Smiley Face Murders - Backlash from Pundits

Over the past few days, I find that several pundits are boldly proclaiming the theory that there is not a serial killer or gang of murderers on the loose in America's Midwest. These nay-sayers range from the layman to professional law enforcement officers. Some have vested interest in what side of the matter they call true. Their assertion -- the similarities in the deaths of 40+ young men is nothing more than a coincidence.

Being a layman, amateur sleuth, or whatever you want to call me takes the pressure off my career ego should I be wrong in the assertion that there is a Smiley Face Murder Club or a single serial killer murdering young men. If I end up being wrong, then that could be a good thing -- in terms of more lose of life and peace for many young men across the country.

Truthfully, my research and investigation is not even near complete. The vast mountain of data is overwhelming -- especially for someone who has to search dozens of resources in order to glean just a few bits of new data. I am not privy to police nor Nationwide Investigations internal documentation on the cases being examined. Yet, it took me only an hour or so of reading to see what I believe is a clear picture of serial killings.

Yes, I do believe in coincidence -- on a large and sometimes profound scale. I'm prepared to say many things could be a coincidence. For purposes of my lay investigation, I'll even concede that the smiley faces found at 12 sites *could* be NOTHING more than coincidence -- graffiti from locals. However, the order of magnitude of coincidence that would be demanded from documented similarities in the deaths of 40 or more young men is an idea I am not prepared to accept.

Without going into the information deeper than most have read in newspapers, blogs, etc., allow me provide the reader with data that individually could easily be written off as coincidence -- BUT, as a whole, is extremely hard to ignore.

1) ALL 40+ are male
2) ALL 40+ between the ages of 17 and 28
3) Vast majority are Caucasian
4) Almost all of the 40+ were college students
5) Almost all had been drinking
6) ALL of the 40+ dead were out on the town, for a social occasion
7) Almost all left friends/family and ventured out alone
8) Almost all went missing during the months when college classes were in session
9) ALL of the 40+ went missing during the late night hours
10) ALL, who have been found, were found in or very near bodies of water
11) None, who have been found, had major trauma to their bodies (GSWs, cuts, abrasions, bruises)
12) None were robbed of anything obvious
13) Most of the autopsy reports show cause of death as "drowning"
14) None showed evidence of struggle, which should be apparent, in a "normal" drowning accident

I'm sure there are more things that could be listed. I'm also sure that some pundits will take issue with the "almost all..." items. Fine... but let's not ignore the overall picture. If I were to write these facts out in a paragraph, it would make a compelling argument AGAINST coincidence and FOR the idea that the deaths of these young people are related. Let's see how such an argument might look -- complete with a few admitted generalizations:

Between 1997 and 2008, forty or more young, white, male college students have died (or gone missing) during the college calendar year. These young men had gone out for a social event -- most to party with friends. They left friends and/or family and struck out on their own during the late night or early morning hours -- but never made it home. Some have never been found. Of those who have, their lifeless bodies were pulled from Midwest rivers or lakes. The cause of death for each case is listed as "drowning" or "undetermined". Signs of obvious trauma were lacking and most of the dead had very little or no water in their lungs (as would be expected from drowning). Foul play is not obvious in ANY of the deaths. All of the young men were athletic and healthy. Are these deaths all just one big coincidence? Or, something else?

I submit that as data is compiled, more similarities will be gleaned. Even if the Smiley Face Gang is nothing more than the imagination of media and bloggers, something is wrong with the idea that we're looking at a huge, unfortunate coincidence. Let's not forget that detectives Gannon and Duarte, along with Dr. Gilbertson and Adam Carlson have holdback evidence and other information linking the cases together. Smiley faces were one piece of that evidence. We now know others (informants, witnesses, possible nickname graffiti). Even without knowing the full scope of the holdback, it is my opinion that these investigators are onto the truth -- there is a serial killer or group of serial killers taking the lives of young men. They need to be stopped -- and brought to justice.

What are YOUR thoughts?

Background on the Smiley Face Gang Investigators

So how did all these people investigating and/or researching drowning deaths come to work together?

Decorated former NYC police sargeant, Kevin Gannon, has been trying to resolve what caused the death of at least one college student since 1997. In fact, he made a promise to Patrick McNeill's mother that he would not allow her son's death to go unsolved. He "joined forces" with NYPD Detective Anthony Duarte in a concerted effort to solve the case.

In 2003, they traveled to Minnesota where college student Chris Jenkins was found dead in the Mississippi - thought to be a drunken accident. "It screamed homicide," said Gannon. Jenkins was found floating on his back with his arms crossed on his chest - an unusual pose for a drowned person. Jenkins' death was reclassified as a homicide, and the retired NYPD cops found the spot where Jenkins might have been thrown into the water. It was there that they discovered the first smiley face.

