By David Brauer
Since Kristi Piehl broke the “Smiley Face Killers” story last May, she lost her job as KSTP-TV’s investigative reporter. But ABC’s “Good Morning America” doesn’t know how to quit her.
Piehl will be on GMA Monday at 7 a.m., the Hutchinson Leader reports, touting a “new direction” for the lurid and dubious tale of serial killers roaming the Midwest, dispatching up to 70 young men whose bodies have never been found.
The smiley face refers to the ubiquitous ’70s icon found in the general vicinity of each alleged murder, even though the icon is found in the general vicinity of everywhere.
Authorities have repeatedly checked out the theory, spun by two retired ex-New York cops, and found it wanting. In Minneapolis, police rejected links to the well-publicized Chris Jenkins disappearance. The FBI says there is no proof a killer or killers are at work: “The vast majority of these instances appear to be alcohol-related drownings.”
In a memorable takedown, then-Minnesota Monitor staffer Steve Perry flayed the story, writing, “Let the record show that Kristi Piehl of KSTP has done her part to bring the yarn to the huddled masses yearning to breathe the vapors of another massive conspiracy.” Over at Mpls.St.Paul, Brian Lambert wrote that the theory, “Boggles … every rational instinct.”
Then again, Piehl’s story won a regional Emmy Award, which Lambert pronounced “ludicrous.”
Nevertheless, this is the sort of “unsolved” situation that grieving parents can’t quit, and TV news can’t either. In fact, Piehl has officially joined the two: since leaving Channel 5, she and the father of a possible victim have started a website, sfkillers.com. According to the site, working the smiley face cases is now Piehl’s full-time job.
Tune in Monday, if you dare, to see whether Piehl’s new cottage industry remains a house of cards.
By the way, it will be fun to see how KSTP’s local newscasts play a network story from someone they just let go.
Source ; http://www.minnpost.com/braublog/2009/03/22/7543/the_return_of_the_smiley_face_killer
New Theory in the Smiley Face Killer(s) Case
"We have a very distinctive vehicle in question," Bill said
He said this vehicle was seen multiple times on camera driving in front of the Bayou Café, where Josh was prior to his disappearance. Cameras spotted the car later at two locations following a stolen Department of Environmental Conservation on the port of Albany.
Bill said the DEC building is in the middle of the portion of Smith Boulevard, where the Albany Police Department had jurisdiction. The building was secure and did not show any signs of breaking and entering, he said.
After the DEC vehicle left the parking lot, it took a right and went to the most southern part of the port. Two different cameras spotted the vehicle during this time and the vehicle was seen driving in front of the bar.
"The south part of the port is the only area not covered by cameras," Bill said. "It is the only part of the port with access to the water." {source}
The vehicle that was following was abandoned by the driver and the police did not thoroughly search the entire car evidence, only checking the door, steering wheel, gear shift and rear view mirror.
Police recovered Szostak's cell phone from the street in front of the DEC building. Bill said the police believed Josh stole the DEC vehicle. Miller said the department had never publicly stated that Josh stole the vehicle.
The report from the Albany Police Department said, "Investigator Bell stated that he found no text messages in his phone."
Bill found Albany's report contradictory to what he saw from Bethlehem's.
"The photograph of the cell phone said that it had eight new messages," Bill said. "Somebody had to erase his messages."
While the Albany Police Department reported that Josh had been walking around a building and slipped into the river, the Bethlehem Police Department report stated that there are no footprints around the building.
Bill said that Albany Police Commander Brendan Cox accused him of drawing the smiley face graffiti to keep his son's story alive. {source}
There seems to be some kind of a cover-up.
Many people have theorized on internet forums, like God Like Productions, that the perps worked for TRANE, who did training in the areas where the men where taken from. But maybe, they actually work for DEC?
Kristi Piehl and Bill Szostak, father of one of the victims, are now working on a new theory about how the gang of killers work. "Bill also marked all of the deaths on the map of the United States. He said that when you connect all the dots from all over the country, it draws out a large smiley face." {source}
Race of the Victims
Most of the reported victims are Caucasian, with a handful of Asian men. But there is now an African-American man on the list.
Kambili Moukwa, 22, was out with friends ringing in 2009. He was a senior at the University of Pennsylvania and an intern at the Philadelphia Mayor’s office. Kambili was last seen at a Philadelphia bar, but got separated from his friends. The next day, his body was found in an abandoned parking lot along Columbus Blvd. near the Delaware River. No one can explain why he would have walked to the lot that is surrounded by an iron fence. A smiley face was photographed there. {source}
Interested in the Smiley Face Killer(s) Case? Then you should bookmark this new site http://www.sfkillers.com/
Source : http://theydontseethroughus.blogspot.com/2009/03/new-theory-in-smiley-face-killers-case.html