Mystery Man

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Happy Face" Episode - "Mystery Man"

Release Date: October 27, 2020
Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts
Title: Happy Face
Description: "Happy Face" narrates the harrowing journey of Melissa Moore as she uncovers the dark legacy left by her father, Keith Hunter Jesperson, a notorious serial killer. The podcast delves into Melissa's personal struggles with her identity, the cat-and-mouse game her father played with law enforcement, and the emotional toll of discovering her lineage.

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1. Introduction to "Happy Face"

The episode titled "Mystery Man" kicks off by highlighting the central narrative of Melissa Moore's quest to understand her biological roots amidst the shocking revelation that her father is a serial killer. The story is dramatized in the Paramount+ Original Series starring Annaleigh Ashford and Dennis Quaid.

Notable Quote:

Annalee Ashford: "Now streaming. What do you know about the Happy Face Killer?" [00:00]

---

2. Becky Babcock's Emotional Struggles

Becky Babcock, a pivotal character in the episode, grapples with the revelation of her father's true identity. The narrative explores her internal conflict and the fear of resemblance to her father both in appearance and potential psychopathic tendencies.

Notable Quotes:

Becky Babcock: "If I don't deal with him, he will never leave us alone." [00:13]
Becky Babcock: "I am not responsible for what my dad did." [00:25]

---

3. The Role of DNA Detective Michelle Leonard

Michelle Leonard, a DNA detective, plays a crucial role in helping Becky navigate her ancestry. Through meticulous DNA analysis, Michelle aids Becky in confirming her maternal lineage and delving into her paternal side, uncovering significant breakthroughs in her search for her biological father.

Notable Quotes:

Michelle Leonard: "Jumping off from the jackpot match she previously discovered, Michelle was able to narrow down the relationship of the match you've." [10:22]
Michelle Leonard: "With Becky's father identified, Michelle takes a somewhat careful approach of identifying him to Becky, starting with some of the questions she's had." [21:15]

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4. Tracing Becky's Paternal Ancestry

Melissa Moore, the co-executive producer and family investigator, details the extensive research conducted to trace Becky's paternal lineage. This segment delves into historical immigration patterns from Eastern Europe, genealogical mapping, and the identification of key ancestors, leading to the identification of Matt Jensen as Becky's biological father.

Notable Quotes:

Melissa Moore: "If you look at a tree and you say, okay, here's me, here's my parent..." [16:49]
Melissa Moore: "He is still alive, which means that he's most likely known about me. And that's what's pretty hard for me right now." [20:12]

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5. Identifying Matt Jensen as Becky's Father

Through diligent research, Melissa pinpoints Matt Jensen, a man matching the physical description provided, as Becky's biological father. The identification is corroborated by historical records, obituaries, and DNA matches, solidifying the connection between Becky and Matt.

Notable Quote:

Melissa Moore: "He is educated. He comes across as intelligent. His daughter is a high flying person in her chosen profession." [24:22]

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6. Emotional Impact and Becky's Response

The revelation of her biological father's identity and his subsequent rejection profoundly impacts Becky. The episode captures her emotional turmoil, feelings of abandonment, and the struggle to reconcile her desires for connection with the harsh reality of her father's disinterest.

Notable Quotes:

Becky Babcock: "I'm trying not to cry." [21:23]
Becky Babcock: "He's known that I've been who I am for at least 10 years. I've been in the media, and he's chosen to stay out of my life and continues to choose." [32:03]

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7. Closure and Moving Forward

Becky reflects on her journey, expressing gratitude for her supportive adoptive parents and the closure she achieved. She acknowledges the complexities of her identity but emphasizes the importance of her chosen family and personal achievements over her biological ties.

Notable Quotes:

Becky Babcock: "I am grateful to have him as just the same as my mom." [32:03]
Becky Babcock: "Diane Downs does not control who I am or who I continue to be." [32:03]

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8. Production Credits and Final Remarks

The episode concludes with acknowledgments to the production team and a reiteration of the ongoing nature of Becky's journey, hinting at future projects and continued exploration of her story.

Notable Credits:

Melissa Moore: Co-Executive Producer
Michelle Leonard: Story Editor
Ben Bolan, Maya Cole, Paul Decant, Sam Teagarn, Matt Riddle: Various production roles

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Conclusion

"Mystery Man," the episode from "Happy Face," offers an intimate portrayal of Becky Babcock's quest to uncover her biological roots amidst the backdrop of her father's infamous legacy. Through meticulous research, emotional introspection, and the support of dedicated professionals, Becky navigates the complexities of identity, family, and personal fulfillment. The episode underscores the resilience of the human spirit in the face of harrowing truths and the enduring power of chosen familial bonds.

