The 'Smiley Face Killer' Epidemic Spreads
The disappearances and drownings of young men is a phenomena that is no longer limited to America's northland anymore, as recent years have seen this plague steadily seeping over the border with Canada, across the Atlantic into Europe, and, now, down into the southern parts of the United States as well.
Since 1997 it's become a predictable pattern: September to April, anywhere there is a body of water, youths nearby go missing and are found in it days, weeks, or months later.
The Smiley gang never sleeps it would seem...and neither should we, until we catch them.
With that aim in mind, spread the word today that 19-year-old Jack Culolias from Arizona State University just vanished under suspicious circumstances on November 30, 2012. His family has flown to the area this week to search on their own for him and already discovered what they believe is one of his red sneakers near the shores of the Salt River basin.
As I write, police divers are scouring those waters for him, but have found no trace thus far.
Case Background
On Friday night November 30th, at approximately 11:00 PM, Jack Culolias was reportedly escorted from a popular bar named Cadillac Ranch in the Tempe Marketplace by a security guard and/or police officer. Eyewitnesses
say he was then forced into a taxicab, but officials have not confirmed this aspect of the case yet. The California native left behind his wallet and his cell phone, and no one has seen or heard from him
since.
Police reports were promptly filed by his fraternity pledge-mates at Sigma Alpha Epsilon on
December 2nd 2012. They also began contacting local
hospitals and jails, searching the area around Tempe Marketplace and
communicating with his family and suitemates, in an effort to locate their missing frat brother.
Case Developing
Day six since Jack disappeared has seen hundreds of volunteers and police assembling to renew the search for him. Preliminary DNA testing of the red tennis shoe tentatively confirms it belongs to Culolias, so the primary focus of the search-and-rescue is on the riverbank where the article was found.
Controversies
1. Police assert that Culolias expressed concerns to his mother about an upcoming hazing event he was allegedly going to participate in, but the prospective fraternity disputes that claim, stating no such pledging events had been scheduled this term. They were at the bar in question on the night the youth disappeared and continue to swear that staff physically removed the youth for some unknown reason.
2. The Cadillac Ranch bar-and-grill has been criticized for its role in the ASU student's odd disappearance. However, management insist they are not culpable and say they are complying with police investigators to ascertain what happened to Culolias and where he may have gone to. They issued the following press statement yesterday:
"We are fully and promptly complying with all investigation requests
from Tempe PD and have been since day one. Our business has been open
in Tempe for 5 years, it employs 65 good people, and has never had an
incident like this. We are members of the Tempe and ASU community, and
we are deeply sympathetic to Jack's family and friends. We hope that
they find Jack safe and sound. Finding Jack is what is most important
right now."
3. Police released a statement indicating they have "evidence" that the 19-year-old had been drinking and was thrown out of the pub because he was "intoxicated."
Culolias' mother is in receipt of a bar tab that apparently refutes this claim. "He had his credit card there and it had an $8 tab on it," she said. "I'm sure it was for only one cocktail."
Description
Jack Culolias has dark hair and brown eyes, and is six-feet tall weighing between 150 pounds to 170 pounds. He is also an identical twin.
Individuals with any information concerning this missing persons case are asked to contact either the ASU campus police at 480-965-3456 or the Tempe Police Department at 480-350-8311.
Individuals with any information concerning this missing persons case are asked to contact either the ASU campus police at 480-965-3456 or the Tempe Police Department at 480-350-8311.
Another case where they need to look at water it looks like. He was in Arizona state university so they need to check out Tempe Town Lake looks to be the closest in the area. Water in Arizona is few and far between. Just checking out my map. I have been researching these cases a lot myself too.
ReplyDeleteYes, quite a parched piece of real estate Arizona is, however, that lake and the Salt River basin have been searched now...
ReplyDeleteTempe police have loudly called off the hunt for Jack, allegedly because he was not captured on ANY of the bar's surveillance tapes (tampered with, count on it) nor was he found in any dives or deep scans of the water near to where he went missing. (He'll be in there shortly now though, and right where thorough searches were conducted before.)
