He Killed 8 Women — Then Nearly Told His Daughter Everything

Keith Hunter Jesperson's mugshot, 1995. Photo courtesy of the Clark County Sheriff's Office.

Melissa G. Moore grew up believing her father, Keith Hunter Jesperson, was a hardworking, loving dad. But between 1990 and 1995, he led a double life, murdering at least eight women across multiple states. He earned the nickname "Happy Face Killer" from the smiley faces he drew on letters bragging about his crimes.

The Secret That Could Have Cost Her Life

One day in high school, Moore and her father were having lunch when he suddenly said, "I have something I need to tell you, but you'll tell the authorities," according to PEOPLE. Though he never finished his thought, she felt an overwhelming sense of dread. It wasn't until his arrest years later that she realized what he may have been trying to confess — that he was a serial killer.

Looking back, Moore believes if he had confessed, he would have killed her to keep his secret. "He was on the verge of telling me and had he told me and I was alone with him, he would've had to drive me back to school," she said, according to PEOPLE. "And I don't think he would've driven me back to school, I think he would've regretted telling me and would've had to resolve the problem, which would be to end my life." Looking back, she suspects her father was struggling to maintain his façade. "I think his mask was leaking, and I think he had a hard time juggling it."

The Murders Began After His Marriage Fell Apart

Five months after separating from his wife, Jesperson began his killing spree. In January 1990, he met 23-year-old Taunja Bennett at a bar in Portland, Oregon, brought her home, and killed her after an argument turned violent. "I actually had hit her in the face and for some reason I just kept hitting her ... I feared going to prison for slugging her in the face and causing her bodily injury and so I killed her," he told "20/20," as reported by PEOPLE.

Despite his involvement, Jesperson avoided suspicion when Laverne Pavlinac falsely confessed, claiming she had witnessed her boyfriend, John Sosnovske, commit the murder. Sosnovske pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty, and both were imprisoned while Jesperson remained free to kill again.

The 'Happy Face' Killer Emerges and Why He Turned Himself In

Over the next five years, Jesperson raped and murdered at least seven more women across multiple states. He signed an anonymous confession on a Montana bus terminal wall with a smiley face, later writing letters to The Oregonian detailing his crimes.

Jesperson admitted he felt untouchable, comparing his crimes to theft. "It became a nonchalant type thing, because I got away with it," he told ABC News in a 2010 interview, according to PEOPLE. "It is everything like shoplifting. You're breaking the law but you're getting away with it. And so, there's a thrill of getting away with it." His victims included Cynthia Lyn Rose, Patricia Skiple, Suzanne Kjellenberg, Laurie Ann Pentland, Angela May Subrize, and a Jane Doe he called "Claudia."

It wasn't until 1995 — after he turned himself in for killing his girlfriend, Julie Ann Winningham — that he finally admitted to the other murders, saying he wanted to "come clean ... get it all over (with), the record straight. I had been worried about this for a long time. I wanted to get those two people out of prison," according to PEOPLE.

The Moment That Changed Her Life

When Jesperson was arrested, Moore's world shattered. The man who raised her and her siblings was a murderer. She struggled with guilt, fearing she might be like him. "I'm not a monster," she told PEOPLE, "even if my dad is."

Turning Pain Into Purpose

Moore refused to let her father's crimes define her. She wrote "Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer's Daughter" and now speaks publicly on her podcast "Happy Face" about growing up with a killer for a parent and other high-profile killers. She told PEOPLE, "I feel really proud of the series because it just shows how there's so many more people involved when a crime happens and how they're affected." Her Paramount+ series "Happy Face" premiered on March 20.

Her story is a haunting reminder that sometimes, the people we trust the most are hiding the darkest secrets.

References: Daughter of 'Happy Face' Serial Killer Remembers His Near-Confession: 'I Have Something I Need to Tell You' (Exclusive) | 'He's a Monster:' Read PEOPLE's Exclusive 2009 Interview with Happy Face Killer Keith Jesperson's Daughter Melissa Moore | Where Is Keith Hunter Jesperson Now? Inside the Happy Face Killer's Life Decades After His 5-Year Murder Spree