Laverne Pavlinac is seen here showing investigators where Taunja Bennett's body was found, even though she had nothing to do with the crime. Moore recounts living with Jesperson until her parents' 1990 divorce, and noticing how her father was different when she was in elementary school. 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. I don't," Sosnovke is heard saying on the tape. Halfway through the game, Hurley called hisfiance, ClaireMahoney, pictured above, and said he wanted to leave. Pentlands body was found in November 1992 after being discarded in Salem, Oregon. Some of his victims, as seen in this timeline, have never been identified. Jesperson met 21-year-old Bennett in a bar in Portland, Oregon. More than a dozen of these cases have been outlined in Gannon and Gilbertson's book "Case Studies in Drowning Forensics," but there are six deaths in particular that stand out as potential Smiley Face murders: Dakota James was 23 years old when he went missing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Jesperson was born on 6 April 1955, to Leslie (Les) and Gladys Jesperson in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada,[1] the middle child with two brothers and two sisters. 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 was known as the "Happy Face Killer" because he drew smiley faces on his many letters to the media and authorities. Keith Hunter Jesperson was born in 1955 in British Columbia, Canada and is a serial killer. At some of the sites where the victims' bodies were found, smiley face graffiti had been left behind. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Judge Paul Lipscomb of the Circuit Court of Oregon agreed to vacate Sosnovske's sentence after ruling his no-contest plea violated his constitutional rights because it had not been voluntary since he was facing the death penalty. [He said,] 'No, no. 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. . 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. He never made it home. The victims were predominately white, male, athletic ("3.5 and above star athletes," according to Gannon), and young from 17 to early 20s. These convictions meant Jesperson was unlikely to ever face charges for his crime. 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. A "witchy" smiley face left at a murder site of the supposed "Smiley Face Serial Killer" seems to represent Charlie Manson. The police gave him the nickname "The Happy Face Killer" as he would leave a happy face on his confession letters to the media. Per Courthouse News Service, Slagle is a registered nurse and grandmother residing in Chico, Calif. But a few days later, they got another call from Pavlinac. She'sgiveher the shirt off her back," McAlpine said. FILE - Accused murderer Keith Hunter Jesperson, dubbed the Happy Face Killer, right, listens to his attorney . I knew it had to be around there someplace. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Taunja Bennett, 23, is seen here in this undated photo. The footage captured James entering a dark alley, and that was the last time he was seen alive. In September 1994, the body of a woman was found in Florida. Many of his victims were sex workers and transients who had no connection to him. The team believes the serial killers are highly sophisticated and communicate with each other on the dark web. [8][16] This led Phil Stanford, the journalist working the story for The Oregonian, to dub Jesperson "The Happy Face Killer". The Smiley Face Killers. And just like his British counterpart, the police denied . Her sister Michelle White said Bennett was a compassionate person who loved everyone.. Potential "Smiley Face Killers" victim Todd Geib. Courtesy of Kathy 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. , 32, was found dead in September 1992. "I sometimes now wonder, if he was freed now, if he was released, would he kill again? "Now, I'm thinking, 'She's confessed she's pointed out the dump site, she's confessed to us on tape. Jesperson murdered another woman in August 1992 at a Turlock, California truck stop. Alcohol and antidepressants were foundin Geib's toxicology screen, but it was reported thatGeib was not sufferingfrom any form of depression at the time. She would pop in and pop out, and over the years, She was that type of person.". The Smiley Face Killers. Bennett was found strangled to death near a scenic overlook at the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. Jesperson worked as a truck driver to support the family. ". Police saidthere were no signs of foul play, and his death was ruled an undetermined drowning. Smiley faces again served as his signature, prompting a journalist to dub Jesperson the "Happy Face Killer.". At age 35, standing 6feet 7inches (2.01m) and weighing approximately 255 pounds (116kg),[9] Jesperson began working toward the goal of joining the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), but an injury suffered while training ended this endeavor. [10][14], Jesperson was arrested on 30 March 1995 for the murder of Julie Winningham. April 19, 2022, 7:31 PM PDT. The smiley face murder theory (also known as the smiley face murders, smiley face killings, and smiley face gang) is a theory advanced by retired New York City detectives Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte, as well as Dr. Lee Gilbertson, a criminal justice professor and gang expert at St. He had been questioned by police a week before, but they had no grounds to arrest him after he refused to talk. Pavlinac's son also died shortly after due to medical reasons. They were able to identify her as Skiple on April 13. 