40 Drowning Victims May Have Been Murdered by 'Smiley Face Gang'

In a bizarre story thats seems to be just leaking out today at least 40 young men who drowned may have actually been killed — serial killings at the hands of a bizarre national gang that revels in murdering young men and leaving smiley-face markings at the scene. Almost all of the men are last seen by friends leaving a bar or college party.

They believe the victims, including Fordham University student Patrick McNeill, didn't accidentally drown but were killed by members of the so-called "Smiley Face Gang". Worst. Murderous. Gang. Name. Everrrr.



A weird smiley-face symbol was found painted at some of the drowning locations — in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa.

Patrick McNeill was last seen at a bar on the Upper West Side in 1997. His body was found 50 days later, 11 miles downriver in the waters off Bay Ridge.

The task force of retired detectives that formed to solve the crimes believes a national crime network has killed at least 40 men — mostly white college students and 20-somethings, often with high GPA's and impressive athletic records — in about 10 different states across the country.

The team has investigated 89 separate cases dating back a decade and said it had connected 40 of them through a variety of evidence — including matching sets of gang graffiti. The FBI and local authorities don't agree with the theory that all the drownings are linked and the work of a gang and quite frankly, neither do I.