Since that time, Gannon has dedicated his life, his work, even his own monetary means to finding the true circumstances surrounding the deaths of McNeill, Chad Sharon, Christopher Jenkins and dozens more young men across the Midwest.

In the early months of 2003, St. Cloud State University's criminal justice professor, Dr. Lee Gilbertson, invited his students to take a closer look at drowning death patterns of male college students in the region. Five young men had all turned up drowned in a three month period starting October, 2002.

During their investigative work, the Chad Sharon case (South Bend, IN // December, 2002) was one of more than a dozen the criminal justice students reviewed, according to other students in the program.

It has not been confirmed publicly, but it appears the culmination of the Gannon/Duarte investigation with that of the St. Cloud State students lead law enforcement to change the cause of death (CoD) for Chris Jenkins from "undetermined" to "homocide". Additional information gathered from study of more than 100 drowning deaths of young males during the same time period (1997 - 2002) provided a link between at least 40 cases.

Gannon explained, "Right now really, we're out of finances and really can't do any more on the cases. In fact, we looked at 89 cases in totality. We knocked out 30 right away and there was 19 cases that we haven't even done yet -- and out of those 19, it looks like at least 10 or 15 of those could be connected."

In mid-2006, Dr. Gilbertson and St. Cloud criminal justice graduate student, Adam Carlson, are officially working with Gannon and Duarte. Here is some data on the investigators as known thus far:

Kevin Gannon
- Retired NYPD Sargeant
- 20 years service
- Highly decorated

Anthony Duarte
- Retired NYPD Detective
- BA in Criminal Justice
- 20 years of service
- Several commendations

Dr. Lee Gilbertson
- Associate Professor; St. Cloud State University
- Criminal Justice Department
- MS in Criminal Justice
- PhD in Sociology
- 16 years military service
- Certified Gang Specialist

Adam Carlson
- Criminal Justice graduate student at St. Cloud State University
- Former student of Professor Gilbertson
- Certified Gang Specialist

The investigators, who have been working unpaid on the cases for two years, met four weeks ago with Minneapolis police to present their evidence, but approached the national media after local authorities didn't act, Steve Jenkins (Christopher's father) said.

It was bloggers and the media who dubbed the reported serial killer(s) as the Smiley Face Gang or Smiley Face Murder Club.

Sources: Minnesota Daily and Nationwide Investigations

Drowning Deaths Connected To Serial Killers In 2006?

Here's an excerpt from a May, 2006 article where Minnesotans connected the dots between young male college students drowning and a serial killer -- or killers. I kinda think Clave and Gilbertson hit the nail on the head two years ago -- and only now have we a name for the killer(s) -- Smiley Face Gang.

"Could that have happened to us? Could that have happened to one of our friends? those are the things you consider," says Amanda Pressenger, are graduate student at Saint Cloud State University, near Minneapolis."No one has taken an in-depth look at it from, all these cases," Pressenger explains.

She and fellow student Jessica Clave wondered whether Brian Welzien and Glen Leadley's deaths fit a pattern. So they looked at more than twenty cases, all midwest college students last seen drinking at parties or bars, who all vanished and turned up drowned. Among them: Ryan Getz, Keith Noble, Eric Blair, Chris Jenkins, Michael Noll, Josh Guimond, Chad Sharon, Jared Dion, Scot Radel and Brian Shaffer. The deaths, all clustered along Interstate 94 from Minnesota to Ohio.

"The one city that has the most victims is Lacrosse," says St. Cloud State criminology professor D. "Lee" Gilbertson. He noticed the men almost always went missing in the first half of the month, and only during the school year. A closer look at the map revealed a routine of sorts. "There is a cycle -- a chunk in there -- that is east, west, west, east, west, east that repeats itself twice," says Dr. Gilbertson. "That doesn't sound like an accident, either."

The data led students to suggest that it might be the work of a traveling businessman. But why? All these men were found dressed, with their wallets, cash and keys; and no signs of foul play. Professor Gilbertson has a theory. "We think that something happened to the killer when he was 21, possibly when he was drinking..."

Perhaps the killer got lost, took a ride from a stranger, was molested; and now, looks for victims that remind him of himself at that age. "There's no way he's going to touch these people or do anything to them to harm them because that's what happened to him," explains Dr. Gilbertson. So in a sickening twist, a killer may be drowning young men to protect them. "In order to keep control of the situation and to release them unharmed and pristine, the only way he can be sure of that is to kill 'em," says Dr. Gilbertson.

Saint Cloud's police chief listened to the students' presentation last week. But has his doubts, as do others, who see little more than a deadly chain of coincidences, glued together by binge drinking, darkness and hypothermia. "There may be a serial killer out there, there may not. you still don't have a concrete conclusion," says student Jessica Clave.

