CONSPIRACY THEORIES: The Smiley Face Killers with Dr. Tristin Engels

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes

Episode Title: CONSPIRACY THEORIES: The Smiley Face Killers with Dr. Tristin Engels
Host: Vanessa Richardson
Guest: Dr. Tristin Engels (Forensic Psychologist)
Date: December 10, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this compelling episode, Vanessa Richardson dives into the "Smiley Face Killers" conspiracy theory — the claim that dozens of young, college-aged men who drowned were actually victims of a clandestine network of serial killers. Vanessa is joined by Dr. Tristin Engels, forensic psychologist and co-host of "Killer Minds," to dissect the origins, evidence, psychology, and criticism surrounding one of true crime’s most enduring urban legends. Their discussion blends true crime investigation, behavioral science, media influence, and the human quest for meaning in tragic, unresolved cases.

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Main Discussion Points and Insights

1. Origins and Background of the Smiley Face Killers Theory

• The theory emerged from the investigations of retired NYPD detectives Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte, who connected a series of drowning deaths of college-aged men across the U.S. (04:43).
• All victims fit a consistent profile: white, athletic, promising futures, last seen drinking, bodies found in water (03:42).
• Notable case: Patrick McNeil (05:45–12:42): Disappeared in 1997 after leaving a New York City bar, body found in the East River. Gannon believed the case had signs of abduction and murder, not accidental drowning — and this became the foundation for the serial killer theory.

“In Kevin's eyes, the evidence told a clear story. He strongly believed that Patrick's death wasn't accidental. He had been drugged, abducted, tied up and murdered before being dumped in the East River.” – Vanessa Richardson (11:15)

2. The Investigation Evolves

• Gannon, Duarte, and criminal justice professor Doc Gilbertson formed “Nationwide Investigations” (18:02).
• They noticed recurring smiley face graffiti at/near multiple locations where bodies were found, often with other tags (21:46). They theorized this was a "calling card" from an organized group.

“Many of the supposed sites had a smiley face spray painted nearby... Kevin and Anthony decided the smiley faces were some kind of marker...” – Vanessa Richardson (21:53)

• Other peculiar graffiti and possible gang affiliations were observed, further muddying the waters (26:21).

3. Forensic and Psychological Analysis

Dr. Engels offered extensive expert commentary.

On the Likelihood of Group Serial Killers

“There's very little precedent for organized groups of serial killers operating together, especially in the kind of coordinated, interstate way suggested by the smiley face killer theory... Those traits don't commingle well with others.” (23:26)

• Serial killers are typically solitary, driven by personal compulsions or pathologies. Pair or partnership cases (e.g., the “Toolbox Killers”) are rare and differ markedly from a putative organized network.
• Signature crime markers (like the smiley face graffiti) are generally unique, personal, and consistent — unlike the varied and ubiquitous tags in these cases (25:13).

On Cognitive Bias

• Dr. Engels repeatedly warned that trauma, empathy, and investment can lead even skilled investigators to see patterns that may not exist (12:42, 33:53, 35:48).
• Emotional truth vs. empirical truth: Investigators’ passionate pursuit of meaning can lead to confirmation bias.

“The theory feels emotionally true... but emotional truth isn't the same as empirical truth. As a forensic psychologist, I see how easily confirmation bias can sneak in when we're searching for order.” (42:37)

On Victim vs. Offender Profiling

• Anthony Duarte described the supposed killers as the "opposite" of the successful, athletic victims, motivated by jealousy. Dr. Engels critiqued this as a simplistic, emotionally satisfying, but unsupported trope:

"Violent offenders are rarely motivated by pure jealousy of socioeconomic status like this... The idea of an organized multi-state collective of killers acting out of shared jealousy isn't just unlikely, it's just psychologically inconsistent." (33:53)

4. Investigation Roadblocks and Media Frenzy

• Law enforcement, including the FBI, dismissed the serial killer theory for lack of evidence (30:08).
• Media attention exploded after a 2008 article; public fear and conspiracy speculation grew (36:41).
• Academic scrutiny increased: Nine criminologists published “Drowning the Smiley Face Murder Theory,” criticizing methodological and evidentiary gaps—especially the reliance on common graffiti and lack of consistent signatures (38:44).

5. Impact on the Public and Victims’ Families

• Despite little official support, the theory gained traction online and in popular culture. It influenced documentaries, a feature film, and frequent social media speculation (46:07).
• Some victim families began to feel the investigators offered “empty hope,” causing renewed grief (47:53).

“I feel Kevin is like a sponge. He latches onto the families, sucks the life out of them and when he has nothing else to suck, he dumps them.” — Unnamed victim’s father (47:53)

• Dr. Engels reflected on the harm caused when true crime crusaders lose sight of the families’ emotional needs:

“When that occurs, even well intentioned investigators can consequently re-traumatize the very people they set out to help, giving them false hope and then resulting in even more ambiguous grief.” (48:54)

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On the psychology of unsolved cases and justice:

  “For someone who spent a career investigating truth finding, closure becomes its own form of healing. And in some cases, retired detectives struggle with taking off their investigative hats… That mindset becomes part of their identity.” — Dr. Tristan Engels (12:42)

• On the power of media and myth:

  “The story reached such a wide audience…Kevin and Anthony presented the smart smiley face killers as an ongoing threat. According to them, other young men were at risk…” — Vanessa Richardson (38:44)

• On grief and needing meaning:

  “What this case ultimately illustrates is how powerful our need for meaning really is, especially when we're faced with ambiguous loss like that. People want to believe there's an explanation or a pattern and a villain. It's easier to have explanations or something to blame than accepting the possibility of a random tragedy or a series of random tragedies.” — Dr. Tristan Engels (48:54)

• Chilling Detail: The “smiley face” painted on a victim’s grave after the case aired nationally (44:04).

