keith hunter jesperson (also known as the "happy face killer") a serial killer who frequented the pacific northwest, was arrested in march 1995 for another murder, and subsequently confessed to the murders of eight other women, including bennett. three years prior to his arrest, jesperson wrote a series of letters to "the oregonian" detailing his killing spree, including specific details of bennett's murder. he pleaded guilty and was convicted of bennett's murder on november 2, 1995 after formally confessing to police in september. in his confession, jesperson recounted how he had picked up bennett at a bar in portland on the evening of january 21, 1990. jesperson took her back to his residence, where he beat and strangled her to death. that night, jesperson drove to crown point, and dumped her body over a ravine along the switchbacks on the old columbia river highway. he subsequently disposed of his shoes along the interstate, and threw bennett's walkman cassette player into the sandy river from a bridge in troutdale. james mcintyre, the deputy district attorney who tried the case against ms. pavlinac in 1991, stated that jesperson's claims were completely corroborated by law enforcement.