"She was that kind of woman. Her body disintegrated against the hot asphalt as he drove. Her body was found after his arrest. The team believes the serial killers are highly sophisticated and communicate with each other on the dark web. I think that she was at a bad place in her life," said her daughter Darlene Carpenter. 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. Between 1990 and 1995, eight women died at the hands of Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as the Happy Face Killer. Jesperson met her in a bar in January 1995 and agreed to give her a ride before eventually killing her. "I [had] seen all these tracks and all this and that. 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. This included beatings, sometimes with a belt in front of others, and in one case he received an electric shock. Jesperson was born on April 6, 1955, in British Columbia, Canada. The day of his disappearance, Homan had been celebrating Oktoberfest with his friends. Others say there is no killer. 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. All calls are toll-free and confidential. They had three children, two girls and a boy. 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. Victims of the Smiley Face Killer | Photo Credits: Oxygen The Team of Men that Came Up With the Theory. 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Murderous Keith Hunter Jesperson became known as the Happy Face Killer for his boasting letters to police, signed with a smiley face. A television movie, Happy Face Killer, starring David Arquette as Jesperson, aired in 2014. On Monday, the Santa Clara County Sheriff . We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! Because Jesperson allowed her to use his credit card to make a phone call, he devised a depraved way to conceal her identity. Jesperson claimed this still-unidentified woman as his fifth victim but told Phelps that he cant recall anything about her. There, he assaulted, beat and strangled her. 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. Victim 5: California Jane Doe. She threatened to call the police, and he strangled her. During his depraved spree, Jesperson taunted authorities with anonymous confessions signed with a smiley face. I wanted to get those two people out of prison," he said in 1995, referring to Pavlinac and Sosnovske. She later rescinded her confession, but in 1991 a jury still found her guilty. After Jesperson was in custody, he provided the location of Bennett's purse, which only the killer would know. Keith Hunter Jesperson committed his first murder in 1990. While in custody, Jesperson began revealing details of his killings and making claims of many others, most of which he later recanted. 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. Moore recounts living with Jesperson until her parents' 1990 divorce, and noticing how her father was different when she was in elementary school. 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). M. William Phelps penned a memoir about his interactions with Jesperson: Dangerous Ground: My Friendship with a Serial Killer (2017). Pavlinac had been with Sosnovske, a farmhand 18 years her junior, for a decade when the Bennett case caught her attention in 1990. 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. 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 last known sighting of the Duquesne University graduate student was caught on asurveillance camera in the downtown area. Authorities came to believe they had convicted the wrong people. Jesperson was a middle child, with an older sister and brother and a younger sister and brother. 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. , who became known for signing the letters with a happy face symbol thus the Happy Face Killer moniker. Laverne Pavlinac, who, along with John Sosnovske, was convicted for the killing of Taunja Bennett, waits at the Oregon Women's Correctional Center in Salem, Ore., Oct. 27, 1995, for word on her release. Melissa Moore's father, known as the Happy Face Killer, murdered eight or more women. 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." But to Melissa Moore, he was more than just a serial killer . His brothers did not help him, instead they nicknamed him "Igor" or "Ig", a name that stuck throughout his school years. Could some of them be connected to a serial killer or group of killers? Jesperson killed his next victim in June 1993 in Santa Nella, California. Jespersons fifth victim was known only as Susanne, whom he met in Crestview, Florida. 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. Skiples remains were found on the side of. He was sentenced to life in prison while Pavlinac was sentenced to no less than ten years, much more than she had anticipated. Officials did not implicate the band member in Homan's death. I'llgo to the pen. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. PHOTO: Justice for Mason/Facebook. Patrick McNeill is thought to be the first victim of the Smiley Face Killers. "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. 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. Pavlinac made this false statement because she wanted to escape her abusive relationship with Sosnovske. The Smiley Face Killers. He has said he strangled her because she wouldn't let him sleep. His death was ruleda probable drowning, and there wereno signs of trauma. Her real name remains a mystery. Victim 6: Florida Jane Doe. His fourth victim was another sex worker, Laurie Ann Pentland of Salem, Oregon, whose body was found in November 1992. 