• Signature Analysis: Dr. Engels’ skepticism about common graffiti as evidence—reminding listeners that signature behaviors are rare, deeply personal, and hard to fake (25:13).

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Key Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:50–02:08 | Introduction to the Smiley Face Killers theory and notable early cases | | 05:45–12:42 | The Patrick McNeil case and Gannon’s growing suspicions; formation of the theory | | 16:40–21:46 | Emergence of Nationwide Investigations and discovery of the smiley face graffiti | | 23:26–26:21 | Dr. Engels on group serial killers and "signature" evidence | | 30:08–33:53 | Law enforcement/FBI reactions and the role of GHB | | 36:41–38:44 | Media coverage, public fear, and academic critique of the theory | | 42:37 | Dr. Engels on confirmation bias and emotional attachment in investigations | | 44:04–46:07 | Renewed interest, informants, alleged "Dealers of Death" gang | | 47:53–48:54 | Families’ disappointment, emotional impact, Dr. Engels’ closing reflections |

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Tone and Style

The episode maintains a blend of investigative gravitas and empathetic storytelling, with Dr. Engels providing measured, respectful but rigorous skepticism. Vanessa leads with clarity and compassion, always emphasizing the facts, the importance of justice for families, and the broader cultural fascination with mystery and meaning in crime.

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Conclusion

The episode is a nuanced exploration of why the "Smiley Face Killers" theory persists. It’s not simply about facts or evidence, but about the psychological need for answers when tragedy strikes. The experts caution against easy narratives — whether conspiracy or coincidence — and urge listeners to keep both skepticism and compassion close at hand. The Smiley Face Killers remain an unsolved, emotionally charged mystery at the crossroads of true crime, pop culture, and conspiracy thinking.

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Listener Engagement:
Vanessa invites listeners to share their opinions on the theory and law enforcement’s response in the comments (50:32).

Final Thought:
Despite high-profile advocacy and persistent public belief, official investigations and forensic science continue to challenge the plausibility of the Smiley Face Killers as an organized, multi-state conspiracy.

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Transcript

[Vanessa Richardson]

Hi Crime House Community. It's Vanessa Richardson looking for another Crime House original podcast to add to your rotation. You will love Clues with Morgan Absher and Kaylin Moore. Every Wednesday, Morgan and Kaelyn dig into the world's most notorious crimes, clue by clue. From serial killers to shocking murders. They follow the trail of clues, break down the evidence and debate the theories. It's like hanging out with your smart and true crime obsessed friends. Listen to Clues on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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This is crime house.

[Vanessa Richardson]

On New Year's Eve 1999, a 21 year old college student named Brian Welzian left his apartment to celebrate with friends in downtown Chicago. Three months later, his body washed up on the shores of Lake Michigan in gary, Indiana, about 30 miles away. Investigators assumed Brian had gotten drunk, fallen into the lake and drowned, but his body showed minimal signs of decomposition. Strange, considering the police believed he'd been floating in the water for three months. In 2008, former New York City detectives Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte came forward with a theory about what really happened to Brian. They noticed his case was eerily similar to dozens of other young athletic white men across America who had all mysteriously drowned. According to Gannon and Duarte, none of these deaths were accidental. They were coordinated attacks by a cabal of murderers with a unique calling card, a graffiti smiley face.

From UFO cults and mass suicides to secret CIA experiments, presidential assassinations and murderous doctors, these aren't just theories. They're real stories that blur the line between fact and fiction. I'm Vanessa Richardson and this is Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes, a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. Every Wednesday I'll explore the real people at the center of the world's most shocking events and nefarious organizations. These cases are wild and I want to hear what you think at the end of each episode. Leave a comment wherever you listen, follow Conspiracy Theories, Cults and crimes and subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts for ad free early access. And if you can't get enough true crime, go search and follow Crime House Daily. Our team's twice a day show bringing you breaking cases, updates and unbelievable stories from the world of crime that are happening right now. Today I'm looking into a conspiracy theory called the Smiley Face Killers and I have a special surprise guest joining me. You might know her from our other Crime House show, Killer Minds. She's a licensed clinical forensic psychologist and my friend Dr. Tristan Engels. And she's the perfect person to shed light on today's topic. Dr. Engels, I'm so happy to have you here. Have you ever heard of this conspiracy theory?

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Well, being from the Midwest myself, I've definitely heard of it. It was talked about a lot in Chicago, but admittedly I haven't done a deep dive before, so I cannot wait to dig in.

