Keith Hunter Jesperson was born on April 6, 1955, in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. He was the middle child in a family of five children. His father was an abusive alcoholic, which made Jesperson's childhood difficult. Jesperson often felt like an outsider in his family and was nicknamed "Igor" by his siblings because of his large size.

Growing up, Jesperson was shy and had trouble making friends. He was also bullied at school. Jesperson took out his frustrations on animals, starting to kill and torture small creatures at a young age. This behavior worried his family, but they did not seek help for him.

Despite his troubled home life, Jesperson managed to graduate from high school. He tried to join the Royal Canadian Mounted Police but was not accepted. Instead, he took up a series of jobs, including working as a truck driver, which eventually allowed him to travel across the United States.

Keith Hunter Jesperson, known as the "Happy Face Killer," committed a series of murders across several states from 1990 to 1995. His killing spree began with his first known victim, Taunja Bennett, on January 23, 1990. He met Bennett at a bar in Portland, Oregon, and lured her to his house, where he assaulted and strangled her. Jesperson dumped her body near a scenic area along the Columbia River Gorge, hoping it would not be found quickly.

Jesperson's second victim was Claudia, a woman he met at a truck stop in California. She got into his truck willingly, but he later assaulted and strangled her. He left her body near Blythe, California.

His third victim was Cynthia Lynn Rose, who was a sex worker in Turlock, California. Jesperson picked her up at a truck stop, and after she got into his truck, he killed her and left her body near a highway.

The next known victim was Laurie Ann Pentland, whom he met in Salem, Oregon. After she refused his advances, Jesperson strangled her and dumped her body in a remote location.

Another victim, Jane Doe, remained unidentified. Jesperson picked her up near a truck stop in Wyoming. After killing her, he disposed of her body along the highway.

In 1994, Jesperson murdered Angela Subrize, a woman he was dating. After a fight, he killed her and left her body in his car for several days before disposing of it.

Jesperson's final known victim was Julie Winningham, whom he dated briefly. He strangled her and left her body in Washington state. This murder led to his capture as authorities began to close in on him due to his relationship with Winningham.

Jesperson often left taunting notes and messages, including his signature happy face, which gave him his nickname. His arrest came after a failed suicide attempt and a confession to his brother. In custody, Jesperson confessed to killing eight women, though he later claimed to have killed many more.

Jesperson was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for his crimes. He remains in prison, where he continues to serve his sentence. His case is well-known due to his distinctive method of taunting authorities and the media with his happy face symbol.