The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers (48 page)

jurors who tried Laverne Pavlinac in early 1991: she was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison for her alleged role in the crime. Sosnovske still maintained
JESPERSON, Keith Hunter

his innocence, but Laverne’s conviction unnerved him, The convoluted case of Keith Jesperson, nicknamed the and he soon cut a deal with the state, pleading “no con-

“Happy Face Killer,” officially began in Oregon on Jan-test” to felony murder and kidnapping, accepting a life uary 22, 1990. A student from Mt. Hood Community sentence with parole eligibility after 15 years.

College was bicycling along the Old Scenic Highway, Case closed . . . or was it? By the time Sosnovske north of Portland, when she spied a woman’s corpse copped his plea, investigators had already hit another lying off to one side. The victim had been strangled snag. In January, while Laverne Pavlinac was on trial, a with a rope, still tied around her neck; her bra was message was found written on a men’s room wall at the pulled up to expose her breasts, pants bunched around Greyhound bus depot in Livingston, Montana. It read: her ankles. An autopsy revealed the woman had been

“I killed Taunja Bennett January 21, 1990, in Portland, sexually assaulted. The victim was identified, through Oregon. I beat her to death, raped her and loved it. I’m sketches broadcast in the media, as 23-year-old Taunja sick but I enjoy myself too. Two people took the blame Bennett, last seen alive by her parents a week before her and I’m free.” A few days later, in a truckstop men’s body was found.

room in Umatilla, Oregon, a second message was Detectives scoured the bars and truckstops where found: “I killed Taunja Bennett in Portland. Two people Bennett was known to spend much of her time. In one got the blame so I can kill again.”

café, employees recalled frequent customer John Sos-Both messages were signed with a “happy face”—a novske boasting that he had murdered a woman he met circle with two dots for eyes and a broad crescent smile.

in a bar. “He was laughing,” a waitress told police. “He Detectives in Portland theorized that some unknown thought it was a big joke.” Already on probation for friend of Sosnovske’s wrote the graffiti in an effort to drunk driving and driving with a suspended license, spring John from prison, but the author was untrace-Sosnovske was a notorious drinker whose girlfriend—

able. Then, in 1994, the Portland Oregonian received a Laverne Pavlinac—had a habit of reporting him to the letter in the same awkward handwriting, signed with police on phony charges every time they quarreled.

the same smiling face. This time, the author claimed a Eight months before the murder, in the spring of 1989, total of six victims, including five more in Oregon and
136

JOHNSON, Milton

one in California. “I feel bad,” he wrote, “but I will not enced by Wyoming’s expressed intent to indict him on turn myself in. I am not stupid.” The letter went on: capital charges. He still admitted knowing Angela, even sharing her bed on occasion, but now insisted they had In a lot of opinions I should be killed and I feel I deserve parted company while on the road, Subrize continuing it. My resposiblity [sic] is mine and God will be my judge eastward on her own to meet her fate at someone else’s when I die. I am telling you this because I will be respon-hands.

sibil [sic] for these crimes and no one else. It all started Wyoming prosecutors didn’t buy the revised version, when I wondered what it would be like to kill someone.

filing extradition papers with the governor of Oregon in And I found out. What a nightmare it has been.

1997. Jesperson’s next ploy was a new confession, this time to the slaying of a fourth Oregon woman, Bend Despite that indication of remorse, the letter closed resident Bobbi Crescenzi, killed in 1992. Jack Crescenzi on an ominous note: “Look over your shoulder. I’m was already serving time for his wife’s murder, but Jes-closer than you think.”

person seemed bent on springing him from custody, as The apparent author of the “Happy Face” notes was he had done with Sosnovske and Pavlinac in the Ben-identified in March 1995, shortly after the remains of nett case. He hit a snag this time, however, when police 41-year-old Julia Ann Winningham were found at a tracking his movements were able to rule out any con-scenic outlook near Washougal, Washington. A former tact between “Face” and the victim. In fact, they resident of Salt Lake City, Winningham had lately charged, a former cellmate had been running interfer-resided in nearby Camas, Washington, before she ence between Jesperson and Jack Crescenzi, supplying dropped out of sight; her body was found on March 11.

