Smiley Face Killers: The Hunt for Justice

This "Smiley Face Murder's idea is being misrepresented here. As of January 2019 there is not official police investigation in any jurisdiction in the U.S. This is a theory and nothing more at this time. The only place this is being pursued is by the production company responsible for the show and the Oxygen Network. In the first episode it mentioned a few times that there was a transaction after Dakota James was known to be dead. While they liked to mention that it occurred they never mentioned looking into it. Something like that is easily explained, it could have been a pre-order of soon to released item. Or a repeating order that repeats monthly, such as can be done on Amazon. For some reason they didn't bother to go any further then that with that detail. Possibly because it would remove tension they want to have associated with this story. The journalist associated with story seemed to want to pick apart the remarks made by the retired Corps of Engineers employee. The journalist was actively arguing a story line when all he should have been doing was fact finding. The Corps had the flood gates open, but he wanted to imply some sinister goings on. Granted the autopsy could have been handled better. But there no knowing for sure how long that body was in the water, not every single case will be like the next in every detail. And there's not way to know for sure if that body snagged on some underwater obstacle causing some of those findings in the autopsy. This show is built on grieving people that are clinging to the hope they can find out something to explain the unexplained death of a loved one. With the facts shown in this show. It would be a waste of taxpayers money to do a major investigation of this case without more compelling facts. The investigators seemed to be glossing over details that didn't support the story line of a series of so-called smiley face murders. There are smiley faces drawn, carved and painted all over the United States. Just because some bodies have turned up next to them does not mean they are connected. The smiley face my be one of the most ubiquitous symbols seen in the United States. I gave it a 3 because many times during the telling of the story I was angry with the way the investigators seemed to be steering this story, instead of letting the chips fall where they may.

OMG fact is stranger than fiction.!!You just need to watch this it's compelling viewing. Also the professional approach of the investigators is apparent. Just watch this!

The first season's episodes are compelling stories of young men who have gone missing and were murdered. I caught a brief explanation of the Smiley Face Killer theory when a few of the detectives went on Dr. Phil. The theory sounds a bit "conspiracy theory-ish", but I always give the benefit of the doubt. It's hard to deny the similarities in the stories. So, if you are like me and like the "Dateline" type murder mysteries, you will find this series interesting. My one warning to viewers, and it's not any fault of the creators, but these stories do not have resolutions like many Dateline-type episodes. These are a retelling of the crime with new investigations and evidence. The purpose of these investigations is too solve the crimes or to get the police to reopen the cases. They are not stories where you get to know the final ending of "who done it".

In short, this show is based on on a handful of retired detectives with nothing to do. The show continually cherry picks "evidence". The detectives question experts and argue with them when their opinions aren't supported. In one scene you will see somebody give an opinion like "I would expect the body to have been in worse condition". In the next scene you see one of the hosts shouting to the camera "they said its IMPOSSIBLE for the body to look that good". They tell you a victim's PayPal had been used 2 days after he disappeared and they never mention that again. Clearly an investigation showed no relevant information regarding that fact... one expert stomps on a detectives dreams when he tells him that in the days before a body was found, a gate was opened by 7 feet which meant the body could have easily passed through. He suggested that the body would have been caught on something which delayed the discovery of the body and the detective actually says "nope. It wasnt caught on anything. Nope."

The best part is how they say that upstream from every body at the first bridge there is the trademark. A smiley face!... but none of the smiley faces look the same. In fact, they vary dramatically and all the sites are covered in graffiti. Where DONT you find a smiley face of some description in amongst piles of graffiti.

Considering the lack professionalism, the stretched theories and the disingenuous claims made so clearly in this show, I feel you cant trust any of the more compelling evidence they claim to provide.

Average crime documentary. 6 separate episodes with a common link to how each person was killed and disposed of. Very disappointing to get the end of the last episode and there not be some form of conclusion. Could have probably covered the content in half the time/episodes.