[Vanessa Richardson]

I cannot wait to hear. And the smiley face killer theory's not new. It was first coined by retired NYPD detectives Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte in 2006. They alleged that from the late 90s through the 2000 and tens, a gang of serial killers targeted and killed at least 45 college aged men. The supposed victims all fit a similar profile. Nearly all of them were white, athletic and had bright futures ahead of them. They all disappeared after drinking with friends, only for their bodies to be discovered in bodies of water. And most interestingly, a large portion of the bodies were found near a very specific piece of graphene. A smiley face. To this day we're wondering was it a clue or a coincidence? All that and more coming up.

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[Vanessa Richardson]

On February 16, 1997, Patrick McNeil went out to the Dapper Dog bar in Manhattan. He he needed to blow off a little steam, have a few drinks. Patrick was 20 years old, strong and athletic. In high school he was the captain of his football team. But now he wasn't sure what he wanted to do with his life. He was in his second year Studying accounting at Fordham University in New York City. Lately, though, he'd been considering a career in law enforcement. That said, he was a bit of a rebel. He'd recently gotten a tongue piercing and used his fake ID to get into bars. At the Dapper Dog, Patrick had some beers, but according to friends, he seemed unusually disoriented, almost like he was on some kind of narcotics. But Patrick didn't do drugs, as far as anyone knew. And before long, Patrick was found on the bathroom floor, unable to stop throwing up. People offered to help him get home, but he started stumbling back to his apartment on his own. However, witnesses reported seeing a car for following close behind him, stopping whenever he stopped. Then, eventually, Patrick turned a corner, the car followed, and no one ever saw him again. That's when Detective Kevin Gannon entered the picture. Kevin wasn't just any cop. He was something of a legend within the NYPD. He'd received over two medals of valor for bravery and had over 1,000 felony arrests under his belt. Kevin had been working on the force for almost two decades, and he liked to think the system worked the way it was supposed to. He believed his job was to help people find justice, no matter the cost. Until he was assigned Patrick's case.

After Patrick's disappearance, Kevin started collecting evidence. He didn't have much to go on, except for what people told him about the car that had followed Patrick. Bystanders claimed a man and a woman were in the vehicle. Luckily, one witness was able to provide Kevin with a partial license plate number. Kevin requested a search from the nypd, but doing so without a full plate number was more complicated and therefore more expensive. It would have cost the department about $1,200. Today, that's around $2,500. To Kevin's disbelief, his superiors denied the request because of the price. Suddenly, the trail had gone cold, and Kevin couldn't do anything about it. And that wasn't the only bad news Kevin received. Two months after he disappeared in April of 1997, Patrick's body washed up on the banks of the East River. He was found near a pier in Bay ridge, Brooklyn, about 12 miles from where he was last seen. After he was found, authorities were quick to label the death an accidental drowning. But Patrick. Kevin wasn't convinced. The autopsy showed soft tissue breakdown and bloating, which is typical in cases of prolonged water exposure. And his lungs were reportedly filled with fluid, a key marker of drowning. But there were also a number of strange discrepancies, all of which indicated that Patrick might have died before he went into the water. For starters, Patrick was only found in his Genesis. Jeans, underwear and socks. It's highly unlikely he took off his shirt and jacket before falling into the water, especially in the middle of winter. It also didn't make sense for Patrick's body to appear where it did. In Kevin's estimation, the only way he would have shown up at that pier was if his body had been dumped there. According to the medical examiner, Patrick's body showed no signs of injuries, assault or defensive wounds. But this didn't make sense to Kevin. There were marks on his neck suggesting he had been bound. And charring on his head and back showing he may have been burned. But the smoking gun was his blood alcohol level, which the coroner was able to estimate by testing Patrick's remaining biological fluids. According to those, his bac was 12 when he died. Definitely enough for him to be drunk, but not as intoxicated as he reportedly was. In Kevin's eyes, the evidence told a clear story. He strongly believed that Patrick's death wasn't accidental. He had been drugged, abducted, tied up and murdered before being dumped in the East River. When Kevin went to his superiors with this theory, they took him off the case and barred him from investigating further. It was obvious to Kevin that they weren't interested in the truth. But he couldn't seem to stay away. And before long, he came across more information that seemed to suggest Patrick had been a victim of foul play. On New Year's Eve 1997, a month and a half before Patrick went missing, 22 year old Lawrence Andrews Jr. Disappeared after a night of drinking in New York City. His body was recovered from the East River 43 days later near the same spot as Patrick's. Five months after that, 19 year old Joshua Bender went missing from his college campus in the city before being found on the banks of the same river. Like Patrick, both men disappeared under suspicious circumstances and their bodies showed possible signs of foul play. But when Kevin brought this up to his bosses, they shut him down. Like Patrick, their deaths were ruled as drownings, and that was final. And so Kevin tried to move on with his life. Kevin went back to work. Then in 1999, he became the head of the Bronx Homicide task force. After 20 years of service, he retired from the NYPD in 2001. In 2003, Kevin was diagnosed with cancer. But he wasn't one to back down from a fight. After a year and a half, his cancer was in remission. Kevin had a new lease on life, and he knew exactly where he he wanted to start. Even Though he'd been retired for a couple of years, Kevin had never forgotten about Patrick. He kept turning one question over and over in his head. How many other cases like Patrick's were there? Not just in New York, but all over the country. Kevin started researching online, and in 2005, he learned something that sent a chill down his spine. Over the past few years, at least 25 young men disappeared across the Midwest under mysterious circumstances, only for them to turn up in bodies of water many miles away. All of them were supposedly accidental drownings. But after Patrick's case, Kevin wasn't so sure. He wanted to find out what really happened.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

