Their house bordered an apple orchard, and Jesperson killed stray cats and gophers that wandered nearby. [7] He had watched and laughed as the kittens clawed each other to escape, then he killed them. April 19, 2022, 7:31 PM PDT. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. 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. He confessed to killing her and subsequently admitted to seven other murders. Alcohol and antidepressants were foundin Geib's toxicology screen, but it was reported thatGeib was not sufferingfrom any form of depression at the time. , 32, was found dead in September 1992. The term "smiley face" became connected to their theory when the team . "[Julie] was beautiful inside as well as outside. Investigators said there wasno sign of foul play, and his death was ruled an undetermined drowning. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. . 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. The Lonely Hearts Killer, was a truly frightening and twisted serial murderer in the late 1950s. In September 1994, another Jane Doe was found in Crestview, Florida. ", This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 19:00. 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. 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. In later years, Jesperson also sent anonymous letters to The Oregonian newspaper about what had become his multiple murders. They met at a truck stop in Corning, California. [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. April 18, 2022, at 9:19 p.m. California 'Happy Face Killer' Victim ID'd After 29 Years. He later claimed his intention was to kill the boy. [He said,] 'No, no. Eight murders were eventually linked to Jesperson. 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. 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. "I don't think she was in love with him. The Santa Clara County Sheriffs Department. At the time, he was being investigated for the murder of 41-year-old Julie Winningham, who some described as his girlfriend. A television movie, Happy Face Killer, starring David Arquette as Jesperson, aired in 2014. Jesperson met 21-year-old Bennett in a bar in Portland, Oregon. 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. "Madonna, that's what she listened to all day," White said. 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. The purse had not been found at the crime scene, and its location was considered information only the killer would know. Investigators have revealed the name of a heretofore unidentified victim of the "Happy Face Killer," nearly 30 years after her murder. 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. On October 8, 2009, Hurley went to the game with two friends. Laverne Pavlinac and John Sosnovske are seen here in this 1985 family photo. Other students hold photos of Mr. Jesperson's victims. 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. He had a relationship with his final victim and became a suspect after her body was discovered in March 1995. Director Carl Hindmarch Stars Doug Bates Janine Brugnone Beghtol Rick Buckner See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist 1 User review His older daughter has described witnessing acts of animal cruelty that included Jesperson killing kittens. 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. "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. [10][14], Jesperson was arrested on 30 March 1995 for the murder of Julie Winningham. Pentlands body was found in November 1992 after being discarded in Salem, Oregon. . 45 colleged-aged males across a 20-year span. ET on ABC. He strapped the woman beneath his big rig, the New York Post reported. 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. That's whyall ofthis doesn'tmake sense. "I said 'Why is she dead?'" 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. What Is the Smiley Face Killers Theory? Kreuger, Peggy; Kendra Justice & Amy Hunt (March 2006). Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! I had been worried about this for a long time. She was a mother and approximately 45 years old at the time she was killed. Possible Smiley Face killers victim Mason Cox. , "I'm in a field" before the call dropped. Bennett was found strangled to death near a scenic overlook at the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. Sometimes they even brag about it. He slapped her. He told investigatorshe could not remember anythingthat happened that night. Based on Pavlinac's statements, and that Sosnovke failed a polygraph test, authorities arrested Sosnovke on murder charges. She was killed in Washington state on March 10, 1995, and her body was discovered the next day. 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. M. William Phelps penned a memoir about his interactions with Jesperson: Dangerous Ground: My Friendship with a Serial Killer (2017). 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. When investigators asked him why he decided to come forward, Jesperson listed two reasons. She maintains a very private lifestyle, so not much is known about her. Geib's remains also had very little signs of decomposition, which would have been present if he had died the day he went missing 22 days before the recovery of his body. Jesperson, also called the "Happy Face Killer", who is serving two life sentences in Oregon in connection with guilty pleas to two murders. 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. Watch Happy Face Killer on Lifetime Movie Club. They believed his body traveled for almost 10 miles and even went through a dam before its discovery. One of them was to a friendwho said she heard Geib say, "I'm in a field" before the call dropped. There, he assaulted, beat and strangled her. Despite the distance between them, some detectives think that drownings are actually the work of a serial killer or group of serial killers. His brother gave this letter to law enforcement. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. 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. 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Smiley faces again served as his signature, prompting a journalist to dub Jesperson the "Happy Face Killer.". When she arrived, however, he was nowhere in sight. She grew up in a small town in Washington state and survived the escalating violence from her home life and. '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. 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. But when investigators were unable to match the purse and denim piece to Bennett, they confronted Pavlinac about fabricating evidence. Jespersons second victim, known only as Claudia, was found murdered on August 30, 1992 in Blythe, California. He then sought work again as an interstate truck driver after relocating to Cheney, Washington. According to Jesperson, Pentland attempted to double the fee she charged for the sex he had been engaged in with her. The man said "99 Nashua Street, and Hurley said his cell phone battery was going dead. In 1975, when Jesperson was aged 20, he married Rose Hucke, and the couple had three children: two daughters and one son. 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. After a night of barhopping, Homan headed home at around 10 p.m. with a friend. 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. Her real name remains a mystery. Now 66, Jesperson is serving five non-consecutive life sentences in Oregon's state penitentiary. A smiley face was found spray-painted near where Homans body was found. Victim 1:Taunja Bennett. Hundreds of college-aged men have died in accidental or undetermined drownings. Julie Winningham is the last known victim of Keith Hunter Jesperson. The morning of October 2, Homan's body was found not far from the shore of the Mississippi River. "I [had] seen all these tracks and all this and that. 