'Smiley Face Murders' - College age boys at risk???

'Smiley Face Murders' - College age boys at risk???
Detectives Chase 'Smiley Face' Murder Mystery Retired NYC Detectives Spend 11 Years Connecting the Drowning Deaths of 40 Young Men Across the Country By KRISTI PIEHL April 28, 2008 Chris Jenkins was a popular student at the University of Minnesota who disappeared one night in 2003. Four months later, he was found dead in the Mississippi River. At first police thought Jenkins was just a drunk college kid who accidentally fell into the river and drowned after a night on the town. But for two retired New York City Police detectives, Jenkins' death became the link that connected the drowning deaths of 40 young men — usually high-achieving college students — in 25 cities in 11 different states. Chilling Discovery Detectives Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte have been tracking the suspicious drowning deaths of young men across the country ever since they investigated the death of college student Patrick McNeill, who drowned in New York City in 1997. Gannon made a promise to McNeill's parents that he would never give up on his case. When the detectives took a look at Jenkins' death, they discovered that the position of his body and other physical evidence proved that the college student didn't drown accidentally. The cause of death on Jenkins' death certificate was changed to "homicide." While most local investigations focus on where a body was recovered, Gannon and Duarte wanted to know where the body went into the water. If they could figure out that location, the detectives believed they'd be able to gather evidence from the actual crime scene. In city after city, the detectives found a smiley face painted somewhere at the crime scene. The color of paint used and the size of the faces varies, but the detectives are convinced it is a sick signature claiming responsibility for the homicide. The detectives found the smiley faces in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa. Gannon and Duarte also came to the surprising conclusion that more than one person is involved in the murders. "Because there's such a wide range of states the killings are through," Gannon said today in an exclusive interview on "Good Morning America." "Besides the fact that we have multiple victims on the same night." At the crime scene of a drowning in Michigan, Gannon and Duarte discovered grafitti that they believed was written by the killers, but were puzzled by a word they hadn't seen before. "We found 'sinsiniwa,' which was very suspicious at the time," said Gannon. Then the detectives found the strange word in Iowa, where they were investigating the drowning death of 24-year-old Matt Kruziki. Bloodhounds tracked Kruziki's scent to an intersection near the Mississippi River. The detectives believe that is the location where the killers slid Kruziki's body in the water — it was at Sinsiniwa Avenue. "We believe they were specifically leaving a clue for us or anyone who was paying attention to these drownings, that the cases were ultimately linked," Gannon said. Paul McCabe of the FBI office in Minneapolis said the bureau investigated some of the deaths late last year and concluded that they were accidental drownings. He said an FBI behavioral analysis, requested by a Wisconsin police chief, concluded that there was probably not a serial killer at work. McCabe said his office is not actively investigating any of the deaths but would be interested in seeing any new information that Gannon and Duarte had discovered. Gannon said they were publicizing their conclusions now because they are looking for help. "Right now really we're out of finances and really can't do any more on the cases. In fact, we looked at 89 cases in totality. We knocked out 30 right away and there was 19 cases that we haven't even done yet and out of those 19, they look like at least 10, 15 of those could be connected," Gannon said. Chris Jenkins' mother, Jan, like the McNeills and other families, want answers about how their son died. "The people that murdered Chris have murdered before him and they've also murdered people after him and those people are still at large," Jan Jenkins said. http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=4738621&page=2

Detectives: 40 Drowning Victims May Have Been Murdered by 'Smiley Face Gang' Tuesday, April 29, 2008

This smiley-face symbol was found painted near the scenes of drowning deaths in four states At least 40 young men who drowned may have died by far more sinister means — serial killings at the hands of a national gang that revels in murdering young men and leaving smiley-face markings at the scene, a team of retired New York City police detectives and criminal justice investigators said Monday. They believe the victims, including University of Minnesota student Chris Jenkins and Fordham University student Patrick McNeill, didn't accidentally drown but were actually killed by members of the so-called "Smiley Face Gang," according to KSTP-TV, which first reported the story. A smiley-face symbol was found painted at some of the drowning locations — in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa, the station said. "They're telling you here that they're into evil, they're very happy as most serial killers are," retired NYPD Det. Kevin Gannon said at a press conference Monday. "They're content with their work and what they're doing and the fact that they're thwarting the police." Click here to read more on this story from the KSTP.com. Jenkins' body was discovered in the Mississippi River about four months after he disappeared in 2003. To police, his death looked like an accidental fall after a night of drinking. McNeill drowned in New York City in 1997, also after bar-hopping. The task force that formed to solve the crimes believes a national crime network has killed at least 40 men — mostly white college students and 20-somethings, often with high grades and impressive athletic records — in about 10 different states. The team investigated 89 separate cases dating back a decade and said it had connected 40 of them through a variety of evidence — including matching sets of gang graffiti. It was Jenkins' death, however, that tipped off police. His body was found encased in ice in the Mississippi, his hands folded across his chest in an odd pose that was inconsistent with a chance drowning. Gannon and another NYPD detective, Anthony Duarte — along with the other investigators — believe a gang of killers has been trolling interstates from New York to Wisconsin, staging the drownings. The FBI and local authorities don't necessarily agree with the theory that all the drownings are linked and the work of a gang. But families of the victims have long believed their loved ones' deaths were suspicious. "The people that murdered Chris have murdered before him and they've also murdered people after him, Jan Jenkins told KSTP. "Those people are still at large." FOX News' Eric Shawn contributed to this report. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,352960,00.html

