No evidence of serial killer in Pittsburgh, 'Smiley Face' theory debunked | Fact check

The claim: A serial killer is active in Pittsburgh

A May 26 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) urged residents of a major Pennsylvania city to be aware of a deadly threat in the area.

“PITTSBURGH HAS A SERIAL KILLER,” reads the post. “Be careful, be smart, be mindful. Mfs have named him ‘The Smiley Face Killer’ everyone please STAY ALERT! Idk why this isn’t getting more notice wtf. He targets young adults. From 20+  & up. His hunting grounds are around nature!!! Trails!! & nature is also his dump site & why people keep getting found in rivers. THIS IS NOT A JOKE.” 

The post was shared over 5,000 times in less than a week. Another version of the claim was shared more than 700 times.

Follow us on Facebook!Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks

Our rating: False

There is no evidence recent deaths in the Pittsburgh area are connected, according to the local district attorney's office. The “Smiley Face Killer” theory claims graffiti connects a slew of deaths across the country but has largely been debunked, an expert told USA TODAY.

No evidence links recent deaths in Pittsburgh area

Emma Federkeil, a spokesperson for the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, said there is "no evidence to support" claims of a serial killer in the area.

There have been recent deaths in the Pittsburgh area, but there is no indication they are linked. A 25-year-old woman’s body was found in a Pittsburgh-area river in March and a missing 22-year-old man’s body was found in the Ohio River in a Pittsburgh suburb in May, KDKA-TV reported. The cause of death has not been announced in either case. 

Fact check: False claims of serial killer ‘currently hunting’ in many different communities

Another man was found dead in May in a wooded area of Pittsburgh. A cause of death was not announced in that case either, though officials said it was being investigated as a murder, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. 

'Smiley Face Killer' theory debunked by experts

The Facebook post appears to reference the long-running "Smiley Face Killer" theory, which proposes that a group of individuals or an organized network is responsible for the unexplained drownings of young men found with smiley face graffiti near the crime scenes.

But Christine Sarteschi, a professor of social work and criminology at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, said there is no evidence any of the recent deaths in Pittsburgh are connected to that theory.

“Many of these instances here, it’s just pure speculation, it’s someone’s opinion,” she said. “Someone threw it out there, but there are no facts to back it up. People have to question Facebook posts and question if there’s any reason to believe this.” 

She described the "Smiley Face Killer" theory as "pretty debunked." A 2010 report from the Center for Homicide Research highlighted some of the holes in the theory.

Despite this, two Pittsburgh cases have been tied to the theory within the last decade. Paul Kochu, 22, and Dakota James, 23, went missing in December 2014 and January 2017, respectively. The bodies of both men were later found in the Ohio River near Pittsburgh, and both of their deaths were officially attributed to drowning. A project by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette detailed how some believe they were murdered and others made a connection to the "Smiley Face Killer."

Pittsburgh Police Cmdr. Victor Joseph said at the time the agency did “not have any evidence that any such thing exists in Pittsburgh,” the newspaper reported. 

USA TODAY has previously debunked claims of serial killers in states including Texas, North Carolina and Washington. 

USA TODAY reached out to users who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Our fact-check sources:

• Christine Sarteschi, May 31, Phone call with USA TODAY 
• Emma Federkeil, May 30, Email exchange with USA TODAY 
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 24, Police: Man’s body found in wooded area of Garfield
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Nov. 21, 2017, Three Rivers, Two Mysteries
• Rolling Stone, May 21, The Smiley Face Killers Conspiracy Theory Died Down. Then Came TikTok.
• KDKA-TV, May 11, Medical Examiner’s office identifies body found in river as missing 22-year-old man 
• KDKA-TV, March 21, Body found in river in Crescent Township identified as missing Penn Hills woman
• Center for Homicide Research, 2010, Drowning the Smiley Face Murder Theory 

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.

Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.