Investigators believedhe could have walked to the edge of Lake Michigan, a five-minute walk from the hotel, and fallen in. [27] In November 2014, she wrote an article about her father for the BBC.[28]. 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. But it was all a lie. 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. "Theyhave her tell me the story and I looked at her again, and I said, 'Mom, are you sure?' 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. His friends went up to their room and never saw Welzien again. His boss informed his family, who filed a missing persons report 72 hours later. 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]. The Santa Clara County Sheriffs Department announced on Tuesday that, using genetic genealogy, they were able to identify a body found in 1993 as Patricia Skiple of Colton, Oregon. She maintains a very private lifestyle, so not much is known about her. April 19, 2022 / 7:43 AM / CBS San Francisco. 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. 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. 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. In September 1994, the body of a woman was found in Florida. "Then it becameserious,a seriousargument. The first victim was found in 1997. Jesperson, who was arrested in 1995 on suspicion of killing a woman in Washington state, was dubbed the Happy Face Killer because he drew smiley faces on letters he sent to the media and. "I don't remember going to no gorge, dumping no body for God's sake. 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. Keith grew to be a large, imposing man. He was known as the "Happy Face Killer" because he drew smiley faces on his many letters to the media and prosecutors. About two weeks after he went missing,Booth's body was foundfacedown in a creek behind the bar. Investigators had been trying to nail down a suspect for weeks when Pavlinac brought Sosnovske to their attention. She'sgiveher the shirt off her back," McAlpine said. 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 . But in the process, she also falsely implicated herself. His death was ruled an undetermined drowning. Pavlinac set up a meeting with investigators and gave a false confession, using the details she had read in the newspaper to give a detailed story of how Sosnovske forced her to help him rape, murder, and dispose of Bennett's body. 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." Eight murders were eventually linked to Jesperson. These convictions meant Jesperson was unlikely to ever face charges for his crime. 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. He introduced himself to Bennett at a bar and invited her to a house he was renting. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! "Her persistence in this manipulation resulted in her own conviction.". I'll go to death row.'". Jesperson was dubbed the "Happy Face Killer" for the smiley face drawings he included on a letter he sent to a Portland, Oregon newspaper, in which he bragged about killing women in a spree that began in 1990. Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as "The Happy Face Killer ," is serving a life sentence in prison today. Jesperson reported that he was raped at age 14. 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." 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. All Rights Reserved. Buddy up at all times. I have been a killer for five years and have killed eight people." Taunja Bennett was the first to die. She told investigators she drove them to a scenic overlook at the Columbia Gorge, where Sosnovske told her to pull over. At school, Jesperson was bigger than his classmates and was taunted with names like "Monster Man" and "Igor." He was a 21-year-old student at Fordham University, and his body was found in. I don't," Sosnovke is heard saying on the tape. [00:02:14] He decided to drag her body underneath his truck to impede identification. 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 then reported Hurley missing, and various searches were conducted. He never made it home. Hurley's mother received a copy of the autopsy report and allowed aphysician to analyze the report. And they were laughing," Pavlinac told investigators. He left bodies in Oregon, California, Florida, Nebraska and Washington while working as a long-haul truck driver. Her sister Michelle White said Bennett was a compassionate person who loved everyone.. Bennett was found strangled to death near a scenic overlook at the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. 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 . 45 colleged-aged males across a 20-year span. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. She also examined her father's actions in the podcast Happy Face. While in custody, Jesperson shared details of his eight murders. GHB was also found in his system along with alcohol. 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. During his depraved spree, Jesperson taunted authorities with anonymous confessions signed with a smiley face. She claimed to have found a strange purse in the trunk of her car with a piece of denim from a pair of jeans inside -- When Bennett was found, her purse was gone and her jeans were missing the fly. 