Keith Jesperson

Case record: Keith Jesperson

Identifiers

• Name: Keith Jesperson
• Also known as: “Happy Face Killer”
• Born: April 6, 1955
• Nationality/Background: Canadian-born American serial killer known as the “Happy Face Killer” for the smiley face he drew on his many letters to the media.

STATUS and confinement

Keith Jesperson was serving three consecutive life sentences at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem. He was sentenced to life in prison in Oregon on June 3, 1998.

Background

Keith Hunter Jesperson lived and worked as an interstate truck driver, including work in Cheney, Washington. He sought work toward being a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, but during training he sustained a fall during a training exercise and was permanently dismissed.

As a child, Keith Jesperson was the middle child of two brothers, Bruce and Brad, and two sisters, Sharon and Jill. He was segregated and treated differently by the rest of his family. His father, Leslie (Les) Jesperson, charged Keith room and board at 30 dollars a week while his brothers and sisters paid nothing.

Jesperson tortured animals and set fire to houses and wooded areas.

The Jespersons moved from British Columbia to the United States. In Selah, Washington, Jesperson had trouble fitting in and making friends. His brothers nicknamed him “Igor” or “Ig”, and the name stuck throughout high school.

Jesperson was quoted as saying:

" It was their fate to die by my hands, like a car accident or illness. "

In his later life, he began taking up painting as a hobby in prison and sold his artwork over the internet.

Family and relationships

Jesperson married Rose Hucke in 1975. They had three children: two daughters and one son. Several years later, Hucke began to suspect Jesperson was having affairs; tension in the marriage increased and after 14 years, Hucke moved with their children 200 miles away to live with her parents in Spokane, Washington. The oldest child, Melissa, was 10 years old. The couple divorced in 1990.

Jesperson’s daughter, Melissa G. Moore, appeared on the Dr. Phil Show in November 2008, and she was also featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show on September 17, 2009, and a 20/20 special on August 20, 2010. Moore was the author of “Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer’s Daughter”.

Moore lived with her father until the divorce in 1990 between Keith Jesperson and her mother Rose. Moore noticed her father was different when she was in elementary school. Their house bordered an apple orchard, and her dad killed stray cats and gophers that wandered nearby. One day she watched, horrified, as he hanged her pet kittens from the family’s clothes line and beat them; when she and her mother returned, the kittens lay on the ground dead. Moore said he had watched and laughed as the kittens clawed each other to escape.

Offence and pattern of killing

Keith Jesperson murdered eight people, and he was described as murdering eight women over the course of five years. Strangulation was described as his preferred method for killing women and for killing animals as a child.

He introduced himself to his first known victim, Taunja Bennett, at a bar, then invited her to the house he was renting. After an argument, he beat and strangled her.

His other confirmed murders included victims in Oregon, California and Wyoming, and additional killings were attributed to him by his confessions.

While Jesperson claimed he had killed as many as 160 people, only eight murders were confirmed.

Timeline

• January 23, 1990 — First known victim, Taunja Bennett, was killed near Portland, Oregon.
• April 12, 1990 — Jesperson was approached by an intoxicated woman carrying an infant in a shopping center parking lot in Mt. Shasta, California; the woman was “Jean” and her child was described as her six month old son.
• Spring 1989 — Laverne Pavlinac telephoned the FBI and falsely accused John Sosnovske of robbing banks.
• February 1991 — Laverne Pavlinac and John Sosnovske were convicted of the murder of Jesperson’s first victim in February 1991.
• August 30, 1992 — Body of a woman Jesperson raped and strangled was found near Blythe, California.
• November 1992 — Fourth victim’s body, Laurie Ann Pentland of Salem, Oregon, was found in November 1992.
• July 1993 — A Jane Doe “street person” was found in Santa Nella, California.
• September 14, 1994 — Another Jane Doe was found in Crestview, Florida.
• January 1995 — Jesperson agreed to take Angela Surbrize from Spokane, Washington toward Indiana.
• March 10, 1995 — Jesperson strangled Julie Ann Winningham in Washougal, Washington.
• March 30, 1995 — Jesperson was arrested for the murder of Winningham.
• November 27, 1995 — Laverne Pavlinac and John Sosnovske were released from prison.
• September 2009 — Jesperson was indicted for murder in Riverside County, California.
• December 2009 — Jesperson was extradited to California to face the charges.
• June 3, 1998 — Jesperson copped a plea and was sentenced to life imprisonment in Oregon.
• November 3, 1995 — Jesperson pled guilty to Bennett’s murder and two other Oregon slayings and was sentenced to life imprisonment.
• March 11, 1995 — The body of Julie Ann Winningham was found.