Transcript

[Annalee Ashford]

Now streaming. What do you know about the Happy Face Killer?

[Melissa Moore]

He's my father.

[Annalee Ashford]

It's so good to see you Missy. Experience the thrilling new series. He said he killed another woman Inspired by a true life story.

[Becky Babcock]

If I don't deal with him, he will never leave us alone.

[Annalee Ashford]

You don't see how the word same to you. Annalee Ashford and Dennis Quaid star.

[Becky Babcock]

I am not responsible for what my dad did. This going how you hoped.

[Annalee Ashford]

Happy Face new series now streaming exclusively on Paramount plus Pro Savings Days are back at Lowe's with limited time savings on the supplies pros need. Get up to 40% off select major appliances plus save an additional $100 on every $1,000 you spend on select major appliances. And don't miss your chance to activate and earn three times the points on select DeWalt and Klein tools Lowes. We help you save valid the 328 selection varies by location while supplies last. See associate or lowes.com for more details.

[Michelle Leonard]

On qualifying items with the best All Inclusive Vacation Deals to Mexico and the Caribbean Booking your getaway with Cheap Caribbean Vacations means you have more freedom to do your deal. Whether you want to enjoy snorkeling, endless margaritas and more, or simply soak up the sun and sand in a tropical paradise, Cheap Caribbean Vacations has your deal for that. Plan and book the exact getaway you want at exactly the right price for you by using our exclusive budget beach Finder. Or find a featured adults only all inclusive package to seekers resorts and spas and do your [e-mail] PayPal lets you pay all your pals like your graduation gifters.

[Becky Babcock]

Who's paying for the mattress topper?

[Melissa Moore]

You mean the beanbag chair?

[Michelle Leonard]

Aren't we getting a mini fridge?

[Annalee Ashford]

Can we create a pool on PayPal? It lets us collect the money before we buy.

[Becky Babcock]

Ooh, yes, that's smart.

[Michelle Leonard]

Glad we can agree on something easily.

[Becky Babcock]

Pool Split and Send Money with PayPal.

[Michelle Leonard]

Get started in the PayPal app.

[Becky Babcock]

A PayPal account is required to send and receive money.

[Michelle Leonard]

A balance account is required to create a PO with Becky. I feel like Becky has a more.

[Becky Babcock]

Similar personality to me, and that is.

[Michelle Leonard]

That the girl will always land on.

[Becky Babcock]

Her feet and she will get knocked down, but she will wipe herself off and get back up again. And I would say that Becky is really she's just she's so positive and.

[Michelle Leonard]

She'S so warm and she's so loving.

[Becky Babcock]

Despite all of the heartache that she has been exposed to. Or maybe because, you know, she had.

[Michelle Leonard]

Two parents who really tried hard to.

[Becky Babcock]

Make her feel safe and loved. I think that she has the right to know who her father is.

[Michelle Leonard]

And I think just because her mother refused to tell her doesn't make it.

[Becky Babcock]

Any less valid desire to know. I mean, any. I think we all have the fundamental right to know who our parents are.

[Michelle Leonard]

And obviously I support her trying to.

[Becky Babcock]

Find out who it is.

[Michelle Leonard]

That was Elena, Becky's former babysitter, who, like many people in Becky's life, recognized that despite what she's endured in her life and some of the choices she made early on, she's ultimately become a fundamentally good person. The complete opposite of who her mother is. Whatever darkness lives inside of Diane Downs and whatever that may exist genetically inside Becky Babcock, she's pushed past it to lead a life and become a person who's nothing like her biological mother.

[Annalee Ashford]

And so I think there was this sort of this Diane shaped void inside of her that she's always trying to bring the drugs and the men and everything to. And I remember sensing she can't quite fill it with what she's trying to fill it with. And so, I mean, she would talk about really sort of crying out to God and saying, please help me. I don't know who I really am. Am I just the daughter of this crazy killer? Or am I this person who's gonna have my own life and my own identity, and I don't wanna be known as the daughter of Diane Downs anymore. And I think by the time we were done talking with her, she was pretty much at it. Felt like she was shaking the dust of Diane off of her, because I think she makes the decision once they have some communication, her and Diane, that she's not gonna go. She's not gonna go back there, which is what Diane wanted. Please come visit me. Let's talk. Let's, you know, whatever. And so for Becky to say, you know what? I'm making the decision. I really don't want to be involved in that. And so I have some control over a few things, and this is what I'm going to do, and it's going to feel better that I got to do it.

