melissa G. Moore, Jesperson's older daughter, wrote Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killers Daughter (2009). Investigators believedhe could have walked to the edge of Lake Michigan, a five-minute walk from the hotel, and fallen in. Jesperson's first known victim was Taunja Bennett on 21 January 1990, near Portland, Oregon, United States. However, the kicker is that these drownings happening in 11 different states. Keith Hunter Jesperson, The Sad Story of the Happy Face Killer Stories about . Hurley's mother received a copy of the autopsy report and allowed aphysician to analyze the report. Here's what the evidence says. Jesperson met her in a bar in January 1995 and agreed to give her a ride before eventually killing her. Jesperson met 21-year-old Bennett in a bar in Portland, Oregon. On October 8, 2009, Hurley went to the game with two friends. Jesperson married Rose Hucke on August 2, 1975. [6] He graduated from high school in 1973, but did not attend college because his father did not believe he could do it. A journalist noticed the symbol and came up with the Happy Face Killer nickname. Victim 6: Florida Jane Doe. [6] Although Jesperson was not successful with girls in high school, having never even attended a school dance or his prom, he did enter into a relationship after high school. Photo: I wanted to get those two people out of prison," he said in 1995, referring to Pavlinac and Sosnovske. "John That's the worst thing you've ever gotten yourself into," she told him. A jury had convicted a Portland woman named Laverne Pavlinac based on her detailed confession to police that she helped her boyfriend John Sosnovske rape and kill the 23-year-old. ET on ABC. Search dogs scoured the downtown area where Homan was last seen alive. 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. He strapped the woman beneath his big rig, the New York Post reported. 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. [11] Jesperson gives the Jane Doe's name as Claudia. Officials did not implicate the band member in Homan's death. I had been worried about this for a long time. He was sentenced to life in prison while Pavlinac was sentenced to no less than ten years, much more than she had anticipated. Laverne Pavlinac, who, along with John Sosnovske, was convicted for the killing of Taunja Bennett, waits at the Oregon Women's Correctional Center in Salem, Ore., Oct. 27, 1995, for word on her release. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! 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. Murderous Keith Hunter Jesperson became known as the Happy Face Killer for his boasting letters to police, signed with a smiley face. He claimed to have victims in five states: Washington, California, Florida, Wyoming and Oregon. She'sgiveher the shirt off her back," McAlpine said. are covered in bracing detail in the Oxygen special Snapped Notorious: The Happy Face Killer, now streaming. [00:02:14] She was killed in Washington state on March 10, 1995, and her body was discovered the next day. A television movie, Happy Face Killer, starring David Arquette as Jesperson, aired in 2014.
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