Happy Face: The shocking real story behind Paramount+’s true crime drama, explored

Paramount+'s upcoming true-crime docu-series, Happy Face, will tell the harrowing tale of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, who went on a murder spree in the 1990s in Oregon.

Dubbed the Happy Face Killer, Hunter killed at least eight women by strangulation and disposed of their bodies.

The upcoming docu-series will revisit the harrowing details of his crimes through the lens of his daughter, Melissa G. Moore. In an interview with Den of Geek, Melissa opens up about Happy Face:

''It shows what it’s like to have these letters still coming into my mailbox, him watching my Instagram, strangers reaching out to me, just the emotions of what that’s like, and the emotions of what my children go through, having a grandfather who’s a serial killer,”

The first two episodes of the series will drop on Paramount+ on March 20, 2025.

More on the true crime story of Keith Hunter Jesperson in Happy Face in our story.

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Happy Face: What is the true story of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson?

Keith Hunter Jesperson was bullied in his childhood because of his big size, which harbored rage inside him, and he took it out on animals. Born to an alcoholic and abusive father, Hunter used to strangle animals in his childhood, which translated to actual human beings when he grew up.

Happy Face will revisit the harrowing tale of Hunter, who murdered at least eight women by strangulation in the 1990s. Having a penchant for attention, Hunter also sent letters to media and law enforcement authorities to provoke and confess his many crimes, each with a smiley face.

His first known victim was Taunja Bennett, who was discovered dead in January 1990. Her body was found, strangulated to death, in Oregon. Many of his victims were s*x workers, and Hunter would also s*xually abuse them before brutally strangling them.

While he confessed to about 160 killings, only eight bodies were found. Hunter is now 69 years old and spending life imprisonment in Oregon State Penitentiary without parole.

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Happy Face docu-series is based on Hunter's daughter's experiences

Hunter married Rose Hucke when he was 20 and had three children- two daughters and one son. One of his daughters, Melissa G. Moore, will open up about her experiences of being born and raised by a serial killer in Happy Face.

While Hunter is currently serving his life sentence in prison, he continues to haunt Melissa through regular letters, which she finds in her mail.

Moore has previously opened up about her experiences through books, podcasts, and TV shows. She opens up about the upcoming docu-series Happy Face in an interview with People Magazine:

“I feel really proud of the series because it just shows how there's so many more people involved when a crime happens and how they're affected,”

She added:

“I think, watching the series, it's given me a way of looking at my own story as an observer, and that's a unique gift that I don't think a lot of people get. I appreciate the gift of observing my own experience and how I parented. Now that my kids are adults, it's kind of my graduation and my report card."

Actress Annaleigh Ashford will play Moore in the upcoming eight-part docu-series, which will shed light on Moore's relationship with her father and how he continues to haunt her from behind bars, too. Moore is currently married and has her own family with two children.

Dennis Quaid will play the role of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson.

Also Read: The 10 most harrowing true crime cases covered on Dateline

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