PORTLAND, OREGON – Keith Jesperson, also known as the Happy Face Killer, is a convicted serial killer responsible for the murders of at least 8 women in the early 1990s. His first known victim was Taunja Bennett in 1990. Following the false confession of Laverne Pavlinac, Jesperson remained free to kill seven more people in the next five years. It wasn’t until 1995 that Jesperson confessed to his crimes, ultimately turning himself in to authorities.
Jesperson, a long-haul truck driver and divorced father of three, earned his moniker by leaving letters with a smiley face at the scene of his crimes. After being convicted for the third time in 2010, he is currently serving three consecutive life sentences in the Oregon State Penitentiary. Most of his victims were strangers, with no specific age group targeted.
In his confession to authorities, Jesperson expressed remorse for the false convictions of others, hinting at a possible motive behind the false confession that led to the wrongful conviction of Pavlinac and her boyfriend. Despite this, he took pride in his crimes and even bragged about them. This chilling account of his crimes is now the subject of the Amazon Documentary series Mind of a Monster, available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
As late as 2023, authorities identified Jesperson’s last known victim, Suzanne Kjellenberg, previously the only unidentified victim of the Happy Face Killer. This revelation sheds new light on the extent of his crimes and the lasting impact on his victims’ families. With Jesperson behind bars, the communities affected by his crimes may find some solace in the justice finally served.