The Smiley Face Killers: Detectives Unveil a Horrific Theory in the Mysterious Deaths of Dozens of Young men
(Photo Credit: KTSP.com)
There is a nationwide gang of murderers operating in small cells targeting young, male, predominantly White college students. The killers have covertly murdered dozens of young men in the last decade, perhaps as many as forty, disposing of the bodies in rivers and lakes where the deaths could be explained as accidents. At each scene they leave a spray painted Smiley Face as mute witness to the unrelenting horror that they perpetrate on their fellow man for no other reason than the celebration of their own evil.
On its face it seems absurd, a theory that sounds like the plot of a bad movie or one of those delusional stories told by paranoid conspiracy theorists. It is a scenario so beyond the pale that upon first hearing it you don’t want it to be true.
But two retired police detectives have come forward with the results of their investigation into these deaths, dozens of deaths that span several states, and have provided convincing evidence that a cult of killers has been hunting young men for over ten years, and taunting the police with a bizarre and easily overlooked signature:
A spray-painted smiley face with a taunting grin could be the disturbing signature of a nationwide network of killers who target promising college students.
The chilling symbol has been found at at least 12 sites where young men fitting a distinct profile have been drowned in incidents that were ruled accidents.
Found by two retired NYPD cops, the link could be evidence that at least 40 men in 11 states were victims of a syndicate of serial killers. Four area students were among the victims - all found floating in New York City waters more than a decade ago.
“I believe we’re looking at an organized group that has a hierarchy and is involved in murder and other criminal activity,” retired NYPD Sgt. Kevin Gannon said Monday, noting that some of the deaths in different cities occurred on the same day.
Gannon, a 20-year veteran who worked homicide and missing persons cases, said trademark graffiti left at the sites where the victims have been dumped in the water reveal a pattern of intent - along with the near-identical profiles of the drowned men.
In every case, the victim has been a 19-to-23-year-old white male with high academic achievement and active in competitive sports, said Gannon.
“If this was a random thing, we’d have a wider range of victims,” he said.
Gannon, who has partnered with retired Bronx homicide Detective Anthony Duarte, said the 12 smiley faces have been found at drowning scenes in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa. The crude drawings vary in size, shape and color and at least one had a chilling message written next to it: “The evil, happy, smiley man.”
“They’re laughing at the police,” said Gannon. “They’re happy they’re getting away with this and they’re getting a little more brazen.”
The killings happen in regional clusters - not unlike the time four young men in the city went missing and then surfaced dead in waters surrounding the five boroughs in 1997 and 1998.
Pat Brown has gone on record before as saying signature killers are exceedingly rare. And while there have been serial rapists and murderers who have worked together in teams there has not been, to my knowledge, a network of killers this large (unless you believe the theories of Maury Terry concerning the Son of Sam “cult”) who kill seemingly for sport or pleasure. Gangs that kill do so for materialistic reason or in some cases status, and there is more variety in the victims. These killers have a definite victim profile they work from.
Almost all the victims were White, from 19-23 and were last seen in a bar. All also have some general similarities, each having a “jock” look and being the clean cut, straight laced type. All have very similar hight, weight and even grade point average.
The detectives involved say they have names of suspected gang members, so maybe they will eventually be able to shine some light onto what the motives of these murderers are.
The case has gone national but it was Kristi Piehl who worked with the families and the detectives for a year who broke this story and her reports are as in-depth as you’d expect. KSTP.com has the story written up and accompanied by a video report as well as a collection of evidence and reports to go through. It includes an interactive victim map and an interview with Kristi Piehl on a morning talk program where the ineptitude of the local cops is exposed as playing a part in the killings going undetected.
Fox News is reporting, and there’s a clip of Shep Smith getting details from Eric Shawn available on YouTube.
The Upstate New York town of Canton has reacted to the news with disbelief. The police there have announced they will not reopen the case and are sure Victor Falcon, believed to be one of the Smiley Face Killers victims, drowned accidentally.
Coast to Coast A.M. also has an interview with Kristi Piehl that is interesting. It’s posted on YouTube in seven parts: I, II, III, IV, V, VI and VII.
If this turns out to be true it’ll be one of the most important discoveries in criminology. A nation wide serial killing cult would be considered an urban legend until now, and their exposure would change how we view gangs, serial killers and everything we think we know about crime.
Update: MSNBC has coverage and video from The Today Show.
Also Huffpo put up a story using a link to the very same Pat Brown Crime Library essay I used. To make the same point. About twelve hours later. Just saying.
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on May 1st, 2008 at 12:44 am
Very creepy! Several blogs have added A LOT of info to what the Jenkins family and Gannon had to say. The Sope-Bocks blog has a list of names, a couple of theories and lots of other stuff. I’m printing it out, so I can cross-reference what that guy has written. I think he missed some things, but he does have some of the most in depth data available right now.