The police (and press) spin on this disappearance being hazing related is ridiculous and questionable, since anyone familiar with 'Greek life' knows these pledging rituals are not done in bars.
It's more than obvious he vanished at the hands of security personnel who used excessive force with dire consequences and then, in a panic, dumped his body in the water--if it was my jurisdiction, here are the simple inquiries I'd make then:
1. Who reported Jack's behavior as inappropriate that night?
2. Who escorted him from the premises?
3. Do the bouncer/s at Cadillac Ranch bring tasers to work with them or other "harmless" weaponry capable of inflicting sudden death if used improperly?
4. Is the bouncer an off-duty or ex cop, or, alternately, someone with strong ties to local law enforcement and/or town government?
Nuf said. (For the moment anyway.)
Thank you for your input!
E..R.
Yes, They search the water say nothing give up on the search in that water than find them exactly in that section of water happens every time. So sad, but true. If you could get a hold of me I have been researching these cases also. I am working with a film crew on a documentary on Scott Javins. He came up missing for 5 years and was found in his car in water that had been checked. I have been looking into a lot of Indiana and Illinois male drowning cases. Marking them on maps writing down notes on each person and placing them on calendars and such.I don't know if I have figured out a pattern, but if possible I would like to run it by you and see what you think because it doesn't come off as random. You can cotact me at peonydoe@gmail.com , thank you.
ReplyDeleteHe was an identical twin??!!! I wonder if his twin has a feeling/theory as to where he is. Identical twins have been known to have mysterious bonds. My brother and sister are fraternal twins and even have a huge bond so I can imagine how identical twins are.
ReplyDeletenot the first time a story may involved a cab. Why is not LE trying to connect the dots-I just don't know. Alos with some there was construction at the time. We could have had the same person doing jobs like bartender-bouncer-cab driver and construction worker for all we know. We even know specific suspects in some instances. Christopher Gregory and the suspects with blood on their shoes. The cab driver that drove the soldier in Clarksville. The construction workers in Columbus when Shaffer went missing or the ones in Charlotte when Fleischmann did.The bouncer at the Lone Tree Bar.The suspects in the Christopher George case in Apopka. Where were these people when other young men went missing and why is not LE trying to find out?
ReplyDelete@ peonydoe - I was thinking the same thing about his twin. You would think these two brothers being so close as they are that the other twin might have a gut feeling about what happened to his sibling, and at least confide those suspicions to his parent/s.
ReplyDeleteDoes seem like the mother is acting quickly and efficiently in this, as she's just announced her intent to hire a PI and a lawyer.
Darn good idea, that is, by the way. Can't believe a word the cops say about missing young men.
Thanks for posting. Don't know about the filming project you mentoned before, but I'd certainly be happy to do a blog interview if you've got one up and running.
E.R.
@ Tennessee - Hello again. Yes, you're right: Cabs, cops, bouncers...these are definitely part of a pattern all right. And I did note quite a few construction sites in these deaths, too. As a matter of fact Walton Matthew Ward was just found by construction workers in the White River this October.
ReplyDeleteDid you read my interview with the family of Matt Ward yet? If not, I think you'd be interested in what they say about his case. Look for it in the VOICES FOR THE DEAD section (last page on the 'Killing Killers' menu bar).
I'm working with Josh Swalls' father this week for a similar interview that should go live toward week's end. There's a photo montage of the retention pond that Josh was found in this November and other images as well.
Thank you for the feedback, my friend.
E.R.
I'm working on a blog with an assistant. But we do have a documentary facebook page:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/DocumentaryForJusticeTheScottJavinsStory?ref=hl
You may find it interesting. I would really love to pick your brain on this case. I have the coroners report etc. Seems some fishy things are going on. So many questions I need answered.
That case you're investigating, as with most of these, is definitely suspicious.
