Early in the investigation into Bennett's murder, a woman named Laverne Pavlinac came forward to confess, saying she murdered Bennett with and at the direction of her abusive boyfriend, John Sosnovske. Even after the convictions, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and the police were sure they got the correct people. We welcome new information from any source about exonerations already on our list and about cases not in the Registry that might be exonerations. Who was this guy Jesperson? . No one at JBs or the adjacent Burns Brothers truckstop had seen Taunja; no one at the B&I; had seen Sosnovske. "I had been worried about this for a long time", he said. Theyd also fixed on a suspect. Judge Paul Lipscomb of the Circuit Court of Oregon agreed to vacate Sosnovske's sentence after ruling his no-contest plea violated his constitutional rights because it had not been voluntary since he was facing the death penalty. After contacting police, Ms. Pavlinac and Mr. Sosnovske were charged with the murder, the latter eventually pleading guilty to avoid the death penalty. Based on the statement, police began investigating John and found that he and Laverne had been seeing each other for quite some time. Men werent generally taught how to be single parents, but he would have to learn. She made a pot of coffee, talked about her family. She told police that she was actually there when Bennett was killed, witnessing the events unfold for herself. Knowing Taunjas jeans had been cut, she produced a replica--a replica that closely matched the real patchs shape. Pavlinacs eyewitness account, Sosnovskes polygraphs, Sosnovskes handwritten statement. As she drove, she heard him cutting Taunjas jeans. Had they all suffered from tunnel vision once they started hearing Pavlinacs stories? At the time, Pavlinac said she was able to dupe authorities because she had learned details of the crime from newspaper articles and from reading the search warrant without police noticing. Some details were new, though. Reports about two anonymous letters. This time they brought machetes and clippers. "She was that kind of woman. The website is updated daily, frequently with exonerations that occurred in the past. The pair were convicted in 1991 for the murder of Taujna Bennett, 23, of Portland.. Where, for so long, hed been absolutely convinced he put the right people in jail, he now felt puzzled. Ingram and Corson needed to meet with him, as soon as possible. Sometimes Jesperson got details right, often he did not. It's thought that Pavlinac suffered abuse at the hands of her partner, John Sosnovske. By that time, Pavlinac replied, I didnt care if I lived or died.. As they drove out there, she just watched the odometer. About to bolt for a courtroom hearing, he picked up his phone when it rang. Death came quickly, on Sept. 4; McIntyre buried his dad on Sept. 8. us about an exoneration that we may have missed, Correct an error or add information about an exoneration Keith Hunter Jesperson - more widely known by his nickname - turned himself in after committing a further six murders. The emotion in Pavlinacs taped confession--that was just too genuine to be faked. Read More: Taunja Bennett Murder: How Did She Die? They also had a strand of hair, lifted from the victims body, that matched Sosnovskes. To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders, Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications, .css-o3g03s{color:black;}Published14:12,08 November 2021 GMT.css-1aaqh7x{color:#666666;}@media (min-width:1024px){.css-1aaqh7x{color:#666666;}}| Last updated14:12,08 November 2021 GMT. "She was very giving. Still, people were asking questions. McIntyre felt certain now: Jesperson was full of bull. He talked of seeing the dumped body from the far side of a hairpin turn, which was physically impossible. When Jesperson finished, McIntyre considered. He has to sell the goddamn car. Not unlike his own deal, he thought. She was standing in the parking lot, joking around with Sosnovske. I feel like its my fault., When the tape ended, Ingram cleared his throat. A full body orgasm at the L.A. Phil? On the way home, he threatened to kill Pavlinacs whole family if she told anyone. Both proclaimed their innocence. Pavlinacs face was not that of a murderer. I got into a bad situation and got caught up with emotion. I raped her and beat her real bad . It looked obvious to him. This case hasnt made him gunshy about his job. That's when they said she implicated herself in the murder, according to Det. In 1990, Laverne Pavlinac had reached her breaking point. Some involved tangible evidence--the crime lab could find no physical trace of Taunjas presence in Pavlinacs car, for instance. Not until the spring of 1995, almost a year after the Happy Face Killer letters arrived, did McIntyre once again hear about a serial murderer. Her conduct has been an affront to our entire criminal