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. While he has claimed to have killed as many as 160 people, only eight murders have been confirmed. About two weeks after he went missing,Booth's body was foundfacedown in a creek behind the bar. On January 1, 2000, Northern Illinois University junior. Police saidthere were no signs of foul play, and his death was ruled an undetermined drowning. This led police agencies in several states to reopen old cases, many of which were found to be possible victims of Jesperson. 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." [8], In November 2008, Jesperson's daughter, Melissa G. Moore, appeared on Dr. Phil to talk about her father. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Police have not saidif a smiley face was present near the death site. Halfway through the game, Hurley called hisfiance, ClaireMahoney, pictured above, and said he wanted to leave. If you need help or need help supporting someone else, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. 2. Keith Hunter Jesperson was born in 1955 in British Columbia, Canada and is a serial killer. 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. 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. His victims, who were often raped and strangled, included short-term acquaintances, sex workers and a girlfriend. Pavlinac then confessed to her. They'd mostly all been college-aged, popular, and athletic. After a night of barhopping, Homan headed home at around 10 p.m. with a friend. Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as "The Happy Face Killer ," is serving a life sentence in prison today. Pavlinac had made the whole thing up. Dubbed the Long Island Serial Killer or the Craigslist Ripper, the extent of these unsolved crimes is still unknown. 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. A smiley face was found painted near the river. 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 . He was caught after killing his 41-year-old girlfriend, Julie Ann Winningham, in 1995. She told investigators she drove them to a scenic overlook at the Columbia Gorge, where Sosnovske told her to pull over. April 18, 2022, at 9:19 p.m. California 'Happy Face Killer' Victim ID'd After 29 Years. But a few days later, they got another call from Pavlinac. According to Jesperson, Pentland attempted to double the fee she charged for the sex he had been engaged in with her. She also said she was able to point to the location of Bennett's body based on where the brush had been cleared away. Pentlands body was found in November 1992 after being discarded in Salem, Oregon. Their house bordered an apple orchard, and Jesperson killed stray cats and gophers that wandered nearby. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. James' body, however, had almost no visible damage, which was highly suspicious because it had traveled through heavily trafficked river. He decided to drag her body underneath his truck to impede identification. This led Jesperson to violently attack Martin until his father pulled him away. 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. Pavlinac told investigators during her last recorded statement on Feb. 26, 1990. Because of their relationship, authorities connected her death to him. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. After he raped and strangled her, Jesperson dumped her body near the Columbia River Gorge, outside Portland. [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. What doesn't make sense is that many of the 40 cases the investigators have looked into have puzzling evidence. Victim 4:Laurie Ann Pentland, 26. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Idaho Murders: What Led Police to Bryan Kohberger, Adnan Syed: A Complete Timeline of His Trial, Appeal and Killing of Hae Min Lee. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. "I said 'Why is she dead?'" 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. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. 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. I just said it, this is close enough," she said. The first happened when Jesperson was around age 10, when he was friends with a boy named Martin. The Pittsburgh police theorized James fell into the river while crossing a bridge near the city center and drowned. Victim 3:Cynthia Lyn Rose, 32, was found dead in September 1992. Jesperson met 21-year-old Bennett in a bar in Portland, Oregon. Potential "Smiley Face Killers" victim Todd Geib. Canadian-American serial killer (born 1955), "Happy Face Killer" redirects here. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. , "I'm in a field" before the call dropped. In September 2009, Jesperson was indicted in Riverside County, California, on murder charges; he was extradited in December 2009. In the years following, Jesperson said he often thought about what it would be like to do the same to a human. 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. Surveillance footage captured Booth entering the bar where the celebration took place, but there is no video evidence of him leaving. Jesperson attempted suicide but ended up confessing to Winningham's murder. Sosnovske pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty. of Victims 8-185 killed 5 attempted Span of crimes 1995/1966-March 10, 1995 (confirmed) Criminal Charges 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 these supposed "Smiley Face" serial killings, popular, high-achieving, athletic young men (i.e. Pavlinac soon admitted to making up her entire story, but her claims were ignored. serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, with whom they corresponded during the fall semester. She found out that her son had reportedly suffered blunt force trauma to the head, his eye socket and behind his left leg. [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. Pavlinac's daughters said their mother "was never the same" after she divorced their father after discovering he left her for another woman. 