ReplyDeleteBriefly, for those not familiar with it: Indiana State University student Scott Javins, 20, vanished into thin air in 2002 after driving away from a party. Just before he left he had spoken with his mother via cell phone and assured her he'd be home momentarily. This was most likely the truth since Javins was also expected at work the next morning, had no history of being wayward or of problems with the law, and had never acted depressed or suicidal.
A huge but futile search was conducted for the young man and his puzzling missing persons case was investigated on and off by law enforcement for years.
Finally, toward the end of 2007, almost six years after Scott Javins first disappeared, police, acting on a tip from an informant, fished him and his Honda out of the Wabash River. They claim he had taken a detour to the dock for a quick snooze, left the car in fifth gear, and, while asleep, the vehicle slowly rolled into the water and he drowned.
However, police did not explain why in previous sonar scans and underwater searches of that particular location they had never discovered Javin's automobile before then.
Also, after the fact, police insisted the informant who led them to the grisly find was merely "guessing" in order to collect the $100,000 reward being offered by the Javin family, and that this individual's tip actually proving correct was just a matter of "dumb luck."
The body of Scott Javin was found in a reclining position suggesting sleep or unconsciousness...or even death, since, with the car window on the driver's side partly open, if the victim had not been comatose or dead, then he surely would've woken up as his car was filling with water.
An autopsy on Javins' badly decomposed corpse was done and other forensic inquiries (which included facial reconstruction of the corpse) were made, to eliminate foul play. Shortly thereafter, Javins' death was ruled an "accident" and the case was closed. The medical examiner had concluded there was no evidence of blunt force trauma and police confirmed that no items of value were found to be missing such as might imply a robbery and deadly assault.
The family is apparently satisfied with this explanation and greatly relieved to have finally obtained closure, but some people don't believe any elements of the official version. They think Scott Javins was yet another victim of the Smiley Face Killers.
Please feel free to share whatever info you have from the coroner's report on this weblog, if you like. That way other readers can analyze this strange case, too.
E.R.
No the family is not at all satisfied with this explanation. I am working on this case with them and a group. They do not believe this was an accident at all. That's why we are here doing a documentary. He wasn't found in a reclining position like the cops claim according to the coroners report either. I posted about that on your page on analysis of a drowning. I have been interviewing people about him, but now have been refused so everything is on hold right now until I can get some people to talk.
ReplyDeleteAh, I wasn't aware the Javins family decided it seemed suspicious--by the way, anyone interested in those autopsy findings and related discussion can read more in the comment section of the 'Drowning Forensics' page. (It's on the menu bar.)
ReplyDeleteAlso, click my name in this newest comment of mine here for my recent Crime Magazine expose of the IMPD and county coroners' office. The piece is titled "Drowning in Neglect" and I think you'll find it enlightening.
As pertains to this particular post about missing Arizona student Jack Culolias: Authorities have just found human remains in a Phoenix storm drain situated very near the Tempe Town Lake basin and less than 10 miles from the Cadillac Ranch where Culolias was booted from two weeks ago.
Maintenance workers spotted the body (and bones) at the bottom of an access shaft early Wednesday, and Maricopa County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Brandon Jones says they waited till 9 a.m. in order for crews to determine if it was safe for homicide detectives to climb down 30 feet to the bottom of it.
Jones said detectives did not recover an entire corpse as yet and planned to re-enter the shaft to search again shortly. He thinks it's not likely the victim accidentally fell in there and may have been dumped at 43rd Avenue and Broadway Road.
If it is Culolias and perps relocated him there from the area a helicopter pilot had reported seeing a body in the water last week, then this is exactly why police are NOT supposed to advertise a crime tip BEFORE they actually investigate it themselves. (As the Tempe police had done before thoroughly searching that remote locale in the Salt River basin.)
*This story is developing; more updates, if any, will be posted individually now.
Have the smiley killers ever used another tag other than a smiley face? I was driving over the water on the 202 West and i saw a Circle with "TM" inside of it in red spray paint on the exit sign with Arizona State University written on it.
ReplyDeleteThough the idea of graffiti being left at the water's edge where a body was believed to have been dumped remains always in dispute, it is alleged that when found, these may vary from a plain smiley face to one adorned with horns, as well as ominous phrases and song lyrics, and even, more rarely, initials.
