Smiley Face Killings

Two retired NYPD detectives connect the murder ofIn every case except for the Jenkins case, local police
Chris Jenkins in Minneapolis to a murder in New Yorkhave ruled the deaths an accident.
City and others around the country.Gannon and Duarte believe the deaths were not
University of Minnesota student Chris Jenkins wascaused by an accident.They believe there is a group
found in the Mississippi River in February 2003.of individuals, probably in more than one state,
Minneapolis police began investigating the case, whichmurdering young athletic college men across the
also caught the attention of two retired New York Citycountry.
Police detectives.Gannon and Duarte have done something that no
Turns out, Jenkins' death was the missing part of theother law enforcement agency has ever done in the
puzzle for Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte.cases -- they looked at the big picture and visited each
They say Jenkins connects dozens of other deathssite where the young men disappeared.
around the country over the last decade. The storiesWhile the other local investigations focused on where
are the same all over the country -- an athletic,a body was recovered, Gannon and Duarte tried to
intelligent, well-liked, young male college student goesfigure out where the body went into the river.
missing.City after city, when they found the spot where the
Weeks or months later, the young man is discoveredbody went in, they found the symbol of a smiley face.
drowned. In over 40 cases, the deaths have beenThe paint color and size of the face varies, but the
wrongly blamed on a drunken accident -- except fordetectives are convinced that it is a sick signature the
one.killers leave behind.
The death of Chris Jenkins in Minneapolis is the onlyIn Michigan, they found something strange among the
one where the cause of death was changed fromgroup's graffiti: the word 'Sinsiniwa'. They couldn't figure
'undetermined' or 'drowning' to 'homicide'.out what it meant until a few months later when they
Ganon and Duarte say they have found a linkarrived in Dubuque, Iowa to investigate the death of
between Jenkins' death and the drownings of at leastMatt Kruziki.
40 other men in 25 cities in 11 states.His body was found on Sinsiniwa Avenue. Plus, they've
It began in New York Citydiscovered the nicknames of people in the group at
The investigation started 11 years ago in New Yorkmore than one location.
City when then Sgt. Gannon made a promise to theGannon and Duarte are confident they have
parents of Patrick McNeill.discovered a nationwide criminal enterprise.
Patrick McNeill was last seen at a NYC bar in 1997. HisGannon and Duarte want their investigation to prompt
body was found 50 days later, 11 miles downriver.changes in the way drownings are investigated.
This is almost 'a perfect crime' because the waterMedical examiners frequently do not consider murder
washes away any physical evidence and there arewhen looking at the body of a drowning victim unless,
never any witnesses. Almost all of the men are lastof course, there are signs of blunt force trauma on the
seen by friends leaving a bar or college party.body.