Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special

48 Hours

CBS News

True Crime, News, Tv & Film, Cbs

3.9 • 7K Ratings

🗓️ 15 March 2025

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

On this special episode of Post Mortem, Host Anne-Marie Green sits down with Melissa G. Moore, who at 15, discovered that her father was the prolific serial killer known as Happy Face. She’s joined by Jennifer Cacicio, the Executive Producer of a new Paramount+ series, HAPPY FACE, that is inspired by Melissa’s true-life story and stars Annaleigh Ashford and Dennis Quaid. They discuss Melissa’s evolving relationship with her father, having her brain scanned to determine if she was a psychopath, and how she has connected with other relatives of killers. Don't miss the two-episode premiere of HAPPY FACE, streaming March 20 exclusively on Paramount+, with new episodes every Thursday. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Ready to launch your business? Get started with the commerce platform made for entrepreneurs.
0:04.8	Shopify is specially designed to help you start, run and grow your business with easy customizable themes that let you build your brand.
0:12.5	Marketing tools that get your products out there. Integrated shipping solutions that actually save you time.
0:17.5	From startups to scaleups, online, in person, and on the go.
0:22.0	Shopify is made for entrepreneurs like you.
0:24.5	Sign up for your $1 a month trial at Shopify.com slash setup.
0:43.3	Welcome to O special episode of Postmortem.
0:57.1	I'm your host, Anne-Marie Green, and today I'm sitting down with Melissa G. Moore, the daughter of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson and Jennifer Cassicio, the executive producer of the new series Happy Face starring Anna Lee Ashford as Melissa and Dennis Quaid as her father, which premieres with two
1:04.1	episodes on Thursday, March 20th, exclusively on Paramount Plus. So Happy Face is inspired by the true life story of Melissa G. Moore.
1:13.3	At 15, Melissa discovered that her beloved father, Keith Jesperson, was the prolific serial killer known as Happy Face.
1:22.1	As an adult, she changed her name and guarded that secret all while her father continues to be serving a life sentence in prison.
1:32.1	Jesperson is responsible for killing at least eight women in the early 1990s and was dubbed the happy face killer because he signed his letters to the media and law enforcement with a smiley face. And Melissa,
1:45.5	I listened to the podcast because this was a podcast before. It became this TV series, and that's what the
1:52.0	TV series is based on. I want to thank you for joining us, and I want to dig into it. So thank you so much,
1:57.6	guys. Thank you for having us. Yes, thank you so much. So, Melissa,
2:01.9	your father was arrested in 1995 for the murder of his girlfriend, Julie Winningham. You were only 15 at the
2:09.1	time. He goes to trial and then he confesses to a number of other murders. He's recanted when it
2:16.4	comes to some of them. But what was it like at 15
2:19.6	to wrestle with this realization that your father is not the person you thought he was?
2:26.7	It was blind siding, obviously, to hear that he was arrested for the murder of Julie Winningham.
2:32.9	At that time, he wasn't known as a happy face serial killer. He was dad and he was arrested for the murder of Julie Winningham. At that time, he wasn't known as a happy face serial killer.
2:36.6	He was dad and he was a suspect that was charged with the crime of Julie
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in -13 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from CBS News, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of CBS News and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.