He never made it home. In June 2021, a trailer appeared on iTunes for a new true crime podcast called Life After Happy Face, to be hosted by Melissa Moore and forensic criminologist Laura Pettler. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Her daughters are still trying to understand why their mother did what she did, and why she didn't see another way to end the relationship. Revealed as the Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson confessed to killing eight women in Florida, California, Oregon, Wyoming, and Washington. 2. Article Title: Keith Hunter Jesperson Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/keith-hunter-jesperson, Publisher: A&E Television Networks, Last Updated: March 3, 2021, Original Published Date: February 2, 2021. that, using genetic genealogy, they were able to identify a body found in 1993 as Patricia Skiple of Colton, Oregon. 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, , 26. Daughter of the infamous 'Happy Face' serial killer, Melissa Moore, and leading female Forensic Criminologist, Dr. Laura Pettler, unearth chilling details from homicide case files in this weekly true-crime series which tells the actual stories of people who shared their lives with a killer or their victims. Santa. "She was a free spirit, and she would go here, there, and she would go to work at a place, and wouldn't work for very long because she would always go out on the road. Pentlands body was found in November 1992 after being discarded in Salem, Oregon. Jesperson signed each letter with a smiley face. Hurley's mother received a copy of the autopsy report and allowed aphysician to analyze the report. I don't," Sosnovke is heard saying on the tape. Jesperson resides in the Oregon State Penitentiary, where he spends much of his time making art. 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. Victims of the Smiley Face Killer | Photo Credits: Oxygen The Team of Men that Came Up With the Theory. Her sister Michelle White said Bennett was the only one in their family who graduated from high school, someone who read a lot and loved music. 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. "He went off into the woods with her," Pavlinac told investigators. Strangulation was Jesperson's preferred method of murdering, the same method he often used to kill animals as a child. Skiples remains were found on the side of. We need to report this, John.' Pavlinac told investigators during her last recorded statement on Feb. 26, 1990. Pieces of his artwork have been seen on "murderabilia" sites. Keith Hunter Jesperson - Crimes. Family & Letters - Biography I think that she was at a bad place in her life," said her daughter Darlene Carpenter. 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. "Then it becameserious,a seriousargument. Jesperson, also called the "Happy Face Killer", who is serving two life sentences in Oregon in connection with guilty pleas to two murders. "Her persistence in this manipulation resulted in her own conviction.". He strangled her and left her corpse in Oregon. "To come clean get it all over, the record straight. In September 1994, the body of a woman was found in Florida. Pavlinac remarried, but her second husband died a few years later. One New York serial killer has been plying his grisly trade for over twenty years now, killing at least ten victims between 1996 and 2010, and possibly more we haven't yet discovered. whos serving multiple concurrent sentences in Oregon State Penitentiary. "I said 'Why is she dead?'" My evil dad: Life as a serial killer's daughter - BBC News Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. 'Happy Face Killer' victim identified after 29 years as Oregon woman California 'Happy Face Killer' victim identified after 29 years - 9News Editor Note: This is rerun of 2018 post. Her body disintegrated against the hot asphalt as he drove. Her body was found after his arrest. ". [He said,] 'No, no. Between 1990 and 1995, eight women died at the hands of Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as the Happy Face Killer. Police saidthere were no signs of foul play, and his death was ruled an undetermined drowning. are covered in bracing detail in the Oxygen special Snapped Notorious: The Happy Face Killer, now streaming. Jesperson's first victim, 23-year-old Taunja Bennett, was killed on January 21, 1990. In addition to murder, Jesperson's criminal history included animal cruelty, arson and sexual assault. 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." A journalist noticed the symbol and came up with the Happy Face Killer nickname. Jesperson attempted suicide but ended up confessing to Winningham's murder. Keith Hunter Jesperson committed his first murder in 1990. Geib's body was found three weeks later in a lake that had previously been searched. 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. [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. She threatened to call the police, and he strangled her. The Santa Clara County Sheriffs Department. 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. Jesperson met her in a bar in January 1995 and agreed to give her a ride before eventually killing her. 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. April 19, 2022 / 7:43 AM / CBS San Francisco. There, he assaulted, beat and strangled her. 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. She was convicted of felony murder and sentenced to life in prison with a 10-year minimum served. The night of his disappearance, Geib made several calls from his cell phone. Several years later, Hucke began to suspect Jesperson was having affairs when strange women would call. A Navy veteran, 24-year-old William Hurley went missing after leaving a Bruins hockey game in Boston,Massachusetts. 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 . He then sought work again as an interstate truck driver after relocating to Cheney, Washington. His fourth victim was another sex worker, Laurie Ann Pentland of Salem, Oregon, whose body was found in November 1992. After getting in an argument with Bennett, he strangled her to death with his hands and disposed of her body. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. While in custody, Jesperson began revealing details of his killings and making claims of many others, most of which he later recanted. Her sister Michelle White said Bennett was a compassionate person who loved everyone.. The police gave him the nickname "The Happy Face Killer" as he would leave a happy face on his confession letters to the media. A journalist noticed the symbol and came up with the Happy Face Killer nickname. . 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. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! In 1975, when Jesperson was aged 20, he married Rose Hucke, and the couple had three children: two daughters and one son. This led Jesperson to violently attack Martin until his father pulled him away. The 'smiley face' murder theory: They didn't - Mysteriesrunsolved 'Happy Face' Serial Killer Victim Identified Nearly 30 Years After Her James' parents later hired a private investigator who organized a massive citywide search, which led tothe discovery of James' bodyin the Ohio River on March 6, 2017, 40 days after he had disappeared. That's when they said she implicated herself in the murder, according to Det. Investigators have confirmed that he killed at least 8 people, including the woman now known to be Skiple. [7] She was a correspondent for Crime Watch Daily. Today's episode is part 1 of our coverage of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson. 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. Sosnovske would later plead no contest to the murder charge. These convictions meant Jesperson was unlikely to ever face charges for his crime. Eight murders were eventually linked to Jesperson. They divorced in 1989. The Happy Face Killer | Medium 'Happy Face Killer' Victim Identified 30 years After Body Found Near At the time, he was being investigated for the murder of 41-year-old Julie Winningham, who some described as his girlfriend. Pavlinac made this false statement because she wanted to escape her abusive relationship with Sosnovske. His death was ruleda probable drowning, and there wereno signs of trauma. I have been a killer for five years and have killed eight people." 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. Jesperson is serving four life sentences without possibility of parole in Oregon. Victim 5: California Jane Doe. Smiley Face Murders: More Victims, A Mother's Torment and Strange This led police agencies in several states to reopen old cases, many of which were found to be possible victims of Jesperson. Taunja Bennett was the first to die. She would pop in and pop out, and over the years, She was that type of person.". 45 colleged-aged males across a 20-year span. B. "I don't think she was in love with him. went missing from Chicago, Illinois, after a night of celebrating Y2K with his friends. Potential "Smiley Face Killers" victim Todd Geib. Laverne Pavlinac convinced investigators she and John Sosnovske had killed Taunja Bennett, when they hadn't. Because of their relationship, authorities connected her death to him. When she arrived, however, he was nowhere in sight. The footage captured James entering a dark alley, and that was the last time he was seen alive. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. That triggered him. 10 Twisted and Unbelievable Facts About the Happy Face Killer California 'Happy Face Killer' victim identified nearly 30 years later Keith Hunter Jesperson was born in 1955 in British Columbia, Canada and is a serial killer. The night of his disappearance, Geib made several calls from his cell phone. Jesperson met 21-year-old Bennett in a bar in Portland, Oregon. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Who Are The Happy Face Killer Keith Jesperson's Victims? | Crime News But the judge did not overturn Pavlinac's conviction, writing he did not find a constitutional defect with her trial since she had been convicted by a jury of her peers. 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. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. The victims were predominately white, male, athletic ("3.5 and above star athletes," according to Gannon), and young from 17 to early 20s. She's told her own daughter the same story, very convincingly.' 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 term "smiley face" became connected to their theory when the team . In the years following, Jesperson said he often thought about what it would be like to do the same to a human. They had three children, two girls and a boy. In the summer of 1992, Jesperson met "Claudia" at a truck checkpoint in California. Join Melissa Moore, host of Happy Face Season 1, as she helps Becky unravel the strange tale of her family, searching for answers to decades-old mysteries that remain unanswered in the modern day. Victim 3:Cynthia Lyn Rose, 32, was found dead in September 1992. But it was all a lie. 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. [13] Police originally considered her death a drug overdose. "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. Some of his victims, as seen in this timeline, have never been identified. He is serving three consecutive life sentences at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem. His death was ruled an undetermined drowning. Todd Geib was 22 years old when he went missing during the early hours of June 12, 2005, at a bonfire party in an orchard close to his home in Casnovia, Michigan. In. 