OR OR/WA/CA/WY - KEITH HUNTER JESPERSON *The Happy Face Killer*

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/109172_kondromissing22.shtml?rand=48644.5

Time and distance, Keith Hunter Jesperson says, is all it takes. Separate yourself from the body and don't be seen. Meet a victim one place, dump her someplace else -- in another town, another county, another state -- somewhere no one is looking for the missing.


And even if a body is found, both killers know that paying attention to matters of time and distance can mean that police can't always determine who that body belongs to, or who did the victim in.

He drove miles away to discard Bennett's purse and Walkman in bushes along a river, before getting coffee at a truck stop.
"When you're throwing away bodies, the real adversary out there is not the police, it's the public," Jesperson says. "You're trying to avoid being seen by them. You can't be placed at a dumpsite."


All the while Jesperson was picking up women along his truck route, dumping their bodies in ditches and along roads, sometimes miles away from where he met them. No one even knew a serial killer was at large -- until he decided to brag.



They didn't even know I was a serial killer until I told them," Jesperson says. "They had me down for one murder and that's it."




Yea right. This guy thinks he's a genius. He's just a bully with a serious temper problem . Like hes' so hard to figure out.

and a coward.

Thanks for the link, very interesting articles.

Too often people are complacent and think that murderers are thugs and idiots. They often prove to be intelligent, cunning, and plain evil. They have shown extreme patience in seeking victims. Predators prey on good people's trust. Predators want people to drop their guard, to tell their friends and family "don't be so paranoid" or of their children, "don't be over protective, give them some freedom". Even with the most diligent parent, there can be opportunities for predators. I was reading about a case where a boy was lost in the woods. The predator was just "driving by" and snatched the boy. I read transcripts of the 911 call and realized that even though the predator could have just "happened by" he could also have been listening to a police/search and rescue scanner waiting for an opportunity. If someone caught him he could be the hero who found the child, but if no one saw... Just like the killer in the article who knew his victims and had their trust and possibly the trust of their parents, he most likely had a plausible explanation of why the child was with him, if he was caught... Several of the killers I've read about, gained the trust of the children they victimized because they (the killer) had children. I do believe that there are "red flags" sent up with some people and I believe people should err on the side of caution and they should trust their instincts. So many times I read the parent's statements to say essentially, "I just looked away for a moment and he/she was gone!" The scary things is that we probably all have looked away for a moment -- many times and were lucky that there wasn't someone lying in wait. I think it is essential that parents know how these predators think, if for no other reason than to validate their own good judgment.

Zanko said:

Too often people are complacent and think that murderers are thugs and idiots. They often prove to be intelligent, cunning, and plain evil. They have shown extreme patience in seeking victims. Predators prey on good people's trust. Predators want people to drop their guard, to tell their friends and family "don't be so paranoid" or of their children, "don't be over protective, give them some freedom". Even with the most diligent parent, there can be opportunities for predators. I was reading about a case where a boy was lost in the woods. The predator was just "driving by" and snatched the boy. I read transcripts of the 911 call and realized that even though the predator could have just "happened by" he could also have been listening to a police/search and rescue scanner waiting for an opportunity. If someone caught him he could be the hero who found the child, but if no one saw... Just like the killer in the article who knew his victims and had their trust and possibly the trust of their parents, he most likely had a plausible explanation of why the child was with him, if he was caught... Several of the killers I've read about, gained the trust of the children they victimized because they (the killer) had children. I do believe that there are "red flags" sent up with some people and I believe people should err on the side of caution and they should trust their instincts. So many times I read the parent's statements to say essentially, "I just looked away for a moment and he/she was gone!" The scary things is that we probably all have looked away for a moment -- many times and were lucky that there wasn't someone lying in wait. I think it is essential that parents know how these predators think, if for no other reason than to validate their own good judgment.

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Don't I know it. After first hearing of a horrific crime on a family friend I know what lurks. Thats why I won't give up.Ever.........

I was just reading about this awful man, are some of his victims still UID How sad...


http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/jesperson/murder_1.html

By Melissa Moore
Independent IE
Saturday October 15 2011
Full Article: click here

Jesperson is known to have killed eight women over the course of five years. Strangulation was his preferred method, the same method he often used to kill animals as a child. 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 her abusive boyfriend. Jesperson was upset that he was not getting the attention, and first drew the smiley face on the bathroom wall where he wrote an anonymous confession for the murder, hundreds of miles away from the scene of the crime. When that did not elicit a response, he began writing the letters to media and prosecutors. Many of his victims were prostitutes and transients with no connection to him; however, his final victim was his long-time girlfriend. That connection is ultimately what led to his downfall. While Jesperson has claimed to have killed as many as 160 people, only eight murders have been confirmed.

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Keith Hunter Jesperson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

INTERVIEW WITH KEITH HUNTER JESPERSON
Does any one crime sit out for you? Why?


