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[Keith speaking]
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Welcome to Very Scary People.
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I'm Donnie Wahlberg.
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He was a long
haul truck driver
with a wife and kids
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He was a long
haul truck driver
with a wife and kids
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who spent most of his time
on the road.
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Travelling state to state,
he would hear tales
of other drivers
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literally getting
away with murder.
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But that wasn't him.
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He was a family man.
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So when a young woman went
missing in 1990 on a cold day
in Portland, Oregon,
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no one would suspect
this friendly mild
mannered trucker.
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But there would be
several more bodies to come.
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This is part one
of The Happy Face Killer.
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[Doug] The Colombia Gorge
is a scenic wonder.
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It draws a lot of tourists
in Oregon and Portland.
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Soaring whitecap mountains,
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huge river,
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second only to
the Mississippi
in terms of size.
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[Judge] It's a kind
of a unique
geographical formation.
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[Judge] It's a kind
of a unique
geographical formation.
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100 foot high walls of rock.
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It's covering
out this wide valley.
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The carving out
of the Gorge left
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sort of a plateau and
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you have a number
of waterfalls that come
off at the plateau.
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The biggest of which is
Multnomah Falls.
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Columbia River gorge
is a very popular place for
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sight-seeing and hiking.
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It's a really beautiful place.
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It's a really beautiful place.
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Unfortunately, probably
also a good place
to get rid of a body.
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[Keith speaking]
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It was just a nude woman with
no clothing there and no,
um, forms of identification.
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It was just a nude woman with
no clothing there and no,
um, forms of identification.
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They lift her fingerprints
and match them to a set
in the system.
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[Monty] We were able
to detect her identity
as Julie Winningham.
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When they said
they found my mom,
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I had lost it.
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She was truly a kind hearted
free spirited loving
and caring person.
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She didn't do people wrong.
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I... just couldn't,
I couldn't believe it.
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I... just couldn't,
I couldn't believe it.
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The killer dumbed this woman's
body off of the highway into
the Columbia River Gorge.
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[Joey] But this wasn't
the first time.
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[Michelle]
I was her big sister.
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My family,
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you know, even though I had
two older brothers,
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they were supposed
to babysit us. No.
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It was me and
my sister, Taunja.
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Because they were working
or my mom was working.
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Because they were working
or my mom was working.
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We get out of school,
go home, no one's home.
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We grew up poor,
so it was oatmeal,
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cream of wheat, whatever we
had in the refrigerator,
in the cupboard I made.
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We were just always together.
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[Alafair] Taunja Bennett was
a 23 year old resident
of Portland.
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She lived with her mother, um
she was described as being
mildly mentally disabled.
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She was kind of slow
but she wasn't to me.
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She went all the way
to high school and graduated.
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She went all the way
to high school and graduated.
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So, she had
intelligence there.
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And she was known for walking
around with a Walkman,
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being very cheerful, kind of
a neighborhood local.
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[Keith speaking]
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[Michelle] Taunja said she had
to go to the dentist.
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I was like, on a Sunday?
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The... the dentist doesn't
open on a Sunday.
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So I said, "Oh, since you are
going to the dentist,
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could you drop off the movies?
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'Cause it's on the way."
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'Cause it's on the way."
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And she...
"Okay I will, I will."
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[Alafair] Instead, Taunja had
left her house
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to walk over to a local tavern
called the B & I bar.
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And went by herself
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wearing a jacket
carrying her purse,
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carrying her Walkman.
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Back then, you know what
it was, Madonna.
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The tape of Madonna in 1990.
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Whenever she came out,
that was it.
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[Casey] Her sister described
her as being very trusting
and maybe a little bit slow.
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[Casey] Her sister described
her as being very trusting
and maybe a little bit slow.
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But this just means that
she was very vulnerable.
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She went in and would
go around hugging people,
very social.
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[Keith speaking]
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She went in and was
playing with two men.
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She went in and was
playing with two men.
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[Keith speaking]
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[Casey] Later the two men
that Taunja was playing
pool would leave,
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and Taunja would leave.
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Nobody could say
for certain when she
left or with who.
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Nobody could say
for certain when she
left or with who.
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[Monty] That was the last time
that she was seen alive.
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[Alafair] Her mother reported
that Taunja Bennett had
left her house
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to walk over to a local tavern
called the B & I Bar
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and then she did
not come home.
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[Michelle] I said,
"Oh, my God,
my sister's gone."
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Where could she go?
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Said, "I went to go look
for her and she's gone, mom.
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I don't know where she went."
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[Judge] I got a call from the
Chief Deputy who makes the
assignments of murder cases
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that we have a body in the
Columbia Gorge,
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it looks like a homicide,
we need you to go out
to the scene.
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[Chris] The location where
the body was discovered,
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was on the scenic highway
which parallels Interstate 84
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that runs east and
west out of Portland.
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I found where the police
vehicles where,
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I found where the police
vehicles where,
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and then, uh,
walked into the forest
I would estimate 25 feet.
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There was, uh, her body.
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[Chris] She was dumped
in a very steep hillside.
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The hillside was probably
a 45 degree hillside
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of off the... of off
the paved road.
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And it was very rugged
covered with trees
and brush.
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[Alafair] Her body was found
partially unclothed,
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[Alafair] Her body was found
partially unclothed,
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pants have been pulled down,
her top was up.
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One arm was out
of the sleeve of her jacket.
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[Judge] So we, of course,
from the very beginning
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suspected sexual assault.
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[Casey] The woman had a rope
around her neck.
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[camera shutter clicking]
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[Casey] And curiously somebody
had removed the fly,
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like, the button and zipper
area of the jeans, they've
been cut away.
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Because there was no
identification on the body
police had no clue as
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Because there was no
identification on the body
police had no clue as
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to who this woman was.
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The only clues were that
nearby there was a small
Swiss Army Knife
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and the headphones
to a Sony Walkman.
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[Judge] She'd been strangled,
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she'd been beaten badly,
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we didn't know for sure
what race she was,
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'cause her face
was so badly beaten.