[Michelle Leonard]

From the time he met Becky and as he got to know her, Eric Mason supported the idea of Becky searching for her father.

[Annalee Ashford]

Oh, I thought it was a really good idea because she's looking for grounding. That's what I always felt about Becky from the day she showed up at that pizza parlor in Bend. And I looked across the table and I said, wow, that is Diane's daughter, and she just had so many plans and dreams. It's like, I would like to be a nurse and I would like to help people, and I have all these plans and my Mercedes needs parts and I need to get it fixed and I need to find a better place to live. And there was this orbit around Becky that felt a little bit like the orbit and the energy and the spin around Diane, but certainly she had a lot more control and grounding, and she understood that if she wasn't careful, the undertow of all of that could pull her under and that she'd be lost. And so I think she really was introspective and really wanted to make changes and not be like her mom. And so, you know, she got involved in a church and she really did some self examination when she would sense herself going down the rabbit hole of drugs and men and chance meetings and all of those things. And she would pull herself short and say, you know what? I can't go down those roads because for my mom, she's in prison for the rest of her life. So I think she wanted to make contact, some limited contact with mom, but really did want to find out who her real biological father was. And that made sense. And it was a good thing. I thought it was a great thing.

[Michelle Leonard]

Michelle Leonard, the DNA detective who was key in helping Becky confirm that she was, without a doubt, Diane Downs biological daughter, reached out again, and this time with news about Becky's paternal side. It's been several weeks since we all convened with Michelle at the DNA detective and Becky. And now Michelle had some breakthroughs in your case, Becky. So I wanted to have this meeting so we could go over her findings. And I'll turn it over to you, Michelle.

[Melissa Moore]

Okay. Hi, Melissa. Hi, Becky.

[Becky Babcock]

Hi.

[Melissa Moore]

So last time we had a session where we talked about my first impressions of your DNA results, and there were some important clues that I was able to share with you at that time about your recent immigrant ancestry coming from areas like Poland, Ukraine, and perhaps the Netherlands. But this time, what we're going to do is much more of a deep dive into your actual DNA matches and their ancestry. And I'm going to go through the research I've been doing and talk you through how I've come to certain conclusions about your paternal ancestry.

[Michelle Leonard]

Jumping off from the jackpot match she previously discovered, Michelle was able to narrow down the relationship of the match you've.

[Melissa Moore]

Spent, you know, most of your life wondering about, and. And to see it in black and white is a big thing. It really is. And of course, you have what I named the jackpot match, a paternal match sharing around the same amount of DNA as your maternal uncle. Therefore, this is a very close paternal relative. And I had worked out the last time that it has to either be a paternal half sister, because this is a female match, or a paternal full aunt. The other option was grandparent, but that doesn't work because this person is matching to all of the different clusters of matches that I'm seeing in your paternal side. So that means she's matching to both your paternal grandparents. Therefore, she can only be a paternal half sister or aunt. But of course, she doesn't have a name. She just has a username with a set of letters and numbers that aren't easy to decipher, and she doesn't have a tree. So we need to look at other matches to try to get to the bottom of this and try and work out who she is and who your biological father is. So if we scroll down your match list, the first thing you're going to know is exactly what I'm saying about all of these maternal matches. I have been grouping your matches into color coded clusters, if you like. So I've been putting all the maternal matches into one group, and the maternal matches are here. And you'll see that as you scroll down, it's maternal, maternal, maternal, maternal, maternal. And the first useful match that doesn't match to your maternal matches is this one. And we're going to call this man Hugo Kowalski.

[Michelle Leonard]

Just to note, Michelle isn't using any real names in order to make sure the identity of Becky's paternal relatives stay private.

[Melissa Moore]

So Hugo Kowalski is a pseudonym of my making, and he is the first interesting paternal match. Now, he's sharing much less DNA than your massive jackpot match, of course, only 138 centimorgans. But if we look at the probability chart for that, we'll see that it tells us it's 50% likely that this is a second cousin once removed, a half second cousin, a first cousin three times removed, a half first cousin twice removed. Lots of relationships there.

[Michelle Leonard]

In order to start untangling the complicated web of potential relationships, Michelle has to dive into the relationships and start putting together a family tree. Sometimes the information is geographical, so the work Michelle is doing requires more than just the ability to analyze DNA results.