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. Jesperson met her in a bar in January 1995 and agreed to give her a ride before eventually killing her. Halfway through the game, Hurley called hisfiance, ClaireMahoney, pictured above, and said he wanted to leave. The Happy Face Killer's eighth and final victim that would be his downfall. Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as "The Happy Face Killer ," is serving a life sentence in prison today. 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. Melissa Moore's father, known as the Happy Face Killer, murdered eight or more women. [29][30] In September 2018, podcast network HowStuffWorks began releasing a show called Happy Face[31] featuring interviews with Melissa about her childhood and her father. But in the process, she also falsely implicated herself. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. However, the kicker is that these drownings happening in 11 different states. "He went off into the woods with her," Pavlinac told investigators. Jespersons fifth victim was known only as Susanne, whom he met in Crestview, Florida. Hurley's mother received a copy of the autopsy report and allowed aphysician to analyze the report. According to former detective Kevin Gannon and Dr. Lee Gilbertson, Geib's head and shoulders were sticking out of the water. The production features interviews betweenJesperson and M. William Phelps, author Dangerous Ground: My Friendship with a Serial Killer.Italso features an interview with Daun Slagel, who survived a violent encounter with Jesperson when she was 21. April 19, 2022 / 7:43 AM / CBS San Francisco. 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. [6] He graduated from high school in 1973, but did not attend college because his father did not believe he could do it. He slapped her. Pavlinac made this false statement because she wanted to escape her abusive relationship with Sosnovske. 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. , "I'm in a field" before the call dropped. Some of his victims, as seen in this timeline, have never been identified. 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. 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. Homan and his friend somehow got separated during their walk home, and his friend ended up at the ER detox with a head injury after being picked up by police. According to Jesperson, Pentland attempted to double the fee she charged for the sex he had been engaged in with her. 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. The body of 23-year-old Taunja Bennett was found in this remote woodland near the Columbia Gorge in 1990. When that did not elicit a response, he began writing letters to the media and authorities. 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. He strapped the woman beneath his big rig, the New York Post reported. [33] The episode was released on July 9, 2021. In the days following, Jesperson decided that he was certainly going to be arrested, and after two suicide attempts turned himself in hoping it would result in leniency during his sentencing. Watch the full story on "20/20" THIS FRIDAY at 9 p.m. [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. She then reported Hurley missing, and various searches were conducted. His last known victim was a woman he dated, which led to his capture and incarceration for life. 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. [4] Because of this, Jesperson was a shy child, content to play by himself much of the time. Jesperson claims that her name was Susanne. . Remembering the first known victim of Happy Face serial killer. Homan was the eighth accidental drowning case in La Crosse over a nine-year period. The purse had not been found at the crime scene, and its location was considered information only the killer would know. The following morning, James did not show up for work. Jesperson is serving four life sentences without possibility of parole in Oregon. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Published: Apr. "The greatest human tragedy is that Laverne Pavlinac derailed the investigation in 1990, and in four years, Keith Jesperson killed more women," said Jim McIntyre, the Multnomah County, Oregon, prosecutor who handled the cases. "John That's the worst thing you've ever gotten yourself into," she told him. One of them was to a friendwho said she heard Geib say, "I'm in a field" before the call dropped. Eight murders were eventually linked to Jesperson. He decided to drag her body underneath his truck to impede identification. 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. Based on Pavlinac's statements, and that Sosnovke failed a polygraph test, authorities arrested Sosnovke on murder charges. Various witnesses outside the hotel saw Welzien vomiting in the street. When Mahoney called Hurley to find out where he was waiting, Mahoney said he answered the phone, and she heard him ask someone where he was located. Several years later, Hucke began to suspect Jesperson was having affairs when strange women would call. They believed his body traveled for almost 10 miles and even went through a dam before its discovery. [00:02:05] Hi, everyone. 