Families circulate 'Smiley Face Killers' petition around country

From Investigative Reporter Kristi Piehl


Two months after a 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS investigation into the mysterious river deaths of as many as 40 young male college students around the country, the families of possible victims have begun circulating a nationwide petition urging the FBI to take a closer look into the case.

"We request that Robert Mueller, Director of the FBI, order his agency to conduct a full and thorough investigation into the deaths of these young men," the petition states. "We believe that insufficient resources have been applied to these cases thus far to bring them to conclusion."

Since our investigation first aired in April, two congressmen have called on the FBI to take a broader look at the cases.

Dubbed the 'Smiley-Faced Killers' case, two retired New York City detectives believe that the deaths of dozens of young men around the country may be connected.

The detectives believe that the killers leave smiley-face graffiti behind at the scene of their crimes.

The case that brought the story together for the detectives was when the 2002 death of Chris Jenkins in Minneapolis in was ruled a homicide in 2005. Jenkins' father Steve is one of the family members helping to distribute the petition.

Read the petition

Families ask that signed petitions be sent to:
Steve Jenkins
8124 Foxberry Bay
Savage MN 55378

Follow our investigation from the beginning.