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. His victims, who were often raped and strangled, included short-term acquaintances, sex workers and a girlfriend. . We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Her body, which had been strangled and tied up with duct tape, was found on August 30, 1992. The first victim was found in 1997. After he strangled them, he dumped the dead bodies on the side of the road. Hurley walked outside while Mahoney drove to the stadium to pick him up. 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. 'Happy Face Killer' Bay Area murder victim finally identified Andrew Chamings , SFGATE April 18, 2022 Patricia Skiple of Colton, Oregon, was 45 at the time of her death in 1993. He strapped the woman beneath his big rig,. 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. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! That night, he had been celebrating a friend's 21st birthday with a group of friends. Photo: Keith Hunter Jesperson committed his first murder in 1990. Her body was found on a roadside rock pile in Santa Nella, California. 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. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Six days after his disappearance,Hurley's body was foundin the Charles River, close to where he asked Mahoney to pick him up. The couple divorced in 1990.[8]. Updated: Mar 3, 2021 (1955-) Who Is Keith Hunter. Sometime around 1957, Glatman posted Lonely Hearts adverts in newspapers to lure his victims in addition to prowling modeling agencies in Los Angeles, eventually posing as a photographer himself. Keith Hunter Jesperson, The Sad Story of the Happy Face Killer Stories about . '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. His death was ruleda probable drowning, and there wereno signs of trauma. She was killed in Washington state on March 10, 1995, and her body was discovered the next day. After getting in an argument with Bennett, he strangled her to death with his hands and disposed of her body. Strangulation was Jesperson's preferred method of murdering, the same method he often used to kill animals as a child. 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. She also said she was able to point to the location of Bennett's body based on where the brush had been cleared away. In both cases, and as per usual . He duct-taped her mouth and hands before raping and strangling her. On October 8, 2009, Hurley went to the game with two friends. [32] The series had 12 episodes. In later years, Jesperson also sent anonymous letters to The Oregonian newspaper about what had become his multiple murders. 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. Her body disintegrated against the hot asphalt as he drove. Her body was found after his arrest. "[Julie] was beautiful inside as well as outside. Jesperson's last victim was Julie Winningham, who'd been his girlfriend. 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. Jesperson met 21-year-old Bennett in a bar in Portland, Oregon. His brother gave this letter to law enforcement. 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." . "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. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The area had been searched repeatedly in the weeks before his body was discovered, but no one had seen Booth. Pavlinac then confessed to her. 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. 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. NR Jul 18th, 2021 Documentary. His friend told him to get out of the car while he parked. They believed his body traveled for almost 10 miles and even went through a dam before its discovery. jocks) usually after a night of drinking at a bar are kidnapped, tortured, murdered and then their . Possible Smiley Face killers victim Mason Cox. Victim 5: California Jane Doe. While in custody, Jesperson shared details of his eight murders. Investigators installed a hidden recording device in their home hoping to catch Sosnovske making incriminating statements. 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 apprehended before he kills again. At her trial, Pavlinac recanted her confession, but the jury found her guilty. On Monday, the Santa Clara County Sheriff . 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. 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 . Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! "The Smiley Face Killers" movie was . 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. Victim 2: California Jane Doe. She called him a second time, but his cell phone seemed to be out of battery. The Lonely Hearts Killer, was a truly frightening and twisted serial murderer in the late 1950s. Sosnovske was brought in for questioning and denied any involvement. [00:02:14] 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. [4] Because of this, Jesperson was a shy child, content to play by himself much of the time. Today's episode is part 1 of our coverage of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson. Smiley faces again served as his signature, prompting a journalist to dub Jesperson the "Happy Face Killer.". Investigators said there wasno sign of foul play, and his death was ruled an undetermined drowning. On 30 August 1992, the currently unidentified body of a woman Jesperson had raped and strangled was found near Blythe, California, United States. Patrick McNeill is thought to be the first victim of the Smiley Face Killers. This included beatings, sometimes with a belt in front of others, and in one case he received an electric shock. In 2006, the serial killer submitted a letter to the Santa Clara County District Attorneys Office admitting to sexually assaulting and killing an unknown female subject along a dirt turnout on Highway 152, the department wrote in its release, and a year later he pled guilty to killing her. His older daughter has described witnessing acts of animal cruelty that included Jesperson killing kittens. 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." Jesperson met 21-year-old Bennett in a bar in Portland, Oregon. Kreuger, Peggy; Kendra Justice & Amy Hunt (March 2006). Jesperson's first victim, 23-year-old Taunja Bennett, was killed on January 21, 1990. 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. 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. 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 . 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. serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, with whom they corresponded during the fall semester. [13] Police originally considered her death a drug overdose. , "I'm in a field" before the call dropped. Homan did not arrive for a golf outing the next day. "Then it becameserious,a seriousargument. 