Investigation

Early investigation into Taunja Bennett

In the homicide investigation of Winningham, witnesses described Jesperson as having a “Baby Huey” appearance.

After the body of Taunja Bennett was found, detectives scoured bars and truckstops where Bennett was known to spend much of her time. A café employee recalled frequent customer John Sosnovske boasting he had murdered a woman he met in a bar, and a waitress said:

"He was laughing," a waitress told police. "He thought ¡t was a big joke."

An envelope addressed to Sosnovske was found with “T. Bennett-a Good Piece” written on the back. Sosnovske denied killing Taunja or writing the message.

Laverne Pavlinac changed her story and admitted watching John Sosnovske rape and kill Tauni on the night of January 21, 1990.

Police obtained a search warrant for the couple’s home, and none of Bennett’s missing personal effects were found.

Messages and letters

A message was found written on a men’s room wall at the Greyhound bus depot in Livingston, Montana:

"I killed Taunia Bennett January 21, 1990, in Portland, Oregon. 1 beat her to death, raped her and loved ¡t. I'm sick but 1 enjoy myself too. Two people took the blame and I'm free."

A second message was found in a truckstop men’s room in Umatilla, Oregon:

"l killed Taunia Bennett in Portland. Two people got the blame so I can kill again."

Both messages were signed with a “happy face”—a circle with two dots for eyes and a broad crescent smile.

In 1994, the Portland Oregonian received a letter in the same handwriting signed with the same smiling face. The author claimed a total of six victims, including five more in Oregon and one in California:

"l feel bad," he wrote, " but I will not turn myself in. I am not stupid. "

The letter also stated:

In a lot of opinions I should be killed and I feel I deserve ¡t. My resposiblity [sic] is mine and God will be my judge wben I die. I am telling you this because I will be responsibil [sic] for these crimes and no one else. It all started when I wondered what ¡t would be like to kill someone. And I found out. What a nightmare ¡t has been.

The letter closed with:

"Look over your shoulder. I'm closer than you think."

Later, Jesperson wrote letters to media outlets and police departments confessing to his murders, starting with a six-page letter to The Oregonian.

Jesperson also wrote a confession on the bathroom wall of a truck stop and signed it with a smiley face.

Phil Stanford, the journalist working the story for The Oregonian, dubbed Jesperson “The Happy Face Killer”.

Identification of Angela Subrize remains

A tattoo and x rays identified Angela Subrize as 21-year-old Angela Subrize, last seen alive in Wyoming with Jesperson in January 1995. After the remains were found, investigators identified her by examining pelvic x-rays and finding the tattoo of Tweety Bird on one of her ankles.

The remains were found near the shoulder of Interstate 80 near Gothenberg, and they were lying in tall grass for several months.

Clark County Jail confessions and case reopening

While Jesperson sat in the Clark County Jail for the murder of Julie Winningham, he began talking to his attorney, Thomas Phelan, about other crimes he had committed starting with Taunja Bennett.

In custody, Jesperson revealed details of his killings and made claims of many others, which he later recanted. Police agencies in several states reopened old cases after his disclosures.

Jesperson told investigators details that led police to Taunja Bennett’s missing purse location, and that location had not been released to the press.

Arrest and custody

Arrest for Taunja Bennett-related case

Jesperson was arrested in Corning, California at gunpoint soon after evidence he revealed led police to him. He was questioned at the scene, then un-cuffed and told to speak to a detective with the Shasta Police Department.

He was released despite a charge being filed for sexual assault and a felony warrant being issued after he failed to appear in court.

He was later arrested in Iowa after law enforcement ran his name in the National Crime Information Center database and found the outstanding warrant from California. The charge was reduced to a misdemeanor, and he was eventually exonerated of all charges due to the extradition cost being not worth it.

Arrest for Julie Ann Winningham

Jesperson was questioned by police about Winningham about a week before his arrest, but police had no grounds to arrest him after he refused to talk.

He had two failed suicide attempts and then turned himself in hoping for leniency during sentencing. Jesperson was arrested on March 30, 1995 for the murder of Winningham.

He was later formally charged with Winningham’s murder.

Trial

Conviction of Laverne Pavlinac and John Sosnovske

Laverne Pavlinac and John Sosnovske were convicted of the murder of Jesperson’s first victim in February 1991. Sosnovske pleaded guilty to felony murder and kidnapping and received a life sentence with parole eligibility after 15 years. Pavlinac was sentenced to 10 years in prison for her alleged role in the crime.