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. She found out that her son had reportedly suffered blunt force trauma to the head, his eye socket and behind his left leg. [8], In November 2008, Jesperson's daughter, Melissa G. Moore, appeared on Dr. Phil to talk about her father. [13] Police originally considered her death a drug overdose. While many believe their deaths are just that accidental former NYPD detectives Kevin Gannon, Michael Donovan, Anthony Duarte and professor of criminal justice Dr. Lee Gilbertson are convinced that most of these drownings are homicides. Authorities came to believe they had convicted the wrong people. Before he was identified as a serial killer, he anonymously confessed to his crimes in messages that contained smiley faces, leading to his being nicknamed the "Happy Face Killer." Murderous Keith Hunter Jesperson became known as the Happy Face Killer for his boasting letters to police, signed with a smiley face. He had been questioned by police a week before, but they had no grounds to arrest him after he refused to talk. Sosnovske was brought in for questioning and denied any involvement. [17] He was convicted of another murder and received a fourth life sentence in January 2010. He strapped the woman beneath his big rig, the New York Post reported. It had been washed ashore on a beach in Gary, Indiana, 30 miles south of Chicago. Keith Hunter Jesperson was born in 1955 in British Columbia, Canada and is a serial killer. Pavlinac had made the whole thing up. "I don't think she was in love with him. 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. Today's episode is part 1 of our coverage of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson. Pentlands body was found in November 1992 after being discarded in Salem, Oregon. 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. I knew it had to be around there someplace. He is now 66 years old, according to his prison records. Rather than fall victim to the trauma surrounding her father's crimes and arrest, she processed the events. 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. 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. Victim 2: California Jane Doe. In addition to murder, Jesperson's criminal history included animal cruelty, arson and sexual assault. 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. [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. In. 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. Police saidthere were no signs of foul play, and his death was ruled an undetermined drowning. What doesn't make sense is that many of the 40 cases the investigators have looked into have puzzling evidence. 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. But when investigators were unable to match the purse and denim piece to Bennett, they confronted Pavlinac about fabricating evidence. 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. Skiple was known to family and friends as Patsy, according to the sheriffs department. Jesperson was a. Watch the full story on "20/20" THIS FRIDAY at 9 p.m. 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. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. After he strangled them, he dumped the dead bodies on the side of the road. The footage captured James entering a dark alley, and that was the last time he was seen alive. This finding is inconsistent with the belief that Booth drowned the night he disappeared. His last known victim was a woman he dated, which led to his capture and incarceration for life. 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. The Lonely Hearts Killer, was a truly frightening and twisted serial murderer in the late 1950s. That letter-writer turned out to be. "He went off into the woods with her," Pavlinac told investigators. The production features interviews between, Dangerous Ground: My Friendship with a Serial Killer.. Tommy Booth, 24, disappeared on January 19, 2008 from a bar in Woodlyn, Pennsylvania. According to police reports, one dog later hit on an an SUV owned by a local band member, who had played a show at the bar the night of Homan's disappearance, but the K9 alert was inconclusive. Moore recounts living with Jesperson until her parents' 1990 divorce, and noticing how her father was different when she was in elementary school. Jesperson claimed this still-unidentified woman as his fifth victim but told Phelps that he cant recall anything about her. [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. Soon after his injury was when Keith started to kill. Soon after Angela Subrize ran into Jesperson at a bar in Spokane, Washington in January 1995, she traveled east with him in his truck. 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. 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. 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. Her body disintegrated against the hot asphalt as he drove. Her body was found after his arrest. Some of his victims, as seen in this timeline, have never been identified. He tries to paint the victim as someone who needed to be killed, Phelps, whose nearly decade-long relationship with the killer gives him insight into Jespersons mind, told producers. Angela Surbrize was the name of Jesperson's second-to-last victim. Welzien's friends said he had only three or four drinks, but by the end of the night he seemed very intoxicated. , who survived a violent encounter with Jesperson when she was 21. The Happy Face Killer's eighth and final victim that would be his downfall. Possible Smiley Face killers victim Mason Cox. At age 35, Keith was 6'7.5" tall and weighed 240lbs. The team believes the serial killers are highly sophisticated and communicate with each other on the dark web. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. [7] She was a correspondent for Crime Watch Daily. 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. , 24, disappeared on January 19, 2008 from a bar in Woodlyn, Pennsylvania. Oddly,Geib's head and shoulders were sticking out of the wateras if he had gone for a swim. [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. She had changed her story so many times that investigators said they wondered if she was telling the truth. Jesperson is currently serving a sentence of life without parole at the Oregon State Penitentiary. Jesperson signed each letter with a smiley face. Jesperson has said that he took 166 lives, but only the above eight murders have been attributed to him. Pavlinac's son also died shortly after due to medical reasons. . The morning of October 2, Homan's body was found not far from the shore of the Mississippi River. ". For now it remains only a theory that has yet to be proved. Canadian-American serial killer (born 1955), "Happy Face Killer" redirects here. He was known as the "Happy Face Killer" because he drew smiley faces on his many letters to the media and authorities. All calls are toll-free and confidential. 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. [7] He had watched and laughed as the kittens clawed each other to escape, then he killed them. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Her body was found on a roadside rock pile in Santa Nella, California. The night of his disappearance, Geib made several calls from his cell phone. As a child, he was cruel to animals he killed cats and snakes and, under the guise of hunting, inflicted pain on creatures like deer, rabbits, and coyotes. Her body was discovered behind the Blueberry Hill Cafe in Turlock, California. [7] Jesperson continued to spend time with his children when he was in town. A journalist noticed the symbol and came up with the Happy Face Killer nickname. 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. I'llgo to the pen. In the summer of 1992, Jesperson met "Claudia" at a truck checkpoint in California. Melissa Moore's father, known as the Happy Face Killer, murdered eight or more women. Jesperson is serving four life sentences without possibility of parole in Oregon. Laverne Pavlinac, right, touches the tear-stained face of her grandaughter, Nicole Sullivan, after being released from prison in Salem, Ore., Nov. 27, 1995. [33] The episode was released on July 9, 2021. On September 29, 2006, 21-year-old Lucas Homan vanished from La Crosse, Wisconsin. In later years, Jesperson also sent anonymous letters to The Oregonian newspaper about what had become his multiple murders. Today, we're finishing our look at Keith Jesperson, the twisted murderer otherwise known as the Happy Face Killer. On Monday, the Santa Clara County Sheriff . He was caught after killing his 41-year-old girlfriend, Julie Ann Winningham, in 1995. At her trial, Pavlinac recanted her confession, but the jury found her guilty. Victim 6: Florida Jane Doe. 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. "She was very giving. At some of the sites where the victims' bodies were found, smiley face graffiti had been left behind. 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. 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. That this never happened. You can find episodes of Serial Killers and all other Spotify originals from podcast for free on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. Pavlinac made this false statement because she wanted to escape her abusive relationship with Sosnovske. A "witchy" smiley face left at a murder site of the supposed "Smiley Face Serial Killer" seems to represent Charlie Manson. Now 66, Jesperson is serving five non-consecutive life sentences in Oregon's state penitentiary. Jesperson worked as a truck driver to support the family. On 30 August 1992, the currently unidentified body of a woman Jesperson had raped and strangled was found near Blythe, California, United States. "[Julie] was beautiful inside as well as outside. A month later, in Turlock, California, the body of Cynthia Lyn Rose was discovered. Jesperson claims Rose was a sex worker who entered his truck at a truck stop while he slept. He was found guilty of killing Bennett, Pentland, and Winningham and was sentenced to six consecutive and concurrent sentences. Director Carl Hindmarch Stars Doug Bates Janine Brugnone Beghtol Rick Buckner See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist 1 User review Happy Face stands out because of Moore 's intimate tie to the criminal in question. The last known sighting of the Duquesne University graduate student was caught on asurveillance camera in the downtown area. 