the happy face killer victimsthe happy face killer victims
On 30 August 1992, the currently unidentified body of a woman Jesperson had raped and strangled was found near Blythe, California, United States. Laverne Pavlinac and John Sosnovske are seen here in this 1985 family photo. In these supposed "Smiley Face" serial killings, popular, high-achieving, athletic young men (i.e. 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. Sosnovske would later plead no contest to the murder charge. The oldest child, Melissa, was ten years old. He met the developmentally disabled Bennett while out drinking and convinced her to go to his house. While police didn't get any hard evidence, the recordings demonstrate how Pavlinac attempted to convince her boyfriend he played a role in Bennett's death. Victim 6: Florida Jane Doe. 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. 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. [6] He graduated from high school in 1973, but did not attend college because his father did not believe he could do it. Angela Surbrize was the name of Jesperson's second-to-last victim. "I consider this the most dangerous domestic terrorist group in the United States today," said Gannon. In 1990, shortly after his marriage ended, Keith Jesperson, a long-haul trucker from Selah, Washington, began killing women. They met at a truck stop in Corning, California. She later rescinded her confession, but in 1991 a jury still found her guilty. Pavlinac made this false statement because she wanted to escape her abusive relationship with Sosnovske. "I don't remember going to no gorge, dumping no body for God's sake. The purse had not been found at the crime scene, and its location was considered information only the killer would know. He would go on to share details of the crime on other restroom walls. Jesperson sent the photo to the Duquesne University students. 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. NR Jul 18th, 2021 Documentary. "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. 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. are covered in bracing detail in the Oxygen special Snapped Notorious: The Happy Face Killer, now streaming. 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. Buddy up at all times. Potential "Smiley Face Killers" victim Todd Geib. 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 was a. April 18, 2022, at 9:19 p.m. California 'Happy Face Killer' Victim ID'd After 29 Years. And that's how I remember her," said Melissa Gavin, her longtime friend. [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. 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. The first happened when Jesperson was around age 10, when he was friends with a boy named Martin. She would pop in and pop out, and over the years, She was that type of person.". 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. 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]. In 2019, investigators began utilizing genetic genealogy in an attempt to identify Blue Pacheco, partnering with the nonprofit DNA Doe Project. Jesperson claimed this still-unidentified woman as his fifth victim but told Phelps that he cant recall anything about her. He slapped her. Many of his victims were sex workers and transients who had no connection to him. A smiley face was found painted near the river. "I sometimes now wonder, if he was freed now, if he was released, would he kill again? Published: Apr. He duct-taped her mouth and hands before raping and strangling her. Jesperson was born on April 6, 1955, in British Columbia, Canada. The night of his disappearance, Geib made several calls from his cell phone. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! Moore, Melissa G. & M. Bridget Cook (2009). Jesperson murdered another woman in August 1992 at a Turlock, California truck stop. The Smiley Face Killers. Happy Face stands out because of Moore 's intimate tie to the criminal in question. 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. [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. Criminal profiler Pat Brown calls the serial killer theory "ludicrous", arguing that the evidence does not fit what is known about serial killers. Investigators believedhe could have walked to the edge of Lake Michigan, a five-minute walk from the hotel, and fallen in. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! 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. 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 thought, 'Oh my God, it felt like I put my mother in jail.'". A smiley face was found spray painted on an underpass near where James body was discovered. Police interview tapes obtained by "20/20" show the lengths Pavlinac went to convince investigators she and Sosnovske were the killers responsible when they weren't. Jesperson attempted suicide but ended up confessing to Winningham's murder. The man said "99 Nashua Street, and Hurley said his cell phone battery was going dead. She's told her own daughter the same story, very convincingly.' 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. Jesperson's first victim, 23-year-old Taunja Bennett, was killed on January 21, 1990. Skiples remains were found on the side of. Serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as the "Happy Face Killer," brutally murdered eight women between 1990 and 1995. [17] He was convicted of another murder and received a fourth life sentence in January 2010. He left her remains in Nebraska, though Subrize was likely killed in Wyoming. She'sgiveher the shirt off her back," McAlpine said. M. William Phelps penned a memoir about his interactions with Jesperson: Dangerous Ground: My Friendship with a Serial Killer (2017). Pavlinac told investigators during her last recorded statement on Feb. 26, 1990. As she and Sosnovske started their life sentences, one of the United States' most notorious serial killers continued his murder spree. 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. He was known as the "Happy Face Killer" because he drew smiley faces on his many letters to the media and prosecutors. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. 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 last known sighting of the Duquesne University graduate student was caught on asurveillance camera in the downtown area. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. But when investigators were unable to match the purse and denim piece to Bennett, they confronted Pavlinac about fabricating evidence. Victim 8: Julia Ann Winningham, 41. Between 1990-1995, a series of murders were discovered over several states, all with a very similar MO. was 23 years old when he went missing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ABC News/YouTube By Jean Mendoza / June 8, 2021 9:24 am EST Keith Hunter Jesperson is a serial killer who claimed the lives of eight women between 1990 and 1995. He strapped the woman beneath his big rig,. He later claimed his intention was to kill the boy. Pavlinac's son also died shortly after due to medical reasons. 