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[Chris]
It's hard to imagine
that you can
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kill a... a helpless person
and that you can beat
them to the point
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kill a... a helpless person
and that you can beat
them to the point
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uh, where their face
is essentially unrecognizable.
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I have no words to describe
what kind of a...
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what kind of an
animal does that sort
of thing to another human.
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[Judge] We were just
needing to gain all the
clues we could
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to help us find out
who was responsible.
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And there was a head hair
that was taken into evidence
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that was found,
I believe on her leg
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or somewhere under
the clothing.
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or somewhere under
the clothing.
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And the head hair wasn't hers.
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And she didn't have her purse.
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That becomes
significant later.
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[Jeff] This was a news story
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on the fact that a body
was found in the
Columbia River Gorge.
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The victim had been
raped and killed.
That just didn't happen.
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Now, Portland was a much more
innocent place at that time.
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[Chris] Identifying bodies in
criminal investigations,
police investigations,
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uh, oftentimes clearly one
of the ways you identify
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uh, oftentimes clearly one
of the ways you identify
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a body is if someone
can recognize a person's face.
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[Casey] Police composed
a sketch of the female victim
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and put it out on
the news media.
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The neighbor came down
and she told me
to watch the news.
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Because [gasps] she's seen
something on the news about
a girl getting killed,
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I was like,
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no.
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But the portrait they have,
didn't even look like her.
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But the portrait they have,
didn't even look like her.
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Nothing like my sister,
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but what they had her clothes,
that's what did it.
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Taunja's sister saw the
sketch on the news along with
photographs of the clothing
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and got in touch with police.
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[Michelle] Wanted to
identify her.
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So I had to think
of something to identify her.
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And there... at that time
all I could think of is she
had very flat feet
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And there... at that time
all I could think of is she
had very flat feet
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and she had a
mole on her hand.
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[Casey] She confirmed that
it was indeed her sister
Taunja Bennett.
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[Chris] Once someone who
is am unidentified victim
is identified,
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then what detectives
do is they start
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working closely with everybody
that knew that person.
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Whether it be a family member,
whether it be a,
uh, roommate,
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Whether it be a family member,
whether it be a,
uh, roommate,
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whether it be a spouse and...
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and you have to start building
the story from the ground up
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trying to determine why this
person was murdered.
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[indistinct chatter]
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[Chris] She went to a tavern
in the east Multnomah called
the B & I tavern.
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And, uh, apparently she was
a fairly regular customer
in that...
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in that particular location
because people knew her.
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People from the bar
recalled seeing her playing
pool with two men.
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Police are interested in these
two guys and are trying
to track them down.
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Police are interested in these
two guys and are trying
to track them down.
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[Alafair] After Taunja
Bennett's body was identified
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the police had setup
a tip line and they
had placed,
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it was Crime Stopper, notices
in the newspaper
with her picture
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asking people about any
information about where she
might have been that night
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and who she might
have been with.
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[Chris] Law Enforcement
started getting calls
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from a woman who wanted
to remain unidentified.
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And she was pointing
the fingers towards
her boyfriend.
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And her boyfriend was somehow
involved in the death
of Taunja Bennett.
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And her boyfriend was somehow
involved in the death
of Taunja Bennett.
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[Joey] The body of 23 year old
Taunja Bennett is found
brutally murdered
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in the Columbia River Gorge
outside of Portland, Oregon.
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Investigators are looking for
any clue from the public
as to who could've done this.
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[woman speaking]
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[Alafair] After Taunja
Bennett's body was identified
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the police setup a tip line
and they had placed,
was Crime Stopper,
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notices in the newspaper
with her picture
asking people
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for any information about
where she might
have been that night
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and who she might
have been with.
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And a woman made a phone call
to the parole officer,
of her live in boyfriend
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a man named John Sosnovske,
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saying that she believed that
he may have been involved
in Taunja Bennett's murder.
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00:14:57,086 --> 00:14:57,467
saying that she believed that
he may have been involved
in Taunja Bennett's murder.
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[woman speaking]
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[Casey] Police learned that
John Sosnovske, who is
39 years old,
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00:15:11,066 --> 00:15:16,066
has an older girlfriend named,
Laverne Pavlinac
who happens to be 57.
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And that the two of them
are in a very codependent
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possibly abusive relationship.
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A relationship that Laverne
says she wants to get out of.
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[Laverne speaking]
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[Laverne speaking]
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John Sosnovske works the
local lumberyard but he had
no criminal history
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other than a DUI.
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I think she kind of supported
him, it's her house
that he lived in rent free
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and they had a kind
of a difficult relationship.
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He was by all accounts
a very heavy drinker.
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He was by all accounts
a very heavy drinker.
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[Laverne speaking]
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00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:18,367
[Casey]
Police go to interview Laverne
230
00:16:18,367 --> 00:16:22,266
and she confirms that she is
the person who made that
anonymous call.
231
00:16:22,266 --> 00:16:24,734
And that she knows
John killed this girl.
232
00:16:24,734 --> 00:16:27,086
[Chris] She started telling
a story about John Sosnovske,
233
00:16:27,086 --> 00:16:28,166
[Chris] She started telling
a story about John Sosnovske,
234
00:16:28,166 --> 00:16:31,600
was a regular at J & B Lounge
and Wilsonville, Oregon.
235
00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:36,166
And that he was talking
about the fact that he had met
Taunja Bennett
236
00:16:36,166 --> 00:16:38,867
down at the J & B lounge.
237
00:16:38,867 --> 00:16:42,500
And that he had ultimately
killed her down there.
238
00:16:42,500 --> 00:16:46,166
[Casey] She says that on the
night of Taunja's murder
239
00:16:46,166 --> 00:16:48,367
John came home at about
one o'clock in the morning.
240
00:16:48,367 --> 00:16:52,000
He came in and took off all
his clothes and jumped into
the shower, something that was
241
00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:54,867
very unusual for him to do.