It's actually not uncommon for investigators to struggle to let go of cases that never sat right with them, especially ones they felt they couldn't fully pursue because of bureaucratic red tape or resource limits, which sadly happens often. And that's not unique to law enforcement. It happens in many professions, mine included. When you dedicate your life to helping people, unfinished work can stay with you. In Kevin's case, his renewed interest seems driven by interest, but also post traumatic purpose. He survived cancer, and now, in his retirement, it seems like he's searching for meaning, channeling that energy into justice for others. It also feels like both a continuation of his identity and a redefinition of it. For someone who spent a career investigating truth finding, closure becomes its own form of healing. And in some cases, retired detectives struggle with taking off their investigative hats. The instinct to look for patterns, to ask questions, to find answers. It doesn't just shut off when the badge comes off. So for many, that mindset becomes part of their identity. And without an active case to focus on that need to solve, things can turn inward or, as in Kevin's case, find new life in an old case that continued to haunt him.

[Vanessa Richardson]

What would the strengths and weaknesses be of an unofficial investigation like this one?

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

For Kevin, benefits are tremendous. A lot of cold cases get resolved because of retired investigators volunteering their time. Most law enforcement agencies are understaffed or underfunded and cannot dedicate their time to investigate cold cases as new cases pile up. So because of individuals like Kevin, even if it's unofficial, families sometimes can get the closure they've been waiting for. And long forgotten victims get another chance at justice. It's that, that persistence that keeps some of these cases alive when institutional systems can't. And yes, there are certainly risks. When someone becomes emotionally attached to a case, particularly one that was never solved, it can expose them to secondary trauma and in this case, heightened confirmation bias. So in other words, Kevin may start to look for patterns that validate his suspicion, sometimes at the expense of alternative explanations, only to confirm his beliefs. So while Kevin's persistence speaks to his his empathy and his sense of duty, it also illustrates a tension we often see in investigative psychology, which is the line between dedication and fixation. His determination to find connections might reveal as much about his own need for resolution as it does about the crimes themselves.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Clearly, Kevin was passionate about this investigation. But this time around, he knew he'd need some help. Kevin called up his friend and fellow retired NYPD detective Anthony Duarte to ask if he was interested in teaming up. Kevin and Anthony had met at the police academy and were both highly decorated officers. Anthony knew all about Patrick's case and shared Kevin's frustration. So when he heard about these other drownings, he was eager to get involved. In April 2006, the two retired detectives reviewed the case files, and they realized many of the men who'd gone missing in Minnesota and Wisconsin had a lot of similarities to the victims in New York. The most were athletic young white men who had gone out drinking and never came home. Kevin continued to research, and a few months later, in October 2006, he found something that would change the course of his investigation. One of the men who'd gone missing in the Midwest was a student named Scott Radell. He was a junior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. In March 2006, Scott's body surfaced in the Mississippi river and was quickly ruled a drowning. But one person wasn't convinced by that explanation. A man named Doc Gilbertson.

Dr. D. Lee Gilbertson, or Doc, was an assistant professor of criminal justice at St. Cloud, where Scott had gone to school. Doc didn't just teach students about criminal investigations. He consulted with law enforcement officers about forensic victimology and crime analysis. When Doc read about Scott's case in, it didn't quite pass the smell test for him. Just before he disappeared, Scott called his friends to tell them his location. When they went to find him, he was gone. Here's the thing. Scott was nowhere near the banks of the river the night he vanished. But according to investigators, Scott had stumbled all the way there before accidentally falling into the water. It seemed a little fishy to dock, so he did some research online. Doc started by searching for missing student drowned. To his surprise, Scott Radel's name wasn't the only one that came up. Hundreds of websites reported similar cases. And like Kevin, Doc started putting the pieces together with some of his graduate students. Doc compiled the cases into a comprehensive spreadsheet. And analyzed their similarities. Eventually, they published their research and gave a few presentations. But interest died down after a bit, and Doc figured that was it.

Then, in October 2006, Kevin found Doc's research. Soon enough, he and Anthony were on a plane to Minnesota. The three men shared information and realized they were all on the same page. Something didn't feel right about these cases. Maybe they were connected and maybe they weren't. But one thing was for sure, the authorities weren't taking them seriously. Doc, Kevin, and Anthony were determined to get to the bottom of things. So before long, they formed a detective agency known as Nationwide Investigations. One of the first cases they focused on was Scott Ray Dell's. And that's when they found a detail that didn't just transform the case, it would come to define it. A block away from where Scott's body was discovered, there was a piece of graffiti on the wall, a smiley face.

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[Vanessa Richardson]

After forming nationwide investigations in 2006, Kevin Gannon, Anthony Duarte and Doc Gilbertson started going through each case file with a fine toothed comb. If they were going to prove that these young men had been murdered, they were going to need some hard evidence. Kevin personally financed a lot of their investigations. He even remortgaged his house to pay for their work. But he really believed they were onto something. If it could help the victim's loved ones, it was worth it. And it didn't take long to see results.