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. Jesperson reported that he was raped at age 14. [8][16] This led Phil Stanford, the journalist working the story for The Oregonian, to dub Jesperson "The Happy Face Killer". He was sentenced to life in prison while Pavlinac was sentenced to no less than ten years, much more than she had anticipated. Safety in numbers is the name of the game, before, during and after a night out on the town. [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. The area had been searched repeatedly in the weeks before his body was discovered, but no one had seen Booth. They divorced in 1989. Director Rick Bota Writer Richard Christian Matheson Stars David Arquette Gloria Reuben Daryl Shuttleworth See production, box office & company info 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. Before his arrest, he also wrote a letter to his brother that admitted, "I am sorry that I turned out this way. In 1990, Taunja Bennett was found dead near a scenic overlook at the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. Jesperson claims Rose was a sex worker who entered his truck at a truck stop while he slept. Jesperson killed his next victim in June 1993 in Santa Nella, California. 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. . Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Moore recounts living with Jesperson until her parents' 1990 divorce, and noticing how her father was different when she was in elementary school. 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. 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). He claimed to have victims in five states: Washington, California, Florida, Wyoming and Oregon. The Happy Face Killer's eighth and final victim that would be his downfall. Alcohol and antidepressants were foundin Geib's toxicology screen, but it was reported thatGeib was not sufferingfrom any form of depression at the time. 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. 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 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. 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. Per Courthouse News Service, Slagle is a registered nurse and grandmother residing in Chico, Calif. 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. The body of a woman found near Gilroy, California was this week identified as Patricia Skiple, a victim of the Happy Face Killer. They had three children, two girls and a boy. Or 'I will cause trouble for your family. The term "Smiley Face Killers" come from the graffiti smiley faces supposedly found at the crime scenes. On September 29, 2006, 21-year-old Lucas Homan vanished from La Crosse, Wisconsin. Kreuger, Peggy; Kendra Justice & Amy Hunt (March 2006). 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. [27] In November 2014, she wrote an article about her father for the BBC.[28]. This led Jesperson to violently attack Martin until his father pulled him away. The team believes the serial killers are highly sophisticated and communicate with each other on the dark web. 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. The body of 23-year-old Taunja Bennett was found in this remote woodland near the Columbia Gorge in 1990. His death was ruled an accidental drowning, andthe autopsy report noted"acute alcohol intoxication was a major contributing factor.". She told investigators she drove them to a scenic overlook at the Columbia Gorge, where Sosnovske told her to pull over. I knew it had to be around there someplace. [7] He had watched and laughed as the kittens clawed each other to escape, then he killed them. He then sought work again as an interstate truck driver after relocating to Cheney, Washington. In. 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 last known sighting of the Duquesne University graduate student was caught on asurveillance camera in the downtown area. Murderous Keith Hunter Jesperson became known as the Happy Face Killer for his boasting letters to police, signed with a smiley face. Their house bordered an apple orchard, and Jesperson killed stray cats and gophers that wandered nearby. [1], At a very early ageas young as fiveJesperson would capture and torture animals. 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. jocks) usually after a night of drinking at a bar are kidnapped, tortured, murdered and then their . 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. 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. . During his depraved spree, Jesperson taunted authorities with anonymous confessions signed with a smiley face. 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. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Her identity remains unknown. Pavlinac seemed to know intimate details about the case. However, Jesperson.css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;} later said he actually killed another woman and did not recognize Wilcox's photo. 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. Laverne Pavlinac convinced investigators she and John Sosnovske had killed Taunja Bennett, when they hadn't. "He went off into the woods with her," Pavlinac told investigators. More than 25 years have passed since the ordeal, and in that time, both Sosnovske and Pavlinac have died. ". 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. Authorities came to believe they had convicted the wrong people. After getting in an argument with Bennett, he strangled her to death with his hands and disposed of her body. All Rights Reserved. The book I: the Creation of a Serial Killer (2002), by Jack Olsen, delved into Jesperson's life. After he raped and strangled her, Jesperson dumped her body near the Columbia River Gorge, outside Portland. He never made it home. A Canadian-born long-haul truck driver and divorced father of three, Jesperson carried out his killings over the course of five years until he turned himself in to authorities in 1995. [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. [8], In November 2008, Jesperson's daughter, Melissa G. Moore, appeared on Dr. Phil to talk about her father. Investigators have revealed the name of a heretofore unidentified victim of the Happy Face Killer, nearly 30 years after her murder. 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. Police saidthere were no signs of foul play, and his death was ruled an undetermined drowning. 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. According to detectives Anthony Duarte and Kevin Gannon, the Smiley Face Theory came into . In September 1994, the body of a woman was found in Florida. Her body disintegrated against the hot asphalt as he drove. Her body was found after his arrest. Her body, which had been strangled and tied up with duct tape, was found on August 30, 1992. Melissa G. Moore, Jesperson's older daughter, wrote Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killers Daughter (2009). 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.