242
00:16:54,867 --> 00:16:57,086
Police gets a warrant and
search Laverne's home,
the she shares with John.
243
00:16:57,086 --> 00:16:59,100
Police gets a warrant and
search Laverne's home,
the she shares with John.
244
00:16:59,100 --> 00:17:03,266
They find really nothing
except a piece of paper
that has the words,
245
00:17:03,266 --> 00:17:06,800
"T Bennett,
Good piece" written on it.
246
00:17:08,266 --> 00:17:14,533
The T Bennett, good piece
seem like a really an
improbable item to find.
247
00:17:14,533 --> 00:17:19,000
And then based on that,
of course, went out to
interview John Sosnovske.
248
00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:24,000
[Corson] Today is Friday.
February 16, 1990.
249
00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:27,086
Time now is 6:40 p.m.
250
00:17:27,086 --> 00:17:27,367
Time now is 6:40 p.m.
251
00:17:35,867 --> 00:17:38,467
They spend quite a bit of time
interviewing him.
252
00:17:58,000 --> 00:17:59,734
He denied.
253
00:17:59,734 --> 00:18:02,533
In fact he continued
to deny that he knew
anything about it.
254
00:18:46,166 --> 00:18:51,734
When he was confronted
with the fact that Laverne was
accusing him of doing this,
255
00:18:51,734 --> 00:18:54,166
he denied ever
meeting Taunja Bennett.
256
00:18:54,166 --> 00:18:56,634
He certainly
denied killing her.
257
00:19:13,367 --> 00:19:16,367
[Joey] They didn't have
enough to arrest
John Sosnovske.
258
00:19:16,734 --> 00:19:18,166
So they let him go.
259
00:19:18,166 --> 00:19:21,367
But not before they took
a hair sample which they
tried to match
260
00:19:21,367 --> 00:19:23,266
to evidence from
the crime scene.
261
00:19:24,734 --> 00:19:27,086
Then detectives hear
from Laverne Pavlinac again.
262
00:19:27,086 --> 00:19:29,100
Then detectives hear
from Laverne Pavlinac again.
263
00:19:29,100 --> 00:19:31,467
[Alafair] When he still had
not been arrested
264
00:19:31,467 --> 00:19:35,867
she continued to press
the issue and said that
she had found
265
00:19:35,867 --> 00:19:38,100
more evidence
incriminating him.
266
00:19:38,100 --> 00:19:41,600
[Judge] Laverne told the
detective she'd found
some things in the trunk.
267
00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:46,000
She had found a purse
in the trunk and
a piece of fabric
268
00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:48,700
from the crotch of the jeans.
269
00:19:48,700 --> 00:19:52,066
[Alafair] She said that she
found a section of denim jeans
270
00:19:52,066 --> 00:19:53,734
that had been cut away.
271
00:19:53,734 --> 00:19:57,086
The button and zipper area
of a pair of jeans.
272
00:19:57,086 --> 00:19:57,166
The button and zipper area
of a pair of jeans.
273
00:19:57,166 --> 00:19:59,500
And of course that caught
Law Enforcement's attention
274
00:19:59,500 --> 00:20:03,367
because that lined up
to the condition of
Taunja Bennett's
275
00:20:03,367 --> 00:20:05,467
jeans when her body was found.
276
00:20:05,467 --> 00:20:09,867
Subsequently that fly
was sent to the
State Police's Crime Lab.
277
00:20:09,867 --> 00:20:12,967
By then we'd know one other
piece of evidence
had developed,
278
00:20:12,967 --> 00:20:18,166
which is that his head hair
was consistent with the head
hair found on Taunja Bennett.
279
00:20:18,166 --> 00:20:19,500
It's not a fingerprint.
280
00:20:19,500 --> 00:20:23,500
It's not DNA, it doesn't have
that power to discriminate.
281
00:20:23,500 --> 00:20:27,086
But it was indication to us
to try and to look at
all the evidence,
282
00:20:27,086 --> 00:20:27,266
But it was indication to us
to try and to look at
all the evidence,
283
00:20:27,266 --> 00:20:34,166
and see that's a piece
of evidence that supports
Laverne Pavlinac's description
284
00:20:34,166 --> 00:20:35,734
in her statement.
285
00:20:35,734 --> 00:20:38,967
Then police came back
with a decision on
the evidence
286
00:20:38,967 --> 00:20:41,734
that Laverne said she
found in the trunk of her car.
287
00:20:41,734 --> 00:20:44,600
A purse like Taunja Bennett's
missing purse,
288
00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:48,900
and a piece of denim similar
to the denim cut from
Taunja's jeans.
289
00:20:50,166 --> 00:20:53,166
[Jeff] The interesting this
is, the purse was not a match.
290
00:20:53,166 --> 00:20:55,700
And the denim was not a match
291
00:20:55,700 --> 00:20:57,086
to what Taunja Bennett
had on her person.
292
00:20:57,086 --> 00:20:59,066
to what Taunja Bennett
had on her person.
293
00:20:59,066 --> 00:21:03,367
Investigators thought what's
going on here?
294
00:21:03,367 --> 00:21:08,500
[Casey] When police confront
Laverne about all of these
inconsistent evidence
295
00:21:08,500 --> 00:21:12,533
she admits that she planted
the purse and planted
the ripped out jeans
296
00:21:12,533 --> 00:21:14,367
denim fly.
297
00:21:14,367 --> 00:21:17,066
And then she tells them
a new story.
298
00:21:17,066 --> 00:21:19,367
And that's when she started
to tell them that,
299
00:21:19,367 --> 00:21:22,100
she knew that John Sosnovske
had killed Taunja Bennett,
300
00:21:23,734 --> 00:21:25,467
because she was there.
301
00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:41,367
Welcome back to
Very Scary People.
302
00:21:41,367 --> 00:21:44,367
The brutal and senseless
murder of Taunja Bennett
303
00:21:44,367 --> 00:21:45,900
devastated her family,
304
00:21:45,900 --> 00:21:48,166
and sent shockwaves
through Portland.