[Melissa Moore]

If you look at a tree and you say, okay, here's me, here's my parent, here's my grandparent, here's my great grandparent, so that's that number of generations removed from the common Ancestors. And then you say, okay, here's a cousin. There's their parent, there's their grandparent, and there's the same great grandparents. Okay, so we're on exactly the same level. It is so much easier when you look at it visually than when you're trying to explain it in words. But it is all to do with the number of generations away from the common ancestors between the two people. And that's so, so important in this case because we've got all these relationships to look at, but how do we narrow them down? So Hugo is a great match to get on his own, but as you can see, there's only one shared match with him. And that shared match also has ancestry that goes back to Ukraine, but also an area that a lot of people call Galicia, the Galicia area of Eastern Europe. So when people immigrated from this area to the United States or other countries in the 18 and 1900s, often they would say they're from Galicia, but sometimes they would say they're from Poland, sometimes they'd say they're from the Ukraine, sometimes they'd say they're from Austria, sometimes they say they're from Hungary. It was part of the Austro Hungarian empire at one point. So that's why you might see in some older records, someone says they're from Austria, when in actual fact they're from the Ukraine as we would know it now. So this is the area that you have strong ancestry from and very recent strong ancestry from.

[Michelle Leonard]

Found a cousin.

[Melissa Moore]

If he is perhaps a first cousin of one of your grandparents, then I want to know who his parents and grandparents were. But I could only get as far as his parents because they were both immigrants and they came from the Galicia region to Canada.

[Annalee Ashford]

Growing up, Melissa had a normal life. Normal family, normal friends. Until one day, everything changed. What do you know about the Happy Face Killer?

[Melissa Moore]

He's my father.

[Annalee Ashford]

It's so good to see you. Messy.

[Michelle Leonard]

Don't call me that.

[Annalee Ashford]

Now. Streaming. He said he killed another woman. When I confessed in 95, I held one back.

[Melissa Moore]

What's this victim's name?

[Annalee Ashford]

It can't be that easy. Experience the thrilling new series. There's a family out there still wondering what happened to their daughter. Inspired by a true life story.

[Becky Babcock]

He wasn't always a monster.

[Annalee Ashford]

He became one about family, the stories we tell ourselves and what it takes to uncover the truth.

[Becky Babcock]

If I don't deal with him, he.

[Michelle Leonard]

Will never leave us alone.

[Annalee Ashford]

You think you're so different. You don't see how that we're the same to you. Annalee. Ashford and Dennis Quaid star.

[Melissa Moore]

I am not responsible for what my dad did.

[Annalee Ashford]

This going how you hoped. Happy Face new series now streaming exclusively on Paramount. Plus, who doesn't love Reese's Peanut Butter Cups? Answer Nobody.

[Michelle Leonard]

They've been one of the most delicious parts of your life forever.

[Annalee Ashford]

Everybody knows they can't get any better, right? Well, after you try the new Reese's Chocolate Lava Bit Big Cup, a delicious twist on your favorite treat, you might change your mind. The Reese's Chocolate Lava Big cup is.

[Michelle Leonard]

The perfect combination of creamy milk chocolate.

[Annalee Ashford]

Delicious peanut butter and an ooey gooey chocolatey filling. It's a different kind of delicious. You know, the chocolate filling just takes it to a whole extra level. It's a totally, completely new kind of Reese's Peanut Butter. Perfection. Lucky you.

[Michelle Leonard]

Lucky everyone. So you really just have to ask.

[Annalee Ashford]

Yourself how you like your peanut butter cup. The way you've always loved it or with a gooey Chocolate Lava center? Or don't juice and have both.

[Michelle Leonard]

Yeah, that sounds like a plan.

[Annalee Ashford]

Shop Reese's Chocolate Lava Big cup now at a store near you found wherever candy is sold.

[Melissa Moore]

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[Michelle Leonard]

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[Melissa Moore]

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[Michelle Leonard]

Vacations means you have more freedom to do your deal. Whether you want to enjoy snorkeling, endless.

[Melissa Moore]

Margaritas and more, or simply soak up the sun and sand in a tropical paradise, Cheap Caribbean Vacations has your deal for plan and book the exact way.

[Michelle Leonard]

You want at exactly the right price for you by using our exclusive budget beach Finder. Or find a featured all inclusive package to Iberostar Hotel & Resorts in Jamaica and do your [e-mail].

