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Jesperson's last victim was Julie Winningham, who'd been his girlfriend. He never made it home. When she arrived, however, he was nowhere in sight. PHOTO: Justice for Mason/Facebook. 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. He would often get into trouble for behaving badly, sometimes violently, and would be severely punished by his father. After a night of barhopping, Homan headed home at around 10 p.m. with a friend. 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. Police have not saidif a smiley face was present near the death site. Victim 3:Cynthia Lyn Rose, 32, was found dead in September 1992. . This included beatings, sometimes with a belt in front of others, and in one case he received an electric shock. They'd mostly all been college-aged, popular, and athletic. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. He left bodies in Oregon, California, Florida, Nebraska and Washington while working as a long-haul truck driver. She ran to get her mother, and when they returned, the kittens lay on the ground dead. ET on ABC. [32] The series had 12 episodes. 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. 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. Who is the Happy Face Killer Keith Hunter Jesperson? During the drive, Welzien started throwing up. 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. In 1990, Taunja Bennett was found dead near a scenic overlook at the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. 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. 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. He met the developmentally disabled Bennett while out drinking and convinced her to go to his house. [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. The last known sighting of the Duquesne University graduate student was caught on asurveillance camera in the downtown area. That letter-writer turned out to be Keith Hunter Jesperson, who became known for signing the letters with a happy face symbol thus the Happy Face Killer moniker. Laverne Pavlinac convinced investigators she and John Sosnovske had killed Taunja Bennett, when they hadn't. The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department announced. The renowned crime journalist and author of The Misbegotten Son turns his attention to serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, the "Happy Face Killer" from Oregon who strangled eight women in the 1990s, detailing his evolution from angry child to psychotic murderer. 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. Investigators installed a hidden recording device in their home hoping to catch Sosnovske making incriminating statements. 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. All calls are toll-free and confidential. 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. The term "smiley face" became connected to their theory when the team . Pavlinac's son also died shortly after due to medical reasons. In November 1992, Jesperson had an encounter with sex worker Laurie Anne Pentland at a truck stop. Pavlinac had been with Sosnovske, a farmhand 18 years her junior, for a decade when the Bennett case caught her attention in 1990. Murderous Keith Hunter Jesperson became known as the Happy Face Killer for his boasting letters to police, signed with a smiley face. [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. At the time of the incident, the females body was dressed in blue clothing and her identity was unknown, they wrote. Duct tape in the car, dead kittens hanging from the - The Sun Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! While he has claimed to have killed as many as 160 people, only eight murders have been confirmed. Jesperson, also called the "Happy Face Killer", who is serving two life sentences in Oregon in connection with guilty pleas to two murders. Detectives first became aware of Pavlinac when she anonymously called them to report that she overheard Sosnovske at a bar bragging about killing Bennett. Between 1990-1995, a series of murders were discovered over several states, all with a very similar MO. Soon after Angela Subrize ran into Jesperson at a bar in Spokane, Washington in January 1995, she traveled east with him in his truck. "Theyhave her tell me the story and I looked at her again, and I said, 'Mom, are you sure?' In 1975, when Jesperson was aged 20, he married Rose Hucke, and the couple had three children: two daughters and one son. Other students hold photos of Mr. Jesperson's victims. Remains found in Merced County, California on June 3, 1993, belonged to a Jesperson victim he has said was called "Cindy." 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. A "witchy" smiley face left at a murder site of the supposed "Smiley Face Serial Killer" seems to represent Charlie Manson. Kreuger, Peggy; Kendra Justice & Amy Hunt (March 2006). 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. The Smiley Face Killer - Serialkillercalendar.com Officials did not implicate the band member in Homan's death. She's told her own daughter the same story, very convincingly.' He was reported missing later that day by his mother, and a massive manhunt ensued. Happy Face Killer (TV Movie 2014) - IMDb 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. Jesperson claims that her name was Susanne. [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. 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. The body of a woman found near Gilroy, California was this week identified as Patricia Skiple, a victim of the Happy Face Killer. Jesperson signed each letter with a smiley face. The area had been searched repeatedly in the weeks before his body was discovered, but no one had seen Booth. 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. The Happy Face Killer's eighth and final victim that would be his downfall. 