305
00:21:48,166 --> 00:21:53,000
With few leads, investigators
are focusing on a tip from
a 57 year old woman
306
00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:57,900
named Laverne Pavlinac
pointed the finger on her
39 year old boyfriend.
307
00:21:57,900 --> 00:22:01,867
Could this women's tip
being the key to solve this
horrific crime?
308
00:22:01,867 --> 00:22:02,624
Or was it just
another dead end?
309
00:22:02,624 --> 00:22:03,734
Or was it just
another dead end?
310
00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:10,467
[Judge] Laverne gave three
or four different statements.
311
00:22:10,467 --> 00:22:14,100
There was an evolution,
a progression
to her statements.
312
00:22:14,100 --> 00:22:17,900
[Casey] There is no consistent
forensic evidence to prove.
313
00:22:17,900 --> 00:22:21,867
It's all just Laverne's
testimony against John.
314
00:22:21,867 --> 00:22:24,100
Now Laverne tells police
a whole new story.
315
00:22:24,100 --> 00:22:27,634
She says that she got
a call from John in the
middle of the night
316
00:22:27,634 --> 00:22:30,000
and that he head a request.
317
00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:32,624
He needed her to come down to
the J & B truck stop
318
00:22:32,624 --> 00:22:33,800
He needed her to come down to
the J & B truck stop
319
00:22:34,467 --> 00:22:36,166
and bring a shower curtain.
320
00:22:36,166 --> 00:22:40,066
[Casey] And when she got
there, there was a body lying
right there on the pavement.
321
00:22:46,100 --> 00:22:49,734
She had found him
in a dark corner of the
parking lot.
322
00:22:49,734 --> 00:22:53,734
At his feet was
Taunja Bennett's dead body.
323
00:22:53,734 --> 00:22:56,467
[Casey] She says she asked
John looking at the body,
324
00:22:56,467 --> 00:22:57,800
"Is she okay?"
325
00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:01,066
And then John replied,
"It's worse than that.
She's dead."
326
00:23:11,166 --> 00:23:14,700
[Casey] Laverne says that John
made her wrap that body
into the shower curtain
327
00:23:14,700 --> 00:23:17,000
and lift it and put it
into the trunk of that car
328
00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:20,000
and then together they drove
to the Columbia River Gorge
329
00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:22,333
where they threw the
body over the embankment.
330
00:23:56,467 --> 00:23:59,734
Detectives asked her,
"Could you show us
where the body was?"
331
00:23:59,734 --> 00:24:02,367
And she said she could.
332
00:24:02,367 --> 00:24:02,624
[Alafair] She took them out
to the Columbia River Gorge.
333
00:24:02,624 --> 00:24:05,533
[Alafair] She took them out
to the Columbia River Gorge.
334
00:24:05,533 --> 00:24:09,266
They were driving on these
winding roads and,
335
00:24:09,266 --> 00:24:14,533
she told them to stop the car
and pointed and said, "This is
where we left her body."
336
00:24:16,166 --> 00:24:19,700
She pointed to the exact spot
where Taunja's
body was dumped.
337
00:24:19,700 --> 00:24:22,266
[Judge] Well I have to say,
I'm not sure
I could've found it,
338
00:24:22,266 --> 00:24:26,367
I was there but there's
all these switchbacks and
339
00:24:26,367 --> 00:24:29,734
I don't know if I could've
correctly identified it.
340
00:24:29,734 --> 00:24:32,624
[Alafair] And that seemed,
to Law Enforcement at
the time, to really
341
00:24:32,624 --> 00:24:33,367
[Alafair] And that seemed,
to Law Enforcement at
the time, to really
342
00:24:33,367 --> 00:24:35,533
suddenly shore
up her credibility.
343
00:24:35,533 --> 00:24:38,900
Um, and the reliability
of her confession.
344
00:24:38,900 --> 00:24:43,266
But when that still didn't
get the result she wanted,
she went further.
345
00:24:43,266 --> 00:24:47,734
At some point she called
detectives and said
it's correction time.
346
00:24:49,367 --> 00:24:51,533
[Judge] They went out to speak
with her the next day.
347
00:24:51,533 --> 00:24:57,533
She proceeded to change
her story again to say,
he called her
348
00:24:57,533 --> 00:25:00,266
she'd gone to the
J & B truck stop,
349
00:25:00,266 --> 00:25:02,333
he was there
with Taunja Bennett.
350
00:25:13,367 --> 00:25:16,266
[Judge] And he'd said we're
giving her a ride home.
351
00:25:16,266 --> 00:25:21,100
They get in the car and as
she's driving,
352
00:25:21,100 --> 00:25:24,967
he directs her out to the
Columbia Gorge and to
the observation point.
353
00:25:29,100 --> 00:25:32,624
[Judge] He then gets out of
the car with Taunja Bennett
and they go around the corner.
354
00:25:32,624 --> 00:25:32,634
[Judge] He then gets out of
the car with Taunja Bennett
and they go around the corner.
355
00:25:32,634 --> 00:25:36,467
He comes back and he's getting
something out of the trunk and
she asks him what he's doing?
356
00:25:36,467 --> 00:25:37,734
He says come see.
357
00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:58,533
And so she implicated herself
as an accomplice.
358
00:26:18,700 --> 00:26:21,867
[Alafair] She probably didn't
realize, she hadn't watched
enough Law & Order
359
00:26:21,867 --> 00:26:24,533
or taken a law school class
in aiding and abetting
360
00:26:24,533 --> 00:26:27,800
but she put herself
right there helping him
361
00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:31,367
which makes her just as
guilty as him under the law.
362
00:26:31,367 --> 00:26:32,624
[Judge] And the
detectives arrested her.
363
00:26:32,624 --> 00:26:33,266
[Judge] And the
detectives arrested her.