Smiley Face Murders - Linked Seven Years Ago?

Updated: 6:04pm EDT

Earlier today, I found an article (excerpt below) on VanceHolmes.com. The website is maintained by Vance Holmes, a University of Minnesota alumnus, and carries the title "Drowning in Coincidence." Holmes posits the theory that there could be a serial killer on the loose or that these cases are all mysterious coincidences. It documents the 40 cases St. Cloud State University Professor, Dr. Lee Gilbertson, has studied. Gilbertson's research found that 94 percent of the 40 cases studied fell within 100 miles of Interstate 94 (near Lake Michigan) and that 56.3 percent were within 25 miles of I-94. Yet, Gilbertson initially stated he did not think a serial killer was afoot.

Although I originally reported that detectives Gannon and Duarte have done the "real" work, I'm starting to wonder if they are the public face of the investigation, while Dr. Gilbertson is the backbone. Anyway, on to the article...

VanceHolmes.com states the fact that several people began questioning the possible link between drowning deaths of young male college students at least seven years ago. While they may not have had a tangible link -- such as a smiley face or nicknames left at the scene -- friends and family of the young men have wondered if the deaths were related somehow.

For years, concerned citizens have commented, complained and cried about a series of mysterious student deaths labeled "drownings" and filed away as unfortunate but coincidental accidents. For years, those painful cries have been laughed off -- or worse yet, simply ignored. It's one thing to investigate and dismiss baseless theories -- it's another to shrug off the deaths of dozens of young men.

As far back as 2001, there was wide-spread speculation that the many cases were related. With each new awful death, suspicion and frustration moved closer to fear and anger. Soon the talk became about a possible serial-killer, or copy cat killer stalking college campuses in the Midwest.

How many boys have strangely gone missing only to turn up dead in the river? Impossible to know. It all depends on what parameters you set, what you consider "strange," and how far back you go. Certainly, there have been 8 unsettling cases in the last 9 years -- and that's in the La Crosse area alone.

Looking at cases spanning the midwest, St. Cloud Minnesota professor, Dr. Lee Gilbertson, estimates a number between 26 and 30.

Needless to say, even one student's mysterious drowning is one too many and should be addressed by authorities. As Arthur Miller wrote in Death of a Salesman, "Attention must be paid." But obviously, an on-going series of eerily similar disappearances warrants a full -- on-going -- investigation.

The road is long indeed that never bends. Finally, a multi-agency review of the cases has begun. I sincerely hope this investigation brings some comfort to the many families, friends, students, and troubled on-lookers who want answers.

Speaking personally -- all I've ever wanted is for someone to pay attention. I've agonized at the thought of these men's deaths, and the thought that nobody in authority was looking into them. The one commonality I was certain of, was that all these identical drownings were being ignored and written off as "coincidence."

When family members have a gut feeling that something's not simply an accident -- police owe it to them to pay some attention. When a whole community of people have an unshakeable feeling that the mystery deaths will continue -- the authorities have to pay attention -- or be blamed for their willful ignorance. At long last, attention is being paid.

Excerpts from October 16, 2006 reports from WXOW News.

Smiley Face Gang - Serial Killers?

Detectives Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte have been tracking the suspicious drowning deaths of young men across the country ever since they investigated the death of fellow New Yorker (and college student) Patrick McNeill, who drowned in 1997. Gannon made a promise to McNeill's parents that he would never give up on his case.

The Sope-Bocks has already uncovered a couple more names that may or may not be on detectives Gannon and Duarte's list: Robert Barrington Leigh (University of Toronto) and Scott Javins (University of Indiana). Both young men drowned under what some might consider suspicious circumstances -- their deaths attributed to drunken student accidents.

In fact, most of the cause of death reports have been officially ruled "undetermined" or "drowning". A few similarities may link all 40 deaths:

• Male
• Late teens or early 20's in age
• College student
• Good grades
• Ventured out alone
• Almost all are white
• Most were athletic
• Alcohol served to victim or at location where last seen
• And last, but not least, all were close to a body of water

One more apparent link is a strange "smiley face" painted or markered at or very near the sight where several victims died. The detectives found the smiley faces in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa.

I have also learned that Gannon & Duarte suspect the serial killers are either a gang or trying to manipulate evidence in order to look like a gang. Nicknames of gang members and at least once street name (Sinsiniwa) have also been found at multiple "drowning" sites.

While some folks are already writing the story off as mere speculation, I'm not prepared to do so just yet. There is one thing (thus far) that leads me to wonder whether any connection between the deaths exists -- serial killers are not gangs. If the cases are linked, there is at least one instance of two young men meeting their doom on the same night, in different cities. That would require at least two people -- maybe a minimum of four.

We're investigating and will continue to report as we learn more.