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Welzien's friends said he had only three or four drinks, but by the end of the night he seemed very intoxicated. Jesperson claimed this still-unidentified woman as his fifth victim but told Phelps that he cant recall anything about her. 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. Several years later, Hucke began to suspect Jesperson was having affairs when strange women would call. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! When she arrived, however, he was nowhere in sight. All drowned after getting intoxicated. The morning of October 2, Homan's body was found not far from the shore of the Mississippi River. Skiples remains were found on the side of 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. Watch Happy Face Killer on Lifetime Movie Club. Victim 6: Florida Jane Doe. Their house bordered an apple orchard, and Jesperson killed stray cats and gophers that wandered nearby. , who survived a violent encounter with Jesperson when she was 21. The Smiley Face Killer. serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, with whom they corresponded during the fall semester. [He said,] 'No, no. He introduced himself to Bennett at a bar and invited her to a house he was renting. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. About two weeks after he went missing,Booth's body was foundfacedown in a creek behind the bar. The "Smiley Face Killer" may or may not be a killer or group of killers who've murdered at least three dozen drunken white college-aged males, dumped their bodies in waterways, and taunted police by drawing a smiley face near the crime scene. He was a 21-year-old student at Fordham University, and his body was found in. 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. 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. . 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. What Is the Smiley Face Killers Theory? Jesperson married Rose Hucke on August 2, 1975. When contacted by sheriffs detectives, he said he had gagged her with duct tape, raped her in the sleeping cab of his rig and strangled her, reported the Spokesman-Review. 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. 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. Eight murders were eventually linked to Jesperson. Jesperson claims she was a sex worker who climbed into his truck, even though he told her he wasnt interested in her services, according to the two-hour Oxygen special. 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. He duct-taped her mouth and hands before raping and strangling her. The team believes the serial killers are highly sophisticated and communicate with each other on the dark web. 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. went missing from Chicago, Illinois, after a night of celebrating Y2K with his friends. "[Julie] was beautiful inside as well as outside. Jesperson claims Rose was a sex worker who entered his truck at a truck stop while he slept. He would go on to share details of the crime on other restroom walls. This led police agencies in several states to reopen old cases, many of which were found to be possible victims of Jesperson. . The Insane Details of the Smiley Face Killers Theory; The Most Recent Alleged Smiley Face Killers' Victims Highlight How Long This Theory Has . Victim 4:Laurie Ann Pentland, 26. Her sister Michelle White said Bennett was a compassionate person who loved everyone.. On January 1, 2000, Northern Illinois University junior Brian Welzien went missing from Chicago, Illinois, after a night of celebrating Y2K with his friends. 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. Others say there is no killer. Patrick McNeill is thought to be the first victim of the Smiley Face Killers. 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. 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. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. Eight murders were eventually linked to Jesperson, whos serving multiple concurrent sentences in Oregon State Penitentiary. And that's how I remember her," said Melissa Gavin, her longtime friend. Per Courthouse News Service, Slagle is a registered nurse and grandmother residing in Chico, Calif. was 23 years old when he went missing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 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. [4] Because of this, Jesperson was a shy child, content to play by himself much of the time. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! That triggered him. Victim 1: Taunja Bennett. 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. Alcohol and antidepressants were foundin Geib's toxicology screen, but it was reported thatGeib was not sufferingfrom any form of depression at the time. Some say the Smiley Face Killer has taken 40 victims over two decades. When Mahoney called Hurley to find out where he was waiting, Mahoney said he answered the phone, and she heard him ask someone where he was located. "[He said] I better not open my mouth. At her trial, Pavlinac recanted her confession, but the jury found her guilty. This included beatings, sometimes with a belt in front of others, and in one case he received an electric shock. Now 66, Jesperson is serving five non-consecutive life sentences in Oregon's state penitentiary. In these supposed "Smiley Face" serial killings, popular, high-achieving, athletic young men (i.e. Hurley's mother received a copy of the autopsy report and allowed aphysician to analyze the report. He was caught after killing his 41-year-old girlfriend, Julie Ann Winningham, in 1995. Pentlands body was found in November 1992 after being discarded in Salem, Oregon. She changed her story again, this time to say she too was involved in Bennett's death. At school, Jesperson was bigger than his classmates and was taunted with names like "Monster Man" and "Igor." GHB was also found in his system along with alcohol. His friends went up to their room and never saw Welzien again. [00:02:14] I wanted to get those two people out of prison," he said in 1995, referring to Pavlinac and Sosnovske. This finding is inconsistent with the belief that Booth drowned the night he disappeared. 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]. 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. "I think what happened to mother was she was in an abusive relationship, and she was desperate, and desperate people do desperate things, not to say that it was right, but that's what I think happened," said Pavlinac's daughter Bonne McAlpine. Meanwhile, the real killer carried out a series of murders over five years. 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. Angela Surbrize was the name of Jesperson's second-to-last victim. These convictions meant Jesperson was unlikely to ever face charges for his crime. He strapped the woman beneath his big rig,. Jesperson met her in a bar in January 1995 and agreed to give her a ride before eventually killing her. She would pop in and pop out, and over the years, She was that type of person.". "Her persistence in this manipulation resulted in her own conviction.". went missing after leaving a Bruins hockey game in Boston,Massachusetts. 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. "To come clean get it all over, the record straight. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! His death was ruled an undetermined drowning. Today's episode is part 1 of our coverage of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson. I will be writing about that more in the future so stay tuned. When she arrived, however, he was nowhere in sight. Sometimes they even brag about it. 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. 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. 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. "I consider this the most dangerous domestic terrorist group in the United States today," said Gannon. She found out that her son had reportedly suffered blunt force trauma to the head, his eye socket and behind his left leg. More than 25 years have passed since the ordeal, and in that time, both Sosnovske and Pavlinac have died. 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. That night, he had been celebrating a friend's 21st birthday with a group of friends. A journalist noticed the symbol and came up with the Happy Face Killer nickname. Photo: 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. Jesperson, also called the "Happy Face Killer", who is serving two life sentences in Oregon in connection with guilty pleas to two murders. Investigators believedhe could have walked to the edge of Lake Michigan, a five-minute walk from the hotel, and fallen in. Taunja Bennett was the first to die. The Smiley Face Killers. "I don't think she was in love with him. 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. Investigators installed a hidden recording device in their home hoping to catch Sosnovske making incriminating statements. By Tim Stelloh. After he raped and strangled her, Jesperson dumped her body near the Columbia River Gorge, outside Portland. Based on Pavlinac's statements, and that Sosnovke failed a polygraph test, authorities arrested Sosnovke on murder charges. [2] Jesperson's father was a domineering alcoholic; according to Jesperson, his paternal grandfather was prone to violence. In April 1990, he sexually assaulted a woman who managed to escape. 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. Despite the distance between them, some detectives think that drownings are actually the work of a serial killer or group of serial killers. In both cases, and as per usual . 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 letter-writer turned out to be. He enjoyed watching animals kill each other as well as the feeling he got from taking their lives. 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. "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. 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. 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. James' body, however, had almost no visible damage, which was highly suspicious because it had traveled through heavily trafficked river. This led Jesperson to violently attack Martin until his father pulled him away. Laverne Pavlinac and John Sosnovske are seen here in this 1985 family photo. Keith Hunter Jesperson, The Sad Story of the Happy Face Killer Stories about . , "I'm in a field" before the call dropped. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Oddly,Geib's head and shoulders were sticking out of the wateras if he had gone for a swim. I think that she was at a bad place in her life," said her daughter Darlene Carpenter. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Victim 1:Taunja Bennett. Jesperson's last victim was the crime that ultimately led to his capture. [11] Jesperson gives the Jane Doe's name as Claudia. For example, the Canadian-American serial killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, who murdered at least eight women in the United States during the . According to Jesperson, Pentland attempted to double the fee she charged for the sex he had been engaged in with her. But a few days later, they got another call from Pavlinac. After getting in an argument with Bennett, he strangled her to death with his hands and disposed of her body. 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. of Victims 8-185 killed 5 attempted Span of crimes 1995/1966-March 10, 1995 (confirmed) Criminal Charges The first victim was found in 1997. Serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as the "Happy Face Killer," brutally murdered eight women between 1990 and 1995. What doesn't make sense is that many of the 40 cases the investigators have looked into have puzzling evidence. 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. 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. But Pavlinac claimed she knew where she and Sosnovske had left Bennett's body in the Columbia Gorge outside of town, and took investigators to the exact remote wooded area where Bennett was found. ET on ABC. The couple divorced in 1990.[8]. 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. ", This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 19:00. 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. The term "smiley face" became connected to their theory when the team . But in the process, she also falsely implicated herself. In 1975, when Jesperson was aged 20, he married Rose Hucke, and the couple had three children: two daughters and one son. The book I: the Creation of a Serial Killer (2002), by Jack Olsen, delved into Jesperson's life. Soon after his injury was when Keith started to kill. 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 . I knew it had to be around there someplace. Criminal profiler Pat Brown calls the serial killer theory "ludicrous", arguing that the evidence does not fit what is known about serial killers. When investigators asked him why he decided to come forward, Jesperson listed two reasons. [33] The episode was released on July 9, 2021. One of Welzien's friends, Nick Young, stayed behind. In one six-page letter to The Oregonian newspaper, the serial killer revealed . Investigators had been trying to nail down a suspect for weeks when Pavlinac brought Sosnovske to their attention. He split from his wife in 1990 after 15 years of . Between 1990 and 1995, eight women died at the hands of Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as the Happy Face Killer. At some of the sites where the victims' bodies were found, smiley face graffiti had been left behind. Investigators have revealed the name of a heretofore unidentified victim of the Happy Face Killer, nearly 30 years after her murder. Keith grew to be a large, imposing man. [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. Sosnovske was brought in for questioning and denied any involvement. A television movie, Happy Face Killer, starring David Arquette as Jesperson, aired in 2014. His death was ruleda probable drowning, and there wereno signs of trauma. Happy Face stands out because of Moore 's intimate tie to the criminal in question. He then sought work again as an interstate truck driver after relocating to Cheney, Washington. [10][14], Jesperson was arrested on 30 March 1995 for the murder of Julie Winningham. However, the kicker is that these drownings happening in 11 different states. Ciao ragazzi, oggi vi raccontiamo la storia di un assassino seriale che ha ucciso almeno 8 vittime in cinque anni e soprannominato "The Happy Face Killer".