Keith with details of the crime, Crescenzi offering Homicide investigators learned that she had left Utah in $10,000 (payable to Jesperson’s children) for a confes-the company of 39-year-old Keith Jesperson, a truck sion that would lead to his release.

driver employed by Systems Transport out of Cheney, Exposure of the jailhouse plot led some authorities Washington. Picked up for questioning, Jesperson soon to question Jesperson’s confession in the Bennett case, confessed his role in a series of murders around the but his real problem lay in Wyoming. Extradited in Pacific Northwest—including Taunja Bennett’s. Author-December 1997, Jesperson initially boasted of his plan ities were skeptical until Jesperson led them to Bennett’s to demolish the prosecution’s case by exposing his own missing purse. On November 3, 1995, he pled guilty to prior lies, then switched to yet another angle of attack, Bennett’s murder and two other Oregon slayings and confessing once again to the Subrize homicide. One dif-subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment. Media ference: he had actually killed Subrize in Nebraska, Jes-reports claim Jesperson wept with joy when John Sos-person now claimed, contesting Wyoming’s right to try novske and Laverne Pavlinac were released from cus-the case at all. When all else failed, he copped another tody on November 27.

plea on June 3, 1998, admitting the Subrize murder in By that time, however, Jesperson—or “Face,” as he exchange for another life sentence.

liked to sign his letters from prison—had more pressing Ever the manipulator, “Face” had barely filed that matters to worry about. His string of confessions had a plea before telling the press he had lied about killing price tag attached in the form of subsequent indict-Taunja Bennett. It was good for filler in the papers, but ments and convictions. A new case had also been if Jesperson believed it would reverse the Oregon sen-opened since his arrest with the September 1995 discov-tence, he was destined for grave disappointment. For-ery of a woman’s badly decomposed remains along mally sentenced in four cases, he is suspected by Interstate Highway 80 in Nebraska. A tattoo and X

authorities of at least four more slayings, including one rays identified the woman as 21-year-old Angela Sub-from 1994 in Okaloosa County, Florida. Closer to rize, an Oklahoma City native last seen alive in home, prosecutors in Riverside County, California, Wyoming with Jesperson in January 1995. The trucker, have announced their intent to try Jesperson for a 1992

for his part, admitted killing Subrize in Wyoming, after-murder near Blythe, if he ever seems likely to win ward tying her corpse beneath his truck and dragging it parole.

for “10 or 12 miles” before he finally dumped it after crossing into Nebraska.

Part of the problem for investigators was the ever-JOHNSON, Milton

changing list of Jesperson’s confessions. At one point, An Illinois native, born in 1951, Johnson was convicted he allegedly confessed 160 murders, describing his vic-at age 19 of raping a Joliet woman, torturing his victim tims as “piles of garbage” dumped on the roadside, but with a cigarette lighter in the process. The charge carried he soon recanted most of the stories. One case he back-a sentence of 25 to 35 years in prison with a consecutive tracked on was that of Angela Subrize, doubtless influ-term of five to 10 years added on conviction of burglary.

137

JONES, Genene Ann

Even with “good time,” Johnson should have been con-Hackett case. Convicted on all counts in September fined until April 1986, but authorities saw fit to release 1984, he was sentenced to die. Four months later, on him more than three years prematurely on March 10, January 23, 1986, Johnson was convicted of quadruple 1983. Their generosity would cost at least 10 lives.

murder in the ceramic shop massacre, a second death For two long months, between June and August

sentence pronounced five days later. Prosecution in five 1983, Joliet and surrounding communities were terror-other murders was deferred indefinitely, and Johnson ized by a series of random “weekend murders” marked remains on death row at this writing.

by savage violence. Law enforcement officers were mobilized to sweep Will County in a search for suspects, but the killer managed to elude them, slaughter-JONES, Genene Ann

ing his victims with impunity, while residents stocked In February 1983, a special grand jury convened in San up on guns and ammunition in their own defense.

