From 1997-2010, a rash of drownings in the Mississippi River in La Crosse were mostly blamed by police on the culture of alcohol in Wisconsin. The deaths being attributed to people becoming inebriated, wondering down by the river, and ultimately falling in, unable to find their way out of the rushing or icy waters before succumbing.

However, a pattern soon began to appear, as all of the victims were college-aged young men, athletic, popular, good-looking, good students, were drinking, and ended up in the river. All of these deaths were the result of a culture of marriage between alcohol and college, according to law enforcement.

A group of independent investigators, some retired NYPD detectives, believed otherwise. They believe the deaths to be homicides, committed by a network of serial killers, deemed "The Smiley Face Killers," as smiley face grafitti was repeatedly found in the vicinity of these deaths, according to the detectives.

Scott and Mickey discuss the "Smiley Face Killers" theory, the rationale behind it, the drownings in La Crosse and how they correlate with others throughout the country.

In the opening Banter, we discuss the case of murder victim Mary Schlais, finally solved by DNA after 50 years, and the continued rise of familial DNA in solving cold cases.

All here, on Episode 47: "The Smiley Face Killers."

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Opening Trailer:

Ed Gein Sound Byte : "Hard Copy" - Paramount Domestic/CBS Televsion

Frank Lloyd Wright and Jeffery Dahmer Sound Byte - WISN 12 News - Milwaukee, WI

Jeffery Dahmer Quotes: "Inside Edition" - King World/CBS Television/CBS Media

Attribution for Music:

Trailer: Composer: Adam Phillip Zwirchmayr https://www.pond5.com/

Intro: https://pixabay.com/

Outro: Composer: Viacheslav Sarancha https://www.pond5.com/

Attribution for logo design:

Red Claw Scratch Photo

Sources:

Cappello, Nile; "Why Three Investigators Blame a Rash of Drowning Deaths on a Gang of Killers" Rolling Stone

Gannon, Kevin; Gilbertson, Lee: "Case Studies in Drowning Forensics."

La Crosse Tribune - Archives

Milwaukee Magazine; "Behind the Midwest Smiley Face Killers."

"Smiley Face Killers: The Hunt for Justice." Oxygen Network

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