Wyoming in the Spotlight with New TV Series on ‘Happy Face Killer’

Bruce Dexter, a former Laramie County Sheriff’s Office detective, recently recalled his encounter with infamous serial killer Keith Jesperson back in 1996. Jesperson, known as the “Happy Face Killer” for his distinctive signature on confession letters, confessed to murdering 21-year-old Angela Subrize near Cheyenne.

Jesperson’s chilling lack of remorse for his crimes stood out to Dexter during their interview. He vividly remembered Jesperson’s matter-of-fact attitude as he recounted the details of the murder. Dexter, now watching from afar as a fictional series based on Jesperson’s daughter Melissa G. Moore’s podcast unfolds, has no intention of revisiting the gruesome past.

Despite being contacted by reporters and crime show producers over the years, Dexter has kept his distance from the sensationalized accounts of Jesperson’s crimes. For Dexter, the memories of that interrogation remain locked in the past, refusing to stir up the horrors he witnessed.

Jesperson’s daughter, Melissa, has dedicated her life to setting the record straight about her father’s crimes. Through books, interviews, and podcasts, she has sought to shed light on the dark shadows of her father’s actions. The new Paramount+ series delves into the complex relationship between Melissa and her father, portrayed by actors Annaleigh Ashford and Dennis Quaid, respectively.

Now serving two consecutive life sentences in Oregon, Jesperson has not responded to requests for interviews. Dexter, reflecting on his brief interaction with the killer, remains firm in his conviction that Jesperson deserves no further attention. As the series unfolds, Dexter’s thoughts are with the victims and their families, hoping that justice prevails for those who suffered at Jesperson’s hands.