Victim 8: Julia Ann Winningham, 41. Pavlinac remarried, but her second husband died a few years later. "The Smiley Face Killers" movie was . Director Rick Bota Writer Richard Christian Matheson Stars David Arquette Gloria Reuben Daryl Shuttleworth See production, box office & company info Based on Pavlinac's statements, and that Sosnovke failed a polygraph test, authorities arrested Sosnovke on murder charges. '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. [6] Approximately one year later, Jesperson was swimming in a lake when another boy held him underwater until he blacked out. 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. Canadian-American serial killer (born 1955), "Happy Face Killer" redirects here. Pieces of his artwork have been seen on "murderabilia" sites. 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. "I said 'Why is she dead?'" 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. Rather than fall victim to the trauma surrounding her father's crimes and arrest, she processed the events. 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. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! However, a part of him wanted to claim credit, so he wrote about murdering Bennett in a bus terminal bathroom. [8][16] This led Phil Stanford, the journalist working the story for The Oregonian, to dub Jesperson "The Happy Face Killer". Laverne Pavlinac, right, touches the tear-stained face of her grandaughter, Nicole Sullivan, after being released from prison in Salem, Ore., Nov. 27, 1995. [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. 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. Jesperson's last victim was the crime that ultimately led to his capture. 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. 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 met 21-year-old Bennett in a bar in Portland, Oregon. Jesperson met 21-year-old Bennett in a bar in Portland, Oregon. A television movie, Happy Face Killer, starring David Arquette as Jesperson, aired in 2014. 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. Because Jesperson allowed her to use his credit card to make a phone call, he devised a depraved way to conceal her identity. THE HAPPY FACE K!LLER - KEITH HUNTER JESPERSON #storytelling The Smiley Face Killers. Keith Hunter Jesperson committed his first murder in 1990. She'sgiveher the shirt off her back," McAlpine said. "Then it becameserious,a seriousargument. California 'Happy Face Killer' victim identified after 29 years - 9News She's told her own daughter the same story, very convincingly.' After moving to Selah, Washington, United States, he had trouble fitting in and making friends because of his large size. Gannon and Gilbertson also notedthe body appeared to have been staged three sticks were strategically placed around his body, and there were shoe and drag marks in the soil. He showed signs of psychopathic behavior from an early age which included torturing animals and attacking other children. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. [4] Because of this, Jesperson was a shy child, content to play by himself much of the time. 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]. But it was all a lie. Oddly,Geib's head and shoulders were sticking out of the wateras if he had gone for a swim. 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. The first victim was found in 1997. Jesperson signed each letter with a smiley face. [00:02:05] Hi, everyone. When investigators asked him why he decided to come forward, Jesperson listed two reasons. At age 35, Keith was 6'7.5" tall and weighed 240lbs. I had been worried about this for a long time. Jesperson was a middle child, with an older sister and brother and a younger sister and brother. After a night of barhopping, Homan headed home at around 10 p.m. with a friend. 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. It had been washed ashore on a beach in Gary, Indiana, 30 miles south of Chicago. He showed signs of psychopathic behavior from an. 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. Remembering the first known victim of Happy Face serial killer. Her body, which had been strangled and tied up with duct tape, was found on August 30, 1992. In the years following, Jesperson said he often thought about what it would be like to do the same to a human. But to Melissa Moore, he was more than just a serial killer . He later claimed his intention was to kill the boy. Halfway through the game, Hurley called hisfiance, ClaireMahoney, pictured above, and said he wanted to leave. She would pop in and pop out, and over the years, She was that type of person.". [21], Following Bennett's murder, as all the attention was going to Pavlinac and Sosnovske, Jesperson wrote a confession on the bathroom wall of a truck stop and signed it with a smiley face. In one six-page letter to The Oregonian newspaper, the serial killer revealed . The body of Julie Winningham, 41, of Camas, Washington, was found alongside a Washington State road in 1995. 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. Some say the Smiley Face Killer has taken 40 victims over two decades. Pavlinac had made the whole thing up. After he strangled them, he dumped the dead bodies on the side of the road. Jesperson became a suspect after Winningham's was found since he was known to be her boyfriend. He is now 66 years old, according to his prison records. Jesperson is serving four life sentences without possibility of parole in Oregon. He decided to drag her body underneath his truck to impede identification. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. He confessed to killing her and subsequently admitted to seven other murders. Victims of the Smiley Face Killer | Photo Credits: Oxygen The Team of Men that Came Up With the Theory. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. [5], That desire manifested in two attempted murders. I'llgo to the pen. Others say there is no killer. Her body disintegrated against the hot asphalt as he drove. Her body was found after his arrest. The Santa Clara County Sheriffs Department. Pavlinac made this false statement because she wanted to escape her abusive relationship with Sosnovske. And she [said], 'Well, they told me I had to tell you thisbecauseif I told you then they would believe me,'" Carpenter said. Strangulation was Jesperson's preferred method of murdering, the same method he often used to kill animals as a child. The Happy Face Killer: The Truth About Keith Jesperson's Childhood The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department announced. His friend told him to get out of the car while he parked. ". A journalist noticed the symbol and came up with the Happy Face Killer nickname. One of them was to a friend. 