Showing posts with label Smiley Face Gang. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Smiley Face Gang. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Smiley Face Gang (2)

http://kaaltv.com/article/stories/S434897.shtml?cat=10728

KAAL-TV [Rochester, MN]
6 May 2008

PA police find possible link to 'Smiley Face Killers'

By: Kristi Piehl, Investigative Reporter

[Police in Ridley Township, Pennsylvania, believe that a smiley face graffito may be linked to the drowning death of Tommy Booth. ]
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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354386,00.html

Fox News
7 May 2008

Possible 'Smiley Face Gang' Link Emerges in Case of Missing Middlebury College Freshman

New details have emerged in the search for missing 19-year-old Middlebury College freshman Nicholas Garza that could link him to the so-called "Smiley Face Gang," which a group of retired detectives believes is responsible for the apparent drowning deaths of dozens of young men across the country.

Searchers have found smiley-face graffiti near Garza's campus like that painted near some of the locations where about 40 bodies have been discovered across 11 states, FOX 44 News reported. [...]

Middlebury police believe the graffiti is more than two years old and are not following up on leads related to the alleged gang. [...]

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2008/05/06/smiley-face-killers-born-minneapolis-urban-legend-takes-wing.html

Twin Cities Daily Planet [Minneapolis - St. Paul, MN]
7 May 2008

The smiley-face killers: a born-in-Minneapolis urban legend takes wing

By Steve Perry
Minnesota Monitor

If you missed Kristi Piehl's breathless April 25 KSTP-TV report on the pair of retired NYPD detectives who believe there's a network of serial killers murdering college men around the country - over 40 to date, they claim, and perhaps up to 100 - then you've probably also missed the overnight growth of a new urban legend on the web. [...]

http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20080508_Smiley-face_murder_theory_considered_in_case_of_Delaware_County_man_s_death.html

Philadelphia Daily News
8 May 2008

Smiley-face murder theory considered in case of Delaware County man's death

By STEPHANIE FARR
Philadelphia Daily News

THOMAS BOOTH worked as a "first-class drywall finisher," but the 24-year-old's true passion was art, his mother recalled. [...]

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=186815

Daily Herald [Arlington Heights, IL]
7 May 2008

Could Elgin man's death be work of 'Smiley Face' killer?

By Harry Hitzeman
Daily Heald Staff

Stephany Welzien knows her only child is dead.

What the Elgin woman doesn't know is what happened to her son before he died.

Brian Welzien, a 21-year-old finance major at Northern Illinois University, was last seen by friends outside a Chicago hotel in the early morning hours of Jan. 1, 2000, sick after drinking too much. [...]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/05/21/smiley.face.killer/?iref=hpmostpop

CNN
21 May 2008

Smiley face killers may be stalking college men

By Randi Kaye
AC 3600 Correspondent

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=690630&category=&BCCode=&newsdate=5/22/2008

Times-Union [Albany, NY]
22 May 2008

Szostak's father responds to autopsy report

By DAVID FILKINS and CATHY WOODRUFF, Staff writers

ALBANY - An autopsy report on the body of Joshua Szostak, who was found in the Hudson River on April 22, shows he had a blood alcohol content of 0.126 percent. [...]

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Smiley Face Serial Killings

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2008/04/29/2008-04-29_exnypd_cops_say_smiley_face_is_link_in_4.html

New York Daily News
29 April 2008

Ex-NYPD cops say smiley face is link in 40 deaths by serial killer syndicate

BY TAMER EL-GHOBASHY
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

A spray-painted smiley face with a taunting grin could be the disturbing signature of a nationwide network of killers who target promising college students.

The chilling symbol has been found at at least 12 sites where young men fitting a distinct profile have been drowned in incidents that were ruled accidents. [...]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,353624,00.html

Fox News
1 May 2008

FBI: 'No Evidence' to Support 'Smiley Face Gang' Serial Murder Theory;Victims' Families Say There Is

By Catherine Donaldson-Evans

The FBI said there is no proof that dozens of young men who died in mysterious drownings were actually murdered by a nefarious network dubbed the "Smiley Face Gang" - despite theories held by a group of retired detectives and victims' family members. [...]
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[Cf. the belief that young men found drowned in La Crosse, Wisconsin, were the victims of a serial killer or killers:]

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wauk/apr04/222574.asp
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
16 April 2004
Drowning worries university community
UW-La Crosse student found in river not linked to other deaths, police say

http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/apr04/222753.asp
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
17 April 2004
La Crosse fears a killer, mayor admits
'Most people' think men's deaths are connected, he says

http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/apr04/224312.asp
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
23 April 2004
Crowd heckles La Crosse police for blaming drownings on drinking

http://www.jsonline.com/news/gen/apr04/225974.asp
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
30 April 2004
Drowned student's blood alcohol revised to 0.40

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wauk/aug04/251928.asp
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
18 Aug 2004
Student's family blames city, state in his drowning
La Crosse's 'drunk bus' contributed to his death, legal notice claims

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=507245
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel [WI]
3 Oct 2006
'Disbelief' reigns after student's body recovered
Homan is 8th found in river since '97