Sunday, 17 February 2013
Smiley face murder theory
The Smiley face murder theory (variations include Smiley face murders, Smiley face killings, Smiley face gang, and others) is a theory advanced by two retired New York City detectives, Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte, that a number of young men found dead in bodies of water across several states over the last decade did not accidentally drown, as concluded by law enforcement agencies, but were victims of a serial killer or killers.
Letter from Congressman Sam Graves to the Honorable Robert Muller concerning new evidence and a request that FBI reopen the Smiley Face Killings.
As recently as 2008, Gannon and Duarte were examining evidence going back to the late 1990s that they believe connects the deaths of 40 or more college-age males, whose dead bodies were found in water in 11 states, often after leaving parties or bars where they were drinking. The men, according to the former detectives, often fit a profile of being popular, athletic, and good students, and most were white.
Gannon and Duarte have theorized that the young men were all murdered, either by an individual or by an organized group of killers. The term smiley face became connected to the alleged murders when it was made public that Gannon and Duarte had discovered graffiti depicting a smiley face near locations where they think the killer dumped the bodies in at least a dozen of the cases.
[edit]Reception of the theory
Other police forces that have investigated the deaths dispute the conclusion that the cases are linked. The Lacrosse, Wisconsin police department, which was in charge of eight of the investigations, released an official statement reiterating their original conclusions that the deaths were accidental drownings of inebriated men and stating that no smiley face symbols were found in connection with any of these cases. The Center for Homicide Research in Minneapolis, MN has recently published a research brief that also attempts to scientifically refute the theory. In March 2009, Lee Gilbertson, a criminal justice faculty member at St. Cloud State University, voiced his support for the theory on an episode of Larry King Live which discussed the alleged murders.
Criminal profiler Pat Brown calls the serial killer theory "ludicrous", arguing that the evidence does not fit what is known about serial killers. Brown also believes that the smiley face images found in some of the cases are likely nothing more than coincidences based upon making a guess at where the body entered the water and searching a wide area until an example of smiley face graffiti can be found. "It's not an unusual symbol," she told Matt Smith of the Minneapolis-based newspaper City Pages. "If you look in an area five miles square, I bet you could find a smiley face."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued the following statement:
"...The FBI has reviewed the information about the victims provided by two retired police detectives, who have dubbed these incidents the “Smiley Face Murders,” and interviewed an individual who provided information to the detectives. To date, we have not developed any evidence to support links between these tragic deaths or any evidence substantiating the theory that these deaths are the work of a serial killer or killers. The vast majority of these instances appear to be alcohol-related drownings. The FBI will continue to work with the local police in the affected areas to provide support as requested..."
Ruben Rosario of the Pioneer Press questions the motives of Kevin Gannon. He states that Gannon has failed to provide any factual evidence that a group of killers exists, and that others, like reporter Kristi Piehl (the original reporter of Gannon and Duarte's theory), and some of the parents of the young men, who were at first encouraged by Gannon, now wonder if he isn't actually hurting the families who are trying to get over the loss of a child. One of the parents, Bill Szostak, and Rosario even speculate that Gannon is out for either money or the notoriety and press attention. Another parent, Kathy Geib, is working with Piehl and others, but their main goal now is just to get police to take a compulsory second look at cases of alcohol-related drownings
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I killed Shuh(pronounced shoe) and Blatz that was at Sneakers Bar.
ReplyDeleteI killed Shuman ,luke jamES HOman in September of 2006 and a couple months later a guy at a bar with a large boot on it.
I killed Brian Barker and a guy at the Dapper Dog and a guy at a Ratdog concert.. The Dapper Dog victim had a dog named Lizzie and was named McNeil so I killed a guy at a bar called lizzie Mcneils. His name was matt philliP SOUmakis and that was right after I killed Campbell. I dumped Justin Bogart Hayduk at the Humphrey Coal mine and killed A(dam) F(alco)n right after killing Olberding. I killed someone in (A)lbany Riddley (M)iddlebury consecutive months . It was no coincidence Charles Blatz was already dead was missing his arm . It was not a coincidence the Albany victim was at a bar on a pearl street and so was Charles Blatz. It was not a coincidence Booth was at a bar called Bootleggers and Blatz was at Sneakers bar. It was also not a coincidence that the Middlebury victim was killed at the Lacrosse playing field and Blatz was in Lacrosse. These are not all tragic and accidental deaths . I left the victims belongings at the indian statue in LaCrosse and put Jenkins who was dressed like one in a pose like the statue. Both had their arms crossed the same way. Did you know Jenkins was the co captain of the LaCrosse team? I killed Ross who had the nicknames of Ron Howard characters and his full name was jesse warreN ROss and than the next month Nick Rossini. I killed a guy in watertown and left the body at a water tower. I killed Newville after inviting him to a party in New London I killed Thursby on thursday and jared DION or DI -ON as I call it in Lacrosse on Good Friday and put a crown of thorns on his head..
I killed a guy and threw him in the marsh and than killed SHARMa.
I killed Houk ,Kline and leadley. Do you like to fish?
I killed a giuy at decoys bar and the star tribune ran the story of his disappearance and than I killed David BRITT SARgent.
Just 2 clarify I was pressed 4 time and that is just a cut and paste above and not my own actual words. besides the cop probably killed jenkins and for some money green they took care of the body for him.
ReplyDeleteBTW the wiki article sucks. they fought hard to keep to whole story out. Things like the other graffitti that was found. As for pat Brown if there is not a typical pattern of a serial killer as far as she is concerned they do not exist which would include people like israel keyes as he did not stick to the same area ,but traveled all over to evade detection. They would not be apt to detect a killer that does not fit their typical profile in the first place so they do not know who is out there killing . any way i do not care what people like her think because i know more than she does and more than 99 percent of the population for that matter and there probably is a killer.