The team started going to the crime scenes themselves. Unlike police, they didn't just look at where the bodies were discovered. Using GPS and water flow analysis, Kevin and Anthony hoped to triangulate the locations of where the bodies had entered the water. The more they did this, the more they started to see a familiar pattern. Many of the supposed sites had a smiley face spray painted nearby. When investigating an Iowa river where one body was found, Kevin and Anthony discovered a smiley face that seemed different from the rest. It was done in red with its tongue sticking out, devil horns and a cross on the forehead. Next to it was a note reading evil Happy smiley Face Man. After that, Kevin and Anthony decided the smiley faces were some kind of marker, one that was left behind by the people responsible for these supposed drownings. In the detectives minds, the graffiti was there to taunt the police. Even with all these connections, the scope of the case was enormous. Kevin, Anthony and Doc had identified over 80 suspicious drownings from 1997 to 2006 that could be murders. They occurred in 25 cities in 11 different states. The only real consistent location was in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where eight students had allegedly drowned in the Mississippi river over a few years time. Besides that, some of the disappearances occurred on the same day across several different states. This got the team thinking that they weren't just dealing with A potential serial killer. There were groups of them.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

There's very little precedent for organized groups of serial killers operating together, especially in the kind of coordinated, interstate way suggested by the smiley face killer theory. From a forensic psychology perspective, serial homicide by nature tends to be driven by individual paths, pathology, like deeply personal motives, fantasies, and rituals that don't usually translate well into group behavior. Especially when you consider the strong personality traits and pathologies that have to exist for someone to commit these kinds of crimes to begin with. Those traits don't commingle well with others. Individuals with high levels of narcissism, psychopathy, or sadism are driven by control and dominance. They don't share that easily. They won't collaborate on power, secrecy, or credit. Can you imagine btk how he would react if someone tried to take his credit? Or Zodiac killer, or even Ted Bundy? So the idea of multiple offenders working together seamlessly like this across states and years isn't just logistically improbable. It's psychologically inconsistent with what we know about serial offender behavior. There have been rare examples of pairs or small partnerships. We covered the toolbox killers on killer minds, for example. Those dynamics are typically built on coercion, dependency, or even shared delusion. They're interpersonal, not networked like this. And we don't see sustainable, organized serial groups functioning across states to this degree without detection. It's just not something that happens.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Okay, I have to ask about this smiley face tag. Some serial killers do leave messages or markers behind. How does the smiley face compare?

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Yeah, it's true. Some serial offenders do leave messages and markers. We call that signature behavior. And it's usually very personal. It reflects something about the offender's fantasy psychology or need for control. When we look at documented serial offenders who use symbols like the Zodiac killer with his coded letters and his signature mark or BTK's communication to police, there was clear intentionality and personal meaning behind them. It was also unmistakable who it was coming from. And there was no ambiguity. In contrast, the smiley faces found near these drownings didn't show that level of consistency. I mean, they weren't always the same, firstly. So that's already inconsistent with what we know about signature behavior. And they weren't the same level of psychological signature that we know. So graffiti is common. It's something we see everywhere, especially in areas where these bodies have been found. And the smiley face is one of the most common images in modern culture. It's not a strong form of evidence, but it's certainly a notable coincidence. At the very least.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Well, according to the team, the smiley faces were a real pattern. But they still weren't sure if these deaths were coincidental or a coordinated effort. And they didn't have much to go on. The best evidence they had was the graffiti. In addition to the smiley faces, Kevin and Anthony had discovered at least 12 other tags at several of the dump sites. Many of these were gang affiliated, giving some credence to the idea that the attacks were connected. But then there was one that puzzled them. While investigating in Michigan, they found a piece of graffiti that read Sinsinawa. They learned it was a Native American word meaning rattlesnake, or home of the young eagle. They couldn't figure out why the killers might have tagged it at the scene of the crime until they investigated the disappearance of Matt Kruzyki. In late November or early December 2005, 24 year old Matt disappeared from East Dubuque, Illinois. His last known location, Sinsinawa Street. Sinsinawa street was in East Dubuque, but Matt was from heartland, Wisconsin, nearly three hours away. According to Matt's friends, he was in East Dubuque to pick up his car. Apparently, Matt said he knew some people in the area and decided to go out partying with them while he was there. Nearly three months later, on March 18, 2006, his body was discovered in the Mississippi river near Dubuque. Matt's death was ruled an accidental drowning, but his family wasn't so sure. Matt was staying at a hotel in Dubuque, Iowa, but went across the river to a dive bar in East Dubuque. Rebuke. The Mississippi runs through Illinois and Iowa. And according to Matt's dad, it almost seemed like Matt was lured across the river, then killed. After learning about Matt's case, Kevin and Anthony agreed with his dad and thought the Sinsinawa tag backed it up. But to prove their theory, they'd need to do a lot more than point to a piece of graffiti, because now they had to explain how a massive network of killers had been operating in over two dozen American in cities without anyone suspecting them.