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. She also examined her father's actions in the podcast Happy Face. They were able to identify her as Skiple on April 13. A few days before his arrest, he wrote a letter to his brother in which he confessed to having killed eight people over the course of five years. Now 66, Jesperson is serving five non-consecutive life sentences in Oregon's state penitentiary. . The body of a woman found near Gilroy, California was this week identified as Patricia Skiple, a victim of the Happy Face Killer. Jesperson, who was arrested in 1995 on suspicion of killing a woman in Washington state, was dubbed the Happy Face Killer because he drew smiley faces on letters he sent to the media and. 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. She found out that her son had reportedly suffered blunt force trauma to the head, his eye socket and behind his left leg. 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. Detectives first became aware of Pavlinac when she anonymously called them to report that she overheard Sosnovske at a bar bragging about killing Bennett. went missing from Chicago, Illinois, after a night of celebrating Y2K with his friends. Potential "Smiley Face Killers" victim Todd Geib. 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. Laverne Pavlinac is seen here showing investigators where Taunja Bennett's body was found, even though she had nothing to do with the crime. Or 'I will cause trouble for your family. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? I don't," Sosnovke is heard saying on the tape. Jesperson killed his next victim in June 1993 in Santa Nella, California. [11] Jesperson gives the Jane Doe's name as Claudia. "Just so many bad things that happened in her life that I think, I don't know, it caused her to kinda snap or something," McAlpine said. Life After Happy Face on Apple Podcasts Many of his victims were sex workers and transients who had no connection to him. Keith Jesperson | Photos | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers 18, 2022, 3:19 p.m. Patricia Skiple, who lived in Colton, Oregon, has been identified as a victim of Keith Jesperson, the "Happy Face Killer," almost 30 years after Skiple's body . Investigators have revealed the name of a heretofore unidentified victim of the Happy Face Killer, nearly 30 years after her murder. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Jesperson attempted suicide but ended up confessing to Winningham's murder. 'Happy Face Killer' case tapes reveal the lengths woman went to frame Pavlinac told investigators during her last recorded statement on Feb. 26, 1990. [7] He had watched and laughed as the kittens clawed each other to escape, then he killed them. He was known as the "Happy Face Killer" because he drew smiley faces on his many letters to the media and prosecutors. 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. Moore, Melissa G. & M. Bridget Cook (2009). [6] He graduated from high school in 1973, but did not attend college because his father did not believe he could do it. The footage captured James entering a dark alley, and that was the last time he was seen alive. Smiley faces again served as his signature, prompting a journalist to dub Jesperson the "Happy Face Killer.". He strapped the woman beneath his big rig, the New York Post reported. Jesperson had dated before her before killing her on March 3, 1995 because he believed she was after his money. In September 1994, the body of a woman was found in Florida. At her trial, Pavlinac recanted her confession, but the jury found her guilty. However, the kicker is that these drownings happening in 11 different states. 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. 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. Victim 1: Taunja Bennett. Revealed as the Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson confessed to killing eight women in Florida, California, Oregon, Wyoming, and Washington. Watch the full story on "20/20" THIS FRIDAY at 9 p.m. A journalist noticed the symbol and came up with the Happy Face Killer nickname. "She was that kind of woman. [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. The Smiley Face Killer - Serialkillercalendar.com In addition to murder, Jesperson's criminal history included animal cruelty, arson and sexual assault. She then reported Hurley missing, and various searches were conducted. All Rights Reserved. John Ingram, who worked on the case. His boss informed his family, who filed a missing persons report 72 hours later. 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. This led police agencies in several states to reopen old cases, many of which were found to be possible victims of Jesperson. Who is the Happy Face Killer Keith Hunter Jesperson? Laverne Pavlinac and John Sosnovske are seen here in this 1985 family photo. Victim 5: California Jane Doe. Happy Face Killer victim's body identified after 29 years Jesperson met her in a bar in January 1995 and agreed to give her a ride before eventually killing her. Jesperson eventually settled in Selah, Washington with his wife and three children. 10 Creepiest Photos Of Victims Taken By Serial Killers - Listverse Pavlinac set up a meeting with investigators and gave a false confession, using the details she had read in the newspaper to give a detailed story of how Sosnovske forced her to help him rape, murder, and dispose of Bennett's body. Keith Hunter Jesperson was born in 1955 in British Columbia, Canada and is a serial killer. She ran to get her mother, and when they returned, the kittens lay on the ground dead. Homan did not arrive for a golf outing the next day. Mahoney drove to the address, but Hurley was not there. 