Sinsiniwa is a commen word in Chippewa land, which is Il, Mich, Wisc, Minn, and NDak. People think it means "Mound" but it means "Place of the Spirit" or loosely, where the spirit rests, (grave). **Found this on a blog called godlikeproductions.com The blog has adult language posted so reading it is your choice....Admin**.

Apr 29, 2008 1:42 pm US/Eastern 'Serial' Drownings May Be Linked To Gang Activity Possible Gang Insignia Found Near Many Water 'Entry' Points; More Than 40 Bodies Recovered In 11 States

NEW YORK (CBS) ― Patrick McNeil's mother believes her son's killing has gone unpunished. "I want people to know that my son was murdered. That he was not a drunk who fell into the water," she told CBS 2. Her son vanished from the Upper East Side of Manhattan 11 years ago in the dead of winter. The Fordham University student left a bar telling his friends he had an early class and never returned. Fifty days later his body found floating in the waters off Bay Ridge in Brooklyn. Now, Jackie McNeil is rejecting the medical examiner's finding that her son's death was an accidental drowning. An NYPD Detective who was on the case in 1997 stayed on it as a private citizen and began to investigate young men who vanished under similar circumstances in upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa and beyond. Kevin Gannon is leading a team of experts, bankrolling the probe with his own money, he says, and "connecting dots" that outline a monstrous plot. What appear to be a drownings to local police, he insists, are really cult-like murders. He says there are no obvious signs of trauma or distress that could come from someone falling, and in several of the cases he and people have traced river and harbor currents to pinpoint probable points of entry and found chillingly similar "smiley face" graffitti tags that could be tied to a loosely affiliated gang. "These people are being placed in the water," he says. "It's just preposterous to think these men are all coming out of a bar and walking into the water." Professor P. Lee Gilbertson, who is also on the team, is more specific. "This a national organization that revels in the killing of young men," he says. Sara Lightner, whose brother's body was found in the Mississippi River five years ago, says she believes the dissappearrances begin as targeted kidnappings. He brother, she tells me "was abducted, thrown into a vehicle, was tortured ... for hours then murdered and placed in the water." Jackie McNeil believes it's a pattern that stretches back to her own son's death in 1997. "I do believe this is how he died," she said, "and I believe the case should be opened up." A spokesman for NYPD says the department is unaware of any new information that change the status of Patrick McNeil's case. There was no immediate comment from the FBI. http://wcbstv.com/local/serial.drownings.murder.2.710715.html

Murder Gang Theorists Believe Brian Shaffer Case Connected Tuesday, Apr 29, 2008 - 02:53 PM Updated: 06:43 PM By Ryan Squire E-mail COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Two years after Brian Shaffer disappeared from a campus-area bar, there could be a break in the case. Shaffer went missing at the Ugly Tuna Saloona on April 1, 2006 after going out with some friends. Brian vanished without a trace and his father, Randy, has spearheaded an active search for Brian ever since. NBC 4 has learned that two retired New York detectives and a criminology professor who have developed a theory about a nationwide gang of serial killers believe Brian Shaffer’s disappearance could be connected to the murders of 40 other male college students. St. Cloud State University Criminology Professor Lee Gilbertson tells NBC 4 that after looking at circumstances surrounding the case, he and the two retired New York PD detectives involved with the theory believe Brian’s disappearance is no accident. The killings were made to look like accidents, but could it be the work of a serial-killing gang? NBC 4's Tom Brockman spoke with Randy Shaffer on Tuesday, who said that without clear information and evidence, the new theory is just that -- another theory. "It's hard for me to go on with my life. It still is. I'm just sort of stuck in limbo because of all this stuff sometimes," he said. "I listen to it and I guess I try to (say) -- whether it be psychics or this -- well, OK. If that's so, show me some information, some proof that you have, that you know this could have happened to my son. And I haven't seen that proof yet." The most convincing evidence of a connection to the serial-killing gang is missing in Shaffer's disappearance. A smiley face was found placed at the scenes where some of the other victims were found. Police said they're unclear how the connections are being drawn. While they said they will keep an eye out for the smiley faces, there is no guarantee it will lead to finding Shaffer. Stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com for additional information. To submit a story idea or news tip, e-mail us at stories@nbc4i.com http://www.nbc4i.com/midwest/cmh/news.apx.-content-articles-CMH-2008-04-29-0026.html

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