ReplyDeleteQUESTION/S: Can you tell if the graffiti you spied is recent? Does "TM" have any significance to the victim, apart from that it could be a direct reference to Tempe Marketplace, the area he vanished from? And how close to the Cadillac Ranch is the place you discovered this *message* in?
(Be mindful that if those markings are fresh and do seem relevant to Culolias' case, they could've been planted there as a distraction, too.)
You can't see what you're not looking for... I want to talk to the parents.
Deleteto the person asking about graffitti . I have heard of a line form lady windermeres fan , A red arrow pointing at the bar matt LaCrosse was at is mentioned and they never even heard of the SFK when it is mentioned in a forum. I believe that could relate to jared Dion in LaCrosse. -Ja(red) Dion. He was a student at arrow head.
ReplyDeletereverse engineering I see a scenario like this. jared dion just before Good friday- Jared DI ON laCROSSe.
Ross the REd head . ross was a DJ which is jared Dions initials in reverse.
Matt LaCROSS. Matt lacrosse was on UNion street at a bar and Ross was at a mock UN meeting
I found the word sane which could apply the the book Ice Brothers,but that is another story.
Ross has red hair.
the red arrow was mentioned here. http://scaredmonkeys.net/index.php?topic=2332.0
someone might want to check if Jared had his arms out stretched like jesus would be when they nailed him to the cross. Or if someone was in a position like they were running.
ReplyDeleteI personally never took the grafitti that seriously but it does often seem to fit the patterns of the possible crimes.
I do think it is worth checking out positions other victims were in since Jenkins was dressed like an indian and had his arms crossed like the indian statue in LaCrosse -where belongings of victims were found. Also any pets or shoes even.Early victims look like they are mirrored by later victims. victims like a Dapper Dog Victim,a victim at sneakers bar,victim in Collier County and Christopher Schuh.Probably pronounced shoe . The Chief investigator on that case was Detective Campbell- a name that comes up at least twice. One with a bar with a big shoe on it where a Fort Campbell soldier goes to.
ReplyDeleteBefore you call them illusory correlations you might want to consider the bigger picture . It was September when luke homan was at the vibe bar and November of the same year Ross-the Vibe Radio DJ went missing. There are at least 2 other young men that went missing at the same hotel Jesse Ross was at. It was December of the same year Rossini went missing . Matt Lacrosse went missing at Carolinas bar later in the same day that Fleischmann went missing in North Carolina. I am not saying this is not coincidence,but there would be way too many coincidences if they were all just random disappearances. I just happen to remember more details than most people do. The word origin of the name ross can mean red head- moor-or rose. Ross may have been moored to a pier. someone went missing at pier 23 the same day. In Ice Brothers locations of the pier where the ship is docked is mentioned twice. The south end of the Pier and Pier 3.
ReplyDeleteIce Brother is about Paul Shuman who joins the Coast guard after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. As I said I believe details of early victims repeat and one was on Pearl Street and There were brothers chased into the water.
you later have Kaneaukua and Abel Bolanos and everyone know cane and abel are brothers in the bible. One in March and one the next month.
Bolanos that worked at RED lobster. The writer of ice brothers is in the details. Sloan in Bolanos and all they know is the last thing they are aware of is that he someone tried to use his card to get into Wilson Hall.-Travis Wilson goes missing shortly after.
In the book while shuman and the captain are partying in a living room ,there is a riot on the ship.-this explains John Pike who goes missing just before someone is in fish lake name James Beasley. In the details of Beasley it repeats things about Bolanos-like the city Bolanos was in-J(ames). There was a Paul Shuman Moore they found drowned in a pool. they thought it was suicide,but I doubt it.
