The Smiley Face Killer: How Reddit Got It Wrong - EP 02
A string of drownings. A theory about a hidden serial killer. And a Reddit thread that went too far.
In this episode of Humans Being Awful, we dive into the truth behind the Smiley Face Killer — the urban legend that just won’t die. From retired detectives and smiley face graffiti to Reddit sleuths suspecting strangers of murder, this is what happens when content, tragedy, and conspiracy collide.
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Credits:"Music by Alexander Nakarada / https://www.creatorchords.com"
#TrueCrime #SmileyFaceKiller #RedditMystery #InternetDetectives #HumansBeingAwful #SerialKiller #RedditTrueCrime #RedditInvestigationGoneWrong
A theory. A symbol. A string of drownings.
And a Reddit thread that wouldn’t let it go.
Summary:
In the early 2000s, two detectives claimed a serial killer was targeting college students across the U.S., leaving smiley face graffiti near the crime scenes. The police didn’t buy it. But Reddit did.
This episode is about what happened next.
How internet sleuths revived the theory.
How maps, threads, and Medium posts turned it into a movement.
And how — without evidence — it still managed to ruin real lives.
In This Episode:
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The original Smiley Face Killer theory
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Why Reddit couldn’t let it go
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The psychology of pattern-seeking and internet vigilantism
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What happens when there is no suspect
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Ken Waks, TikTok conspiracies, and true crime as content
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The real-world consequences of fake stories
Takeaway:
This isn’t a story about a serial killer.
It’s a story about why we need there to be one.
Sources:
https://www.milwaukeemag.com/thesmileyfaces/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smiley_face_murder_theory
https://positivelypittsburgh.com/smiley-face-killer-fact-or-fiction
https://www.reddit.com/r/SmileyFaceKiller/
https://www.differentdrummer.cc/main/rainey-street-drownings-the-smiley-face-killer-connection
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smiley_Face_Killers%3A_The_Hunt_For_Justice
https://www.reddit.com/r/BrianShaffer/comments/1geneea/smiley_face_killer/
https://www.reddit.com/r/UnsolvedMurders/comments/1blrbvq/smile_face_murders/
https://www.reddit.com/r/serialkillers/comments/18zy9cu/smiley_face_killer/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHp4lMBKsWM
https://www.reddit.com/r/MorbidPodcast/comments/x3t1kk/smiley_face_murders_theory
https://www.excelsior.edu/article/grad-goes-on-to-investigate-smiley-face-killers-cold-case
https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/crime-news/happy-face-killer-vs-smiley-face-killer-differences
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/retired-detective-calls-for-reopening-of-smiley-face-killer-cases
https://www.oxygen.com/crime-time/did-smiley-face-killers-murder-hundreds-young-men-or-myth
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9478324
https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/conspiracy-the-smiley-face-killer
https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=7147841&page=1
https://www.reddit.com/r/UnsolvedMurders/comments/1blrbvq/smile_face_murders/
https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/1colsv/sunil_tripathi_was_wrongly_identified_as_the/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_of_Sunil_Tripathi
https://www.businessinsider.com/reddit-falsely-accuses-sunil-tripathi-of-boston-bombing-2013-7
https://www.cjr.org/analysis/sunil_tripathi_was_already_dead.php
https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/the-webs-failed-hunt-for-the-boston-bomber
https://www.newyorker.com/news/amy-davidson/sunil-tripathi-rest-in-peace
https://centennialworld.com/ken-waks-interview-tiktok-true-crime-serial-killer-forestye-viral/