In March of 1995, the body of 41-year-old White / Caucasian female Julie Ann Winningham was discovered dumped over an embankment alongside state Highway 14 near Washougal, Washington. An investigation determined she had been strangled to death. Winningham, who had recently moved to Camas, Washington, from Salt Lake City, was known to have been in a relationship with a long-haul truck driver named Keith.
This connection would prove to be the crucial lead for investigators.
Friends of Winningham provided police with information about her boyfriend, leading them to Keith Hunter Jesperson, a 6-foot-6, 250-pound truck driver. Initially, when questioned by police, Jesperson denied involvement, and without sufficient evidence, he was not arrested. However, the pressure of the investigation seemingly took its toll. Believing his arrest was imminent, Jesperson, after two failed suicide attempts, ultimately confessed to the murder of Julie Winningham. He made a phone call to a Clark County sheriff's detective and admitted to the killing. His confession was not limited to this one crime; he began to reveal details of a string of other murders he had committed across several states.
Keith Hunter Jesperson was arrested on March 30, 1995, for the murder of Julie Winningham. Unlike his other victims, who were often strangers, Winningham was someone he knew, which ultimately led to his capture. While in custody, Jesperson provided details about his other crimes, leading to his identification as the notorious "Happy Face Killer," so named for the smiley faces he drew on letters he sent to the media confessing to his crimes. He pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of Julie Winningham and was sentenced to more than 34 years in prison for her death. This was one of several life sentences he would receive for the murders of at least eight women between 1990 and 1995.