Any way I think spomeone who often knows things we do not is killing. The kinds of things people like to talk about when they are getting to know each other. things like pets,tattoos,or even favorite bands or movies and that may be repeated in the details ,besides the possibility victims are sometimes put in a pose. Christopher Shcuh went missing right after Kieth Noble and Christopher was in Alliance Ohio so maybe Noble was a Stars Wars fan and that could be why a quote from Lady Windermere's fan was left . As the quote was about stars at a time there were victims like Yyers that went to All Star Lanes.. His disappearance and that of another in another state was 4 days apart and both were at a Marriott Hotel. Star Wars is about the Rebel Alliance fighting the other guys.
ReplyDeleteNot only was detective Campbell investigating the Schuh case,Schuh was an athlete on the football team at Mount Union which is at 1972 Clark Avenue.
ReplyDeleteI am working on an improved timeline
ReplyDeletehttp://0degreesofseparation.blogspot.com/2012/12/timeline.html
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHey again, Tennessee, I'll check that site out ASAP, and encourage others to do the same because your intricate maths for this case are quite interesting.
ReplyDeleteE.R.
I just became aware of all of this a few days ago as 2 young males have gone missing within days of each other here in my area again (Milwaukee). Robert Steinbrecker and Nick Wilcox.
ReplyDeleteThe interesting thing with Wilcox is that he -- like so many others -- was kicked out of the bar by the bouncers, but there's no solid explanation as to why. Now, he went missing New Years Eve (2012/13). He was out with his girlfriend and a big group of friends. His girlfriend has stated point blank in news interviews that they "met" some people that night (ie, STRANGERS) and were kinda hanging out with them.
Nick Wilcox gets tossed out of the bar by a bouncer and all of a sudden that "man he had JUST MET that night" is standing outside with him. There's newsclips of the girlfriend stating that she observed him standing outside with the 'man in the red shirt they met'. By the time she got outside to where they were... THEY WERE GONE. SIMPLY VANISHED. Nick Wilcox has now been missing for going on 10 days.
What's odd & interesting about this is there is a huge public outcry to find out WHO that man is. What is his description (they're not saying his age, hair color, anything!)? Are there pics of him on people's cameras? What about a professional sketch artist? Find this man and we'll have a good start on finding out what happened to Nick Wilcox.
No pictures or descriptions of this man have been forthcoming. The media is not address that man at all. I'm going to say they are Stonewalling. Now, apparently the family has no more to say on this 'private matter' and it really hasn't been on the news that much.
Isn't that odd?
I was a Military Intelligence Analyst in the service and was a Private Investigator for a while when I came home (nothing 'good'. PI work can be incredibly boring). This whole thing seemed like a Big RED FLAG to me and in the last few days I've learned about all these other young men with almost identical stories. I've been overwhelmed reading all of their cases.
I am not a "Conspiracy" person -- but there is DEFINITELY something going on. I didn't take notes as I was too busy reading, so I can't give you specific names right now, but the info is out there if you're interested in checking it out.
I've seen a lot of theories and things pointed out, but 2 things that I haven't seen brought up are:
1 - a number of these young men were Eagle Scouts.
There's theories because so many of these young men are Catholic and that church is somehow involved in the drownings.
Well, not only does the Catholic church have a dark, insidious side that allows child sexual molestation and abuse and covers for the perpetrators and lets them keeping on molesting... So does the Boy Scouts of America. That's a Fact.
I have some ideas on this and how it could possibly pertain to and 'drive' very damaged people to commit these murders. Almost like a 'vindication'.
2 - a Good Portion of the victims seem to Go Missing/Get Abducted WITHIN DAYS OF THEIR BIRTHDAYS. Some of them 'disappear' ON their birthday. Seriously. Look into that. Not every single one, but A LOT of them.
It just happened to catch my attention that a 21 y/o went missing ON his birthday. This wasn't mentioned in his write up, but his D.O.B. was mentioned in the listed obit and I realized he went missing on his birthday. I started watching for that. Not every one has their birthday listed, but for the ones that do... Many were abducted around their birthdays.
Isn't that unsettling? That gives weight to the theory that these are not 'random' abductions or 'Drunken Accidents'. That could prove that these young men are being specifically Selected, Stalked and Hunted prior to their murders.