Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Smiley Face Killers Update


Kristi Piehl - Investigative Reporter
(from Kristi's blog)


Smiley Face Updates (May 21)

Another Congressman has asked the FBI to take another look at the drownings. Rep. Michael McNulty represents the 21st District in New York. It's the area where JoshSzostak disappeared and was discovered drowned. His father, Bill, is now working with retired Detectives, Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte. I've been told, they've found evidence that points to Szostak's drowning being a homicide and potentially connected to the other cases around the country.

The Albany Police Department stands by its conclusion that Josh's death was an accidental drowning.

I'll keep you updated....

With each day, comes more emails. Each fits into one of three categories....

1. TIPS

People from across the world are interested in the Smiley Face Killers and have done online research. These Sherlock Holmes' tips I forward to former NY Detectives, Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte.

2. KUDOS

This story continues to be talked about on blogs and websites and many people write to say "Thanks" for doing the story or offer support to continue working on the story.

3. GRIEF

This is the category that surprises me. Almost everyday, I get an email from a family who feels their loved one's unexplained drowning fits the profile Gannon and Duarte are investigating. There are so many families suffering and searching for answers. These stories I also forward to Gannon and Duarte.

Thank you for your interest... we'll keep following this story.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

A second congressman has called on the FBI to take another look at the case of the so-called ‘Smiley-Face’ killers after a 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS investigation revealed new details about the case late last month.

"It has come to my attention that recent press reports indicate new evidence linking the drowning deaths of a large number of college-aged men across the country," Rep. Michael R. McNulty, D-NY, wrote in a letter to the FBI earlier this month.

"I am aware that the FBI investigated this matter previously, but it appears that some of these cases may be linked. In light of this new evidence, I respectfully request that the FBI re-open its investigation."

McNulty is the second member of congress to contact the FBI regarding the case. At the beginning of May, Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr., R-Wisconsin, made a similar request of the FBI after seeing our investigation on the national news.

The investigation at the end of April presented information from retired New York City detectives Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte regarding the mysterious river deaths of young men around the country.

The detectives believe the deaths of as many as forty young men around the country may be connected, including the death of Chris Jenkins in Minneapolis in 2002. Jenkins' death is the only case to be classified as homicide.

At many of the scenes, Gannon and Duarte discovered graffiti of what appeared to be a smiley face.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

check out this guy
http://www.watchman.org/occult/ellisinterview.htm

Anonymous said...

Here is another, pay particular attention to page 4.
http://www.folklore.ee/Folklore/vol27/news.pdf

Anonymous said...

Student Nicholas Garza's body found in Middlebury, Vt.'s Otter Creek 05/27/08 and looks like the same pattern:

http://www.abqjournal.com/abqnews/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7025&&Itemid=2

Anonymous said...

This is a ridiculous blog. Your time is better spent watching Ghost Hunters on cable television.

Anonymous said...

It's not a gang. it's 1-3 males.between the ages of 25-50. Or i like to call suspect Zero.These killers leave the smiley face to mock the detectives.If u think drowning someone is the perfect crime no witnesses, no evidence.they hunt only during certain months, particularly during winter because less people outside at night except for when ur going out to drink at the bars.one of they victims left a party with a case of beer witnesses say.They found the victim but no case of beer.the killer took the beer.All famous serial killers got drunk before they hunted.if they ever find a suspect they should see if he is a heavy drinker himself.most serial killers drink in order to feel more comfortable.the police say there has't been a serial killer who gets off on drowning people. well guess what there's a first time for everything.The police should be looking for a white collar male who lives an everyday life maybe a salesman.look at the btk killer he had a family.wisconsin and minnesota don't have the death penalty . berfect hunting ground for a sychopath.as for the other deaths in different states thats where these 1-3 killers share the same sick dream. they r a cross network of killers.if u've seen the movie kiss the girls then u can't rule out a group of killers picking territory. I bet they try to out due one another to see who gets the most in a sick way.the smiley face is just the calling card and how else could one man cover that much area and that many states.

Anonymous said...

Is this one of the 80 incidents you are investigating:

http://www.kpvi.com/Global/story.asp?s=7094979

Anonymous said...

