aaron pitman
Who is Jane Doe? Story of the Last Known Unidentified Victim of "The Happy Face Killer"
Senior Investigator Aaron Pitman is an Okaloosa County, FL native where the values and connections he’s developed have deeply influenced both his personal life and law enforcement career.
Sr. Investigator Pitman started his career in the Okaloosa County School District; however, felt he was destined for more. During this time, he met some invaluable members of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office who helped sway his decision to join law enforcement. With this newfound hunger he pursued a Criminal Justice degree from the University of West Florida and over the years he is working on furthering his commitment to professional growth by starting graduate studies.
In August 2016, Aaron began his law enforcement career with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. He spent two years on patrol, where he was selected to join the Street Crimes Unit, where he spent two more years tackling various criminal activities throughout the community.
In his short time at the sheriff's office, he rose through the ranks from Deputy to Corporal then after approximately nine months to Investigator, then after about a year he was promoted to Senior Investigator in the Major Crimes Division, where he currently focuses on capital crimes, including cold cases, homicides, robbery, and sexual battery.
In addition to his investigative work, Aaron has served on the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team (SRT) for seven years and now holds the rank of Team Leader. He is also an instructor holding multiple certificates training the next generation of law enforcement professionals.
Sr. Investigator Pitman is actively involved in his community, serving on multiple boards such as the Emerald Coast Crimestoppers. He is the Board Chair of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast Safety Committee and a Regional Representative for the Florida SWAT Association, where he contributes to the development of training standards and best practices for SWAT teams across the state.
PRESENTATION
Who is Jane Doe? Story of the Last Known Unidentified Victim of "The Happy Face Killer"
In 1994 a Jane Doe was discovered on the I-10 corridor within Okaloosa County. During the investigation, the suspect was identified as the notorious Serial Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, A.K.A. “The Happy Face Killer” who plagued the nation during the early 1990s.
During this presentation, background information will be covered as well as Victimology of the Victim, who for almost 30 years was known to investigators as “Suzanne” or “Suzette” but formally listed as a Jane Doe.
The archaic, however, foundational techniques utilized by law enforcement investigators will be discussed, following the discovery of the victim which includes evidence documentation/collection along with steps taken leading up to the confession of Keith Hunter Jesperson in 1996.
Following the confession, the two presenters will cover the processes/steps taken by investigators over the years (facial reconstruction, agency cooperation, and Genetic Genealogy) to include the pitfalls and lessons learned over the years. During these processes, identification of the Victim was made, and they will close out with the current interviews with family of the Victim and Jesperson where they were ultimately able to charge the notorious killer 30 years after the fact with the assistance of multiple agencies assistance nationwide.
Additional Presenter
Kelly Henderson