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. April 19, 2022 / 7:43 AM / CBS San Francisco. He enjoyed watching animals kill each other as well as the feeling he got from taking their lives. The Happy Face Killer's eighth and final victim that would be his downfall. Tommy Booth, 24, disappeared on January 19, 2008 from a bar in Woodlyn, Pennsylvania. Investigators installed a hidden recording device in their home hoping to catch Sosnovske making incriminating statements. Jesperson is serving four life sentences without possibility of parole in Oregon. Some of his victims, as seen in this timeline, have never been identified. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! He had given police officers the location of the victim's purse. Jesperson signed each letter with a smiley face. That letter-writer turned out to be. [11] Jesperson gives the Jane Doe's name as Claudia. "She was very giving. Sosnovske would later plead no contest to the murder charge. Skiple was known to family and friends as Patsy, according to the sheriffs department. Daughter of the infamous 'Happy Face' serial killer, Melissa Moore, and leading female Forensic Criminologist, Dr. Laura Pettler, unearth chilling details from homicide case files in this weekly true-crime series which tells the actual stories of people who shared their lives with a killer or their victims. Here's what the evidence says. But it was all a lie. Sometimes they even brag about it. 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. The first victim was found in 1997. "[He said] I better not open my mouth. In April 1990, he sexually assaulted a woman who managed to escape. 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 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. Various witnesses outside the hotel saw Welzien vomiting in the street. Today's episode is part 1 of our coverage of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson. In September 1994, another Jane Doe was found in Crestview, Florida. Bennett was found strangled to death near a scenic overlook at the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. 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. They believed his body traveled for almost 10 miles and even went through a dam before its discovery. Several years later, Hucke began to suspect Jesperson was having affairs when strange women would call. NR Jul 18th, 2021 Documentary. 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. For now it remains only a theory that has yet to be proved. He tries to paint the victim as someone who needed to be killed, Phelps, whose nearly decade-long relationship with the killer gives him insight into Jespersons mind, told producers. Smiley faces again served as his signature, prompting a journalist to dub Jesperson the "Happy Face Killer.". In November 1992, Jesperson had an encounter with sex worker Laurie Anne Pentland at a truck stop. Surveillance footage captured Booth entering the bar where the celebration took place, but there is no video evidence of him leaving. The purse had not been found at the crime scene, and its location was considered information only the killer would know. And she [said], 'Well, they told me I had to tell you thisbecauseif I told you then they would believe me,'" Carpenter said. 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 . As she and Sosnovske started their life sentences, one of the United States' most notorious serial killers continued his murder spree. The police gave him the nickname "The Happy Face Killer" as he would leave a happy face on his confession letters to the media. Hurley's mother received a copy of the autopsy report and allowed aphysician to analyze the report. 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. His blood-alcohol concentrationwas only 0.08 percent. What Is the Smiley Face Killers Theory? Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! He never made it home. He was known as the "Happy Face Killer" because he drew smiley faces on his many letters to the media and authorities. He would go on to share details of the crime on other restroom walls. While in custody, Jesperson shared details of his eight murders. She maintains a very private lifestyle, so not much is known about her. John Ingram, who worked on the case. A smiley face was found spray-painted near where Homans body was found. The Insane Details of the Smiley Face Killers Theory; The Most Recent Alleged Smiley Face Killers' Victims Highlight How Long This Theory Has . [7] She was a correspondent for Crime Watch Daily. 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. After the murder, Jesperson remembered they'd spent days together and he'd let her use a credit card. In reality, smiley face is a joyous symbol to convey happiness and joy, which is used everywhere from message chatting to letters to wall decoration in our daily lives. Published: Apr. Her sister Michelle White said Bennett was a compassionate person who loved everyone.. Despite the distance between them, some detectives think that drownings are actually the work of a serial killer or group of serial killers. When she arrived, however, he was nowhere in sight. Before his arrest, he also wrote a letter to his brother that admitted, "I am sorry that I turned out this way. Victim 2: California Jane Doe. Jesperson claims he killed her after she tried to double charge him for sex, according to Snapped Notorious: The Happy Face Killer.. 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. He left her remains in Nebraska, though Subrize was likely killed in Wyoming. [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. One of them was to a friendwho said she heard Geib say, "I'm in a field" before the call dropped. A smiley face was paintedon a wall of the bar under a deck.
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