Happy Face: Moment Keith Jesperson almost confided in daughter Melissa Moore revealed in new account

Melissa recounted her unsettling breakfast with father Keith Jesperson, where he nearly confessed his serial killings.

Melissa G. Moore, the daughter of notorious serial killer Keith Jesperson, has opened up about a chilling encounter with her father during a breakfast in 1995, just before his arrest.

Moore was 15 at the time and recalls her father nearly confessing his double life as a serial killer. In an account to Fox News Digital,she recollected, during their meal Jesperson told Moore he had something to reveal, saying, "But you'll tell the authorities." Moore initially thought he was referring to rumors about being fired for theft, but the conversation quickly turned uneasy. Jesperson became evasive, and Moore, feeling sick, went to the bathroom to compose herself. This moment marked one of the final interactions before Jesperson’s arrest, which occurred shortly after Moore's 16th birthday.

Jesperson, also known as the "Happy Face Killer" for drawing smiley faces in letters to the media, was arrested in 1995 and confessed to killing eight women across several states. Moore, who was unaware of his crimes, learned of his arrest when her mother informed her and her siblings that their father was charged with murder. The news spread quickly, and Moore faced shame and isolation from her peers, which deeply affected her sense of identity.

Moore’s story is now the subject of Happy Face, a true-crime drama on Paramount+ starring Dennis Quaid as her father. Moore, who previously authored the memoir Shattered Silence, shared her experiences to shed light on the complex relationships between family members of perpetrators. The show highlights the trauma families face and the lack of support for them.

Jesperson, now 69, remains imprisoned, serving multiple life sentences without parole. Moore continues to grapple with the impact of her father’s actions but has found strength through her work supporting other families affected by similar tragedies.