[Annalee Ashford]

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[Becky Babcock]

Okay, we could be here all day. Try Clorox Scentiva for a trusted clean.

[Michelle Leonard]

With long lasting freshness.

[Becky Babcock]

Also available in lavender and coconut. News as directed.

[Michelle Leonard]

Once Michelle has names and backgrounds, she starts doing a deep dive on social media accounts and even obituaries in order to find potential relationships. Michelle continues to unpack the relationships that unfold from this discovery, naming cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles down the paternal line. The lines cross and get somewhat complicated, but thanks to her visual build out, Michelle is able to keep everything together.

[Melissa Moore]

And I do a lot of Facebook sleuthing to try and work these things out so that is a good way to go. So I built a few lines out and I looked at Vadim and Ella in particular and I found that they had a daughter, Melissa Wozniak, born in the 1880s. And I traced Melissa's line forward, and she married a man named Walter Pavlenko. Now, this is one of these moments that I call a eureka moment, because we've seen that name before. And I call it a eureka moment because it's that moment where while we're building this large jigsaw puzzle and we're putting these pieces on the board, two of the most important pieces have come together.

[Michelle Leonard]

And then Michelle's one step closer to Becky's father.

[Melissa Moore]

And I also was able to source John and Esther's obituaries, and those obituaries told me that they only had those two children. They only had those two daughters. Now, looking at this, I was convinced at this point that these two people are your direct ancestors. You descend directly from Esther and John. You have DNA to both their sets of ancestors, and they come together in Canada. So I believe you descend from one of their children. Yes. Okay. So looking at these people, Esther and John, if you descend directly from them, they were born in the early 1900s in the Ukraine. They emigrated to Canada, and they had these two children in the 1930s. You're born in the 1980s. We're looking for a biological father for you, born around the 1950s. Perhaps, therefore, this next generation, the daughters of Esther and John, this has to be your grandparent generation. And one of these two women is almost certainly your grandmother.

[Michelle Leonard]

And from the grandparents, Michelle is able to narrow down the connection even more.

[Melissa Moore]

Oh, yeah. So Katya. I've called her Katya Pavlenko, born in the 30s in Canada. And guess what? She went to the United States. And guess what she did in the United States? She got married to a man who came from the Netherlands. Oh, I found they got divorced in a particular state in the United states in the 1970s. And later I found that they had married in the 50s and they had three children. I have used the surname Jensen for your paternal grandfather, so I've called him Jan Jensen. He was born in the twenties in northern Holland in the Netherlands. He emigrated to Canada as an infant, and in the 1950s, he came to the United States permanently. But I have found a great document from the 1940s where he's crossing the border. And it actually gives us some information on his description, a description of his appearance. It tells us he's 6 foot, 3 inches in height, got a fair complexion, very tall, blonde, blue eyes. Quite typical Netherlands male description there.

[Becky Babcock]

So a really interesting fact, when I was young and started asking questions about who my biological mother and father were. I was actually given that exact description for what my biological father was.

[Michelle Leonard]

And from this description of Becky's grandfather, she understands that the description that's been given of her biological father is most likely accurate.

[Melissa Moore]

So at this point, I found that Katya Pavlenko married this Dutch man, Jan Jensen, in the United States, and they had three children. Now, Jan passed away a few years ago, and I did find his obituary. Well, which confirmed that he had immigrated to Canada as an infant and had come to the United States in 1950 and that he'd lived in Oregon.

[Becky Babcock]

Wow.

[Melissa Moore]

And that's where he had died. So Jan And Katya had three children during their marriage between the 1950s and the early 1970s when they divorced. And those three children, Matt, Richard and Louisa. Now, at this point, I was fairly certain on who had to be your biological father.

[Michelle Leonard]

And now with Becky's father identified, Michelle takes a somewhat careful approach of identifying him to Becky, starting with some of the questions she's had.

[Melissa Moore]

First off, I remember that it says that he was a little younger than Diane. That's true. He was slightly younger than Diane. Another thing is, of course, the appearance, the description. And I'm just going to stop sharing for a second and read a couple of things here I just saw in there.

[Becky Babcock]

It says he's still living.

[Melissa Moore]

He is still alive. Yes.

[Michelle Leonard]

Becky, how do you feel right now? I'm looking at you on the screen. Your face is blank. What are you thinking?

[Becky Babcock]

I'm trying not to cry.