Dispute during Bennett case

There were reported problems with Pavlinac’s story. Police had witnesses who reported seeing Taunja Bennett at a bar in Gresham the night she died, 25 miles from where she was alleged to have met Sosnovske. Those witnesses said Bennett was playing pool with two unidentified men neither of them John Sosnovske.

Sentencing and later legal steps

Jesperson guilty plea and life sentence (Oregon)

On November 3, 1995, Jesperson pled guilty to Bennett’s murder and two other Oregon slayings and subsequently was sentenced to life imprisonment.

On June 3, 1998, Jesperson copped another plea on admitting the Subrize murder in exchange for another life sentence, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment in Oregon.

Release of Pavlinac and Sosnovske from prison

On November 27, 1995, Pavlinac and Sosnovske were released from prison after Jesperson and his attorney offered his confession with convincing evidence of his guilt.

Jesperson gave the police officers the location of the victim’s purse, which had not been found and was considered information only the killer would know.

Offences described in detail (victims and methods)

Taunja Bennett (first known victim)

Taunja Bennett was 23 years old and was last seen alive by her parents a week before her body was found. She was strangled with a rope still tied around her neck; her bra was pulled up to expose her breasts and pants were bunched around her ankles. An autopsy revealed the woman had been sexually assaulted.

Jesperson’s account described he invited Bennett to the house he rented, had sex with her, then started an argument that ended with him brutally beating and strangling her to death. He established an alibi by going back out for some drinks and conversing with others, then returning to retrieve Bennett’s body and belongings to dispose of them. The body was found a few days later with no suspects and no leads at that time.

A student from Mt. Hood Community College bicycling along the Old Scenic Highway north of Portland discovered Bennett’s corpse lying off to one side.

After Bennett’s body was found, media attention surrounded Pavlinac, who had falsely confessed to having killed Bennett with her abusive boyfriend.

Mount Shasta, California sexual assault case

On Thursday, April 12, 1990, around 10 pm, in a shopping center parking lot in Mt. Shasta, California next to the I-5 corridor, Jesperson was approached by an intoxicated woman carrying an infant. The woman introduced herself as Jean and her child as her six month old son.

Both ended up in Jesperson’s car. The conversation turned sexual and they drove to a remote location. During an act of oral sex while the infant lay in the back seat, Jean asked to be driven home. Jesperson forced her to finish the act and then attempted to break her neck when she became angry. Failing to break her neck and not wanting to kill the child, Jesperson returned the woman and her child to the shopping center.

Jesperson was arrested at gunpoint in Corning, California. His personal details revealed led police to him. He told investigators about an empty liquor bottle near the parking lot which he claimed was Jean’s. His version was apparently more believable than Jean’s and he was released.

Despite release, a charge was filed for sexual assault. A felony warrant was issued after he did not appear in court. He was later arrested in Iowa and the charge was reduced to a misdemeanor; he was eventually exonerated of all charges.

Claudia (Jane Doe near Blythe, California)

On August 30, 1992, the body of a woman Jesperson raped and strangled was found near Blythe, California. Jesperson said the Jane Doe’s name was Claudia.

Cynthia Lyn Rose (Turlock, California)

A month later in Turlock, California, the body of Cynthia Lyn Rose was discovered. Jesperson claimed she was a prostitute who entered his truck at a truck stop while he slept.

Laurie Ann Pentland (Salem, Oregon)

Jesperson identified Laurie Ann Pentland of Salem, Oregon as the fourth victim; her body was found in November of that year. Jesperson said she attempted to double the fee for sex he engaged in, threatened to call the police, and he strangled her.

Jane Doe in Santa Nella, California

More than six months before the next victim was found in July 1993, a Jane Doe “street person” was found in Santa Nella, California. Police originally considered her death a drug overdose.

Jane Doe in Crestview, Florida

In September 1994, another Jane Doe was found in Crestview, Florida. Jesperson claimed her name was Susanne.

Angela Surbrize (Spokane to Indiana; Wyoming killing; Nebraska remains)

In January 1995, Jesperson agreed to take Angela Surbrize from Spokane, Washington to Indiana in his truck. Approximately a week into the trip, Surbrize became impatient and began to nag Jesperson to hurry up so she could see her boyfriend. In response, Jesperson raped and strangled her.

Jesperson then strapped Surbrize to the undercarriage of his truck and dragged her face down “to grind off her face and prints.” Her body was not found for several months and was found only after Jesperson gave details to police.