364
00:26:33,266 --> 00:26:36,467
That began then the
next phase of the case,
365
00:26:36,467 --> 00:26:39,166
indicting her and
John Sosnovske.
366
00:26:42,634 --> 00:26:46,166
As Laverne Pavlinac's
jury trial was commencing,
367
00:26:46,166 --> 00:26:50,266
a truck stop reported
a disturbing piece
of graffiti.
368
00:26:50,266 --> 00:26:53,166
Somebody scrolled on the wall,
369
00:26:53,166 --> 00:26:59,166
January 21st, 1990.
Killed Taunja Bennett
in Portland.
370
00:26:59,166 --> 00:27:02,624
Two people got the blame
so I can kill again.
371
00:27:02,624 --> 00:27:03,066
Two people got the blame
so I can kill again.
372
00:27:14,467 --> 00:27:17,166
Laverne Pavlinac and John
Sosnovske are charged with
373
00:27:17,166 --> 00:27:20,100
the murder of 23 year old,
Taunja Bennett.
374
00:27:20,100 --> 00:27:24,166
But as the trial of Laverne
is about to begin bizarre
messages
375
00:27:24,166 --> 00:27:25,433
stun the authorities.
376
00:27:26,533 --> 00:27:30,166
[Jeff] It comes to light that
graffiti was found at a
377
00:27:30,166 --> 00:27:32,533
rest stop bathroom in Montana,
378
00:27:32,533 --> 00:27:37,166
and in a remote section
of Oregon at another bathroom
379
00:27:37,166 --> 00:27:40,266
confessing to the crime
of killing Taunja Bennett.
380
00:27:40,266 --> 00:27:42,130
[Chris] The one in
Livingston Montana reads,
381
00:27:42,130 --> 00:27:42,166
[Chris] The one in
Livingston Montana reads,
382
00:27:42,166 --> 00:27:47,100
"I killed Taunja Bennett,
January 21st, 1990
in Portland, Oregon.
383
00:27:47,100 --> 00:27:50,467
I beat her to death,
raped her and loved it.
384
00:27:50,467 --> 00:27:54,000
Yes, I'm sick, but I enjoy
myself too.
385
00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:56,700
People took the blame
and I'm free."
386
00:27:56,700 --> 00:27:59,900
The one from Umatilla,
Oregon, which is just
east of Portland
387
00:27:59,900 --> 00:28:03,166
on that bathroom it said,
"I killed
Taunja Bennett in Portland.
388
00:28:03,166 --> 00:28:06,100
Two people got the blame
so I can kill again.
389
00:28:06,100 --> 00:28:08,333
Cut buttons
of jeans as proof."
390
00:28:09,734 --> 00:28:12,130
It's unsettling. Why would
somebody do that?
391
00:28:12,130 --> 00:28:13,166
It's unsettling. Why would
somebody do that?
392
00:28:13,166 --> 00:28:16,800
But, you don't know what
to make of it, right?
393
00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:19,166
[Chris] When the detectives
involved in this case
394
00:28:19,166 --> 00:28:22,100
were made aware
of those writings
395
00:28:22,100 --> 00:28:25,533
they immediately notified
through the District
Attorney's office
396
00:28:25,533 --> 00:28:30,000
the court that those
things have been found
because it was significant,
397
00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:32,533
that someone was writing that
on a wall.
398
00:28:32,533 --> 00:28:36,700
We did a forensic evaluation.
Didn't find anything that
would help us.
399
00:28:36,700 --> 00:28:39,367
But Wendell Birkland,
Laverne's attorney,
400
00:28:39,367 --> 00:28:41,467
moved to introduce it
into evidence.
401
00:28:41,467 --> 00:28:42,130
Of course the problem was
at that point, it could've
been any friend of Sosnovske's
402
00:28:42,130 --> 00:28:46,367
Of course the problem was
at that point, it could've
been any friend of Sosnovske's
403
00:28:46,367 --> 00:28:51,634
or Pavlinac's doing
that to short circuit
their own issues.
404
00:28:53,634 --> 00:28:59,166
[Judge] We objected, it's
hearsay. It's the statement of
someone who is not in court,
405
00:28:59,166 --> 00:29:02,266
not subject to
cross examination,
406
00:29:02,266 --> 00:29:07,467
and it's been offered to prove
that Laverne Pavlinac didn't
commit the murder.
407
00:29:07,467 --> 00:29:11,100
A judge decided that it was
inadmissible,
because, uh, it was
408
00:29:11,100 --> 00:29:12,130
hearsay was being offered
for the truth and there was no
way to know who
409
00:29:12,130 --> 00:29:14,967
hearsay was being offered
for the truth and there was no
way to know who
410
00:29:14,967 --> 00:29:18,000
wrote it and there was
no indicia that
it was credible.
411
00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:20,066
And that made it
inadmissible in court.
412
00:29:22,100 --> 00:29:25,900
I was trying this case
and I'm going into court
and looking at this
413
00:29:25,900 --> 00:29:28,734
grandmotherly looking person
that I'm trying for murder.
414
00:29:28,734 --> 00:29:32,734
She went to trial
claiming that her confessions
had been false,
415
00:29:32,734 --> 00:29:35,634
that she was just trying to
implicate him saying that
neither of them
416
00:29:35,634 --> 00:29:37,433
had anything to
do with Taunja Bennett.
417
00:29:43,700 --> 00:29:47,367
Her defense was that she
had made this up,
418
00:29:47,367 --> 00:29:50,734
because she was in an
abusive relationship
with John Sosnovske
419
00:29:50,734 --> 00:29:53,266
and didn't know how else
to get out of it.
420
00:29:53,266 --> 00:29:56,734
This is a very unusual
circumstance where
someone does
421
00:29:56,734 --> 00:30:00,734
give a detailed
statement to the police,
then it's recorded
422
00:30:00,734 --> 00:30:05,266
and then they go into
the court room and say,
well that's all a lie.
423
00:30:05,266 --> 00:30:09,266
And of course what jurors
would think in that instance,
of course it's a lie
424
00:30:09,266 --> 00:30:12,130
at this point at time because
you just realized you're going
to go to prison for murder.