The team believed the first component was poor evidence collection. When bodies are discovered in water, it's hard to pin down the exact location of where they went in. The surrounding area isn't usually examined as thoroughly as a typical crime scene would be. And because of that, a lot of potential evidence in these cases like the smiley faces went unfounded. They also believed dumping a body into water could wash away a lot of evidence, including fingerprints and fibers, which meant a lot of the time the autopsy Results were a mixed bag. Most showed signs of drowning, but they also revealed possible evidence of foul play. According to Kevin and Anthony, police chose to go with the accidental drowning explanation because it was the easy option. This way, they wouldn't have to put in the time and resources for the a full scale investigation. But there was one detail in particular that Kevin couldn't ignore. Many of the victims had gamma hydroxybutyric acid, or GHB in their systems. This is a central nervous system depressant, often used as a date rape drug. Kevin felt strongly that earlier victims, including Patrick McNeil, had unknowingly ingested the drug. That would explain why Patrick had seemed as intoxicated as he did. But. But testing for GHB didn't become common until the mid-2000s, which meant Kevin would never be able to prove that Patrick or any of those previous victims had been slipped the drug. Even so, the nationwide investigations team was eager to present their theory to law enforcement.

In 2006, they started reaching out to the various police departments that had investigated the disappearances to discuss the discrepancies in their reports. But almost always, the police assured them that their investigations had been thorough. Kevin and Anthony weren't scared off so easily, though. They decided to take things a step further by going to the FBI. But the bureau was equally as uninterested in what they had to say. The FBI put out a statement saying, quote, to date, we have not developed any evidence to support links between these tragic deaths or any evidence substantiating the theory that these deaths are the work of a serial killer or killers. Kevin was incredibly frustrated, but he also wasn't surprised. In his mind, the FBI was either covering up for the police or for themselves. By 2008, the team had identified evidence of foul play in over 40 drowning deaths. And they knew they couldn't rely on law enforcement to move the needle forward. If they were going to find these killers, they needed to get the word out themselves. But first, they needed something concrete. They needed a case that was for sure a homicide. That's when they came across Christopher Jenkins.

Chris fit the profile of the other victims they had looked at. 21 years old, good looking, popular, with business job prospects ahead of him. On Halloween night in 2002, Chris went out drinking with friends in Minneapolis. But they got separated at the end of the night, and nearly four months later, he was found in the ice cold waters of the Mississippi river, still wearing his Halloween costume. Chris was discovered floating face up or in a supine position, which is extremely unusual for A drowning victim. Almost always these victims are found face down. But even that discrepancy wasn't enough to stop the authorities from claiming Chris fell into the river on his grand own and drowned. Chris's family never bought the story. They believed someone else was involved. No one seemed to believe them until four years later in 2006, when Minneapolis police got a tip from an inmate. Allegedly, the man said Chris was killed, but he wouldn't give any other information. The details are murky, but we know that after this, Chris's case was upgraded to a a homicide. In 2007, the Minneapolis Police Department even named a suspect to the county attorney, hoping to make an arrest. But the attorney's office said the case didn't have enough evidence to be chargeable. Interest in Chris's case didn't die down, though. The people of Minneapolis wanted answers, and the nationwide investigations team felt they had them. On April 24, 2008, KSTP News reporter Christy Peele published an article titled Chris Jenkins Murder connects Dozens around Country. Christie interviewed Kevin Anthony and Doc for the story, and according to them, Chris was murdered by the smiley face killers. Specifically, they thought he was stalked and drugged at a bar. He was then abducted, tortured and killed before being dumped into the river. And the Nationwide investigations team thought Chris and the other victims were targeted because of their youth and success, which meant the killers were acting out of jealousy. In Anthony's own words, the killers were, quote, the type of person that would be the opposite. Not smart, someone not good in school, maybe doesn't have a job, not popular.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Anthony's description of the supposed killers being the opposite of their victims reflects a really common cognitive bias that we see both in the public public and in early investigative profiling. It's the assumption that people harm others out of envy or inadequacy. Psychologically, that makes sense to us because it provides symmetry. If the victims were bright, social, and successful, then the offender must be the opposite. Dark, antisocial, and resentful. But in reality, there's no consistent data that supports that. Violent offenders are rarely motivated by pure jealousy of socioeconomic status like this. More often, when envy plays a role, it's specific, it's domestic, or tied to rejection, humiliation, or interpersonal rivalry. When Anthony seems to be unintentionally doing here is describing what makes sense emotionally, not empirically. And if you really think about it, if there were a group of serial offenders motivated by jealousy toward young men who are arguably just starting their path to success because they're in college and they don't even have established careers or in most cases, financial independence. What kind of internal dynamics would that require? How would homicidal individuals so consumed by envy, competition and inferiority manage to collaborate without those same emotions bleeding into their own group dynamic? It doesn't line up behaviorally. The personality traits required to repeatedly commit this kind of violence, like psychopathy, sadism and narcissism, are inherently self focused. Those individuals don't share control, glory or secrecy. So the idea of an organized multi state collective of killers acting out of shared jealousy isn't just unlikely, it's just psychologically inconsistent with what we know about these personality structures.

[Vanessa Richardson]

What would you change about Anthony's profile?

