The body of 23-year-old Taunja Bennett was found in this remote woodland near the Columbia Gorge in 1990. In later years, Jesperson also sent anonymous letters to The Oregonian newspaper about what had become his multiple murders. "The Smiley Face Killers" movie was . Serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as the "Happy Face Killer," brutally murdered eight women between 1990 and 1995. Before his arrest, he also wrote a letter to his brother that admitted, "I am sorry that I turned out this way. Sosnovske would later plead no contest to the murder charge. [4] Because of this, Jesperson was a shy child, content to play by himself much of the time. Cloud State University. "Then it becameserious,a seriousargument. Sosnovske pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty. Oddly,Geib's head and shoulders were sticking out of the wateras if he had gone for a swim. Because of their relationship, authorities connected her death to him. Melissa G. Moore, Jesperson's older daughter, wrote Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killers Daughter (2009). Her body was discovered behind the Blueberry Hill Cafe in Turlock, California. A smiley face was paintedon a wall of the bar under a deck. 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 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. The couple divorced in 1990.[8]. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Victim 6: Florida Jane Doe. 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. A month later, in Turlock, California, the body of Cynthia Lyn Rose was discovered. 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. Pavlinac's daughters said their mother "was never the same" after she divorced their father after discovering he left her for another woman. Taunja Bennett, 23, is seen here in this undated photo. His fourth victim was another sex worker, Laurie Ann Pentland of Salem, Oregon, whose body was found in November 1992. Serial killer Keith Jesperson murders at least eight women over a five-year span and taunts authorities with disturbing letters and scribbled confessions signed with a happy face. In both cases, and as per usual . Despite the distance between them, some detectives think that drownings are actually the work of a serial killer or group of serial killers. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. And that's how I remember her," said Melissa Gavin, her longtime friend. 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. 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." He met the developmentally disabled Bennett while out drinking and convinced her to go to his house. 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. That this never happened. When that did not elicit a response, he began writing letters to the media and authorities. "He says, 'Because I choked her' I said, 'I think weneed to take her to a hospital. Soon after Angela Subrize ran into Jesperson at a bar in Spokane, Washington in January 1995, she traveled east with him in his truck. 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 . 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 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. Various witnesses outside the hotel saw Welzien vomiting in the street. Sometimes they even brag about it. 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. Some of his victims, as seen in this timeline, have never been identified. They believed his body traveled for almost 10 miles and even went through a dam before its discovery. The Smiley Face Killers. Skiples remains were found on the side of. Surveillance footage captured Booth entering the bar where the celebration took place, but there is no video evidence of him leaving. In November 1992, Jesperson had an encounter with sex worker Laurie Anne Pentland at a truck stop. Jesperson signed each letter with a smiley face. Other students hold photos of Mr. Jesperson's victims. Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as "The Happy Face Killer ," is serving a life sentence in prison today. Jesperson worked as a truck driver to support the family. All Rights Reserved. According to Jesperson, after he killed his fifth victim in 1993 he managed to stave off murderous urges for more than a year by committing arson while on the road as a trucker. His boss informed his family, who filed a missing persons report 72 hours later. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Keith Hunter Jesperson (born April 6, 1955) is a Canadian-American serial killer who murdered at least eight women in the United States during the early 1990s. California investigators have identified a victim of the Happy Face Killer using DNA nearly 30 years after her body was left near a California highway. Based on Pavlinac's statements, and that Sosnovke failed a polygraph test, authorities arrested Sosnovke on murder charges. His blood-alcohol concentrationwas only 0.08 percent. that, using genetic genealogy, they were able to identify a body found in 1993 as Patricia Skiple of Colton, Oregon. Investigators had been trying to nail down a suspect for weeks when Pavlinac brought Sosnovske to their attention. Pavlinac remarried, but her second husband died a few years later. 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. Jesperson claims that her name was Susanne. An Oregon mother was identified Tuesday as a victim of "the Happy Face Killer" nearly four decades after her body was found on the side of a . Her body disintegrated against the hot asphalt as he drove. Her body was found after his arrest. 