425
00:30:12,130 --> 00:30:13,634
at this point at time because
you just realized you're going
to go to prison for murder.
426
00:30:13,634 --> 00:30:16,734
I think the evidence was
so overwhelming of guilt
427
00:30:16,734 --> 00:30:19,533
that the jury unanimously
found her guilty.
428
00:30:21,266 --> 00:30:25,367
Of course what convicted
her in the court room
was her own
429
00:30:25,367 --> 00:30:29,433
recorded statement saying
that she was involved
in Taunja's death.
430
00:30:42,367 --> 00:30:48,100
Once she was committed
of murder, John Sosnovske
entered a no contest plea
431
00:30:48,100 --> 00:30:50,100
um, to avoid
the death penalty.
432
00:30:50,100 --> 00:30:54,900
He certainly denied
killing Taunja Bennett
but with time,
433
00:30:54,900 --> 00:30:59,467
his confidence in his
recollections started
to waver because
434
00:30:59,467 --> 00:31:03,467
he became convinced that
it was possible that he
could've met Taunja Bennett
435
00:31:03,467 --> 00:31:08,367
and even talked to her but
forgotten about it because
he was a heavy drinker.
436
00:31:08,367 --> 00:31:12,130
[Judge] He had experienced
blackouts in the course
of his alcoholism
437
00:31:12,130 --> 00:31:12,734
[Judge] He had experienced
blackouts in the course
of his alcoholism
438
00:31:12,734 --> 00:31:14,967
and when Laverne told him
he had done it,
439
00:31:14,967 --> 00:31:17,166
he was so,
440
00:31:17,166 --> 00:31:22,166
I... I think impacted
by his alcohol use
that he wasn't sure.
441
00:31:23,467 --> 00:31:26,867
No contest doesn't mean
I admit that I'm guilty.
442
00:31:26,867 --> 00:31:32,700
But it says to the court
I'm choosing not to contest
the charge
443
00:31:32,700 --> 00:31:35,266
and I... I understand
I'm going to be found guilty.
444
00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:40,533
[Alafair] Laverne was
sentenced to a life sentence
but with a minimum
445
00:31:40,533 --> 00:31:42,130
of only 10 years,
446
00:31:42,130 --> 00:31:42,166
of only 10 years,
447
00:31:42,166 --> 00:31:47,634
because the judge reasoned
that John Sosnovske had been
the major influence upon her
448
00:31:47,634 --> 00:31:51,467
contact, and then he
was sentenced, um, also to
a life sentence with
449
00:31:51,467 --> 00:31:53,734
a mandatory minimum
of at least 25 years.
450
00:31:57,266 --> 00:32:01,533
[Joey] It appears that the
case of who killed Taunja
Bennett is solved and closed.
451
00:32:01,533 --> 00:32:06,166
But then in the spring
of 1994, four years after
Taunja's murder,
452
00:32:06,166 --> 00:32:10,634
The Oregonian newspaper
receives a letter that may
change everything.
453
00:32:21,867 --> 00:32:25,867
[Joey] Authorities believe
that the mystery of who killed
Portland native
454
00:32:25,867 --> 00:32:29,000
23 year old Taunja Bennett
had been solved.
455
00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:31,600
The killers had been convicted
and incarcerated.
456
00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:36,166
But then in the spring
of 1994, four years after
Taunja's murder,
457
00:32:36,166 --> 00:32:40,467
The Oregonian newspaper
receives a letter that may
change everything.
458
00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:47,233
I remember that day,
dark, haunting but,
not forgettable.
459
00:32:53,100 --> 00:33:00,967
[Doug] I recall we had a news
aid who would bring me a stack
of mail every morning,
460
00:33:00,967 --> 00:33:08,066
on the top of her pile
of mail was a handwritten
letter six pages long,
461
00:33:08,066 --> 00:33:13,000
stapled together, and she
plopped this on my
desk and said,
462
00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:15,467
"You've got a weird one
here today."
463
00:33:15,467 --> 00:33:19,467
And I read it,
just a few lines of it
464
00:33:19,467 --> 00:33:19,562
and realized this is somebody
trying to confess to a murder.
465
00:33:19,562 --> 00:33:24,734
and realized this is somebody
trying to confess to a murder.
466
00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:31,867
I'm reading a letter,
sent to The Oregonian
newspaper in Portland.
467
00:33:31,867 --> 00:33:34,066
At the top of the letter
is a happy face,
468
00:33:34,066 --> 00:33:36,533
and it says,
"All five of five.
469
00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:42,100
I would like to tell my story.
I am a good person at times.
470
00:33:42,100 --> 00:33:43,867
I always wanted to be liked.
471
00:33:43,867 --> 00:33:46,600
I've have been married
and divorced with children.
472
00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:49,500
I didn't really want
to be married
but it happened.
473
00:33:49,500 --> 00:33:49,562
I have read your paper
and enjoyed it a lot.
474
00:33:49,562 --> 00:33:52,367
I have read your paper
and enjoyed it a lot.
475
00:33:52,367 --> 00:33:54,867
I always have wanted
to be noticed.
476
00:33:54,867 --> 00:33:57,900
So I started something
I don't know how to stop."
477
00:33:59,367 --> 00:34:02,600
My first thought was,
yeah, it's a hoax.
478
00:34:02,600 --> 00:34:04,266
I mean... we get these.
479
00:34:04,266 --> 00:34:06,266
But I kept reading it.
480
00:34:06,266 --> 00:34:10,166
[Chris]
"On or around
January 20th 1990,
481
00:34:10,166 --> 00:34:14,000
I picked up Sonya Bennett
and took her home.
482
00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:16,900
I raped her and beat her
real bad.
483
00:34:17,734 --> 00:34:19,562
Her face was all broke up.
484
00:34:19,562 --> 00:34:20,367
Her face was all broke up.