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. Her body disintegrated against the hot asphalt as he drove. Her body was found after his arrest. "Then it becameserious,a seriousargument. [8], In November 2008, Jesperson's daughter, Melissa G. Moore, appeared on Dr. Phil to talk about her father. I wanted to get those two people out of prison," he said in 1995, referring to Pavlinac and Sosnovske. His friend told him to get out of the car while he parked. Investigators believedhe could have walked to the edge of Lake Michigan, a five-minute walk from the hotel, and fallen in. 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. Sosnovske pleaded no contest to first-degree murder and kidnapping charges to avoid the possibility of a death sentence and was sentenced to life in prison. Today's episode is part 1 of our coverage of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson. 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. [2] Jesperson's father was a domineering alcoholic; according to Jesperson, his paternal grandfather was prone to violence. Taunja Bennett, 23, is seen here in this undated photo. Moore, Melissa G. & M. Bridget Cook (2009). 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. Strangulation was Jesperson's preferred method of murdering, the same method he often used to kill animals as a child. 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 . Some of his victims, as seen in this timeline, have never been identified. I don't," Sosnovke is heard saying on the tape. Jesperson was born on April 6, 1955, in British Columbia, Canada. Some of his victims, as seen in this timeline, have never been identified. B. Largely considered an urban legend, the Smiley Face Killer, like the Manchester Pusher, murdered his victims by drowning. Pavlinac made this false statement because she wanted to escape her abusive relationship with Sosnovske. All drowned after getting intoxicated. He left bodies in Oregon, California, Florida, Nebraska and Washington while working as a long-haul truck driver. He is serving three consecutive life sentences at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem. During the drive, Welzien started throwing up. Officials did not implicate the band member in Homan's death. Punched her, slapped her. Serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as the "Happy Face Killer," brutally murdered eight women between 1990 and 1995. Or 'I will cause trouble for your family. And she [said], 'Well, they told me I had to tell you thisbecauseif I told you then they would believe me,'" Carpenter said. He was found guilty of killing Bennett, Pentland, and Winningham and was sentenced to six consecutive and concurrent sentences. Hurley walked outside while Mahoney drove to the stadium to pick him up. Potential "Smiley Face Killers" victim Todd Geib. Soon after Angela Subrize ran into Jesperson at a bar in Spokane, Washington in January 1995, she traveled east with him in his truck. Laverne Pavlinac convinced investigators she and John Sosnovske had killed Taunja Bennett, when they hadn't. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. "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. By Tim Stelloh. Keith Hunter Jesperson was born in 1955 in British Columbia, Canada and is a serial killer. The body of Julie Winningham, 41, of Camas, Washington, was found alongside a Washington State road in 1995. Pentlands body was found in November 1992 after being discarded in Salem, Oregon. Today, we're finishing our look at Keith Jesperson, the twisted murderer otherwise known as the Happy Face Killer. Melissa G. Moore, Jesperson's older daughter, wrote Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killers Daughter (2009). This led Jesperson to violently attack Martin until his father pulled him away. [4] Because of this, Jesperson was a shy child, content to play by himself much of the time. She's told her own daughter the same story, very convincingly.' He split from his wife in 1990 after 15 years of . We need to report this, John.' After getting in an argument with Bennett, he strangled her to death with his hands and disposed of her body. "The Smiley Face Killers" movie was . More than 25 years have passed since the ordeal, and in that time, both Sosnovske and Pavlinac have died. He introduced himself to Bennett at a bar and invited her to a house he was renting. [1] All calls are toll-free and confidential. 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. Here's what the evidence says. Many of his victims were sex workers and transients who had no connection to him. The production features interviews between, Dangerous Ground: My Friendship with a Serial Killer.. Her body was found on a roadside rock pile in Santa Nella, California. First, she told investigators that she knew Sosnovske did it because she saw Bennett's body, said Ingram. Jesperson's last victim was Julie Winningham, who'd been his girlfriend. 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. Rather than fall victim to the trauma surrounding her father's crimes and arrest, she processed the events. [1], At a very early ageas young as fiveJesperson would capture and torture animals. Best Known For: Serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as the "Happy Face Killer," brutally murdered eight women between 1990 and 1995. His death was ruled an accidental drowning, andthe autopsy report noted"acute alcohol intoxication was a major contributing factor.". Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! All Rights Reserved. The victims were predominately white, male, athletic ("3.5 and above star athletes," according to Gannon), and young from 17 to early 20s. I will be writing about that more in the future so stay tuned. On January 1, 2000, Northern Illinois University junior Brian Welzien went missing from Chicago, Illinois, after a night of celebrating Y2K with his friends. Happy Face stands out because of Moore 's intimate tie to the criminal in question. [17] He was convicted of another murder and received a fourth life sentence in January 2010. In September 2009, Jesperson was indicted in Riverside County, California, on murder charges; he was extradited in December 2009. 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. 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." His victims, who were often raped and strangled, included short-term acquaintances, sex workers and a girlfriend. That letter-writer turned out to be. 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 8: Julia Ann Winningham, 41. This included beatings, sometimes with a belt in front of others, and in one case he received an electric shock. Sosnovske pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty. [19] To avoid the possibility of facing the death penalty, Sosnovske pleaded no contest. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Jesperson told Phelps they met at a truck stop and that after he agreed to give her a ride he felt like she was trying to play him. 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. PHOTO: Justice for Mason/Facebook. 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. Several years later, Hucke began to suspect Jesperson was having affairs when strange women would call. 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).
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