[Michelle Leonard]

Let's just take a moment. This is really monumental, really monumental. And I don't want this to be trivialized or dismissed. This is really massive.

[Becky Babcock]

He's alive, which means that he's most likely known about me. And that's what's pretty hard for me right now. If I remove all emotion from it. I'm super curious what his name is because, you know, Diane had given me a certain name and I'd heard names over the years and stuff. So it's. I mean, there's that curiosity of who he is with the emotional part removed, but there's also the emotional part that's just flooding right now.

[Michelle Leonard]

Yeah.

[Melissa Moore]

So we're at the point now where one of the sons of Jan Jensen and Katya Pavlenko must be your biological father. And I believe it is their son that has been named Matt Jensen. And I'm going to go over some of the additional evidence for that. That isn't just the DNA. I have found a description of him, which tells us that he is 6 foot 3 inches tall and has brown hair, which completely matches the description already given.

[Becky Babcock]

Yeah.

[Melissa Moore]

Additionally, there's location. This Matt Jensen is on a US index with an address in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Now, the date of this address isn't given, but it is prior to 1993. And I have tracked where he was in the 1970s. Therefore, he has to have been living in Cottage grove in the 1980s, which means he was in the right place at the right time.

[Michelle Leonard]

Becky also learns that she has a half sister. Michelle reveals this information to Becky and explains this could be another potential point of contact. How does that make you feel, Becky, hearing you have a half sister?

[Becky Babcock]

Um, hopeful. Christy and Danny didn't want a relationship with me, which I completely respected and understood. But I mean, maybe this person might or, you know, maybe it would just be nice to know them. I mean, I don't know. It's all a lot. It's overwhelming right now, but I'm ready.

[Melissa Moore]

You know, it's very hard to take such news like this in and it takes time. It takes time to take it in and to understand it and to come to terms with it.

[Michelle Leonard]

With Becky's mother being who she is, Michelle is ready with the background information of Becky's father confirming that he's nothing like Diane.

[Melissa Moore]

I have not been able to find anything for your biological father other than he's a successful man, he runs a business, there's no criminal record other than a speeding fine. I think I found nothing of any. That's where I got the description of his physical features. A $30 speeding fine is the worst thing I could find for him. He is educated. He comes across as intelligent. His daughter is a high flying person in her chosen profession. I can't find anything about the family that gives me any concerns as to who they are. There's no news clippings of him having done anything wrong at all.

[Becky Babcock]

That's good. So I have a question. Was he a reporter?

[Melissa Moore]

Yes.

[Becky Babcock]

That's what we all thought.

[Annalee Ashford]

Growing up. Melissa had a normal life, normal family, normal friends. Until one day everything changed. What do you know about the Happy Face Killer?

[Michelle Leonard]

He's my father.

[Annalee Ashford]

It's so good to see you, missy. Don't call me that Now Streaming. He said he killed another woman. When I confessed in 95, I held one bag.

[Melissa Moore]

What's this victim's name?

[Annalee Ashford]

It can't be that easy. Experience the thrilling new series. There's a family out there still wondering what happened to their daughter. Inspired by a true life story he.

[Becky Babcock]

Wasn'T always a monster.

[Annalee Ashford]

He became one about family, the stories we tell ourselves and what it takes to uncover the truth.

[Becky Babcock]

If I don't deal with him, he will never leave us alone.

[Annalee Ashford]

You think you're so different. You don't see how the bird's sing to you and it Ashford and Dennis Quaid star.

[Melissa Moore]

I am not responsible for what my dad did.

[Annalee Ashford]

This going how you hoped. Happy Face new series now streaming exclusively on Paramount. Plus, who doesn't love Reese's Peanut Butter Cups? Answer Nobody.

[Michelle Leonard]

They've been one of the most delicious parts of your life forever.

[Annalee Ashford]

Everybody knows they can't get any better, right? Well, after you try the new Reese's Chocolate Lava Big Cup, a delicious twist on your favorite treat, you might change your mind. The Reese's Chocolate Lava Big cup is.

[Michelle Leonard]

The perfect combination of creamy milk chocolate.

[Annalee Ashford]

Delicious peanut butter and an ooey gooey chocolatey filling. It's a different kind of delicious. You know, the chocolate filling just takes it to a whole extra level. It's a totally, completely new kind of Reese's Peanut Butter. Perfection. Lucky you.

[Michelle Leonard]

Lucky everyone. So you really just have to ask.