9 Currently Active Serial Killers: Unsolved Cases in 2020 He showed signs of psychopathic behavior from an. His death was ruled an undetermined drowning. Hunting Down Privileged Men: The Smiley Face Killings I'll go to death row.'". Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! All drowned after getting intoxicated. In 2019, investigators began utilizing genetic genealogy in an attempt to identify Blue Pacheco, partnering with the nonprofit DNA Doe Project. His death was ruled an accidental drowning, andthe autopsy report noted"acute alcohol intoxication was a major contributing factor.". Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. When investigators asked him why he decided to come forward, Jesperson listed two reasons. 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. Surveillance footage captured Booth entering the bar where the celebration took place, but there is no video evidence of him leaving. Investigators had been trying to nail down a suspect for weeks when Pavlinac brought Sosnovske to their attention. Laverne Pavlinac and John Sosnovske are seen here in this 1985 family photo. Happy Face Killer victim's body identified after 29 years 45 colleged-aged males across a 20-year span. "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. I'llgo to the pen. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. 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. California 'Happy Face Killer' victim ID'd after 29 years - Yahoo! The Happy Face Killer: The Truth About Keith Jesperson's Childhood 'Happy Face Killer' victim identified after 29 years as Oregon woman In. GHB was also found in his system along with alcohol. 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. Authorities came to believe they had convicted the wrong people. A television movie, Happy Face Killer, starring David Arquette as Jesperson, aired in 2014. The 'Smiley Face Killer' Theory That Connects 40 College Students After getting in an argument with Bennett, he strangled her to death with his hands and disposed of her body. [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. But a few days later, they got another call from Pavlinac. 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. Smiley Face Killers - Fact or Fiction? - Positively Pittsburgh By Joseph Diaz, Scott Engel, Emily Wynn, Jenner Smith, and Lauren Effron November 4, 2021, 3:32 AM 1:24 Laverne Pavlinac and John Sosnovske are seen here in this 1985 family photo. April 19, 2022 / 7:43 AM / CBS San Francisco. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? THE HAPPY FACE K!LLER - KEITH HUNTER JESPERSON #storytelling Based on Pavlinac's statements, and that Sosnovke failed a polygraph test, authorities arrested Sosnovke on murder charges. I will be writing about that more in the future so stay tuned. The killers always leave a signature smiley face near the location of the body. Victim 6: Florida Jane Doe. Taunja Bennett, 23, is seen here in this undated photo. 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. 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. 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. Some of his victims, as seen in this timeline, have never been identified. His last known victim was a woman he dated, which led to his capture and incarceration for life. When that did not elicit a response, he began writing letters to the media and authorities. A smiley face was found spray-painted near where Homans body was found. The team believes the serial killers are highly sophisticated and communicate with each other on the dark web. 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. 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. Jesperson met 21-year-old Bennett in a bar in Portland, Oregon. His brother gave this letter to law enforcement. Various witnesses outside the hotel saw Welzien vomiting in the street. The Insane Details of the Smiley Face Killers Theory - Cosmopolitan Sosnovske would later plead no contest to the murder charge. 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. Director Rick Bota Writer Richard Christian Matheson Stars David Arquette Gloria Reuben Daryl Shuttleworth See production, box office & company info Serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as the "Happy Face Killer," brutally murdered eight women between 1990 and 1995. Julie Winningham is seen here in this undated photo. In these supposed "Smiley Face" serial killings, popular, high-achieving, athletic young men (i.e. 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. "[Julie] was beautiful inside as well as outside. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. 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. Life After Happy Face on Apple Podcasts 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. You could tell where people had been in and out, the vehicles and everything else, limbs broke. "The Smiley Face Killers" movie was . Keith Hunter Jesperson was born in 1955 in British Columbia, Canada and is a serial killer. A smiley face was found painted near the river. The oldest child, Melissa, was ten years old. At some of the sites where the victims' bodies were found, smiley face graffiti had been left behind. 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. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. One day, she watched, horrified, as he hung stray kittens from the family's clothesline. That's whyall ofthis doesn'tmake sense. He left her remains in Nebraska, though Subrize was likely killed in Wyoming. She was a previously-unidentified woman named Patricia Skiple,[12] who, he claimed, was named "Carla" or "Cindy". 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. 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. 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.