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. [7] He had watched and laughed as the kittens clawed each other to escape, then he killed them. Pentlands body was found in November 1992 after being discarded in Salem, Oregon. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! Soon after Angela Subrize ran into Jesperson at a bar in Spokane, Washington in January 1995, she traveled east with him in his truck. Six days after his disappearance,Hurley's body was foundin the Charles River, close to where he asked Mahoney to pick him up. Cloud State University. 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. 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." We need to report this, John.' Investigators have confirmed that he killed at least 8 people, including the woman now known to be Skiple. Photo: Patricia Skiple of Colton, Oregon, had been . 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. She threatened to call the police, and he strangled her. The first victim was found in 1997. In 1990, shortly after his marriage ended, Keith Jesperson, a long-haul trucker from Selah, Washington, began killing women. Sosnovske pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty. ET on ABC. Investigators have revealed the name of a heretofore unidentified victim of the Happy Face Killer, nearly 30 years after her murder. That's when they said she implicated herself in the murder, according to Det. Jesperson married Rose Hucke on August 2, 1975. [26], In 2008, Moore published a book titled Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer's Daughter. [5], That desire manifested in two attempted murders. His older daughter has described witnessing acts of animal cruelty that included Jesperson killing kittens. 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. 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. He duct-taped her mouth and hands before raping and strangling her. Jesperson's last victim was Julie Winningham, who'd been his girlfriend. Many of his victims were sex workers and transients who had no connection to him. 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. In 1975, when Jesperson was aged 20, he married Rose Hucke, and the couple had three children: two daughters and one son. The production features interviews between, Dangerous Ground: My Friendship with a Serial Killer.. After Pavlinac confessed to investigators, her daughter said she got a call from the detectives asking her to come to her mother's house right away. Buddy up at all times. He was reported missing later that day by his mother, and a massive manhunt ensued. Police have not saidif a smiley face was present near the death site. Homan did not arrive for a golf outing the next day. After he raped and strangled her, Jesperson dumped her body near the Columbia River Gorge, outside Portland. 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. His friend told him to get out of the car while he parked. "She slapped him. PHOTO: Justice for Mason/Facebook. I'll hurt your family.'". She was convicted of felony murder and sentenced to life in prison with a 10-year minimum served. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Jesperson sent the photo to the Duquesne University students. Sosnovske was brought in for questioning and denied any involvement. The Santa Clara County Sheriffs Department announced on Tuesday that, using genetic genealogy, they were able to identify a body found in 1993 as Patricia Skiple of Colton, Oregon. The only difference was that the American version, operating in the Midwest throughout the 1990s, spray painted a smiley face on his victims. 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. Jesperson was linked to murdering six other women, some of which remain unknown to this day: an unidentified woman who Jesperson said was named "Claudia" in August 1992 near Blythe, California; Cynthia Lynn Rose in September 1992 in Turlock, California; Lori Ann Pentland in November 1992 in Salem, Oregon; an unidentified woman who Jesperson said was named "Carla" in June 1993 in Santa Nella, California; an unidentified woman who Jesperson said was named "Suzanne" in September 1994 in Crestview, Florida; and Angela Subrize in January 1995 in Laramie County, Wyoming. The body of a woman found near Gilroy, California was this week identified as Patricia Skiple, a victim of the Happy Face Killer. "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. [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. Victim 7: Angela Subrize, 21. His father often punished Jesperson by hitting him with a leather belt. 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. He was sentenced to life in prison while Pavlinac was sentenced to no less than ten years, much more than she had anticipated. After a night of barhopping, Homan headed home at around 10 p.m. with a friend. I thought, 'Oh my God, it felt like I put my mother in jail.'". That triggered him. 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. Keith Hunter Jesperson (born 6 April 1955) is a Canadian-American serial killer who murdered at least eight women in the United States during the early 1990s. I think that she was at a bad place in her life," said her daughter Darlene Carpenter. 