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What Makes a Killer

S5 Ep3: Keith Jesperson, the Happy Face Killer

What Makes a Killer

Audioboom Studios

Documentary, True Crime, Society & Culture, History

4.41K Ratings

🗓️ 17 August 2023

⏱️ 44 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In March 1995, the body of 41-year-old Julie Winningham was found just off Highway 14 in Washington State, strangled to death. Julie had become the eighth victim of an active serial killer named Keith Jesperson. The 39-year-old truck driver had been slaughtering women across America for the past five years. He would go on to capture national intrigue when he confessed to five murders in an anonymous letter he sent to a newspaper, signed with a smile.

This episode is sponsored by:
Badlands

Original music by Ben Krejci, Lee Rosevere, Kai Engel, and Daniel Birch. Additional music provided by Epidemic Sound.

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:04.8

That means you can travel between Cardiff and Manchester from as little as 32 pounds 20 each way.

0:10.1

Whether it's for an overdue catch-up in Manchester,

0:12.6

exploring Shrewsbury or treating the kids in Cardiff,

0:15.5

whatever your head is, save on good times when you buy ahead of time.

0:19.1

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0:22.1

direct on the TFW app and at TFW.wails forward slash advance.

0:26.4

Selected routes and fares subject to availability in terms and conditions apply.

0:30.2

What makes a killer contains graphic details of sexual assault and violence

0:34.5

and is not intended for all audiences?

0:37.2

Listener discretion is strongly advised.

0:41.9

In March 1995, the body of 41-year-old Julie Winningham was found

0:47.6

just off Highway 14 in Washington State, strangled to death.

0:52.8

He's a monster, six plus feet, 280 pounds.

0:56.5

My mom was five pounds, a hundred pounds soaking wet.

0:59.8

So it was like a toothpick, you know, he's a big man.

1:03.4

Julie had become the eighth victim of an active serial killer named Keith Jesperson.

1:09.8

The 39-year-old truck driver had been slaughtering women across America for the past five years.

1:16.5

In a sense, they were falling into the hands of a wolf.

1:20.2

Their hands in the hencoupe and Jesperson is the wolf of the door.

1:25.6

Jesperson captured national attention when he confessed to five murders

1:30.6

in an anonymous letter he sent to a newspaper,

...

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