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Daughter of Serial Killer Reveals Haunting Truths Behind ‘Happy Face’

BBG News

One day in the spring of 1995, Melissa G. Moore returned home to find her mother, Rose Hucke, summoning her and her two younger siblings. As a senior at Shadle Park High School, Melissa sensed immediately that something was amiss – her parents rarely called family gatherings. In the basement of her grandmother’s house in Spokane, Washington, where they were then residing, Rose disclosed a shocking truth: their father, Keith Hunter Jesperson, was imprisoned for committing murder.

Moore was deeply shaken by the news. She recounts to TIME how she retreated to a makeshift bedroom, collapsing on her cot, weeping, and struggling to comprehend the truth of what had occurred.

Over a six-year period from 1990 to 1995, Jesperson secretly murdered at least eight women while traveling across America. He signed anonymous letters of confession and drew smiley faces on them or in public restrooms, earning him the chilling nickname “The Happy Face Killer.” After his arrest in 1995, he admitted to his crimes and is now serving multiple life sentences at the Oregon State Penitentiary located in Salem, Oregon.

The surreal yet true experiences of Moore’s childhood, under the care of Jesperson as a father, are now the foundation for the eight-episode Paramount+ crime thriller series titled “Happy Face”. This show, developed by creators Jennifer Cacicio and the team behind “The Good Wife” (Michelle King and Robert King), delves into an intriguing hypothetical situation. The story centers around Moore (played by Annaleigh Ashford), a talk show makeup artist, whose life takes an unexpected turn when her incarcerated father (Dennis Quaid) contacts her workplace, demanding to speak with his estranged daughter. In return, he promises to reveal fresh details about a possible ninth victim in a cold case.

Although the storyline of the show “Happy Face” is made up, Moore, one of its executive producers, claims that the project reflects aspects of her real-life experiences, such as her strained relationship with her father, whom she hasn’t met since 2004 when she visited him in prison. She emphasizes that the intense, give-and-take nature of their arguments, where Jesperson manipulated Moore to inflate his ego, is portrayed accurately on screen.

Moore recounts that her father’s words were never said without purpose, and she believed his intentions were to soften her defenses and access her emotions. However, she felt he would then exploit this vulnerability, she explains. Furthermore, she comments that Ashford and Quaid portrayed convincingly what it might be like to be in such a relationship.

A life transformed by tragedy and trauma

In her early days, Moore lived in Toppenish, Washington, a small town with less than 9,000 residents. This place holds mostly fond memories for her as she reflects on her humble upbringing with her family. Despite Jesperson, a large-sized truck driver, frequently being away, he’d send Moore postcards. His return, always accompanied by pockets full of coins and souvenirs, was always met with great anticipation; Moore and her siblings would compete to see who could reach him first upon his arrival.

She remembers saying that she’d rummage through his pockets for loose change to purchase whatever treats, often sweets, from the grocery store.

Despite the joyful nature of these family gatherings, signs of distress in Jesperson became evident quite early. When Moore was just five years old, she stumbled upon some stray kittens hiding in the cellar of her family’s farmhouse. Unfortunately, instead of letting Moore care for them, Jesperson brutally seized the kittens from her hands, strung them up on a clothesline, and subjected them to cruel treatment before abandoning their lifeless bodies in the backyard.

Following their divorce in 1989, the warning signals grew increasingly concerning, as Moore puts it. During a car ride along the Columbia River, which borders Oregon and Washington, Jesperson shared with Moore (approximately 11 or 12 years old) his knowledge of committing murder without leaving any telltale fingerprints or distinctive footprints. This method, he claimed, allowed him to escape detection.

At that point in time, I believed my father’s strange talk was just typical of characters in detective novels. However, it now seems possible that Jesperson might have been alluding to the murder of Taunja Bennett, whom he encountered at a bar in Portland, Oregon in January 1990. He allegedly assaulted, raped, and took her life afterwards.

Bennett was the first known victim of Jesperson that we know about. In the following five years, Jesperson went on to kill an additional seven women: Cynthia Lyn Rose, Patricia Skiple, Suzanne Kjellenberg, Laurie Ann Pentland, Angela May Subrize, and another woman who was unnamed but referred to by Jesperson as “Claudia.” In 1995, he ultimately confessed to authorities after murdering his girlfriend, Julie Ann Winningham.

During a family visit to Jesperson in prison following his arrest, he offered Moore a piece of advice. “One of the first things he told me was, ‘My top recommendation is for you to adopt a new surname,'” she remembers. “At that moment, I was certain he was guilty because he was essentially suggesting I disappear.

Moore opted against retreating into seclusion and leading a tranquil life; instead, she decided to confront her past and express her experiences through various platforms such as the 2009 autobiography titled “Shattered Silence,” the podcast “Happy Face Presents: Two Face,” and the series “Happy Face” on Paramount+.

Tapping into Moore’s story for a new chapter

In the year 2018, while on her way to the writers’ room of Showtime’s crime thriller series “Your Honor” during her daily commute, Cacicio discovered Moore’s podcast on iTunes. The podcast immediately captivated her due to its captivating and unusual narrative. What further drew Cacicio in was the shared experiences she and Moore had – they both came from modest backgrounds and their fathers had served time in prison, with Cacicio’s father spending nearly 12 years behind bars for drug-related offenses.