2. She called him a second time, but his cell phone seemed to be out of battery. Keith Hunter Jesperson was born in 1955 in British Columbia, Canada and is a serial killer. He was reported missing later that day by his mother, and a massive manhunt ensued. After Jesperson was in custody, he provided the location of Bennett's purse, which only the killer would know. Eight murders were eventually linked to Jesperson. '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. Their work has spawned an Oxygen series, Smiley Face Killers: The Hunt for Justice, which aired in January 2019. 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. Pavlinac's son also died shortly after due to medical reasons. 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. Officials did not implicate the band member in Homan's death. 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. In these supposed "Smiley Face" serial killings, popular, high-achieving, athletic young men (i.e. California 'Happy Face Killer' victim identified after 29 years By Associated Press 8:06am Apr 20, 2022 A victim of the Happy Face Killer has been identified nearly 30 years after her body was left near a California highway, authorities said this week. 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. 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. He met the developmentally disabled Bennett while out drinking and convinced her to go to his house. 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. 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. GHB was also found in his system along with alcohol. [He said,] 'No, no. 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. 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 . Various witnesses outside the hotel saw Welzien vomiting in the street. I think that she was at a bad place in her life," said her daughter Darlene Carpenter. Soon after his injury was when Keith started to kill. In April 1990, he sexually assaulted a woman who managed to escape. According to former detective Kevin Gannon and Dr. Lee Gilbertson, Geib's head and shoulders were sticking out of the water. 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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. "[He said] I better not open my mouth. Tommy Booth, 24, disappeared on January 19, 2008 from a bar in Woodlyn, Pennsylvania. At some of the sites where the victims' bodies were found, smiley face graffiti had been left behind. M. William Phelps penned a memoir about his interactions with Jesperson: Dangerous Ground: My Friendship with a Serial Killer (2017). Updated: Mar 3, 2021 (1955-) Who Is Keith Hunter. He never made it home. After he raped and strangled her, Jesperson dumped her body near the Columbia River Gorge, outside Portland. How Happy Face Killer Keith Hunter Jesperson Terrorized America Skiples remains were found on the side of. After the murder, Jesperson remembered they'd spent days together and he'd let her use a credit card. She was a mother and approximately 45 years old at the time she was killed. The Happy Face Killer Pt. 1-Creepy Cascadia According to detectives Anthony Duarte and Kevin Gannon, the Smiley Face Theory came into . Murderous Keith Hunter Jesperson became known as the Happy Face Killer for his boasting letters to police, signed with a smiley face. 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. There, he assaulted, beat and strangled her. [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. Authorities came to believe they had convicted the wrong people. "She was very giving. Over the past 20 years, hundreds of college-aged men across the US have died as the result of undetermined or accidental drownings. 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. That night, he had been celebrating a friend's 21st birthday with a group of friends. Bennett was found strangled to death near a scenic overlook at the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. 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. He was a 21-year-old student at Fordham University, and his body was found in. 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. Investigators had been trying to nail down a suspect for weeks when Pavlinac brought Sosnovske to their attention. In March 2018, she was featured in an episode, titled "Put on a Happy Face", of the Investigation Discovery true crime series Evil Lives Here. Jesperson reported that he was raped at age 14. Published: Apr. , who became known for signing the letters with a happy face symbol thus the Happy Face Killer moniker. 45 colleged-aged males across a 20-year span. , "I'm in a field" before the call dropped. On October 8, 2009, Hurley went to the game with two friends. And that's how I remember her," said Melissa Gavin, her longtime friend. In 1975, when Jesperson was aged 20, he married Rose Hucke, and the couple had three children: two daughters and one son. Jespersons heinous crimes as well as shocking twists in the case including a, couple who took the blame for one of his homicides. 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 . 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. They divorced in 1989. Her real name remains a mystery. Pavlinac and Sosnovske were both arrested on 5 March 1990 and both were convicted of the murder on 8 February 1991. Killer: Keith Hunter Jesperson - Happy Face Killer profiled on Killer.Cloud This finding is inconsistent with the belief that Booth drowned the night he disappeared. She later rescinded her confession, but in 1991 a jury still found her guilty. Who Is "Happy Face Killer" Survivor Daun Slagle and Where Is She Now? She was convicted of felony murder and sentenced to life in prison with a 10-year minimum served. 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." He never made it home. 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 . , who survived a violent encounter with Jesperson when she was 21. Her body disintegrated against the hot asphalt as he drove. Her body was found after his arrest. At the time of the incident, the females body was dressed in blue clothing and her identity was unknown, they wrote. Investigators have revealed the name of a heretofore unidentified victim of the "Happy Face Killer," nearly 30 years after her murder. 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. He introduced himself to Bennett at a bar and invited her to a house he was renting. I have been a killer for five years and have killed eight people." 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).