Antonio, Texas, investigating the “suspicious” deaths The crime spree started with the death of two Will of 47 children at Bexar County’s Medical Center Hospi-County sisters on Saturday, June 25. A week later, on July tal over the past four years. A similar probe in neigh-2, Kenneth and Terri Johnson were shot to death without boring Kerr County was focused on the cases of eight apparent motive, the woman’s body discarded in south-infants who developed respiratory problems during western Cook County. Five persons—including two treatment at a local clinic. One of those children also deputy sheriffs—were killed on Saturday, July 16, in what died, and authorities were concerned over allegations authorities termed a “random wholesale slaughter.” The that deaths in both counties were caused by deliberate next evening, 18-year-old Anthony Hackett was shot to injections of muscle-relaxing drugs.

death, his fiancée raped and stabbed by a black assailant.

Genene Jones, a 32-year-old licensed vocational nurse, The violence escalated a month later. On Saturday, was one of three former hospital employees subpoenaed August 20, four women were found shot and stabbed to by both grand juries. With nurse Deborah Saltenfuss, death in a Joliet pottery shop, their handbags dumped Jones had resigned from Medical Center Hospital in nearby with money still inside. Once more, police were March 1982, moving on to a job at the Kerr County left without a solid clue in the slayings of proprietor clinic run by Dr. Kathleen Holland. By the time the grand Marilyn Baers, 46, and her three customers: 75-year-old juries convened, Jones and Holland had both been named Anna Ryan, 29-year-old Pamela Ryan, and 39-year-old as defendants in a lawsuit filed by the parents of 15-Barbara Dunbar. On August 21, the killer shifted to month-old Chelsea McClellan, lost en route to the hospi-Park Forest in Cook County, binding 40-year-old Ralph tal after treatment at Holland’s clinic in September 1982.

Dixon and 25-year-old Crystal Knight before slashing On May 28, 1983, Jones was indicted on two counts their throats in Dixon’s apartment and stabbing the of murder in Kerr County, charged with injecting lethal woman 20 times. The murder of 82-year-old Anna doses of a muscle relaxant and another unknown drug Johnson broke the pattern, falling on a Thursday, and a to deliberately cause Chelsea McClellan’s death. Addi-suspect was swiftly apprehended in that case, leaving 17

tional charges of injury were filed in the cases of six murders unsolved.

other children, reportedly injected with drugs including On March 9, 1984, Milton Johnson was arrested

succinylcholine during their visits to the Holland clinic.

while visiting his parole officer, charged with aggra-Facing a maximum sentence of 99 years in prison, Jones vated battery and deviate sexual assault in the rape of was held in lieu of $225,000 bond.

Anthony Hackett’s fiancée. Officers focused on Johnson An ex-beautician, Jones had entered nursing in 1977, after repeated complaints of a black pickup driver working at several hospitals around San Antonio over harassing Joliet women over the past two weeks, ending the next five years. In early 1982, she followed Dr. Hol-when one victim memorized Johnson’s license number.

land in the move to private practice, but her perfor-Evidence collected at various murder scenes—including mance at the clinic left much to be desired. In August fibers, fingerprints, and a sales receipt bearing the name and September 1982, seven children suffered mysteri-of Johnson’s stepfather—linked Milton to 10 of the ous seizures while visiting Dr. Holland’s office, their Will County murders, including Hackett’s, the pottery cases arousing suspicion at Kerr County’s Sip Peterson shop massacre, and the carnage of July 16. (The receipt Hospital, where they were transferred for treatment.

had been found beneath one of the murdered officers.) Holland fired Jones on September 26, after finding a In addition to those cases, police saw a “strong possibil-bottle of succinylcholine reported lost three weeks ear-ity” of Milton’s participation in the July 2 murders of lier, its plastic cap missing, the rubber top pocked with Ken and Terri Johnson.

needle marks.

Granted a change of venue on grounds of pretrial (In retrospect, Dr. Holland’s choice of nurses seemed publicity, Johnson waived his right to trial by jury in the peculiar, at the very least. Her statements to authorities
138

JUVENILE Serial Killers

admit that hospital administrators had “indirectly cau-ing of September 18, 1983. His bicycle and papers were tioned” her against hiring Jones, describing Genene as a found inside a gate at the fourth house on his route, but suspect in hospital deaths dating back to October 1981.