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. Mahoney said she drove around for an hour before returning home, thinking Hurley got another ride, and that when she got back, Hurley was still gone. Who Is "Happy Face Killer" Survivor Daun Slagle and Where Is She Now? He met the developmentally disabled Bennett while out drinking and convinced her to go to his house. On January 1, 2000, Northern Illinois University junior Brian Welzien went missing from Chicago, Illinois, after a night of celebrating Y2K with his friends. "I consider this the most dangerous domestic terrorist group in the United States today," said Gannon. The body of 23-year-old Taunja Bennett was found in this remote woodland near the Columbia Gorge in 1990. [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. At some of the sites where the victims' bodies were found, smiley face graffiti had been left behind. His brothers did not help him, instead they nicknamed him "Igor" or "Ig", a name that stuck throughout his school years. He confessed to killing her and subsequently admitted to seven other murders. A "witchy" smiley face left at a murder site of the supposed "Smiley Face Serial Killer" seems to represent Charlie Manson. Pavlinac's daughters said their mother "was never the same" after she divorced their father after discovering he left her for another woman. The Happy Face Killer: The Truth About Keith Jesperson's Childhood "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. The following morning, James did not show up for work. Jesperson reported that he was raped at age 14. Sometimes they even brag about it. Pavlinac soon admitted to making up her entire story, but her claims were ignored. Her body was discovered behind the Blueberry Hill Cafe in Turlock, California. ". He received multiple life sentences for several of these crimes but was spared the death penalty. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. This finding is inconsistent with the belief that Booth drowned the night he disappeared. 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. He was known as the "Happy Face Killer" because he drew smiley faces on his many letters to the media and authorities. 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. What Is the Smiley Face Killers Theory? His older daughter has described witnessing acts of animal cruelty that included Jesperson killing kittens. Between 1990-1995, a series of murders were discovered over several states, all with a very similar MO. 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. At her trial, Pavlinac recanted her confession, but the jury found her guilty. Some of his victims, as seen in this timeline, have never been identified. GHB was also found in his system along with alcohol. How Taunja Bennett's Murder Led To The Capture Of The 'Happy Face Killer' 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. All calls are toll-free and confidential. 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 . In September 2009, Jesperson was indicted in Riverside County, California, on murder charges; he was extradited in December 2009. 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. For the 2014 film about Jesperson, see, List of serial killers in the United States, List of serial killers by number of victims, "The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)", "Serial killer receives fourth life sentence", "Dr. Phil Returns to The Oprah Show: My Father Is a Serial Killer", "ABC '20/20': Melissa Moore, Daughter Of Serial Killer, Opens Up Tonight About Life With 'Happy Face Killer' Keith Jesperson", "Meet Crime Watch Daily Correspondent Melissa Moore | Truecrimedaily.com", "My evil dad: Life as a serial killer's daughter", "Happy Face Presents: Two Face on Apple Podcasts", "Life After Happy Face on Apple Podcasts", Daughter of the 'Happy Face Killer' Talks About Growing Up With a Serial Killer Dad, Keith Hunter Jesperson: Happy Face Killer, Daughter of serial killer confronts her past, Radio Interview with Melissa Moore (daughter), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keith_Hunter_Jesperson&oldid=1142498372, American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, Canadian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, Crimes against sex workers in the United States, People extradited within the United States, Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Oregon, Violence against women in the United States, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from November 2010, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 8 confirmed (confessed to as many as 185). [10] Jesperson soon realized that this job afforded him the opportunity to kill without being suspected. "[He said] I better not open my mouth. After the body of his first victim, Taunja Bennett, was found, media attention surrounded Laverne Pavlinac, a woman who falsely confessed to having killed Bennett with the help of her abusive boyfriend, John Sosnovske. Laverne Pavlinac is seen here showing investigators where Taunja Bennett's body was found, even though she had nothing to do with the crime. Photo: Moore, Melissa G. & M. Bridget Cook (2009). The man said "99 Nashua Street, and Hurley said his cell phone battery was going dead. 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. I just said it, this is close enough," she said. The only difference was that the American version, operating in the Midwest throughout the 1990s, spray painted a smiley face on his victims. Remembering the first known victim of Happy Face serial killer. Her body, which had been strangled and tied up with duct tape, was found on August 30, 1992. He was known as the "Happy Face Killer" because he drew smiley faces on his many letters to the media and prosecutors. 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. [8], In November 2008, Jesperson's daughter, Melissa G. Moore, appeared on Dr. Phil to talk about her father. Investigators have revealed the name of a heretofore unidentified victim of the Happy Face Killer, nearly 30 years after her murder. Taunja Bennett, 23, is seen here in this undated photo. M. William Phelps penned a memoir about his interactions with Jesperson: Dangerous Ground: My Friendship with a Serial Killer (2017). Her real name remains a mystery. Courtesy of Kathy Geib, was 22 years old when he went missing during the early hours of June 12, 2005, at a bonfire party in an orchard close to his home in Casnovia, Michigan.
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