justice system. The cost to taxpayers has been enormous, the cost to Sosnovske incalculable. Yet to continue to imprison a factually innocent person would violate Oregons constitutional guarantee against cruel and unusual punishment. . On the line, Ingram sounded baffled. Birkland was haggling over the years but clearly thought this arrangement worth considering. How can you absolutely know what the truth is? We were concerned for her health.. According to 20/20, Laverne Pavlinac passed away in March 2003 due to heart failure. Laverne Pavlinac paged him late last night, Ingram reported. Why did she confess? He liked the political aspects of the law, he liked the idea of working for himself. The walls and ceiling were covered with blood by the time he realized she was dead. He looked huge to McIntyre. Laverne Pavlinac and John Sosnovske were released from prison two months after the real killer confessed. In November 1995, a judge released Pavlinac and Sosnovske from prison. Pavlinacs house was different. Plump and homey, 57, short graying hair, blue eyes, soft, round face. As they passed where Taunjas body was found, Pavlinac pointed to almost exactly the precise spot. Now Jesperson had led them to it--several miles from where theyd found Bennetts body. Combined, it looked mighty compelling. A similar obsession seems to have led crime-novel buff Laverne Pavlinac to implicate herself and her boyfriend in an Oregon murder in 1990. I dont know what happened.. . I was doing what I was told. Sosnovske pleaded no contest to the killing of Taunja Bennett, believing it would steer him clear of the death sentence. On Jan. 10, 1990, shed again called county probation about his drinking. If Jesperson threw anything, it should still be here. Who Killed Her? It was, to him, familiar territory: You take a stand, or else you never get anything done. Nor were any of his own lofty, passionate proclamations to Pavlinacs jury. Pavlinac was found guilty for her 'crime' - being an accessory to rape and murder. I have information about the Bennett murder, he told Schrunk. I didnt murder anybody in 1990, he said. First, just before it began in late January, Pavlinac officially recanted her confession. Most of all Laverne Pavlinacs confession. Jim McIntyre winced, for hed heard this song before. information about the Registry. She couldnt protect Sosnovske anymore. On Oct. 14, 1995, after checking with McIntyre, Peterson ordered the Explorer Scouts back out to Sandy River. I thought I would not do it again. Episodes three and four of Netflix's Catching Killers details the story of the 'Happy Face' murders, including the elderly couple who spent four years in prison for a crime they didn't commit. Nor could Schrunk or Meisenheimer. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? A lady in Bend had called him, saying the Happy Face Killers handwriting looked an awful lot like her estranged husbands. OK, she said. A strange purse that, the detectives soon saw, contained a newspaper clipping about Taunja Bennetts murder and a piece of fabric cut from the fly area of acid-washed blue jeans. The day after the Pavlinac visit, detectives wired Jesperson to a polygraph machine. She was very co-operative with the police. The body of 23-year-old Taunja Bennett was found in this remote woodland near the Columbia Gorge in 1990. How, Peterson asked, did you lead us to the exact spot where we found Bennetts body? Pavlinac and Sosnovske's arrests for the murder thoroughly angered Keith Jesperson. Seems like my luck has run out . Convicted murderer Keith Jesperson, right, shown here at a Nov. 2, 1995, court appearance in Portland, Ore., with attorney Thomas Phelan, has recanted all his previous murder admissions. Each theory had its supporters. Just after McIntyres impassioned final argument, just hours after he once more played Laverne Pavlinacs taped confession, 12 Multnomah County citizens proclaimed the defendant guilty of felony murder. Ingram, whose expression suggested a kindly uncle more than a homicide dick, made it clear to McIntyre: He thought Pavlinac believable. Did she want them to leave? Goddamn, he fumed. He hit her in the face, first once, then many times. At one point during the conversation, the icon shared her . On those occasions, Jim McIntyre more often than not bristles. Still, detectives continued to interview Pavlinac. They had no physical evidence, no fingerprints, DNA or blood. Punched her, slapped her. And I found out. Ill check it out, but right now, I gotta go., McIntyre slammed the phone down so hard, the police detective with him started. In 1995, Bennett's real killer revealed himself to the authorities. True to form, Pavlinac revised. I'm thinking, 'My God, she is actually involved in this,'" Ingram said. The Happy Face Killer. Thats what an Oregonian columnist, Phil Stanford, was calling him. Laverne Pavlinac confessed that she and her boyfriend murdered a woman in Oregon in 1990. I want to be released.. Everyone drove back to Portland. Whoever wrote them is claiming credit for several murders. In late March, detectives had arrested Keith Jesperson, a long-haul trucker whom Winningham had been dating. None of it could be corroborated. She did well at identifying the place where the body had been found, but failed to accurately identify places where personal items belonging to Bennett had been located. She was frightened, she wanted to make sure they took Sosnovske away. Sometimes you end up on the wrong side., Barry Siegel is a Times national correspondent. 