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

So aside from what I've already outlined, what really stands out to me is their fixation on this being a group of serial offenders rather than an individual or unrelated events. I actually think that they're onto something in questioning some of these deaths. The notable inconsistencies and how they were classified definitely deserve scrutiny. We do know that there's flaws in investigative processes and a lot of people don't get justice. But the problem is when you push for a headline grabbing explanation like this, it can start to overshadow the pursuit of justice itself and that can unintentionally undermine the very victims and families that they're trying to honor. I think they need to zoom out and start looking at this as like a series of individual potential issues rather than a collective. I think that's where they need to start when they're starting with their profiling.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Kevin, Anthony and Doc certainly knew there would be skepticism about their theory, but they hoped at least a few people would believe what they were saying. They ended up reaching a lot more than a few people. The KSTP article went viral and eventually the team's story was international news. A lot of people suddenly knew about the smiley face killers and they wanted to help catch them before before they could strike again.

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[Vanessa Richardson]

On April 24, 2008, Christy Peele's article about the smiley face killers theory went live almost immediately after after it was picked up by national news sources like CNN and Fox News. And it only got bigger from there. Soon, detectives Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte were guests on shows like Good Morning America and Larry King Live. They were able to clearly and effectively argue their case, breaking down their methodology. But there was another reason the story reached such a wide audience. Kevin and Anthony presented the smart smiley face killers as an ongoing threat. According to them, other young men were at risk of being targeted. Many people across the country were suddenly terrified for themselves or for their children. But not everyone was buying into the theory. In cities where victims had allegedly been murdered, residents were frustrated with local authorities. Still, the police asserted that their findings were accurate. It, and ultimately not a single case of accidental drowning was reopened to address new evidence. The NYPD refused to reopen Patrick McNeil's case, even though his parents lobbied for them to do so. When Larry King Live reached out to the department to ask about Patrick, they didn't respond to comment. Even in Minneapolis, the only city where an alleged smiley face death was ruled a homicide, the Minneapolis PD refused to consider the smiley face theory as a potential explanation for Chris Jenkins death. The FBI went even further in refuting the theory. They reiterated that most of the cases appeared to be alcohol related drownings. And even when the nationwide investigations team got support from members of Congress, the FBI refused to reopen their investigations. However, the biggest criticism of the smiley face killers theory wasn't from law enforcement. It was from the academic world. In 2010, the center for Homicide Research published a report called Drowning the Smiley Face Murder Theory, and while the title was insensitive, the content was well researched. The report was assembled by nine leading criminologists. They laid out dozens of inconsistencies in the nationwide investigation team's methodology. To them, the biggest issue was the graffiti idea. The report argued that none of the smiley faces matched each other and the symbol is incredibly common. They attributed the smiley faces to regular vandals, not a ring of killers. Additionally, they said the Sinsinawa graffiti was a red herring that didn't necessarily line up with Matt Kruzycki's death death. To that end, they also disagreed with the notion that these deaths were in any way related. The deaths didn't fit a serial killer motive, and there was plenty of evidence to suggest that many of the deaths were accidental. In La Crosse, Wisconsin, where eight alleged victims had died, the police department released a report detailing at least 20 young men who survived drowning in the river. Many of them were dared to jump in by their friends. The La Crosse PD believed the eight students who died had done the same and just hadn't survived. Finally, the report refuted the idea that the drownings were insufficiently investigated or that water washes off important evidence. They pointed out that it's still possible to obtain fiber and blood evidence from remains recovered in river drownings. And they called out Kevin in particular. The authors said Kevin's theory came from his emotional connection to the cases, starting with Patrick McNeil. They thought this clouded his ability to think clearly and to remain impartial.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Well, I suppose I'm also from the academic world, so it's no surprise that most of the insight I've offered so far has been consistent with the center for Homicide Research reports findings. With the exception of this, I do believe, like I said, these young men's death deserve more investigation and that some may involve foul play unrelated to coordinated group of serial offenders. I don't find the overall theory particularly strong. I think Kevin and his team are well intentioned and deeply committed, which is commendable. But I have to say, again, I agree with their findings. From my standpoint, their conclusions align with what we know about cognitive bias and emotional investment. When someone dedicates their career and their identity to seeking justice, it becomes incredibly difficult to separate the need to believe from the need to know. Kevin's persistence, as we've talked about earlier, likely comes from renewed purpose and empathy. But those same traits, however well intentioned, can create blind spots. Once a hypothesis takes on emotional meaning, every piece of conflicting data can be filtered out. And that's the real tension here. The theory feels emotionally true. Maybe to him the idea that these deaths couldn't possibly be random, that there must be something darker underneath. But emotional truth isn't the same as empirical truth. As a forensic psychologist, I see see how easily confirmation bias can sneak in when we're searching for order. And I've seen it often in law enforcement.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Even though the criminal justice world was reluctant to accept the theory, Kevin, Anthony and Doc remained confident in their work. They knew there were some inconsistencies with their graffiti. That was the nature of gang specific tagging. But before long, they seemed to get confirmation that these tags bags weren't random. In 2006, a few months after the team appeared on Good Morning America, Kevin got a call from the family of one of the victims named Todd Gibe. In 2003, Todd had disappeared from a party in Muskegon, Michigan, and was found three weeks later in a private lake. It had been three years since Todd's death and his family went to the cemetery to celebrate him. But when they arrived, they found something shocking. Someone had left a 4 inch smiley face on Todd's grave. The Guibes never found out who did it. It might have been someone playing a sick joke after seeing Kevin and Anthony on tv. But Kevin had a feeling the killers had put it there to taunt them. And he wasn't gonna let them get away with it. The team spent years putting together their own report. And in 2014, Kevin Gannon and Doc Gilbertson published Case Studies in Drowning Forensics, a 456 page book that comprehensively laid out the evidence in 14 of the Smiley face cases. The book brought renewed interest in the theory. And unlike the first time, the team had hard evidence about who might have committed these murders. In the years since the team first went public, a number of prisoners had come forward claiming knowledge about the smiley face cases. One was a convicted murderer named Jeremy Alford. He told the FBI he had connections to a gang known as the Dealers of Death. The Dealers of Death allegedly committed more than 40 murders and covered them up as drownings. And one of the gang's members was named Smiley.

