(NewsNation) — Convicted murderer Bryan Kohberger has an unexpected ally in the form of serial killer Keith Jesperson, also known as the “Happy Face Killer.”
Jesperson told “The Lighter Side of True Crime” he believes Kohberger’s “best bet” is transferring to the Oregon State Penitentiary, where Jesperson is being held for life. Kohberger is currently serving four life sentences in Idaho’s maximum security prison.
“[The] best bet for Kohberger is to come to Oregon and spend his time here,” Jesperson told the podcast. “… This would be a great place for him to fall into.”
Jesperson believes Kohberger’s crimes and his reported quirks will make Kohberger a target, and perhaps worse.
“He’s going to have some problems, don’t get me wrong here,” Jesperson said of Kohberger settling in Oregon. “But, he’s not gonna be facing the hardships he probably would in Idaho.”
Kohberger was transferred to an Idaho maximum security prison this month after receiving four life sentences for fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students in 2022.
Bryan Kohberger transfer ‘unlikely’: Keith Rovere
Keith Rovere, host of “The Lighter Side of True Crime with Keith Rovere,” joined “Banfield” on Wednesday night to discuss his interview with Jesperson.
While noting prison transfers “happen more than you think,” he said it would be “very difficult” for Kohberger to be moved.
Rovere told NewsNation he believes Jesperson has already written a letter to the Idaho supermax prison and will be writing a letter to Kohberger, after doing the same with other notorious murderers such as Charles Manson and Rex Heuermann.
Kohberger is “going to have a hard time” in prison for killing women in the fashion he did, according to Rovere.
“You can’t stare down people … his [stare] is dead set straight on, even during the victim impact statement, you can see him just dead on. That’s going to be a problem,” Rovere added.
Who is the ‘Happy Face Killer’?
Jesperson was convicted of killing eight women, earning his nickname by drawing smiling faces on many of his letters to the media and authorities before being arrested in 1995.
He claimed he killed as many as 160 people while working as a trucker, but only eight victims were confirmed.
Although Jesperson committed his killings in the 1990s, some of his victims have only recently been identified. A woman he called “Carla” or “Cindy,” who was killed in 1993, was identified as Patricia Skiple in 2022, and a woman he referred to only as “Suzanne,” killed in 1994, was identified as Suzanne L. Kjellenberg in 2023.
Jesperson is known to write to various public figures and has sent notes and art to NewsNation’s own Ashleigh Banfield and Laura Ingle.
Bryan Kohberger’s new home
Kohberger will likely be held in long-term, restricted housing in the Idaho prison where he resides, and could also spend time in what’s known as closed and protective custody. This type of housing is meant for prisoners who could be injured by inmates in the general population or who could hurt others.
Those inmates spend 23 hours a day inside their cells, with food and water fed through doors into their cells. When NewsNation’s Brian Entin toured the cellblock, he saw inmates engaging in a practice called “fishing,” which involves using strings from blankets or T-shirts to send notes under their doors.
NewsNation’s Steph Whiteside contributed to this report.