10 Laverne Pavlinac Breaking up with someone can be tough, but there aren't too many people that feel the need to falsely confess to a murder to get out of a relationship. It was true, Pavlinac said, that Sosnovske called her from JBs that night. . The evidence is compelling, Circuit Judge Paul Lipscomb said. Right or wrong, the district attorney was saying, this is a problem. The last thing he needed was this call. The informant turned out to be Sosnovske's girlfriend, 58 year old Laverne Pavlinac. Hell, he thought. Police determined these were planted. I wanted to get those two people out of prison," he said in 1995, referring to Pavlinac and Sosnovske. They were a study in contrasts. . Corson invited. McIntyre thought they had a done deal. Go get out there and bust her ass.. Case tapes reveal woman's incriminating confession to involvement in 1990 murder case Laverne Pavlinac claimed she was involved in Taunja Bennett's death. As Birkland turned to hug a sobbing Laverne Pavlinac, McIntyre rose and reached for his tape recorder. "Madonna, that's what she listened to all day," White said. Why are people hesitant to trust a COVID-19 vaccine? Go tell them to put it back, he joked. At the booking counter, before being led away, Pavlinac turned and gave both detectives big hugs. As they drove, Pavlinac described Tanyas appearance precisely, getting every detail right. Schrunk put McIntyre on it right away, gave him Keith Meisenheimer as his second-chair prosecutor. By late afternoon, Corson and Ingram were rolling to the lumber mill where Sosnovske worked as a sawyer. The first time she publicly said her real age, Cox revealed, was at a speaking engagement in January of 2019. She claimed that she overheard Sosnovske peacocking to a friend about assaulting and killing the 23-year-old. A Multnomah County sheriffs sergeant, he wasnt as experienced in homicide cases as Corson, but he had a good feel for people. Pavlinac told police she had helped her boyfriend, John Sosnovske, kill Bennett and move her body. And they were laughing," Pavlinac told investigators. If I killed her, I didnt mean to . Mac, I know its screwy, Ingram told McIntyre when he finished his account. In late 1990, Birkland started negotiating the precise terms of a plea bargain. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Same old bull, McIntyre thought. I want to deal.. . When he finished, Pavlinac realized Bennett had stopped breathing. . He preferred to savor triumphs, not second-guess them. Mike Schrunk told reporters his office was reviewing recent evidence. What shed seen was some red paint or tape, two spots marking the area. Laverne Pavlinac convinced investigators she and John Sosnovske had killed Taunja Bennett, when they hadn't. I'll go to death row.'". Asked by the judge if she wished to speak, Pavlinac, handcuffed and shackled, rose and turned to Sosnovske, sitting just on the other side of her defense attorney. During the trial, she recanted her confession, claiming that she had lied to police in an attempt to escape her relationship with Sosnovske, whom she said . As she started to fall asleep that night, Jesperson told her that while she was gone, hed met a girl at the B&I; Tavern, brought her home, then killed her. Before long, her claims began to implicate herself in the murder as well. From his seat in the Veritable Quandary, it appeared unavoidable to McIntyre: Lines need to be drawn, he said. Corson finally interrupted. Id give them accolades. Riley, the detectives soon learned, was clean as a whistle. But a man and a woman got blamed for it . Birkland asked her one day. On Oct. 4, Det. That was when Laverne added details to her story and claimed that on the night of January 21, she met John, and together, the two disposed of Taunjas body alongside the Old Columbia River Highway. Had the detectives manipulated Sosnovske with their hypothetical questions? During intercourse, she said something insulting to him about getting it over with. Just like his ex-wife used to say. Then they all rolled to the Salem courthouse. Jespersons account had too many inconsistencies. Once more, a person seemingly had details only the killer could know. Then, one day in mid-November, Birkland suddenly announced they were rejecting the plea deal. She was wrongly convicted after falsely