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. Because Jesperson allowed her to use his credit card to make a phone call, he devised a depraved way to conceal her identity. He received multiple life sentences for several of these crimes but was spared the death penalty. Jesperson married Rose Hucke on August 2, 1975. Jesperson was a. At some of the sites where the victims' bodies were found, smiley face graffiti had been left behind. The Lonely Hearts Killer, was a truly frightening and twisted serial murderer in the late 1950s. She would pop in and pop out, and over the years, She was that type of person.". More than 25 years have passed since the ordeal, and in that time, both Sosnovske and Pavlinac have died. 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]. 2. After he strangled them, he dumped the dead bodies on the side of the road. As she and Sosnovske started their life sentences, one of the United States' most notorious serial killers continued his murder spree. [1] His friends went up to their room and never saw Welzien again. What doesn't make sense is that many of the 40 cases the investigators have looked into have puzzling evidence. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. 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. 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. 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. Halfway through the game, Hurley called hisfiance, ClaireMahoney, pictured above, and said he wanted to leave. A journalist noticed the symbol and came up with the Happy Face Killer nickname. [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. 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. 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 . Jesperson's father denied being an abusive parent; however, while investigating for his book on the killer, author Jack Olsen was able to confirm much of the claimed abuse with other family members. He was known as the "Happy Face Killer" because he drew smiley faces on his many letters to the media and authorities. The footage captured James entering a dark alley, and that was the last time he was seen alive. 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. The Smiley Face Killers. Her body, which had been strangled and tied up with duct tape, was found on August 30, 1992. The Smiley Face Killer. During the drive, Welzien started throwing up. However, a part of him wanted to claim credit, so he wrote about murdering Bennett in a bus terminal bathroom. 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. T he Smiley Face death toll continues to climb, this time in Germany. He enjoyed watching animals kill each other as well as the feeling he got from taking their lives. It had been washed ashore on a beach in Gary, Indiana, 30 miles south of Chicago. He could not find Welzien and reported him missing around 1 p.m. After extensive searches, Welzien's body was found 77 days later on March 17. Jesperson met 21-year-old Bennett in a bar in Portland, Oregon. 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. Canadian-American serial killer (born 1955), "Happy Face Killer" redirects here. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The message was signed with a smiley face. 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. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. The body of a woman found near Gilroy, California was this week identified as Patricia Skiple, a victim of the Happy Face Killer. 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. Remembering the first known victim of Happy Face serial killer. But to Melissa Moore, he was more than just a serial killer . He had a relationship with his final victim and became a suspect after her body was discovered in March 1995. 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. [He said,] 'No, no. The day of his disappearance, Homan had been celebrating Oktoberfest with his friends. Dubbed the Long Island Serial Killer or the Craigslist Ripper, the extent of these unsolved crimes is still unknown. 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. One of them was to a friend. His death was ruled an accidental drowning, andthe autopsy report noted"acute alcohol intoxication was a major contributing factor.". "He went off into the woods with her," Pavlinac told investigators. Her body was found on a roadside rock pile in Santa Nella, California. Investigators said there wasno sign of foul play, and his death was ruled an undetermined drowning. 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. 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. Mahoney drove to the address, but Hurley was not there. That's when they said she implicated herself in the murder, according to Det. Homan was the eighth accidental drowning case in La Crosse over a nine-year period. Bennett was found strangled to death near a scenic overlook at the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. Victim 4:Laurie Ann Pentland, 26. She had changed her story so many times that investigators said they wondered if she was telling the truth. This led police agencies in several states to reopen old cases, many of which were found to be possible victims of Jesperson. The killers always leave a signature smiley face near the location of the body. Sosnovske was brought in for questioning and denied any involvement. She grew up in a small town in Washington state and survived the escalating violence from her home life and. Watch Happy Face Killer on Lifetime Movie Club. Victim 5: California Jane Doe. He strapped the woman beneath his big rig, the New York Post reported. She was killed in Washington state on March 10, 1995, and her body was discovered the next day. At some of the sites where the victims' bodies were found, smiley face graffiti had been left behind. . Jesperson resides in the Oregon State Penitentiary, where he spends much of his time making art. [5], That desire manifested in two attempted murders. The team believes the serial killers are highly sophisticated and communicate with each other on the dark web. The Santa Clara County Sheriffs Department. In 1990, shortly after his marriage ended, Keith Jesperson, a long-haul trucker from Selah, Washington, began killing women. In addition to murder, Jesperson's criminal history included animal cruelty, arson and sexual assault. He had given police officers the location of the victim's purse. Jesperson reported that he was raped at age 14. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. A smiley face was found painted near the river. Jespersons heinous crimes as well as shocking twists in the case including a, couple who took the blame for one of his homicides. Serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as the "Happy Face Killer," brutally murdered eight women between 1990 and 1995. '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. A smiley face was found spray painted on an underpass near where James body was discovered. "I consider this the most dangerous domestic terrorist group in the United States today," said Gannon. 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. His friend told him to get out of the car while he parked. For example, the Canadian-American serial killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, who murdered at least eight women in the United States during the . Per Courthouse News Service, Slagle is a registered nurse and grandmother residing in Chico, Calif. A Navy veteran, 24-year-old William Hurley went missing after leaving a Bruins hockey game in Boston,Massachusetts. She told investigators she had gone to the bar to meet Sosnovke, but Bennett was alive when she picked them up and both got in the car with her. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. After moving to Selah, Washington, United States, he had trouble fitting in and making friends because of his large size. 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. Her identity remains unknown. This finding is inconsistent with the belief that Booth drowned the night he disappeared. At her trial, Pavlinac recanted her confession, but the jury found her guilty. According to detectives Anthony Duarte and Kevin Gannon, the Smiley Face Theory came into . Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Jesperson had dated before her before killing her on March 3, 1995 because he believed she was after his money. His victims, who were often raped and strangled, included short-term acquaintances, sex workers and a girlfriend. The term "smiley face" became connected to their theory when the team . Pavlinac and Sosnovske were both arrested on 5 March 1990 and both were convicted of the murder on 8 February 1991. Potential "Smiley Face Killers" victim Todd Geib. Here's what the evidence says. M. William Phelps penned a memoir about his interactions with Jesperson: Dangerous Ground: My Friendship with a Serial Killer (2017). He has said he strangled her because she wouldn't let him sleep. 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. 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. James' body, however, had almost no visible damage, which was highly suspicious because it had traveled through heavily trafficked river. Laverne Pavlinac and John Sosnovske are seen here in this 1985 family photo. Her sister Michelle White said Bennett was a compassionate person who loved everyone.. Jesperson was a middle child, with an older sister and brother and a younger sister and brother. Victim 1: Taunja Bennett. Others say there is no killer. [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. Angela Surbrize was the name of Jesperson's second-to-last victim. 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. Investigators have revealed the name of a heretofore unidentified victim of the Happy Face Killer, nearly 30 years after her murder. But it was all a lie. Jespersons fifth victim was known only as Susanne, whom he met in Crestview, Florida. 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.? [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. 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 was reported missing later that day by his mother, and a massive manhunt ensued. And she [said], 'Well, they told me I had to tell you thisbecauseif I told you then they would believe me,'" Carpenter said. Jesperson described murdering her, like other women he killed, as putting her out of her misery.. 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. The Insane Details of the Smiley Face Killers Theory; The Most Recent Alleged Smiley Face Killers' Victims Highlight How Long This Theory Has . I knew it had to be around there someplace. John Ingram, who worked on the case. Updated: Mar 3, 2021 (1955-) Who Is Keith Hunter. ET on ABC. . We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! California State Route 152 in the Gilroy area about 80 miles southeast of San Francisco in June 1993, in an area known as Pacheco Pass. When that did not create the attention he desired, he wrote letters to media outlets and police departments confessing to his murders, starting with a six-page letter to The Oregonian in which he revealed the details of his killings. 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.
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