The Happy Face Murderer – Keith Hunter Jesperson –13. Conclusion

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Conclusion
There are serial killer with higher body counts, and serial killers with more warped and twisted approaches to their crimes. But in Keith Hunter Jesperson, we have a somewhat unique opportunity to trace the lineage, development, methodology, and reasoning of a serial killer. The man himself, nowadays an unabashed self-publicist, is a fascinating figure. The figure who has become known as the Happy Face killer is entirely Keith's own creation. A savvy worker of the media, he knew how to steer the press into making him into something he was not. From the nervous, bullied young boy up to the feared serial killer, there is little in his supposed self-image that deals with the paranoia, the depression, and the resentment that drove Keith to commit murder.

Keith filled a strange niche in 1990s America. Before the rise of tracking technologies, a long haul trucker was essentially off the radar, provided with an excuse to be anywhere and nowhere at the same time. It was almost the perfect career for a serial killer, and it allowed him to remain on the loose for an incredibly long time. But, like many killers, he was eventually caught when his emotions trumped his reasoning. In his final act of murder, Keith Jesperson pushed his crimes too far. Now in jail, having escaped the death sentence, he is keen to chat about his crimes and happy to revel in the identity he has created for himself, the Happy Face killer. If you would like to read more about Keith's case or similar instances of serial killers in America, there is a further reading list at the end of this book.

Further Reading
Berry-Dee, C. (2009). Dead men talking. London: John Blake.

Marriott, T. (2012). The evil within. London: Blake.

Mellor, L. (2012). Cold North killers. Toronto: Dundurn Press.

Moore, M. and Cook, M. (2009). Shattered silence. Springville, Utah: CFI.

Olsen, J. and Jesperson, K. (2002). I. New York: St. Martin's Press.