Entertainment
Examining the Smiley Face Killer
Trigger Warning: Violence
Science is hard to dispute (unless, of course, you’re in a certain political bubble). Facts, logic, and common sense are integral to our lives. Recently, I tuned into a podcast called Crime Chronicles — particularly its 13th episode titled “Conspiracy: The Smiley Face Killer.” Much like other crime-themed podcasts such as Criminal and Serial, this one captivated me.
The narrative delves into over 40 unsolved murders of young white and Asian men, all sharing a common cause of death: drowning. Each of these men had been drugged with gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB — commonly referred to as the “date rape drug”) and discovered alongside a strange signature from the perpetrator: a smiley face nearby.
Serial killers usually exhibit distinct patterns. According to the FBI, “serial murder is characterized by two or more killings separated by an interval of time. Most serial killings are sexually motivated, and such murders are quite rare, constituting less than one percent of yearly homicides.”
When we think of notorious serial killers, figures like Ted Bundy, who infamously killed women across multiple states in the 1970s, or Jeffrey Dahmer, who confessed to taking the lives of 17 individuals in Milwaukee, often come to mind. Then there’s Samuel Little, who admitted to a staggering 93 murders across 16 states over 35 years.
The point I want to highlight is this: while the details of these 40 murders may not align perfectly, it does not negate the likelihood that they are connected to a serial killer — science and common sense, along with the patterns established by other killers, lead us to consider the possibility of the Smiley Face Killer’s involvement. Unlike the aforementioned individuals, we lack a definitive suspect in this case, only conjecture.
The killings took place between 2005 and 2017, each sharing unsettling traits: college-aged white or Asian men found drowned, often intoxicated with GHB, and smiley face graffiti located at most of the crime scenes — either new or aged — near their remains. Nile Cappello, a contributor for Rolling Stone, noted that “a 2015 report by the CDC identified accidents and suicide as the leading causes of death for white males under 44.” The CDC also indicates that men aged 18-34 are more prone to binge drinking, a behavior that significantly raises the risk of unintentional injuries. This led investigators to often dismiss these cases as mere “accidental drownings.” However, the presence of GHB complicates that narrative.
In their book, Case Studies in Drowning Forensics, NYPD detective Kevin Garrison (who began investigating these incidents in early 2005) and criminal justice professor Dr. Lee Gilbertson meticulously analyze the circumstances surrounding six of the victims. According to reporter Bruce Vielmetti from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Garrison and fellow investigator Anthony Duarte believe that numerous college-aged men who have drowned since 1997 may have been homicide victims targeted by a group that left smiley face symbols near the places where the men entered the water.
As the podcast concluded, I found myself bewildered — truly perplexed — by the notion that these murders could be part of a larger conspiracy. I don’t subscribe to the idea of a coordinated group of serial killers known as The Smiley Face Serial Killers orchestrating these crimes. I firmly believe that the families of the victims deserve justice, and I maintain that there is likely one individual responsible for these deaths — not a collective. Regardless of differing opinions, one question looms: who is responsible?
For further insights, check out this blog post.