Huffpo and a coupla others are developing the story, too. I think the bloggers are going to break this case wide open.
on May 20th, 2008 at 1:33 am
Ah Yes The Laughing Man Syndicate still up to there usual hi-jinks, I’m surprised they have yet to realize the Anime/J. D. Salinger’s relationship of the murders, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laughing_Man_(Ghost_in_the_Shell) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Laughing_Man_(Salinger)
“I thought what I’d do was, I’d pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes.”
Plot summary The novella is told from the point of view of an unnamed narrator recounting his experience as a nine-year-old living in New York City in 1928, but largely takes the structure of a story within a story. As a member of a Boy Scout-like troop called the Comanche Club, the narrator comes into contact with a Scout leader called “The Chief,” a young law student at New York University (NYU) acting as caretaker in his spare time. The Chief is described as somewhat absurd in appearance, but is widely respected by his troop for his athletic strength and storytelling ability. Every day, after the troop has completed its activities for the afternoon, The Chief gathers the boys for the next episode in an ongoing story he tells them about the eponymous Laughing Man. Very much in the format of a serial adventure novel, The Chief’s story-within-a-story describes The Laughing Man as the child of missionaries but kidnapped by bandits in China,
on May 21st, 2008 at 7:01 pm
[…] disturbing … one had a chilling message written next to it: ???The evil, happy, smiley man.??? …http://www.red-alerts.com/homeland-security/the-smiley-face-killers-detectives-unveil-a-horrific-the…’Smiley Face Gang’ Linked to Murder of 40 College Students News …As many as 40 young men believed […]
on May 21st, 2008 at 7:04 pm
[…] laughing at the police,” said Gannon. “They’re happy they’re getting away with this … credit : […]
on July 7th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
The smiley face is a symbol used in Nite club and rave party subculture a lot. Especially in reference to acidhouse music and the drug extacy.
I can’t help but think this might be drug traffic related.
The clients of these drug dealers are often college kids.
This designer drug market is not known for violence or murders like the cocaine market is, but in recent years that might have changed.
on July 8th, 2008 at 3:20 am
Good catch. I wonder if it’s drug related or simply drug fuelled?
on November 14th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
MY SON’S BODY WAS FOUND IN THE C & O CANAL IN GEORGETOWN WASHINGTON DC. THE WASHINGTON DC METROPOLITAN POLICE REFUSED TO INVESTIGATE. THE MEDICAL EXAMINER DEEMED HIS DEATH AS “ACCIDENTAL/ SUICIDAL DROWNING”. THE CANAL IS ONLY 4 FT DEEP. MY SON WAS AN AVID PARTICIPANT ON SWIM TEAMS FOR MORE THAN HALF OF HIS LIFE. ALL OF THIS SEEMED VERY SUSPICIOUS TO ME BUT WHEN I RELAYED MY CONCERN’S TO THE HOMICIDE DETECTIVE I WAS TOLD THERE IS NO CASE AND THERE WILL NOT BE A CASE. COULD THIS BE RELATED?
on March 27th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Mary, First let me say how sorry I am concerning the loss of your son. Second, I am stunned that no one responded to your post. Clearly, your son’s death is very suspicious, and it fits the Smiley Face MO perfectly. The police should have opened a case, and were negligent in dodging their responsibility…an all too common outcome for SFK victims. Thankfully, this subject is finally getting some national attention, so the criminals will eventually be caught. There is a lot of good information accumulating on the net, so do some Google searching. You’ll find a great deal of new information, and (sadly) a lot of stories like your own. For some reason, the police have proven to be incompetent or impotent in this situation. The good news is that there are some good theories circulating, and arrests may be in the near future. I pray that’s the case. You should contact the two detectives in NY who finally elevated this case to a national level. Good luck.
on May 20th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
This afternoon, driving through downtown Sacramento, CA, I was shocked to see a huge, ugly, “smiley face” painted on a metal utility box on the corner of 19th and T Streets. I went around the block, came back and took about 6 photos of that and the other “graffiti” on the box. I’d like for the investigators and/or the journalist to contact me and give me an email address so I can send these pix to them. In all my years of watching graffiti (some of it is really misplaced art) I have never, ever seen a “smiley face.” That is why it was shocking enough for me to want to photograph it and try to get it to somebody who cares. I wouldn’t even consider local law enforcement. However, Gannon, the journalist, or the parents may utilize my email address privately for this purpose, but I don’t want a lot of BS-ers harassing me. The Mad Photographer.
on May 29th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
To the Mad Photographer,
My stepson, Justin Gaines, has been missing since 11/02/07. PLEASE either go to the website http://www.nationwideinvestigations.us to reach the detectives on this-there are several email links there to contact them, or email me at searchforjustin@live.com. Thank you for this!