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. The term "Smiley Face Killers" come from the graffiti smiley faces supposedly found at the crime scenes. jocks) usually after a night of drinking at a bar are kidnapped, tortured, murdered and then their . He is serving three consecutive life sentences at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem. serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, with whom they corresponded during the fall semester. A Navy veteran, 24-year-old William Hurley went missing after leaving a Bruins hockey game in Boston,Massachusetts. However, the kicker is that these drownings happening in 11 different states. Largely considered an urban legend, the Smiley Face Killer, like the Manchester Pusher, murdered his victims by drowning. Jesperson's first victim, 23-year-old Taunja Bennett, was killed on January 21, 1990. This included beatings, sometimes with a belt in front of others, and in one case he received an electric shock. '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. Here's what the evidence says. He would often get into trouble for behaving badly, sometimes violently, and would be severely punished by his father. Investigators have revealed the name of a heretofore unidentified victim of the Happy Face Killer, nearly 30 years after her murder. [4] Because of this, Jesperson was a shy child, content to play by himself much of the time. B. Detectives first became aware of Pavlinac when she anonymously called them to report that she overheard Sosnovske at a bar bragging about killing Bennett. Laverne Pavlinac and John Sosnovske are seen here in this 1985 family photo. Director Rick Bota Writer Richard Christian Matheson Stars David Arquette Gloria Reuben Daryl Shuttleworth See production, box office & company info She was a previously-unidentified woman named Patricia Skiple,[12] who, he claimed, was named "Carla" or "Cindy". Jesperson was a middle child, with an older sister and brother and a younger sister and brother. Keith Hunter Jesperson was born in 1955 in British Columbia, Canada and is a serial killer. Victim 4:Laurie Ann Pentland, 26. [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. Other students hold photos of Mr. Jesperson's victims. [11] Jesperson gives the Jane Doe's name as Claudia. In 1975, when Jesperson was aged 20, he married Rose Hucke, and the couple had three children: two daughters and one son. M. William Phelps penned a memoir about his interactions with Jesperson: Dangerous Ground: My Friendship with a Serial Killer (2017). "I sometimes now wonder, if he was freed now, if he was released, would he kill again? Who is the Happy Face Killer Keith Hunter Jesperson? [He said,] 'No, no. Best Known For: Serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as the "Happy Face Killer," brutally murdered eight women between 1990 and 1995. Questions Smiley Face Killers: The Hunt for Justice Hopes to Answer, A First Look at the Murder of Susan Berman. Jesperson attempted suicide but ended up confessing to Winningham's murder. "Madonna, that's what she listened to all day," White said. [00:02:05] Hi, everyone. After a series of letters are sent to the press, the killer earned the moniker, the Happy Face Killer. Remembering the first known victim of Happy Face serial killer. Jesperson met 21-year-old Bennett in a bar in Portland, Oregon. His brother gave this letter to law enforcement. A stealth serial killer who wants to trick everyone against him will change-up his playbook with small tweaks to put a wrench in the profiler's and forensic scientist's game. The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department announced. She threatened to call the police, and he strangled her. ET on ABC. 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. Jesperson became a suspect after Winningham's was found since he was known to be her boyfriend. Investigators said there wasno sign of foul play, and his death was ruled an undetermined drowning. He duct-taped her mouth and hands before raping and strangling her. She was killed in Washington state on March 10, 1995, and her body was discovered the next day. 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. This led police agencies in several states to reopen old cases, many of which were found to be possible victims of Jesperson. He showed signs of psychopathic behavior from an early age which included torturing animals and attacking other children. Jesperson resides in the Oregon State Penitentiary, where he spends much of his time making art. 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. Her body was discovered behind the Blueberry Hill Cafe in Turlock, California. 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. Jesperson met 21-year-old Bennett in a bar in Portland, Oregon. "To come clean get it all over, the record straight. Smiley faces again served as his signature, prompting a journalist to dub Jesperson the "Happy Face Killer.". Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. 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. Keith Hunter Jesperson (born 6 April 1955) is a Canadian-American serial killer who murdered at least eight women in the United States during the early 1990s. Her body disintegrated against the hot asphalt as he drove. Her body was found after his arrest. Jesperson, also called the "Happy Face Killer", who is serving two life sentences in Oregon in connection with guilty pleas to two murders. Could some of them be connected to a serial killer or group of killers? Surveillance footage captured Booth entering the bar where the celebration took place, but there is no video evidence of him leaving. "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. A journalist noticed the symbol and came up with the Happy Face Killer nickname. There, he assaulted, beat and strangled her. 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 ran to get her mother, and when they returned, the kittens lay on the ground dead. On January 1, 2000, Northern Illinois University junior. "[He said] I better not open my mouth. 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.