FISHERMEN

Anonymous said...

I imagine the detectives have gone to all these bars to question the people who were there at the time. For instance, the bouncer who escorted Chris Jenkins out of the bar. I'm thinking that these killers go to these bars themselves and watch for a young man to leave alone then follow him. Someone has to have seen something. A reward should be offered for information that leads to these killers so we can put them in prison where they belong.

Max S. said...

Just heard aout this drug:

Burundanga

All along my theory is these guys have been hynotised. I just haven't been able to find out on-line the toxicology in the body. What happens when they are in the water to the drug?

I strongly believe someone is murdering these young men, and worry about any young men that I know who go out drinking near a body of water. Could they be using this drug?

Anonymous said...

There was a group in Salt Lake in the early 90's that went by the name HCDS, Happy Camper Death Squad, their symbol was a smiley face with a bullet hole in the forehead, they did travel quite a bit. The leader of this group was interviewed on one of the local news stations. Dont know if there is any connection, but there you go.

Anonymous said...

Just in comment of the HCDS in Salt Lake - no, there was no relation - it was a short-lived group where it was just going to be a bunch of friends that all helped each other out like family. We were all kind of "social rejects" and it was going to be the name of our family... The name was supposed to just be kind of ironic, as was the logo. Then SLPD labed us a "gang" and it all kind of broke up since none of us WERE a gang and did not want to be associated as such... Anyway, that's the nutshell story.

Anonymous said...

HCDS and the smiley face killers may be one and the same. There are both overt and telltale similarities between the two.

Anonymous said...

HCDS- I don't know where to start first, on the comments being stated, especially by a questionable, so called member.
If you were a member, you must have been a lower level military sect member or prospect member to say the things that you did! who shows no pride to learn about what he is involved in, culture, and background!
1. Short lived? As if 12+years in Texas when founded + The several years known in Salt Lake City when that chapter opened, is not long enough for you, there are still plenty of practicing members around the country.

2. Smily face logo? Did not have a bullet hole in forehead!! Is a smily face with the left eye damaged. Both Logos come from the same inspiration, but HCDS combined that inspiration with another, which is Jason Voorhees missing eye, from Friday the 13th. The original was a smiley face with Eye slashed by a machete. if you were a high ranking member you had permission to alter it within guidelines custom to the member. A bullet hole is one of them but it's in the Eye, not the fourhead, machete, knife, ax, smily face made out of stone chipped and crumbling on the left eye. Etc. etc.
I can go on and on, but bottom line is, these 2 groups have no connection, except for maybe shared inspiration with branding, and or there is a break off member, who started their own thing. But original HCDS are not serial killers but indeed a serious organization, Who occasionally attracted crazy people so who knows, could be connected without HCDS's knowledge or support. For someone with intimate knowledge of HCSD though, as far as logo similarities, there is no connection beyond the fact that they are both smily faces and probably represent different groups of people.

Unknown said...

I remember the HCDS in Salt Lake.. Always thought of the leader as a cross between Hitler and Pink Floyd.. Although he had the narcissistic personality required in a serial killer, he lacked the necessary disregard for human life generally observed in most sociopaths.

Twan said...

The leader of the HCDS, a good friend of mine, died December 9th, 2011. He was a lot of things, but any attempts at connecting him or his group to the "Smiley Face Killer" is nothing short of asinine.

Twan said...

The leader of the HCDS, a good friend of mine, died December 9th, 2011. He was a lot of things, but any attempts at connecting him or his group to the "Smiley Face Killer" is nothing short of asinine.

Anonymous said...

I'd like to mention that in my country of Finland, a serial drowner of drunken men was recently sentenced. He was loose for quite a time, since the drownings were not recognized as murder - it is easy to drown a drunken person, without leaving any traces of physical violense.

This man was gay, which may explain why he targeted males. In any case, serial drowners do exist, and they can do their thing in a way which leaves no apparent signs of violence. Also, as this case shows, they might not be interested in mutilating the victim, unlike many serial killers who kill their victims with direct physical violence.

Here's more: https://www.reddit.com/r/serialkillers/comments/4lc54v/serial_killer_discovered_in_finland/