Well, I guess I have to go back to Weed, California, in 1988. I was dating my girlfriend Roberta Ellis. She worked at what was the "Truck Village Truck Stop" on truck village drive, south of Weed. One night I was supposed to see her and she didn't show up. I was talking with this woman for hours in the restaurant called "Silvia's". She was glad I was stood up and wanted to party. So we went into my truck and did just that for hours. You could say we were in the middle of things when a knock came to the door. I looked out to see Roberta standing there. I motioned to her to run into Silva's to get a booth and I would be right in. Not wanting to blow my relationship with Roberta, I turned to my new friend who now was wanting to be my new lover and pal and grabbed her by the throat and held her till she passed out. Tying her up and gagging her, I taped the knots so they would stay tight. Then I went in to see Roberta. Two hours later, I said goodbye to Roberta and returned to my victim. She wasn't being very cooperative and so I felt I needed to show her a lesson. Grabbing her again I had pulled my truck my truck and trailer to another location. I placed her unconscience body under or right in front of the trailer tires. I got into the truck and pulled up the tires to rest on her body. Locking the trailer tires with my Johnny Bar, I pulled forward making the once good looking woman into a pile of unlookable streak of flesh. Like roadkill this freshly killed dear resembled a freshly killed deer. But I guess now it will be the topic of yet another search to see if it happened or not. I'm sure the Yreka County Sheriff's would like to know about this.

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http://serialkillercalendar.com/KEITH-JESPERSON-INTERVIEW.html

HAPPY FACE KILLER SPEAKS FROM JAIL.

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/happy-face-killer-speaks-prison-talks-interview-murder-murderer-killings-take-lives-Jesperson-11441251

shadowraiths said:

By Melissa Moore
Independent IE
Saturday October 15 2011

Sitting on the swing in the backyard of our home in Spokane, Washington, one spring afternoon three years ago, my six-year-old daughter Aspen asked me an innocent question: "Mommy, where's your daddy? Everybody has a daddy. Where's yours?"

It was a moment I had been dreading. I gave Aspen a quick answer: "He lives in Salem, Oregon." This was true, but the whole truth was so horrific that I had spent 15 years trying to forget it.

My father, Keith Jesperson, was in jail. He had confessed to raping and murdering eight women between 1990 and 1995, and was serving multiple life sentences at Oregon State Prison. He will never be released.

I was 15 when I found out my father was a murderer -- a serial killer, to be precise. The same doting six-foot-six dad who used to throw me over his shoulder and spin me round as I giggled and laughed with joy had strangled eight women and dumped their bodies at our favourite family vacation spots.

The media gave my father a nickname, The Happy Face Killer, because he sent letters bragging about his crimes to the press and signed them with a smiley face.​

Full Article: click here

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If you've not read the daughter's book I recommend it...

Link to official book website:

http://www.shatteredsilencebook.com/

I don't know if I can read it. Just thinking about this monster being housed in my state creates enough fear in my bones.

I read the book by Jack Olsen about Jesperson. It is called I: The Creation of a Serial Killer and this man is terrifying. It struck me that he had absolutely no emotion or feeling for others. I guess that is common for SK's.

norest4thewicked said:

I read the book by Jack Olsen about Jesperson. It is called I: The Creation of a Serial Killer and this man is terrifying. It struck me that he had absolutely no emotion or feeling for others. I guess that is common for SK's.

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I read the daughters book first and then the book written by Jesperson with Jack Olsen - and I agree - he had virtually no emotion at all - frightening...

I'm glad I read the daughter's book first - she really is an inspiration.

Can you imagine what the families of serial killers go through. Especially if its your father and a father that you love and have good memories with. What a brave woman to come out and talk about it.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/07/30/cops-seek-help-to-id-vctim-happy-face-killer/?intcmp=hplnws

LE is seeking the public's help in an attempt to ID a victim of the "Happy Face Killer.


The victim is likely from Florida or Nevada and named Suzanne, Suzette or Susan, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

Jesperson told investigators he picked up the woman, who was heading to Reno, at a truck stop in Tampa in 1994. He later raped and killed her before dumping her body.

Now 60 years old, Jesperson is serving life in prison. He’s called the “Happy Face Killer” because of smiley faces he left on notes confessing to his crimes.

TedMac said:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/07/30/cops-seek-help-to-id-vctim-happy-face-killer/?intcmp=hplnws

LE is seeking the public's help in an attempt to ID a victim of the "Happy Face Killer.

The victim is likely from Florida or Nevada and named Suzanne, Suzette or Susan, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

Jesperson told investigators he picked up the woman, who was heading to Reno, at a truck stop in Tampa in 1994. He later raped and killed her before dumping her body.

Now 60 years old, Jesperson is serving life in prison. He’s called the “Happy Face Killer” because of smiley faces he left on notes confessing to his crimes.

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I realize it is a huge long shot but there is a missing person from Orlando, FL in the right time period who does slightly resemble the sketch/representation that were provided.

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...isa-Maureen-Brady-Sloan-23-Orlando-1-May-1994
Most of the suspicion it seems in Melisa's case focused on her husband.

Yet another one who had glaring red flags his entire life, yet "nobody" saw them.

Being an OTR truck driver afforded him the ability to kill multiple victims, and distribute their bodies hundreds of miles away

This is the basis of the FBI highway serial killings initiative