The Smiley Face Murder Theory (with Murder Sheet)
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What is the Smiley Face Murder Theory?
Due to the nature of today's episode listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions of murder and sexual assault. Consider this when deciding how and when you'll listen.
What evidence suggests a gang of serial killers?
The idea of a mysterious gang of serial killers traveling the country stalking young men who are just beginning their lives, there's something very darkly fascinating about that that really grabs your attention.
I'm Vanessa Richardson, and this is Serial Killers, a Spotify podcast. You can find us here every Monday. Be sure to check us out on Instagram at Serial Killers Podcast. And we'd love to hear from you. So if you're listening on the Spotify app, swipe up and give us your thoughts. Today's episode is about the smiley face killers theory. Over nearly three decades, at least 600 college-aged men have been found dead in bodies of water. Their deaths ruled accidental drownings. But a team of retired detectives have made it their life's mission to prove the deaths aren't accidental at all. They're the work of a gang of serial killers. Later in the episode, our producer Chelsea will be joined by journalist Anya Kane and attorney Kevin Greenlee, who host true crime podcast The Murder Sheet. With Chelsea, Anya and Kevin will use their expertise and experiences to analyze and dissect the smiley face murder theory. Stay with us.
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It began at the same place it usually did for Fordham students in the 1990s, the Dapper Dog, a bar in Manhattan's Upper East Side. It was a long trek from the Bronx, where the university's located, but the bar's supposed lax rules around IDs meant underage students could indulge alongside upperclassmen. On February 16, 1997, 20-year-old Patrick McNeil braved the below-freezing temperatures to join his friends at the Dapper Dog. One of his roommates was bartending that night, so they thought maybe they'd get some free drinks or heavy pours. Patrick was a junior at Fordham. He was majoring in accounting, but had always felt a pull toward law enforcement. The drinks flowed a little too freely that night. Around midnight, Patrick took a tumble in the bathroom. Perhaps he decided he'd hit his limit and should head home. It was a school night after all. Everyone had class the next morning. Patrick told his friends he was tired and that he'd take the subway back to campus alone. By this time, the Dapper Dog had become a nuisance in the neighborhood.
It was basically an off-campus frat house. Neighbors would frequently report excessive noise and public drunkenness. So when witnesses saw Patrick stumbling out of the bar and down Second Avenue, they didn't bat an eye. But unbeknownst to Patrick, someone was following him. As he made his way home, a van that had been double parked on 2nd Avenue tailed him. When Patrick stopped, the van stopped. When Patrick turned onto East 90th Street, so did the van. And that was the last time anyone saw Patrick alive. Four days later, Detective Sergeant Kevin Gannon was assigned to Patrick's case. Over the 16 years of his career, Gannon had worked his way up from beat cop to the head of the robbery unit. Just two days before Patrick went missing, he was promoted into the Missing Persons Squad.
Also on the case were the people of Portchester, New York, Patrick's hometown. Off-duty officers traveled to Manhattan to search the streets. Community members set up a command center to take phone calls and print flyers. His parents, Jackie and Pat, hosted a rally where they collected donations and sent out a call for more volunteers. The NYPD dispatched police helicopters.
Who are the victims connected to the Smiley Face Killers?
They scoured the East River for clues. They collected tips and possible sightings, but nothing went anywhere. Patrick vanished without a trace. On April 7th, 50 days after his disappearance, Patrick's body was found in the East River in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn near a pollution control plant. It was 12 miles from where he was last seen.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the Smiley Face Murder Theory?
0:01–0:18
2
What evidence suggests a gang of serial killers?
0:18–4:45
3
Who are the victims connected to the Smiley Face Killers?
4:45–17:50
4
What unusual patterns emerge in the drowning cases?
17:50–30:18
5
How is GHB connected to these drownings?
30:18–32:13
6
What role do smiley face symbols play in the investigation?
32:13
7
Why do some people doubt the Smiley Face Killer theory?
32:13–44:28