Buddies behind bars: 'Happy face killer' Keith Jesperson brags about being pen pals with Gilgo Beach murders suspect Rex Heuermann
SALEM, OREGON: Keith Jesperson, infamously known as the 'Happy Face Killer', has allegedly struck up a chilling pen-pal relationship with accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann.
Jesperson, currently serving multiple life sentences, imparted eyebrow-raising advice to Heuermann, who awaits trial for the alleged murder of three sex workers.
Jesperson, 68, is said to have reached out to Heuermann, 59, in his Long Island jail.
According to reports, Heuermann, responding to Jesperson's letter, expressed gratitude on August 31, stating, "Your letters and advice [sic] have been a help and comfort to me. I do understand what you have said and taken it to heart."
Insights from podcast host
The correspondence was brought to light by podcast host Keith Rovere, who specializes in interviewing incarcerated serial killers.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Rovere clarified that his intention is not to glamorize or justify their actions but to understand them as individuals. "I want to explain them as people and rarely discuss the details of their crimes," he affirmed.
Jesperson, who has been known to Rovere for years, shared Heuermann's letter, revealing a glimpse into the latter's life behind bars. Heuermann complained about jail conditions, from the quality of food to the gloomy exercise yard. Jesperson advised Heuermann to confess, cautioning against providing prosecutors with the opportunity to revel in finding evidence during a trial.
Heuermann, who was arrested in July, allegedly told Jesperson about the flood of letters and requests he received. "You were right about letters - I have gotten a number of them, asking for interviews, to be friends, pen-pals, and one guy who sent me three letters asking me to write back to add to his collection of letters," he wrote.
Heuermann continued, shedding light on the challenges of his current incarceration. "So it sounds like OSP (Oregon State Prison) is not such a bad place to be. Do you have butter for your bread? How is the day-to-day food - I will admit that food on SCCF (Suffolk County Correctional Facility) is not much to look forward to each day. Also yard is just walking in circles outside."
It is interesting to note that Heuermann's wife, Asa Ellerup, has filed for divorce, and he has signed over their marital home to her. Ellerup is reportedly being followed by a documentary crew, having allegedly signed a $1 million deal for the film.
Confession advice and legal process
Jesperson, in his communication with Heuermann, emphasized the importance of confessing, suggesting it would expedite Heuermann's journey to prison, where conditions are purportedly better than in jail. He warned of the slow legal process, estimating it might take about six months to a year before the trial begins.
"The message I'm sending him is to own it," said Jesperson. "They want the letter to get to him. They want him to listen to this guy who is telling him how the system is. So when you finally get to it, the police can go out and solve all the other cases with him. So that's what I'm telling him to do: don't hold anything back. Details, or a few more laying out there."
He further advised Heuermann to avoid a trial spectacle, asserting that life behind bars would be easier without it.
"You now get into a routine: you already know what your convictions are, you're set-up," he said.
"And you're not moving out going to court. You're not doing any of this moving back and forth on court. And you don't have the jail. Shuffling you around going everywhere you go on for hearings. The food is different. The food is better in prison. You know what? He's what he's worried about butter on his gray. Well, he'll get larger," he added.
Jesperson also suggested that Heuermann should prepare himself for a lengthy process, while claiming that President Biden is somehow involved in the case. "I told him, I think Biden has time to see how it plays out," he said. "The system runs really slow. So he might need about six months or a year before you before he goes to trial."
"You may have to sit down and assess with lawyers, right? There's no real defense here. This is what we need to do. Let's just go ahead and make a deal. And then the lawyers come off like they made a deal," he added.
Heuermann has pleaded not guilty, but Jesperson insists on honesty, stating, "If you want press, you're going to get it. If you want to be on the news, go to trial. For the next six months or year, they'll know. When you hit prison, everybody will know. It's a bad thing. Everybody knows what is going on."