485
00:34:20,367 --> 00:34:22,266
Then I ended her life."
486
00:34:23,100 --> 00:34:25,266
[Jeff]
He calls her Sonya Bennett.
487
00:34:25,266 --> 00:34:29,166
But this letter to
The Oregonian
was very detailed
488
00:34:29,166 --> 00:34:31,433
on how he met Taunja Bennett
that night,
489
00:34:31,967 --> 00:34:34,500
how exactly he killed her.
490
00:34:34,500 --> 00:34:37,367
How he left her body.
491
00:34:37,367 --> 00:34:41,500
He gave information
in that letter that only
a killer would know.
492
00:34:41,500 --> 00:34:45,166
[Chris] "I went back home
and dragged her
out to the car.
493
00:34:45,166 --> 00:34:48,500
I want to know
that it was my crime.
494
00:34:48,500 --> 00:34:49,562
So I tied a half inch
soft white rope,
495
00:34:49,562 --> 00:34:52,066
So I tied a half inch
soft white rope,
496
00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:54,000
cut on one end...
497
00:34:55,867 --> 00:35:01,367
The further down into
this letter I went the more
498
00:35:01,367 --> 00:35:06,266
detail was provided
about crimes, horrific crimes.
499
00:35:06,266 --> 00:35:10,467
[Jeff] He talks about how
two people are falsely
imprisoned for this killing.
500
00:35:10,467 --> 00:35:12,467
But then comes
the stunning news.
501
00:35:13,967 --> 00:35:16,967
[Jeff]
He confesses to a murder
502
00:35:16,967 --> 00:35:19,562
in California describing
exactly how he
killed this person,
503
00:35:19,562 --> 00:35:21,166
in California describing
exactly how he
killed this person,
504
00:35:21,166 --> 00:35:23,166
where he left the body.
505
00:35:23,166 --> 00:35:26,333
[Chris] "One day in
California I picked up
a girl named Claudia.
506
00:35:26,867 --> 00:35:30,000
I took her. I taped her up.
507
00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:32,367
I kept her for
four days alive.
508
00:35:32,367 --> 00:35:38,967
Then I killed her and dumped
her body about seven miles
north of Blythe on 95."
509
00:35:38,967 --> 00:35:43,367
He confesses to another
murder in California.
510
00:35:43,367 --> 00:35:47,000
Once again leaves out details
that only a killer would know.
511
00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:49,367
Says exactly
where he left the body.
512
00:35:49,367 --> 00:35:49,562
[Chris] "This time I just
strangled her right
there without sex.
513
00:35:49,562 --> 00:35:53,367
[Chris] "This time I just
strangled her right
there without sex.
514
00:35:53,367 --> 00:35:56,166
She was in my truck
only five minutes.
515
00:35:56,166 --> 00:35:59,367
I dropped her body off behind
the Blueberry Hill cafe
516
00:36:00,066 --> 00:36:02,367
10 miles south on 99.
517
00:36:02,367 --> 00:36:07,166
I placed her body in the dirt
and stepped on her throat
to make sure she was dead."
518
00:36:07,967 --> 00:36:10,867
Confesses to another murder?
519
00:36:10,867 --> 00:36:12,700
[Chris] "I felt so much power
520
00:36:12,700 --> 00:36:17,266
I then told her she was going
to die and slowly
strangled her.
521
00:36:17,266 --> 00:36:19,562
And dropped her off behind
GI Joe's in Salem.
522
00:36:19,562 --> 00:36:20,867
And dropped her off behind
GI Joe's in Salem.
523
00:36:20,867 --> 00:36:26,000
I put her against the fence
under the blackberry wines and
covered her with leaves."
524
00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:28,367
And then confesses
to a fifth murder.
525
00:36:28,367 --> 00:36:32,166
[Chris] "I stopped at a rest
area near Williams
and had her.
526
00:36:32,166 --> 00:36:35,634
I put her body on or near
a pile of rocks.
527
00:36:35,634 --> 00:36:40,000
About 50 yards north of
Highway 152 West bound.
528
00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:42,734
About 20 miles from
Santa Nella."
529
00:36:42,734 --> 00:36:47,166
And perhaps the most
chilling this is, he makes
a happy face.
530
00:36:47,166 --> 00:36:49,562
[Doug] I'd never seen
anything like this before.
531
00:36:49,562 --> 00:36:49,967
[Doug] I'd never seen
anything like this before.
532
00:36:49,967 --> 00:36:53,600
I read through the letter
all the way to the end
and found it
533
00:36:53,600 --> 00:36:58,634
nauseating, upsetting
and potentially credible.
534
00:37:03,367 --> 00:37:06,467
The letter to The Oregonian
was basically saying,
535
00:37:06,467 --> 00:37:10,367
"Ha ha ha. You guys are
so dumb you convicted
the wrong people.
536
00:37:10,367 --> 00:37:12,867
I'm the killer."
537
00:37:12,867 --> 00:37:18,000
The letter detailed five
homicides that they claimed
responsibility for,
538
00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:19,562
including Taunja Bennett,
all of women
in various states.
539
00:37:19,562 --> 00:37:23,100
including Taunja Bennett,
all of women
in various states.
540
00:37:23,100 --> 00:37:27,333
[Doug] The skeptic in me
wanted to throw it
into the recycle box,
541
00:37:27,967 --> 00:37:30,367
and the editor
part of me said,
542
00:37:31,266 --> 00:37:32,867
better check it out.
543
00:37:32,867 --> 00:37:37,700
So, I called one
of the reporters on our team,
544
00:37:37,700 --> 00:37:40,367
his name was Phil Stanford,
545
00:37:40,367 --> 00:37:44,066
and I gave him the letter
and I asked him
to check it out.
546
00:37:46,967 --> 00:37:49,562
He contacted every police
agency and talked to every
investigator he could
547
00:37:49,562 --> 00:37:52,967
He contacted every police
agency and talked to every
investigator he could
548
00:37:52,967 --> 00:37:57,266
on the murder cases that
could be identified
from the letter
549
00:37:57,266 --> 00:38:01,100
to try to find details that
550
00:38:01,100 --> 00:38:03,867
would corroborate
and authenticate
551
00:38:03,867 --> 00:38:05,367
the confession letter.