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. Her daughters are still trying to understand why their mother did what she did, and why she didn't see another way to end the relationship. Her body was found on a roadside rock pile in Santa Nella, California. 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." Her body disintegrated against the hot asphalt as he drove. Her body was found after his arrest. His death was ruled an undetermined drowning. After the murder, Jesperson remembered they'd spent days together and he'd let her use a credit card. M. William Phelps penned a memoir about his interactions with Jesperson: Dangerous Ground: My Friendship with a Serial Killer (2017). In 1990, Taunja Bennett was found dead near a scenic overlook at the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. Jesperson's last victim was the crime that ultimately led to his capture. He strapped the woman beneath his big rig,. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Director Carl Hindmarch Stars Doug Bates Janine Brugnone Beghtol Rick Buckner See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist 1 User review "She was very giving. According to Gannon and Gilbertson, Homan had various injuries on his head, hands and arms, and they theorized that a mark on his forehead may have been a footprint that was the result of Homan being held down. The book I: the Creation of a Serial Killer (2002), by Jack Olsen, delved into Jesperson's life. Hurley walked outside while Mahoney drove to the stadium to pick him up. I'llgo to the pen. He would go on to share details of the crime on other restroom walls. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Jesperson was a middle child, with an older sister and brother and a younger sister and brother. Now 66, Jesperson is serving five non-consecutive life sentences in Oregon's state penitentiary. Oddly,Geib's head and shoulders were sticking out of the wateras if he had gone for a swim. He split from his wife in 1990 after 15 years of . 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. 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. Jesperson killed his next victim in June 1993 in Santa Nella, California. Happy Face stands out because of Moore 's intimate tie to the criminal in question. On April 23 in Hamburg and the following weekend in Dusseldorf, the bodies of young men were retrieved from waterways. On 30 August 1992, the currently unidentified body of a woman Jesperson had raped and strangled was found near Blythe, California, United States. Jesperson grew up in Chilliwack, Canada before moving to Selah, Washington with his family when he was 12. April 18, 2022, at 9:19 p.m. California 'Happy Face Killer' Victim ID'd After 29 Years. At the time, Pavlinac said she was able to dupe authorities because she had learned details of the crime from newspaper articles and from reading the search warrant without police noticing. That's whyall ofthis doesn'tmake sense. On January 1, 2000, Northern Illinois University junior. The Lonely Hearts Killer, was a truly frightening and twisted serial murderer in the late 1950s. The Pittsburgh police theorized James fell into the river while crossing a bridge near the city center and drowned. She called him a second time, but his cell phone seemed to be out of battery. On Monday, the Santa Clara County Sheriff . T he Smiley Face death toll continues to climb, this time in Germany. Jesperson became a suspect after Winningham's was found since he was known to be her boyfriend. went missing after leaving a Bruins hockey game in Boston,Massachusetts. Others say there is no killer. RUIN SMILEY'S DAY: Follow these tips to minimize the danger of vanishing into thin air one night and ending up another unsolved "drowned" statistic: 1. Serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as the "Happy Face Killer," brutally murdered eight women between 1990 and 1995. [19] To avoid the possibility of facing the death penalty, Sosnovske pleaded no contest. 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. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. 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. The couple divorced in 1990.[8]. 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." To learn more about this case, watch Snapped Notorious: The Happy Face Killer, streaming now on Oxygen. [1], At a very early ageas young as fiveJesperson would capture and torture animals. 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. Canadian-American serial killer (born 1955), "Happy Face Killer" redirects here. Her body was discovered behind the Blueberry Hill Cafe in Turlock, California. Authorities came to believe they had convicted the wrong people. He claimed to have victims in five states: Washington, California, Florida, Wyoming and Oregon. "To come clean get it all over, the record straight. "I don't think she was in love with him. Some of his victims, as seen in this timeline, have never been identified. Or 'I will cause trouble for your family. He then sought work again as an interstate truck driver after relocating to Cheney, Washington.
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