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Let’s Explore The Smiley Face Killer
By Jamie Carter
Updated: November 5, 2020
Originally Published: November 5, 2020
Trigger Warning: Violence
There’s no denying the importance of science in our understanding of the world—unless, of course, you find yourself in a certain political climate. Facts, logic, and reason are essential in our daily lives. Recently, I tuned into a podcast titled Crime Watchers, particularly its 13th episode, “Conspiracy: The Smiley Face Killer.” Similar to other crime podcasts I’ve enjoyed, like Criminal and Embedded, this one captured my attention.
The episode delves into over 40 unresolved murders of young white and Asian men, all sharing a common fatal outcome: drowning. Each victim was reportedly drugged with gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB, commonly referred to as the “date rape drug”) and discovered alongside a chilling signature of the presumed killer—a smiley face nearby.
Typically, serial killers exhibit clear patterns. The FBI defines serial murder as the act of committing two or more killings spaced apart in time, with most being sexually motivated. It’s worth noting that serial murders are quite rare, constituting less than one percent of annual homicides.
When we think of notorious serial killers, names like Ted Bundy come to mind—he was responsible for multiple murders of women in the 1970s and ultimately captured and confessed. Jeffrey Dahmer, who infamously killed 17 individuals, is another name associated with such heinous acts. Then there’s Samuel Little, who admitted to killing 93 people across 16 states over 35 years.
My point is this: even if the details of these 40 murders vary, it doesn’t negate the possibility of a serial killer being involved. The evidence, common sense, and the patterns left behind by the Smiley Face Killer suggest a chilling connection. Unlike infamous killers who have been apprehended and identified, we lack a definitive suspect in this case—only theories and speculation.
The murders occurred between 2005 and 2017, consistently involving college-aged white or Asian men who were found drowned in various bodies of water, intoxicated and with GHB in their systems. Moreover, smiley face graffiti was often discovered near where the bodies were recovered. Nile Cappello, a contributor to Rolling Stone, highlighted that according to a 2015 report by the CDC, the leading causes of death among white males under 44 are accidents and suicide. This has led investigators to often label these deaths as “accidental drownings,” overlooking the significant presence of GHB in the victims’ systems.
In their book, Case Studies in Drowning Forensics, NYPD detective Kevin Gannon and criminal justice professor Dr. Lee Gilbertson examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths of six of these young men. Reporter Bruce Vielmetti from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes that Gannon and his colleague Anthony Duarte suspect that hundreds of college-aged men found drowned since 1997 may have been victims of a coordinated group, leaving smiley face symbols near the sites of their deaths—indicating more than one perpetrator.
By the end of the podcast, I found myself bewildered—questioning how anyone could view these cases as part of a conspiracy. I do not subscribe to the theory that a network of serial killers, known as the Smiley Face Serial Killers, coordinated these murders. I firmly believe that the victims’ families deserve justice, and that only one person should be held accountable for these tragic deaths—not an entire group. Nevertheless, whether you align with my perspective or not, one pressing question remains: who is responsible?
This article was originally published on November 5, 2020.