552
00:38:05,367 --> 00:38:11,000
He came back to me
and he said, I don't think
it's a hoax. I think they put
553
00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:13,600
the wrong people in prison
554
00:38:13,600 --> 00:38:16,634
for the murder that
he's confessing to in here.
555
00:38:31,600 --> 00:38:33,600
[Casey] So, in May of 1994,
556
00:38:33,600 --> 00:38:37,867
The Oregonian decides to
publish the six page
handwritten letter that
557
00:38:37,867 --> 00:38:41,967
they've received
from somebody that they
call "The Happy Face Killer."
558
00:38:41,967 --> 00:38:44,000
[Doug]
From day one, Phil and I
559
00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:48,000
described the letters,
The Happy Face Killer, letter
560
00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:49,562
because of the happy
face at the top of it.
561
00:38:49,562 --> 00:38:51,266
because of the happy
face at the top of it.
562
00:38:51,266 --> 00:38:55,734
[Jeff] So once the letter
comes out in The Oregonian
it becomes big news.
563
00:38:57,500 --> 00:39:02,367
All the media is reporting
on the letter sent
to the newspaper
564
00:39:02,367 --> 00:39:05,634
and speculating on is this
real, is this a hoax?
565
00:39:05,634 --> 00:39:10,367
And the focus turns
to Laverne Pavlinac
and John Sosnovske
566
00:39:10,367 --> 00:39:11,734
who are sitting in prison.
567
00:39:13,734 --> 00:39:16,700
[Doug] I wondered if we might
568
00:39:16,700 --> 00:39:19,000
blow the lid off
this story and get
569
00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:19,562
the investigation reopened.
570
00:39:19,562 --> 00:39:21,700
the investigation reopened.
571
00:39:21,700 --> 00:39:25,367
[Joey] If this letter is real,
if the killer's claims
are real
572
00:39:25,367 --> 00:39:27,867
then Laverne and
John are innocent.
573
00:39:27,867 --> 00:39:30,367
And there's a serial
killer on the loose.
574
00:39:30,367 --> 00:39:33,367
[Jeff] He was claiming that
he did these murders.
575
00:39:33,367 --> 00:39:35,867
There was still
no hard, hard proof.
576
00:39:35,867 --> 00:39:37,266
They hadn't captured him.
577
00:39:37,266 --> 00:39:40,166
So there was still that doubt
that this could be a hoax.
578
00:39:40,166 --> 00:39:43,600
[Doug] The Happy Face Killer
story was lurid
579
00:39:43,600 --> 00:39:48,000
and sensational and
all the things
that press critics
580
00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:49,562
like to fault the media
for doing.
581
00:39:49,562 --> 00:39:51,000
like to fault the media
for doing.
582
00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:53,867
But, uh, the end of the day
this was news.
583
00:39:53,867 --> 00:39:56,500
A serial killer at large,
584
00:39:56,500 --> 00:40:01,867
killing women, that's
the newspaper's job to report
it when somebody
585
00:40:01,867 --> 00:40:03,433
tries to confess to it.
586
00:40:15,500 --> 00:40:17,367
[Chris]
He was so proud of his work,
587
00:40:17,367 --> 00:40:19,562
and he really wanted
to be noted
as a serial killer.
588
00:40:19,562 --> 00:40:22,166
and he really wanted
to be noted
as a serial killer.
589
00:40:22,166 --> 00:40:26,367
He basically, beat, raped
and suffocated my mother
590
00:40:26,367 --> 00:40:30,266
in the cab of his truck and
then tossed her
out of the truck
591
00:40:30,266 --> 00:40:32,867
like a piece of garbage.
592
00:40:32,867 --> 00:40:35,734
[man] It wasn't until we
actually got into the
interview room
593
00:40:35,734 --> 00:40:37,734
that we told him
we're investigating
594
00:40:37,734 --> 00:40:39,700
the death of Julie Winningham.
595
00:40:39,700 --> 00:40:43,500
[Chris] I've spent a lifetime
looking at these
kind of stories
596
00:40:43,500 --> 00:40:49,266
and I have no explanation for
how a person can be
so demented that
597
00:40:49,266 --> 00:40:49,562
that becomes a way
of life for him.
598
00:40:49,562 --> 00:40:51,500
that becomes a way
of life for him.
599
00:40:51,500 --> 00:40:54,867
[Jeff] He targeted sex
workers, prostitutes,
600
00:40:54,867 --> 00:40:58,734
people who sort of are on the
fringe of society
and are already forgotten.
601
00:41:07,367 --> 00:41:13,367
[Jeff] As he's talked about
how he killed these women,
how he cleaned up
602
00:41:13,367 --> 00:41:16,433
after the murders,
he became the monster.
603
00:41:26,367 --> 00:41:29,600
Two people are in
prison for the murder
of Taunja Bennett.
604
00:41:29,600 --> 00:41:31,500
Four more women are dead.
605
00:41:31,500 --> 00:41:34,967
Then an anonymous letter
arrives at The Oregonian
newspaper,
606
00:41:34,967 --> 00:41:39,700
from a man who claims
that he is responsible
for all of the murders.
607
00:41:39,700 --> 00:41:42,266
He signs the letter
with a happy face symbol.
608
00:41:42,266 --> 00:41:45,266
Is it a hoax?
Investigators aren't certain.
609
00:41:45,266 --> 00:41:48,734
If not, can they find him
before he strikes again?
610
00:41:48,734 --> 00:41:49,562
In part two of
The Happy Face Killer.
611
00:41:49,562 --> 00:41:52,100
In part two of
The Happy Face Killer.
612
00:41:52,100 --> 00:41:55,100
I'm Donnie Wahlberg.
Thanks for watching.
Good night.