Table of Biography
Early Life
On the 6th of April, 1955, Keith Hunter Jesperson was born in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. According to his date of birth, he is 68 years old as of 2023 and has a birth sign, Aries. He is American by nationality and belongs to the Caucasian-American ethnicity. Meanwhile, his religious belief is yet to be disclosed by him.
Following his family background, he was born to his parents; Leslie Jesperson and Gladys Wilson. He grew up with his four siblings: two brothers and two sisters. Their names are not publicly available, as they chose to maintain their privacy. According to Jesperson, his father was an abusive alcoholic who regularly beat him and his siblings.
Education and Early Career
Keith Hunter Jesperson later claimed that he was sexually abused by a family member when he was a child. Moreover, he dropped out of high school in the 10th grade and joined the Canadian Army.
Keith Hunter Jesperson was eventually discharged for misconduct and moved to the United States, where he worked as a truck driver. Working as a long-haul truck driver for many years before his arrest and conviction for a series of murders in the early 1990s.
He traveled across the United States, often for long periods of time, and used his job as a cover for his crimes. Jesperson’s work as a truck driver allowed him to move around the country and avoid suspicion while he carried out his killings.
However, his job also provided important clues that eventually led to his capture, as investigators were able to link his movements and the timing of his crimes to his trucking routes and schedule.
As a Murderer
Keith Hunter Jesperson committed a series of murders between 1990 and 1995, during which he killed at least eight women. However, he has claimed responsibility for as many as 160 murders.
Meanwhile, his victims were typically women whom he met at truck stops, motels, or other locations along his trucking route. He would lure them into his truck, where he would assault and kill them. His victims included Taunja Bennett, a 23-year-old woman whom he killed in January 1990, and Julie Ann Winningham, a 41-year-old woman whom he killed in May 1995.
Jesperson earned the nickname “The Happy Face Killer” because of the smiley face symbols he drew on letters he sent to the media and to law enforcement agencies, in which he claimed responsibility for his crimes. He was eventually caught in March 1995 after he murdered his last victim, Angela Subrize, and left a note confessing to the killing at a truck stop restroom in California.
Jesperson sentenced to life in prison
Jesperson was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for his crimes. He was convicted of murder in Oregon in 1998 for the killing of Taunja Bennett and sentenced to life in prison.
Moreover, he was later extradited to California, where he pleaded guilty to the murder of Julie Ann Winningham and was again sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Caption: Keith Hunter Jesperson appearing in court (Source: Daily Mail)
Additionally, investigators have linked him to several other murders across the United States, although no charges or convictions have been made against him for these crimes. In interviews with law enforcement and in his own writings, Jesperson has claimed responsibility for as many as 160 murders, although many of these claims have not been substantiated.
He is currently serving his sentence at the Oregon State Penitentiary. Moreover, he has been denied parole multiple times and is expected to remain in prison for the rest of his life.
Movies
The American serial killer known as the “Happy Face Killer” gained notoriety for his conviction in the killings of at least eight women between 1990 and 1995. Numerous books and movies have explored his story. In 2014, a television movie titled “Happy Face Killer” was produced, depicting the crimes committed by Jesperson and his eventual arrest.
The Netflix documentary series “The Confession Killer” (2019) tells the story of Henry Lee Lucas, another American serial killer who confessed to over 600 murders, some of which were later attributed to Jesperson. However, the documentary does not specifically focus on Jesperson.
Books
Relationship Status
Caption: Keith Hunter Jesperson with his family (Source: The Sun)