Is a Serial-Killer Gang Murdering Young Men Across the U.S.?

Dozens of college-age men dead from ‘accidental’ drownings—but a team of retired detectives say the boys were drugged and killed by a shadowy gang with a sinister symbol.

On March 6, 2017, 40 days after Dakota James disappeared, a woman walking her dog saw his body floating in the Ohio River, about 10 miles from where he was last seen in downtown Pittsburgh—at 11:49 p.m. that January night—and about 30 feet from the shore.

His death was ruled an accidental drowning by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. But a team of retired detectives and a gang expert believe he’s one of about 100 victims of the Smiley-Face Killers, an alleged organized gang of serial killers that communicates on the dark web, with cells in dozens of cities across the United States. An additional 250 cases might be connected, but they can’t prove it, they say.

James fits the profile of the other suspected victims: smart, athletic, popular, college-age white men who went out drinking and never came home, they say. More recently, some alleged victims have been openly gay, like Dakota. Like him, weeks later, their bodies were discovered in lakes or rivers with smiley-face or other graffiti specifically connected to the group spray-painted nearby. So far they’ve connected about 70 deaths with similar graffiti nearby. About 30 of the men, including Dakota James, had the date-rape drug GHB in their system, according to the autopsy reports.


https://www.thedailybeast.com/is-a-serial-killer-gang-murdering-young-men-across-the-us?ref=home

Is the daily beast a reliable source? I could never remember which are the fake news ones.

Jules wrote:Is the daily beast a reliable source? I could never remember which are the fake news ones.

Its a good source and they are neither in agreement with the claims Jules

Its simple a conspiracy they have promoted here.

One that I am open to

Doesn’t sound like a “conspiracy” it sounds like a plausible explanation.
Which, btw, some “conspiracies” are.

It's not the first time I have heard of serial killers organising into groups. I recall a programme on a few months ago examining the same thing. Only this was centred around women being abducted and killed around trucking routes.

Killing Season I think it was called.

Daily Beast wrote:James fits the profile of the other suspected victims: smart, athletic, popular, college-age white men who went out drinking and never came home, they say. More recently, some alleged victims have been openly gay, like Dakota. Like him, weeks later, their bodies were discovered in lakes or rivers with smiley-face or other graffiti specifically connected to the group spray-painted nearby. So far they’ve connected about 70 deaths with similar graffiti nearby. About 30 of the men, including Dakota James, had the date-rape drug GHB in their system, according to the autopsy reports.

I would have to see more evidence. College-aged, gay men? Graffiti? Drowned? Tenuous at best.

JulesV wrote:Is the daily beast a reliable source? I could never remember which are the fake news ones.

Overall, we rate the Daily Beast Left-Biased due to story selection that favors the left and High for factual reporting based on proper sourcing and a reasonable fact check record in relation to the volume of stories they publish.

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/daily-beast/

Original Quill wrote:

Daily Beast wrote:James fits the profile of the other suspected victims: smart, athletic, popular, college-age white men who went out drinking and never came home, they say. More recently, some alleged victims have been openly gay, like Dakota. Like him, weeks later, their bodies were discovered in lakes or rivers with smiley-face or other graffiti specifically connected to the group spray-painted nearby. So far they’ve connected about 70 deaths with similar graffiti nearby. About 30 of the men, including Dakota James, had the date-rape drug GHB in their system, according to the autopsy reports.

I would have to see more evidence.  College-aged, gay men?  Graffiti?  Drowned?  Tenuous at best.

There's also speculation - I stress speculation - about a series of deaths of young men in the canals in Manchester.

The Manchester pusher is the name of the supposed killer. Young men, often coming from the gay village area of Manchester.