He would often get into trouble for behaving badly, sometimes violently, and would be severely punished by his father. Melissa Moore's father, known as the Happy Face Killer, murdered eight or more women. Their work has spawned an Oxygen series, Smiley Face Killers: The Hunt for Justice, which aired in January 2019. One of Welzien's friends, Nick Young, stayed behind. During his depraved spree, Jesperson taunted authorities with anonymous confessions signed with a smiley face. 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. On January 1, 2000, Northern Illinois University junior Brian Welzien went missing from Chicago, Illinois, after a night of celebrating Y2K with his friends. [26], In 2008, Moore published a book titled Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer's Daughter. But when investigators were unable to match the purse and denim piece to Bennett, they confronted Pavlinac about fabricating evidence. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. While in custody, Jesperson began revealing details of his killings and making claims of many others, most of which he later recanted. In 1990, Taunja Bennett was found dead near a scenic overlook at the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. Victim 6: Florida Jane Doe. He was a 21-year-old student at Fordham University, and his body was found in. Director Carl Hindmarch Stars Doug Bates Janine Brugnone Beghtol Rick Buckner See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist 1 User review And they were laughing," Pavlinac told investigators. 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. He is now 66 years old, according to his prison records. They met at a truck stop in Corning, California. The term "Smiley Face Killers" come from the graffiti smiley faces supposedly found at the crime scenes. Bennett was found strangled to death near a scenic overlook at the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. Could some of them be connected to a serial killer or group of killers? Watch Happy Face Killer on Lifetime Movie Club. Jesperson's last victim was Julie Winningham, who'd been his girlfriend. We need to report this, John.' The last known sighting of the Duquesne University graduate student was caught on asurveillance camera in the downtown area. [1] [He said,] 'No, no. Between 1990-1995, a series of murders were discovered over several states, all with a very similar MO. 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. According to Gannon and Gilbertson, Homan had various injuries on his head, hands and arms, and they theorized that a mark on his forehead may have been a footprint that was the result of Homan being held down. [17] He was convicted of another murder and received a fourth life sentence in January 2010. Pavlinac's daughters said their mother "was never the same" after she divorced their father after discovering he left her for another woman. [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. 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. [20], On 7 January 1996, more than five years after their conviction, Pavlinac and Sosnovske were released from prison after Jesperson and his attorney offered his confession with convincing evidence of his guilt. 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. 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. Jesperson met 21-year-old Bennett in a bar in Portland, Oregon. After he raped and strangled her, Jesperson dumped her body near the Columbia River Gorge, outside Portland. [18], Early in the investigation of Bennett's murder, Laverne Pavlinac read the news reports surrounding Bennett's death and saw it as an opportunity to force an end to the long-term abusive relationship she had been in with her live-in boyfriend, John Sosnovske. 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. 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. Pavlinac then confessed to her. Investigators have revealed the name of a heretofore unidentified victim of the "Happy Face Killer," nearly 30 years after her murder. serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, with whom they corresponded during the fall semester. She'sgiveher the shirt off her back," McAlpine said. [32] The series had 12 episodes. Jesperson claims he killed her after she tried to double charge him for sex, according to Snapped Notorious: The Happy Face Killer.. 2. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? His last known victim was a woman he dated, which led to his capture and, During his depraved spree, Jesperson taunted authorities with anonymous. In November 1995, a judge released Pavlinac and Sosnovske from prison. Her body disintegrated against the hot asphalt as he drove. Her body was found after his arrest. Hurley walked outside while Mahoney drove to the stadium to pick him up. And that's how I remember her," said Melissa Gavin, her longtime friend. 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. John Ingram, who worked on the case. Criminal profiler Pat Brown calls the serial killer theory "ludicrous", arguing that the evidence does not fit what is known about serial killers. April 18, 2022, at 9:19 p.m. California 'Happy Face Killer' Victim ID'd After 29 Years. The Smiley Face Killers. Pavlinac and Sosnovske were both arrested on 5 March 1990 and both were convicted of the murder on 8 February 1991. 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. 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. Her body, which had been strangled and tied up with duct tape, was found on August 30, 1992. Most were strangers and some were sex workers. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. Investigators said there wasno sign of foul play, and his death was ruled an undetermined drowning. 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. A "witchy" smiley face left at a murder site of the supposed "Smiley Face Serial Killer" seems to represent Charlie Manson. . FILE - Accused murderer Keith Hunter Jesperson, dubbed the Happy Face Killer, right, listens to his attorney . Largely considered an urban legend, the Smiley Face Killer, like the Manchester Pusher, murdered his victims by drowning. 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. Pieces of his artwork have been seen on "murderabilia" sites. 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. She was convicted of felony murder and sentenced to life in prison with a 10-year minimum served. He confessed to killing her and subsequently admitted to seven other murders. Police interview tapes obtained by "20/20" show the lengths Pavlinac went to convince investigators she and Sosnovske were the killers responsible when they weren't. [6] He graduated from high school in 1973, but did not attend college because his father did not believe he could do it. Detectives first became aware of Pavlinac when she anonymously called them to report that she overheard Sosnovske at a bar bragging about killing Bennett. In 1990, shortly after his marriage ended, Keith Jesperson, a long-haul trucker from Selah, Washington, began killing women. Pavlinac had made the whole thing up. In one six-page letter to The Oregonian newspaper, the serial killer revealed . 