[Annalee Ashford]

Yourself how you like your peanut butter cup. The way you've always loved it or with a gooey chocolate lava center. Or don't choose and have both.

[Michelle Leonard]

Yeah, that sounds like a plan.

[Annalee Ashford]

Shop Reese's Chocolate Lava Big cup now at a store near you found wherever candy is sold.

[Michelle Leonard]

With the best all inclusive vacation deals to Mexico and the Caribbean. Booking your getaway with Cheap Caribbean Vacations means you have more freedom to do your deal. Whether you want to enjoy snorkeling, endless margaritas and more, or simply soak up the sun and sand in a tropical paradise. Cheap Caribbean Vacations has your deal for that. Plan and book the exact getaway you want at exactly the right price for you by using our exclusive budget beach Finder. Or find a featured all inclusive package to Oasis Hotels and Resorts and do your [e-mail] Clorox Scentiva smells like lavender.

[Becky Babcock]

Cleans like Clorox.

[Annalee Ashford]

And feels like hmm.

[Michelle Leonard]

All right, that could go on for a while. Experience the long lasting freshness of Clorox Scentiva.

[Becky Babcock]

Now available in Clorox Scentiva Lavender Scented Bleach.

[Melissa Moore]

Use as directed.

[Michelle Leonard]

And now the only step that remains for Becky is contact. Michelle and Becky avoided contacting the jackpot match previously in order to prevent jeopardizing any chance Becky may have of making contact.

[Melissa Moore]

Now you remember I was very reticent about contacting the jackpot match because I thought if it's a half sister, we could be opening that can of worms and taking away his chance to tell her himself if he wanted to. And so it's a good thing that now we know for sure that that is who she is, that we didn't go take that route.

[Becky Babcock]

I agree. Because if she doesn't know, that would be kind of a scary awakening.

[Melissa Moore]

Exactly. We could have blundered in with a message, hey, you're a close match. Who are you? Blah, blah, blah. And we might have got the answer much quicker and easier, but we could have taken away your chance of having any meaningful contact. If that upset your biological father and he decided he didn't want to know because we had blundered in and told his daughter something that is. Yeah.

[Michelle Leonard]

What begins to dawn on Becky is that he's been near her the entire time and has likely known his relationship to her this entire time.

[Melissa Moore]

In general, it's often said, especially in the United States, that it's better for something personal to come in this situation. That might be true, and it might not. I don't know for sure, but I wouldn't want you to send a letter that outlines everything. If he and his wife are people that open each other's mail and his wife opens it, and that's how she finds out, and that's then a big problem. If you decided on a letter to his address, then it would have to be something much more general to begin with until you could get some way of being able to communicate with him that you were 100% sure is private. Him and him only.

[Becky Babcock]

Yeah, most definitely. I mean, I'm curious about so many things. I mean, about who he is and his life and how he knew Diane and, you know, if he really thought about me, you know, all that stuff. But it's just been a really long time that I've had those questions, and. And now I have the chance to ask them, and I'm. I'm scared.

[Michelle Leonard]

After Michelle revealed Becky's father's identity to her, including his immediate family location and other details, including biological information and some online and public information about him, she did, in fact, reach out. He has declined to participate in the podcast, so this information is being left out. In order to preserve his public autonomy, Becky reached out carefully through a letter explaining very generally what her purpose was in locating him and gave her number. He contacted her through what appeared to be a burner phone, and after confirming her identity and purpose, he declined to speak at length with her or answer any of her questions. With A lingering promise that he would reach out to her after the holidays. Becky took some time to absorb this information, to reconcile her thoughts and feelings. And what we leave you with now is an end to Becky's journey in her own words.

[Becky Babcock]

