The body of Julie Winningham, 41, of Camas, Washington, was found alongside a Washington State road in 1995. His death was ruleda probable drowning, and there wereno signs of trauma. After he raped and strangled her, Jesperson dumped her body near the Columbia River Gorge, outside Portland. His blood-alcohol concentrationwas only 0.08 percent. [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. She had changed her story so many times that investigators said they wondered if she was telling the truth. Moore, Melissa G. & M. Bridget Cook (2009). He had a relationship with his final victim and became a suspect after her body was discovered in March 1995. Investigators believedhe could have walked to the edge of Lake Michigan, a five-minute walk from the hotel, and fallen in. Murderous Keith Hunter Jesperson became known as the Happy Face Killer for his boasting letters to police, signed with a smiley face. 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. Victim 6: Florida Jane Doe. 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. [4] Because of this, Jesperson was a shy child, content to play by himself much of the time. In November 1992, Jesperson had an encounter with sex worker Laurie Anne Pentland at a truck stop. 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. Keith Hunter Jesperson was born in 1955 in British Columbia, Canada and is a serial killer. Geib's body was found three weeks later in a lake that had previously been searched. [10][14], Jesperson was arrested on 30 March 1995 for the murder of Julie Winningham. And she [said], 'Well, they told me I had to tell you thisbecauseif I told you then they would believe me,'" Carpenter said. 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. . 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. The body of a woman found near Gilroy, California was this week identified as Patricia Skiple, a victim of the Happy Face Killer. That letter-writer turned out to be. Jesperson met 21-year-old Bennett in a bar in Portland, Oregon. When she arrived, however, he was nowhere in sight. . [10] Jesperson soon realized that this job afforded him the opportunity to kill without being suspected. A smiley face was found spray painted on an underpass near where James body was discovered. 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. The book I: the Creation of a Serial Killer (2002), by Jack Olsen, delved into Jesperson's life. '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. Serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as the "Happy Face Killer," brutally murdered eight women between 1990 and 1995. Various witnesses outside the hotel saw Welzien vomiting in the street. The victims were predominately white, male, athletic ("3.5 and above star athletes," according to Gannon), and young from 17 to early 20s. The Insane Details of the Smiley Face Killers Theory; The Most Recent Alleged Smiley Face Killers' Victims Highlight How Long This Theory Has . Homan was the eighth accidental drowning case in La Crosse over a nine-year period. His last known victim was a woman he dated, which led to his capture and incarceration for life. In September 1994, another Jane Doe was found in Crestview, Florida. "Madonna, that's what she listened to all day," White said. Pavlinac's son also died shortly after due to medical reasons. He enjoyed watching animals kill each other as well as the feeling he got from taking their lives. Safety in numbers is the name of the game, before, during and after a night out on the town. A Navy veteran, 24-year-old William Hurley went missing after leaving a Bruins hockey game in Boston,Massachusetts. But it was all a lie. 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. All calls are toll-free and confidential. Jesperson is serving four life sentences without possibility of parole in Oregon. Pavlinac and Sosnovske were both arrested on 5 March 1990 and both were convicted of the murder on 8 February 1991. He showed signs of psychopathic behavior from an early age which included torturing animals and attacking other children. Per Courthouse News Service, Slagle is a registered nurse and grandmother residing in Chico, Calif. Tommy Booth, 24, disappeared on January 19, 2008 from a bar in Woodlyn, Pennsylvania. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He received multiple life sentences for several of these crimes but was spared the death penalty. 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. Largely considered an urban legend, the Smiley Face Killer, like the Manchester Pusher, murdered his victims by drowning. A smiley face was found spray-painted near where Homans body was found. 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. Despite the distance between them, some detectives think that drownings are actually the work of a serial killer or group of serial killers. On October 8, 2009, Hurley went to the game with two friends. 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. Who is the Happy Face Killer Keith Hunter Jesperson? 45 colleged-aged males across a 20-year span. He was known as the "Happy Face Killer" because he drew smiley faces on his many letters to the media and prosecutors. ", This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 19:00. Welzien told his friends he wanted to call it a night and go back to the hotel where they were staying. One of Welzien's friends, Nick Young, stayed behind. Pentlands body was found in November 1992 after being discarded in Salem, Oregon. Director Rick Bota Writer Richard Christian Matheson Stars David Arquette Gloria Reuben Daryl Shuttleworth See production, box office & company info 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. Investigators have confirmed that he killed at least 8 people, including the woman now known to be Skiple. She'sgiveher the shirt off her back," McAlpine said. During his depraved spree, Jesperson taunted authorities with anonymous confessions signed with a smiley face. 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. "I said 'Why is she dead?'" A month later, in Turlock, California, the body of Cynthia Lyn Rose was discovered. "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. This victim has been identified as Cynthia Lynn (Rose) Wilcox. In one six-page letter to The Oregonian newspaper, the serial killer revealed . Taunja Bennett was the first to die. That night, he had been celebrating a friend's 21st birthday with a group of friends. jocks) usually after a night of drinking at a bar are kidnapped, tortured, murdered and then their . [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. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Victim 7: Angela Subrize, 21. , who became known for signing the letters with a happy face symbol thus the Happy Face Killer moniker. 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. [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. Jespersons heinous crimes as well as shocking twists in the case including a couple who took the blame for one of his homicides are covered in bracing detail in the Oxygen special Snapped Notorious: The Happy Face Killer, now streaming. Patricia Skiple of Colton, Oregon, had been . Her identity remains unknown. [15], Although Jesperson at one point claimed to have had as many as 160 victims,[16] only the eight women killed in Washington, Oregon, California, Florida, Nebraska, and Wyoming have been confirmed. Remains found in Merced County, California on June 3, 1993, belonged to a Jesperson victim he has said was called "Cindy." She was killed in Washington state on March 10, 1995, and her body was discovered the next day. I just said it, this is close enough," she said. At school, Jesperson was bigger than his classmates and was taunted with names like "Monster Man" and "Igor." 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. 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. 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. When that did not elicit a response, he began writing letters to the media and authorities. Jesperson's last victim was Julie Winningham, who'd been his girlfriend. He was a 21-year-old student at Fordham University, and his body was found in. 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. "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. For now it remains only a theory that has yet to be proved. 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). Based on Pavlinac's statements, and that Sosnovke failed a polygraph test, authorities arrested Sosnovke on murder charges. The body of 23-year-old Taunja Bennett was found in this remote woodland near the Columbia Gorge in 1990. Victim 1: Taunja Bennett. 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. Pavlinac and Sosnovske were released from prison in November 1995. When investigators asked him why he decided to come forward, Jesperson listed two reasons. 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. His older daughter has described witnessing acts of animal cruelty that included Jesperson killing kittens.