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. Investigators believedhe could have walked to the edge of Lake Michigan, a five-minute walk from the hotel, and fallen in. 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. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! He showed signs of psychopathic behavior from an. What Is the Smiley Face Killers Theory? As she and Sosnovske started their life sentences, one of the United States' most notorious serial killers continued his murder spree. 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 March 2018, she was featured in an episode, titled "Put on a Happy Face", of the Investigation Discovery true crime series Evil Lives Here. The production features interviews betweenJesperson and M. William Phelps, author Dangerous Ground: My Friendship with a Serial Killer.Italso features an interview with Daun Slagel, who survived a violent encounter with Jesperson when she was 21. Jesperson reported that he was raped at age 14. Pavlinac made this false statement because she wanted to escape her abusive relationship with 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. Jesperson became a suspect after Winningham's was found since he was known to be her boyfriend. Alcohol and antidepressants were foundin Geib's toxicology screen, but it was reported thatGeib was not sufferingfrom any form of depression at the time. "She was that kind of woman. Jesperson attempted suicide but ended up confessing to Winningham's murder. Investigators installed a hidden recording device in their home hoping to catch Sosnovske making incriminating statements. Jesperson was born on 6 April 1955, to Leslie (Les) and Gladys Jesperson in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada,[1] the middle child with two brothers and two sisters. All Rights Reserved. . Jesperson is currently serving a sentence of life without parole at the Oregon State Penitentiary. . He was reported missing later that day by his mother, and a massive manhunt ensued. [5], That desire manifested in two attempted murders. 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. His last known victim was a woman he dated, which led to his capture and incarceration for life. T he Smiley Face death toll continues to climb, this time in Germany. 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. After he raped and strangled her, Jesperson dumped her body near the Columbia River Gorge, outside Portland. He received multiple life sentences for several of these crimes but was spared the death penalty. 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. [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. Jesperson murdered another woman in August 1992 at a Turlock, California truck stop. Investigators have confirmed that he killed at least 8 people, including the woman now known to be Skiple. In the years following, Jesperson said he often thought about what it would be like to do the same to a human. When investigators asked him why he decided to come forward, Jesperson listed two reasons. Soon after his injury was when Keith started to kill. . 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. About two weeks after he went missing,Booth's body was foundfacedown in a creek behind the bar. 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. Due to the unknown identity of the female adult, Cold Case Detectives later referred to Jane Doe as Blue Pacheco.. Various witnesses outside the hotel saw Welzien vomiting in the street. 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. Some say the Smiley Face Killer has taken 40 victims over two decades. 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. 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. Keith grew to be a large, imposing man. In September 1994, the body of a woman was found in Florida. Retired New York City Police detectives Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte, joined by criminal justice professor Dr. Lee Gilbertson, believe that a group of serial killers have been murdering young men around the country and making their deaths look like accidental drownings. Jesperson worked as a truck driver to support the family. She found out that her son had reportedly suffered blunt force trauma to the head, his eye socket and behind his left leg. 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. His boss informed his family, who filed a missing persons report 72 hours later. Serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as the "Happy Face Killer," brutally murdered eight women between 1990 and 1995. That triggered him. The team believes the serial killers are highly sophisticated and communicate with each other on the dark web. Victim 1: Taunja Bennett. This finding is inconsistent with the belief that Booth drowned the night he disappeared. Strangulation was Jesperson's preferred method of murdering, the same method he often used to kill animals as a child. Their house bordered an apple orchard, and Jesperson killed stray cats and gophers that wandered nearby. ". [7] He had watched and laughed as the kittens clawed each other to escape, then he killed them. At the time, he was being investigated for the murder of 41-year-old Julie Winningham, who some described as his girlfriend. They believed his body traveled for almost 10 miles and even went through a dam before its discovery. During the drive, Welzien started throwing up. 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. Victims of the Smiley Face Killer | Photo Credits: Oxygen The Team of Men that Came Up With the Theory. Some time later, at a public pool, Jesperson attempted to drown the boy by holding his head under the water until a lifeguard pulled him away.[6]. Before his arrest, he also wrote a letter to his brother that admitted, "I am sorry that I turned out this way. Pentlands body was found in November 1992 after being discarded in Salem, Oregon. After getting in an argument with Bennett, he strangled her to death with his hands and disposed of her body. Jesperson resides in the Oregon State Penitentiary, where he spends much of his time making art. "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. Jesperson killed his next victim in June 1993 in Santa Nella, California. , 32, was found dead in September 1992. Remains found in Merced County, California on June 3, 1993, belonged to a Jesperson victim he has said was called "Cindy." His father often punished Jesperson by hitting him with a leather belt. She was a previously-unidentified woman named Patricia Skiple,[12] who, he claimed, was named "Carla" or "Cindy". After a series of letters are sent to the press, the killer earned the moniker, the Happy Face Killer. In 1975, when Jesperson was aged 20, he married Rose Hucke, and the couple had three children: two daughters and one son. The Smiley Face Killer. 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. Now 66, Jesperson is serving five non-consecutive life sentences in Oregon's state penitentiary. A smiley face was found spray-painted near where Homans body was found. They divorced in 1989. 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.