confessing that she and her then boyfriend Sosnovske strangled and disposed of the body of Taunja Bennett. Four days later, Judge Libscomb, in a written ruling, declined to release Pavlinac and Sosnovske. Jesperson was dubbed the "Happy Face Killer" for the smiley face drawings he included on a letter he sent to a Portland, Oregon newspaper, in which he bragged about killing women in a spree that began in 1990. When she recanted, Pavlinac said she falsely confessed because she was stuck in a volatile relationship with Sosnovske, desperately seeking a way out and wanting him in prison. But it was all a lie. Then she dropped her guard. Keith Jesperson was at the bar where Taunja Bennett was the night before her murder. Helping victims felt good. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Nine of the jurors actually wanted the more serious charge of aggravated murder. Just days later, she made the first anonymous call. He described Bennetts underwear and shirt incorrectly. Jesperson addressed Pavlinac and Sosnovske directly in his letter. When Jesperson began talking, McIntyre thought he sounded ill-educated, but not stupid or delusional. She had reason to know. Phelan wouldnt do anything against his clients best interests. Yes, shed planted those items in the trunk, Pavlinac admitted. The search warrant had listed those items; thats where shed gotten the idea. The detectives had come to her, Pavlinac said. He offered unlimited access to Jesperson--in exchange for no death penalty. Corson, with the Oregon State Police, was the more hardnosed; some in the district attorneys office even called him a right winger. He believed people should go to jail, he was a sniper on the state SWAT team, he pursued suspects relentlessly. That had seemed proper to McIntyre. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? . The experience shaped him. Instead, Judge Libscomb looked up from the documents. Maybe some folks in their jobs can take a car apart, leave the parts on the driveway. She took other things from the search warrant. "I [had] seen all these tracks and all this and that. Most telling, on Oct. 2, when they drove out to where the body was found, Jesperson pointed to the wrong ravine. Once on trial in 1991, Laverne Pavlinac pleaded not guilty to the charges and claimed that her whole story was false as she was trying to escape her relationship. "Pavlinac has selfishly engaged in an obsessive and persistent obstruction of justice which deflected the investigation at an early stage, causing it to focus on her boyfriend, Sosnovske, while the real killer remained free to kill again and again," Lipscomb wrote in 1995. on our list, Other At 39, he folded laundry and washed dishes most nights now, rather than join colleagues for drinks in downtown Portland. November 4, 2021 Examined Impact x Nightline The Murders Before the Marathon The Ivana Trump Story: The First Wife But in the process, she also falsely implicated herself. What's next for abortion rights in America? In the 11 months between then and her trial, they only multiplied--as various defense lawyers and investigators more than once pointed out. The judge refused to vacate Pavlinacs conviction, chastising her for abusing the judicial system. She claimed to have found a strange purse in the trunk of her car with a piece of denim from a pair of jeans inside -- When Bennett was found, her purse was gone and her jeans were missing the fly. I grew up with this, he would later say. Two people got the blame so I can kill again.. Could he have put the wrong people in jail? He alone killed Bennett, he declared. When he climbed into Rileys car, he saw a body in the back of the car, wrapped in a blanket. The body was one of a white female adult. He didnt know how she was killed; he didnt ask Riley. Chris Peterson who decided they should once more search the Sandy River area where Keith Jesperson claimed to have scattered the contents of Bennetts purse. She wanted to see him behind bars - and when details of an unsolved murder case were made public knowledge, she found her chance. However, they were not considered admissable evidence, and Laverne was sentenced to life imprisonment once found guilty. Cant you see this is all bogus? She ushered them in like always, nice and friendly, then turned and headed toward the kitchen. I used a 1/2 inch soft nylon rope, burnt on one end, fraid cut on the other and tied it around her neck . The police conducted their own investigation and found Jespersons claims to be true. . Moreover, during her trial, an unknown person claimed to take responsibility for Taunja's murder through a couple of restroom graffitis. . After hed retired from the Army as a lieutenant colonel, hed directed public works projects for the Department of Commerce. He talked of unbuttoning Bennetts shirt, yet shed been wearing a sweater. Although the judge vacated Johns sentence, the show mentions that he