Two retired New York detectives, Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte, have discovered a disturbing trend of similar drownings across the United States, with over 300 potential cases reported. The victims are typically white, college-aged, athletic, intelligent, and popular males who disappear from bars or parties, often showing signs of drugging. Their bodies are found in bodies of water days, weeks, or months later, with injuries inconsistent with drowning and in unnatural conditions.
Gannon's theory is that these victims were drugged, abducted, and killed by a group of serial killers, with the smiley face graffiti found at many crime scenes serving as a signature. The motive behind these killings is unclear, but it's possible that the killers target these victims simply because they are athletic and smart, or that they kill for sport.
Despite the unsettling nature of these crimes, the police and authorities have been slow to acknowledge the possibility of a serial killer or group of killers, possibly due to the fear of admitting that they got hundreds of cases wrong in the past or that they are unable to stop the murders.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. A 21-year-old college student, Dakota James, disappeared after a night out with friends in Pennsylvania.
2. James was found dead in the Ohio River, 40 days after his disappearance.
3. His bloodstream tested positive for GHB, also known as the date rape drug.
4. James' body was found with marks on his neck consistent with strangulation.
5. Despite the evidence, officials determined that James' death was an accidental drowning.
6. A similar case occurred with a 21-year-old man named Patrick McNeal, who was found dead in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn, New York.
7. McNeal's body had marks on his neck and charring on his hands and torso, and his body position in the water was deemed unnatural for a typical drowning.
8. Over 300 cases of similar deaths have been reported across the United States, with many occurring in clusters in major cities.
9. The victims are typically white, college-aged, athletic, intelligent, and popular, and often disappear from bars or parties.
10. Many of the victims show evidence of drugging, with at least 30 testing positive for GHB.
11. The bodies are often found in a body of water, with injuries that are not consistent with drowning.
12. Graffiti smiley faces have been found at many of the crime scenes, which some believe may be a signature of the killers.
13. Two retired New York detectives, Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte, have been investigating these cases and believe that they may be connected to a group of serial killers.
14. Gannon has proposed a theory that the killers are targeting white, college-aged men and using a date rape drug to incapacitate them before killing them and dumping their bodies in a nearby body of water.
15. The motive behind the killings is still unknown, but some have speculated that it may be a case of envy killings.
16. The police have not caught on to the potential serial killer connection, possibly due to a lack of motive or a desire to avoid panic.
17. The smiley face graffiti has been a point of contention in the case, with some arguing that it is too common to be a reliable signature.
18. The case remains unsolved, but many believe that at least some of the deaths were murders.