Additionally, the team allegedly had another jailhouse informant who explained the structure of the gang. The Dealers of Death supposedly operated in cells around a number of major cities, but there was a power struggle among them. The informant explained that his team traveled to New York to, quote, straighten out a group that messed up and burned a guy, making it clear that the drowning wasn't an accident. This line lined up with the death of Patrick McNeil, whose autopsy showed burning around his head. But the theory's critics still weren't convinced. They dismissed these jailhouse confessions as unreliable, and the FBI never made any arrests in the Dealers of Death case. When they first went public with their theory in 2006, Kevin and Anthony were trying to put a stop to the killings. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened. Since then, the team has identified at least 20 other deaths that fit the profile of a smiley face murder. And even though police departments continue to dismiss the notion of the smiley face killers, the public has latched onto the story. Today, the theory is frequently shared online, especially on social media platforms like TikTok. The idea of the smiley face killer has also had a major impact on pop culture. There have been a number of documentaries produced on the subject, and the horror film Smiley Face Killers, written by American Psycho writer bred Easton Ellis, was released in 2020. And while it's been almost a decade since Kevin and Anthony positively identified a potential smiley face victim, the killers are still brought up whenever a tragic drowning occurs.

In 2025, 16 bodies were found drowned in Houston's bayous, including five in one week in September. The victims had no connection to each other and most were middle aged, not the typical smiley face victim profile. Still, the theory has been explored online and Kevin has come out to support the idea even even as city officials downplay the threat of a serial killer. At the center of the smiley face killer's theory are the many young men who died too soon. Whether it was an accident or a murder, their lives were cut short and their families will never be the same. However, some of the theory's early supporters have grown weary over time. Many of the victims loved ones now feel that Kevin gave them empty hope. The father of one victim said, I feel Kevin is like a sponge. He latches onto the families, sucks the life out of them and when he has nothing else to suck, he dumps them.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

That makes me really sad to hear. I think Kevin and his team had very good intentions and people like them who dedicate their time to investigate cold cases make very meaningful contributions most of the time. But when where things seem to have gone off course here is in the shift from investigation to ideology, the desire to prove a theory seemed to have become stronger than the need to serve the victim's families. And that's based on the victim's family's statements. Somewhere along the way the focus turned from what happened to proving what they believed happened. And when that occurs, even well intentioned investigators can consequently re traumatize the very people they set out to help, giving them false hope and then resulting in even more ambiguous grief. I think what this case ultimately illustrates is how powerful our need for meaning really is, especially when we're faced with ambiguous loss like that. People want to believe there's an explanation or a pattern and a villain. It's easier to have explanations or something to blame than accepting the possibility of a random tragedy or a series of random tragedies. But as investigators and psychologists, we have to hold space for both possibilities that something sinister might exist. But sometimes the world just doesn't make sense, no matter how hard we look for patterns.

[Vanessa Richardson]

While unfortunately, we may never know exactly what happened to the men who died. It's a mystery that seems to defy explanation. But a coordinated network of serial killers is certainly a compelling one.

Listeners, We've heard from Dr. Engels, but now I want to get your thoughts. Do you think Kevin Gannon's theory was correct? Are law enforcement agencies covering up these deaths? And do you think the smiley face killers might still be out there? Tell us in the comments.

Whatever the truth is, almost 20 years after Kevin and Anthony went public with their research, the smiley face Killer's theory, still held, has a grip on the public consciousness. If there really is a secret organization of serial killers out there, they've been getting away with murder for years. And they might still be out there. So the next time you go out on the town with your friends, keep an eye out. Please stay safe out there.

I want to thank my friend and co host on our other Crime House show, Killer minds, forensic psychologist Dr. Tristan Engels for your insight on this theory.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

It was nice tackling a conspiracy theory this time. Thank you for having me. Let's do it again.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Yes, as soon as possible. Thanks so much for listening. I'm Vanessa Richardson and this is Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes. Come back next week. We'll decode the episode together. Together and hear another story about the real people at the center of the world's most notorious cults, conspiracies and criminal acts. Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. Here at Crime House, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on social media, rimehouse on TikTok and Instagram. Don't forget to rate, review and follow follow Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback truly makes a difference. And to enhance your Conspiracy Theories, Cults and crimes listening experience, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get every episode ad Free. Plus exciting bonus content. We'll be back next Wednesday.

Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes is hosted by by me, Vanessa Richardson with special guest Dr. Tristan Engels and is a Crime House original. Powered by Pave Studios, this episode was brought to life by the Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes team. Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro, Alex Benedon, Natalie Pertofsky, Lori Marinelli, Sarah Camp, Jake Natureman, Leah Roche and Carrie Murphy. Thank you for listening.

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