refused to overturn Lavernes conviction claiming that she had abused the system and obstructed justice which allowed the real killer to roam free. This was the most amazing and perplexing case any of them had ever encountered. Police science in college had felt different, though. With Bennett's apparent killers behind bars, the case was put on ice. McIntyre reached for his phone. Pavlinac and Sosnovske were sentenced to life in prison, with both parties knowing full well they were innocent. Reluctantly, McIntyre reached for the phone. She inferred certain information from the questions the detectives asked her. McIntyre recoiled, but forced his hand up; he needed this mans cooperation. So thats where they formally arraigned Sosnovske that evening. The real killer, however, was still a free man. Listening to Ingram, McIntyre settled into a seat, fighting a vague dread. However, the truth only came to light when Keith Hunter Jesperson was arrested on an unrelated murder charge in 1995 and claimed responsibility for Taunjas murder. They drove east from Vista House, then stopped. First they would hack away the blackberry bushes. . Phelan looked back and forth at these two prosecutors. I must have tightened it as I was hanging on., Did you pull the rope tight? Corson asked. Worse, her reason for implicating herself made no sense at all. Once on trial in 1991, Laverne Pavlinac pleaded not guilty to the charges and claimed that her whole story was false as she was trying to escape her relationship. . Theyd received two anonymous calls, the detectives explained. Just this morning, Ingram told McIntyre, theyd visited that roommate. Hed spoken that day with certitude. I will say this about McIntyre and Schrunk, they were very dogged, said Phelan. I didnt mean to . Laverne Pavlinac's mug shot Confessing to a crime you didn't commit can be dangerous, especially if the true murderer is a serial killer. It wasn't long until a 58-year-old woman came forward, telling them about an alarming conversation she apparently heard her boyfriend having. . On the last day of the trial, McIntyre watched Wendell Birkland beseech the jury for seven hours--Its not logical to assume that this 58-year-old grandmother strangled a girl to death--before finally sitting down. Now it was another prosecutors problem. First, she told investigators that she knew Sosnovske did it because she saw Bennett's body, said Ingram. On Oct. 25, McIntyre and his colleagues worked through the night, preparing a 21-page memo that summarized their conclusions. In February 1990, the police thought they had a massive breakthrough in Taunja Bennetts murder investigation when Laverne Pavlinac called them and implicated her partner, John Sosnovske. Just as well, he reasoned. She also saw two small orange markers, placed by the police so they could precisely triangulate the spot. These people did the right thing., Only occasionally does someone point out that but for a serial killers bizarre scribblings, there never would have been recognition of this whopping mistake. In a fashion, McIntyre thought, it was like dealing with Laverne Pavlinac all over again. "[He said] I better not open my mouth. In 1994 newspapers and authorities began receiving anonymous letters from someone who contended he had killed Bennett. Despite a gag order, he was still talking to journalists. . Passing the exact spot, she noticed the detectives unconscious body language. He knew nothing about these anonymous letters, but he knew all he wanted about the Taunja Bennett murder. He also sketched a smiling face atop his first page. It is difficult to turn yourself in for murder, Jesperson told him. But at her trial, Pavlinac recanted, saying that she had lied in an attempt to escape her abusive. She was convicted of felony murder and sentenced to life in prison with a 10-year minimum served. How can you ever know for sure? At a second hearing on Nov. 27, Judge Libscomb finally relented. . At this remote spot the embankment was steep and thick with blackberry bushes; not even God has passed by, McIntyre told himself. ., When the tape ended, McIntyre rose and pointed at Pavlinac. Reports started flowing to McIntyre one after another. I killed a woman in my truck . Thats how she figured it out; thats how she knew. "John That's the worst thing you've ever gotten yourself into," she told him. McIntyre knew the region well; it was his favorite spot to fish for steelhead. Fearing Sosnovske would retaliate against her, she decided to implicate herself. Additionally, the show and reports mention Johns passing, but the exact date and reason behind it are still unclear. Remembering the first known victim of Happy Face serial killer. The truth must be told on this case as God is my witness, he wrote. Remembering George Floyd: A year of protest. A few critics snipe at the prosecutors and detectives for buying a confused, depressed womans preposterous story.