The Smiley Face Of Death. Serial Killers Among Us Or False Theory?
MayorBob.
Posted to Etcetera on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:09:54 PM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.
The body count for serial killers is impressive. Ted Bundy is believed responsible for 35 victims. John Wayne Gacy ran up a total of 33 victims. Gary Ridgway eventually pleaded guilty to 48 murders. A couple of things connect these prolific killers: an outward appearance of normality and they managed to accomplish much of their work before anyone suspected there was a serial murderer at work. Now, there's the possibility of another monster quietly and efficiently killing as many as 40 victims thus far.
If retired NYPD detectives Anthony Duarte and Kevin Gannon are to be believed, Patrick McNeill was the first victim. The Fordham University student was found drowned in the Hudson River back in 1997. He had been drinking the night before and his death was quickly ruled a suicide. McNeill's family disputes the claim of suicide and Gannon, who caught the case, agreed to never give up on the case. What he and Duarte have established is what they believe is an 11 year pattern. They believe someone has been targeting young, male college students, drowning them and making the deaths look like a suicide or accident. According to Gannon, the pattern includes "specifically targeting a small, narrow group of individuals for murder" and leaving a smiley face drawing as a calling card.
The death trail leads away from New York City and on up to the upper Midwest. Here is a list of suspected Minnesota and Wisconsin victims Duarte and Gannon say are linked. The death of the last Wisconsin victim on that list, Lucas Homan, was the subject of a previous TnT story. This is an interactive map showing the locations of some of the deaths. Chris Jenkins is the one which changed everything for Duarte and Gannon, as his death is the only one among the many suspected victims which has been officially changed to homicide. One of the more creepier aspects of the case is that the pair is convinced the murders are a group effort, "I would just say, a group of individuals, probably located in more than one state" and a group they believe will continue on killing. Gannon agrees and the smiley face calling card is what makes him convinced the deaths are connected. He says the smiley faces mean "they're happy, as most serial killers are, and very content with their work and what they're doing and the fact that they're thwarting police." Their theory seems to have struck a nerve as, since the theory was first publicly aired, the public has come forward with the names of other potential victims.
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