He's known that I've been who I am for at least 10 years. I've been in the media, and he's chosen to stay out of my life and continues to choose. So I respect it. It's all I can do. I don't know. But he made it extremely clear that he is not interested. I mean, he used a burner phone to contact me. And the only reason I think that he even contacted me was because he knows I was looking for him. And I'm assuming he knows that I wouldn't stop until I found him. But more so, I think that he contacted me to guarantee that I would not put his information out there. And as soon as I promised him I wouldn't, he didn't want anything to do with me. So that sucks. I mean, that's hard, and I don't understand it. You know, my son out there, when he looks for me, I'm going to be so excited and so ready for him to be a part of my life and answer any questions that he may have and just embrace him into my life fully. My biological father, I think, is scared. He. And it's understandable. I mean, he slept with an infamous killer, and it produced a child that's now gone into the media and been pretty out there. So if I were him, I guess I'd be embarrassed, maybe. I don't know. Or it would just be a secret that I would want to keep. And I think that that's what it is for him is a secret he wants to keep, which means that that secret is me, and I have to remain at a distance, I guess. He had said that maybe around Christmas he would contact me, but honestly, I'm not holding my breath. I think that what I did get from him was probably all that I'm going to get from him. And it was just a bunch of promises to answer questions in the future and then telling me to never contact him again. So I got no real answers. I sought out to find him. I did. It was disappointing, but it just reconfirms how amazing my parents are and how grateful I am that I have such loving parents. My dad would, you know, my dad would do anything to see me happy and to see me smile and to know that I'm loved and. And that's important. Not a Biological father and not hanging on his every, you know, promise. But my real father, my adopted father is my real father because he is the one who has been there for every scrape knee, every broken heart, every challenge, my life, and to celebrate all of the good as well. He has always been there, and he is a very, very good man. And I am grateful to have him as just the same as my mom. I mean, she's amazing, and she was always there for me, and she still is. And I have amazing parents. And if nothing else from this journey, it has confirmed that they are all that I need. I don't need Diane Downs in my life. I don't need this new biological father in my life. I need my real parents, my adopted parents, the ones that loved me, the ones that chose me, the ones that would do anything to see me safe and happy and loved. What were my thoughts on the journey? Good and bad? It has been. And it's been a wild ride, for sure. I mean, there's been a lot of interesting facts that have come to light and a lot of disappointing ones. I mean, it's. It's hard to be denied by people you share blood with. Even if I don't want them to be my family, you know, it still hurts my heart a little bit that they deny me, which is so weird. I understand. It's like I don't want to know them, but I want them to know me in a sense. I don't know. I don't want to know them, but I want them to want to know me, if that makes any sense. It's just weird. I don't even understand myself. But, you know, I. Denied by Diane, denied by her brother, now denied by my biological father. It's. It has made me extremely grateful for this life that I have. I have an amazing fiance. I have parents that I would never, ever, ever want to change. I've got a son who makes me so proud and so happy. And, you know, I have a sister, and I just. My life is full of love. I will continue my journey as strong as I ever have been. I'm grateful that I found my biological father and that I got some of the answers that I've been searching for. But it doesn't change who I am. It doesn't change my presence on this earth. I'm here to be a good mother, a good friend, a good wife, a good daughter. None of that is affected by who I came from. Diane Downs does not control who I am or who I continue to be. She was just somewhere that housed me for nine months. You know, it's. That's all she was. She's not a mother. She's not someone that I care for or that I wish to have a part of my life. She was my incubator. And I mean, in a sense, I'm grateful for that because if she hadn't gotten pregnant or continued her pregnancy, I wouldn't be here. So for that, I guess, thank you, Diane Downs. But other than that, that's all she's ever been for me. Never my mother. I have never once referred to Diane Downs as my mother. She is my biological mother. She may be my blood, but she would never be my mother. I've met some great people on this journey. The iHeartRadio staff and Melissa Moore have just been godsends. They've been amazing. Some of the people that we've met and interviewed have been wonderful. It's been so great to meet kind, caring, honest people that are truly concerned about me and, and my journey due to where I came from. And they want to help and they wanted to, you know, answer any questions that they could because they truly care and they are decent human beings. And for that I am grateful. We got a lot of answers. We found out some information. We are continuing to find out information as we go. Therefore, we are working on some projects in the future. So for the listeners that want to know more, there quite possibly could be more in the future that you're going to want to hear and you're going to want to know. But for now, I'm content. I'm happy, I'm healthy, I'm loved. I'm grateful for this journey. It didn't go as I had hoped or planned, but it gave me the closure that I needed, that I've been searching for since I was 11 years old. I can close that chapter of my life and not have to look back on it anymore or wonder or have questions. I can just live this amazing life that I have and appreciate, appreciate everyone and everything in it.

[Michelle Leonard]

Ben Bolan is our executive producer. Melissa Moore is our co executive producer. Maya Cole is our primary producer. Paul Decant is our supervising producer. Sam Teagarn is our researcher and Matt Riddle is our story editor. Featured music by Dream Tent Happy Face presents Two Faces is a production of iHeartRadio.

[Melissa Moore]

SA.

[Michelle Leonard]

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[Becky Babcock]

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[Becky Babcock]

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[Becky Babcock]

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[Becky Babcock]

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