As a film enthusiast, I found myself deeply moved by a recent cinematic exploration that masterfully depicted diverse transgressions yet poignantly captured universal emotions. The story revolves around the burden of a long-kept family secret, the stigma associated with imprisonment, and the complicated admiration for a father who harbored a hidden life.

Despite numerous TV production offers based on Moore’s life story, Cacicio’s concept for telling her life journey, along with Cacicio’s personal experiences related to her own father, stood out among the others. The show “Happy Face” largely follows Moore’s childhood experiences but takes a creative route when depicting her adult life, altering details such as Moore’s profession and the fictional reconciliation between the daughter and her father. (In reality, Moore holds the positions of executive producer and public speaker.) Cacicio introduced the investigation into a potential ninth murder victim as an intriguing subplot to propel the show and serve as a foundation for Moore’s emotional narrative.

She mentioned that when I proposed writing a fictional adaptation of the subject, it was one of the factors that likely contributed to her choosing me, as she had expressed, “I’ve done a podcast, written my memoir, been on numerous talk shows, and shared my story in my own way multiple times. What I’d really like is for this project to develop its own unique voice.

Delving deeply into Moore’s history, Cacicio repeatedly listened to her podcast and scrutinized “Shattered Silence” extensively. She had numerous discussions with Moore, who provided Jesperson’s letters written throughout the years, which significantly influenced his on-screen portrayal. Although Cacicio enjoyed full creative control, Moore desired for ‘Happy Face’ to highlight her father’s clever side. (Moore further mentioned, “I aimed to demonstrate the emotional manipulation he excelled at.”)

To achieve the authentic, naturalistic feel that Cacicio aimed for with the theme song of Happy Face, she and music supervisor DeVoe Yates selected “Happy (Reprise)” by Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins. This selection was particularly fitting because the creator has long admired Lewis’ music, and the 48-second track’s contrast between the word “Happy” and its slower, eerie melody, along with its minimal instrumentation, effectively set the stage for the show’s ominous narrative tone. Simultaneously, a creative team at Picturemill designed the opening credits around this song, crafting a sequence of close-up shots depicting blood seeping through parchment.

To strike the right balance between light and dark themes in the pilot episode, Cacicio brought on board Michael Showalter, an Emmy-nominated director known for films such as “The Big Sick” (2017) and “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” (2021). As Cacicio explains, “Showalter has a knack for making scenes feel authentic and making actors feel at ease.” He continues, “We aimed to keep the family moments brighter, while allowing the darker scenes to carry a more ominous tone.

She emphasizes the significance of maintaining a touch of levity. “Those in professions such as journalism, law enforcement, and individuals directly impacted by crime often possess a more somber sense of humor,” she explains. “I aimed to incorporate that perspective into my work as well.

Ultimately, she feels that “Happy Face” distinguishes itself among other TV crime dramas by delving into the exploration of real-life crimes and trauma, often overlooked in preference for sensationalizing gory and violent aspects.

She explains that according to the series’ introductory episode, every act of violence creates a ripple effect, much like a stone dropped into water. In her opinion, many families harbor hidden secrets, acts of violence, or crimes which cast long shadows on their lives. Essentially, she believes the show delves into the concept of generational trauma, a theme that hasn’t been extensively explored in true crime productions before—that was her aim.

Check out this intriguing piece: Childhood Acquaintances of the Alleged Zodiac Killer Claim He Admitted His Crimes in a Recent Netflix Documentary

Where is Moore today?

Following her father’s sentencing, Moore dedicated her life to illuminating other genuine crime narratives and connecting with people who had gone through experiences akin to hers. She assumed the role of an executive producer on various TV productions such as “The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson“, “Jodi Arias: The Friends Speak“, and “Gypsy Rose: Beyond Bars“.

Moore has conversed with over a hundred children whose parents have been convicted of murder, offering comfort to those who may be grappling with fear, embarrassment, and isolation due to their parents’ actions. Some of these interactions were featured in the Lifetime Movie Network series titled “Monster in My Family“, which aired for two seasons from 2015 to 2017.

In my own words as a movie critic, I’d rephrase it like this: “As I shared my personal tale, I received messages echoing the same sentiments – ‘I can relate to your journey.’ This resonance served to affirm my experiences. It became clear that many of us had gone through similar emotional journeys, experiencing denial and even the five stages of grief in a very real way.

Moore’s upcoming venture is a deeply personal project. Pending approval of her property purchase in Palermo, Sicily, she along with husband Steve Kenoyer aim to reside in the Italian city eventually. The house requires some renovation, such as replacing the roof, but Moore is excited about turning this fixer-upper into their summer retreat until they secure permanent residency and can fully move there. It’s a significant change, yet it feels perfectly suited to them.

Moore mentions that his daughter is about to get married and live independently, while his son is off to college for the same reason. In other words, they’ve both embarked on their individual journeys. So, he concludes, this seems like the perfect opportunity for him to enjoy his own time.

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2025-03-20 15:06

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