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. In November 1992, Jesperson had an encounter with sex worker Laurie Anne Pentland at a truck stop. Jesperson's last victim was the crime that ultimately led to his capture. The only difference was that the American version, operating in the Midwest throughout the 1990s, spray painted a smiley face on his victims. 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. When she arrived, however, he was nowhere in sight. Here's what the evidence says. "I [had] seen all these tracks and all this and that. The Santa Clara County Sheriffs Department. Victim 7: Angela Subrize, 21. 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. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Safety in numbers is the name of the game, before, during and after a night out on the town. She previously claimed to the FBI that he was a wanted bank robber and frequently complained to Sosnovske's probation officer that he was drinking too much. Mahoney drove to the address, but Hurley was not there. One of them was to a friend. Remembering the first known victim of Happy Face serial killer. According to former detective Kevin Gannon and Dr. Lee Gilbertson, Geib's head and shoulders were sticking out of the water. "The greatest human tragedy is that Laverne Pavlinac derailed the investigation in 1990, and in four years, Keith Jesperson killed more women," said Jim McIntyre, the Multnomah County, Oregon, prosecutor who handled the cases. ". [7] He had watched and laughed as the kittens clawed each other to escape, then he killed them. While in custody, Jesperson began revealing details of his killings and making claims of many others, most of which he later recanted. And that's how I remember her," said Melissa Gavin, her longtime friend. For the 2014 film about Jesperson, see, List of serial killers in the United States, List of serial killers by number of victims, "The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)", "Serial killer receives fourth life sentence", "Dr. Phil Returns to The Oprah Show: My Father Is a Serial Killer", "ABC '20/20': Melissa Moore, Daughter Of Serial Killer, Opens Up Tonight About Life With 'Happy Face Killer' Keith Jesperson", "Meet Crime Watch Daily Correspondent Melissa Moore | Truecrimedaily.com", "My evil dad: Life as a serial killer's daughter", "Happy Face Presents: Two Face on Apple Podcasts", "Life After Happy Face on Apple Podcasts", Daughter of the 'Happy Face Killer' Talks About Growing Up With a Serial Killer Dad, Keith Hunter Jesperson: Happy Face Killer, Daughter of serial killer confronts her past, Radio Interview with Melissa Moore (daughter), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keith_Hunter_Jesperson&oldid=1142498372, American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, Canadian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, Crimes against sex workers in the United States, People extradited within the United States, Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Oregon, Violence against women in the United States, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from November 2010, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 8 confirmed (confessed to as many as 185). 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,, To learn more about this case, watch Snapped Notorious: The Happy Face Killer, streaming now on. 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. She'sgiveher the shirt off her back," McAlpine said. 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. 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. A smiley face was found spray-painted near where Homans body was found. Many of his victims were sex workers and transients who had no connection to him. "Madonna, that's what she listened to all day," White said. He was a 21-year-old student at Fordham University, and his body was found in. Taunja Bennett was the first to die. 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. He received multiple life sentences for several of these crimes but was spared the death penalty. Pavlinac seemed to know intimate details about the case. One of the things about my dad - which made me very uncomfortable as a young woman - was that he was very explicit about his sexual relationships. His fourth victim was another sex worker, Laurie Ann Pentland of Salem, Oregon, whose body was found in November 1992. She threatened to call the police, and he strangled her. 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. That this never happened. 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 . Watch the full story on "20/20" THIS FRIDAY at 9 p.m. , who survived a violent encounter with Jesperson when she was 21. Angela Surbrize was the name of Jesperson's second-to-last victim. [00:02:05] Hi, everyone. 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." Others say there is no killer. She later rescinded her confession, but in 1991 a jury still found her guilty. Jesperson resides in the Oregon State Penitentiary, where he spends much of his time making art. 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. 2. 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. The last known sighting of the Duquesne University graduate student was caught on asurveillance camera in the downtown area. Her identity remains unknown. Upset that he was not getting any media attention, Jesperson drew a smiley face on a bathroom wall hundreds of miles from the scene of the crime and wrote an anonymous letter confessing to Bennett's murder, providing proof. Pavlinac and Sosnovske were both arrested on 5 March 1990 and both were convicted of the murder on 8 February 1991. whos serving multiple concurrent sentences in Oregon State Penitentiary. 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. [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. During his depraved spree, Jesperson taunted authorities with anonymous confessions signed with a smiley face. Pavlinac soon admitted to making up her entire story, but her claims were ignored. It had been washed ashore on a beach in Gary, Indiana, 30 miles south of Chicago. "Now, I'm thinking, 'She's confessed she's pointed out the dump site, she's confessed to us on tape. She grew up in a small town in Washington state and survived the escalating violence from her home life and. I had been worried about this for a long time. She then reported Hurley missing, and various searches were conducted. . 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. 45 colleged-aged males across a 20-year span. Pavlinac told investigators during her last recorded statement on Feb. 26, 1990. [1] First, she told investigators that she knew Sosnovske did it because she saw Bennett's body, said Ingram. "She was a free spirit, and she would go here, there, and she would go to work at a place, and wouldn't work for very long because she would always go out on the road. April 18, 2022, at 9:19 p.m. California 'Happy Face Killer' Victim ID'd After 29 Years.