Sergeant Terry Bohlig of the Laramie County, Wyoming Sheriff’s Department caught the assignment in that jurisdiction since it was believed Angela had been killed in Wyoming. Investigators later found Angela’s remains lying near Interstate 80 near Gothenberg after receiving information from Jesperson relayed by Clark County.

Julie Ann Winningham (Washougal, Washington)

Julie Ann Winningham was 41, of Camas, Washington. Her body was believed to have been murdered on March 10, 1995 in Washougal, Washington. She was the only victim Jesperson had a link to which led police to his trail.

Jesperson strangled her. He was arrested on March 30, 1995 for her murder. He was indicted for murder in Riverside County, California in September 2009, which resulted in extradition to California in December.

A former resident of Salt Lake City, Winningham had lately resided in nearby Camas before she dropped out of sight; her body was found on March 11.

Evidence and confessions

Confession details and evidence for Bennett

Jesperson led police to the location of Bennett’s missing purse. Investigators believed the information was known only to the killer.

Jesperson also led detectives to evidence supporting his version of events in other matters, including showing an empty liquor bottle near the parking lot in the Mt. Shasta incident.

Letter to The Columbian and prison statements

Jesperson was identified with the “Happy Face” notes after a letter was received by The Oregonian in 1994. In a letter alluding to desire to be caught and that he was “the Happy Face Killer,” Jesperson stated:

"I know what I’ve done has been wrong, and I feel sorry for all the families of my victims…I am in fact the Happy Face Killer…I created that man because I wanted to be stopped, but it is hard to just come out and say it…I have prayed many nights in this cold dark prison cell for the answer and God has told me to come clear with it all, tell the truth about everything. I will not be happy until I am replacing that man (Sosnovske) in the Oregon State Penitentiary for the crime I did and he goes free…Most people will say that I am a monster! I am not a monster! Just like the movie, Jurassic Park, I was created by people….”

Jesperson’s confessions were followed by reopened cases across multiple states.

Other details

Quotes connected to animal violence

“I was Arnold Schwarzenegger,” Jesperson bragged to a reporter. “It was like I was playing war. When I looked at those dogs, they would squat and pee. They’d be so scared that they’d tremble.”

Jesperson also said:

“You come to the point where killing something is nothing,” Jesperson said. “It’s the same feeling,” he said, whether he was strangling a human being or an animal. “You’ve already felt the pressure on the throat of them trying to grab air. You’re actually squeezing the life out of these animals and there isn’t much difference. They’re gonna fight for their lives just as much as a human being will.”

He wrote:

“Abusive behavior towards animals is one of the symptoms on the road to being a murderer.”

He also stated:

“All this did is spawn in me the urge to kill again,” Jesperson said. “I began to think of what it would be like to do the same to a human. The thought stayed with me for years, until one night it happened. I killed a woman by beating her almost to death and finished her off by strangulation,” he said, explaining how he killed Taunja Bennett. “No longer did I search for animals to mistreat. I now looked for people to kill. And I did. I killed over and over until I was caught. Now I’m paying for it with the rest of my life behind bars. We should stop the cruelty to anything before it develops into a bigger problem, like me.”

Attorney and correspondence

During the murder of Julie Winningham case, Jesperson began talking to his attorney, Thomas Phelan, about other crimes he had committed.

Jesperson wrote a letter to his brother before turning himself in. The letter included:

“Seems like my luck has run out. I will never be able to enjoy life on the outside again. I got into a bad situation and got caught up with emotion. I killed a woman in my truck during an argument. With all the evidence against me it looks like I truly am a black sheep. The court will appoint me a lawyer and there will be a trial. I am sure they will kill me for this. "

He continued:

“I am sorry that I turned out this way. I have been a killer for five years and have killed eight people, assaulted more. I guess I haven’t learned anything. "

And:

“Dad always has worried about me because of what I have gone through in the divorce, finances, etc. I have been taking it out on different people…As I saw it, I was hoping they would catch me. I took forty-eight sleeping pills last night, and I woke up well rested. The night before, I took two bottles of pills to no avail. They will arrest me today.”

Late case developments in California

Michael Newton described a June 15, 2006 charge alleging strangling a woman in California in 1993 and dumping her body near a highway overpass. The narrative identified the defendant as Keith Hunter Jesperson, 55, known as the “Happy Face Killer” and serving two life terms for murders in Oregon and Wyoming.

Santa Clara County prosecutors said they withheld filing charges while they tried to determine the victim’s identity. Prosecutor David Tomkins said:

"We knew he wasn't going anywhere," prosecutor David Tomkins said.

Tomkins also said:

"We're hoping someone out there knows her," Tomkins said. "She deserves a name."