No 'Smiley Face Killer' At Hoboken Waterfront, Police Chief Says

HOBOKEN, NJ — Over the past eight years, about 15 to 20 bodies have been found in the Hudson River near Hoboken. None have been determined to be homicides. But that hasn’t stopped people from making all sorts of speculations about what happened, according to the city’s police chief.

On Sunday, Chief Ken Ferrante released a statement debunking recent “conspiracy theories” that have been circulating on social media after yet another deceased body was found in the Hudson River last week.

That person, Jaime Kwebetchou, 27, of Maryland, was reported missing on May 9. He was last seen at Wicked Wolf Tavern and Mike’s Wild Moose Saloon, authorities said.

The case is still under investigation by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, which handles all death investigations involving a person in the river, Ferrante said.

• See related article: Missing Man's Body Found In Hudson River Near Hoboken (UPDATE)

According to Ferrante, one such rumor involves the alleged possibility of a “smiley face killer” in the area, a reference to a heavily contested theory about accidental drownings involving hundreds of college-aged men.

It’s a theory that Hoboken’s police chief is quick to debunk.

“I can assure you that there are no current threats to the public regarding the waterfront and there has not been over the past eight years,” Ferrante said. “There is no ‘smiley face serial killer’ throwing people in the river in Hoboken.”

Over the past eight years, all of the incidents involving people going into the Hudson River – with the exception of Kwebetchou – appear to be voluntarily, Ferrante stated.

“We have had approximately 15 to 20 in that time,” Ferrante said. “None of them have been determined to be homicides and none of them have any evidence that supports that.”

The police chief said that many of the rumors he’s seen involve a 2014 incident, when a man claimed that he was thrown into the icy river during the annual Leprecon bar crawl.

There’s only one problem… the story was bogus, according to Ferrante.

“Within a few hours of that event, it was determined that male was falsely reporting the facts of that night to police,” he wrote. “I do not know why that information was never followed up and released to the public, but that was right before I became chief so I had no control over that. Every time we have the unfortunate situation of someone going into the river, people point to that false story and account.”

Ferrante said that there have been many reasons why people have gone into the river over the years: swimming, dares, intoxication or drugs, attempted rescues. In one case, a person leaped into the water to save a “baby” that turned out to be just a stuffed animal.

And yes, some the cases also have involved suicides, Ferrante said.

In cases where the incident is deemed to be a suicide, details aren’t provided to the public for several reasons, he said. Those reasons include:

• “Sensitivity and confidentiality with the next of kin”
• “We cannot disclose mental illness publicly”
• “Human decency to help the family deal with something tragic and life altering to them, which inquiring minds don't take into account”

Ferrante pointed out that he created a Waterfront and Parks unit of the Hoboken Police Department in January 2015 because of the recurring incidents at the Hudson River. In addition, all police cars now carry water bags, which can be thrown to aid distressed people. Since then, police have rescued several people who were seen entering the river, he said.

But another precautionary step that many community members have clamored for – installing cameras along the city’s waterfront – is a tricky proposal.

“As far as cameras, they are not cheap,” Ferrante said. “First, you would need on at least one every .1 mile of the 1.3 miles to possibly capture events there. While a citizen can buy a camera and put up in their home for a couple hundred dollars, each government camera, due to needed reception to link to a secured server sometimes over a mile away, which is protected from hacking, and due to evidence laws and OPRA laws, needs retention time and space up to a year in some cases; ends up costing tens of thousands of dollars each, and cameras don't stop suicides.”

People experiencing suicidal thoughts can find support at the below resources:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 800-273-TALK (8255)
• Tlc4teens.org: A website created by the Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth, which includes organizations, hotlines and relevant articles that have been vetted by TLC
• Call or text 2NDFLOOR — a confidential and anonymous helpline for New Jersey youth and young adults, ages 10 to 24, at 888-222-2228. It is staffed 24 hours a day.
• NJ Hopeline: 855-NJ-HOPELINE at 855-654-6735

HUDSON RIVER: BODIES FOUND NEAR THE WATERFRONT

In addition to Kwebetchou, the bodies of several people have been discovered in the Hudson River over the past few years.

In 2016, Matthew Genovese, 24, was found deceased in the Hudson River. He was last seen leaving McSwiggan's Pub. Despite blizzard conditions that dumped around two feet of snow in the area, Genovese had told his friends he was walking home. It was a brief, ten-minute walk that he had done before, according to police.

Hoboken police said that they found Genovese's keys and wallet near Pier A Park, and that no foul play was suspected.

• See related article: Hoboken Mourns Another Tragedy On The Waterfront

On Christmas Day in 2015, emergency responders recovered the body of Anthony Urena, 23, of Manhattan, in the Hudson River near Pier A Park in Hoboken. New York City police said Urena, a student at Lehman College, was last seen leaving a Manhattan night club around 5 a.m.

After his body was found, Urena’s family members said they were unhappy with the with the New York Police Department's response. They said Urena was a “healthy young man” without physical or mental illnesses.

“I find it extremely hard to believe that my son merely slipped and fell into the water or that this was suicide,” wrote his mother, Judith Lopez. “I know my son very well and if there's one thing he was looking forward to, it was his bright future.”

• See related article: College Student Found Dead In Hudson River

In 2014, the body of 27-year-old Andrew Jarzyk was found in the Hudson River near Lackawanna Terminal. Jarzyk went missing and was last seen jogging along the waterfront at about 2 a.m. that morning, authorities stated.

After Jarzyk's death, the city took several precautionary safety measures, including installing orange signs on the waterfront that warn visitors about the river's powerful currents, and placing special rescue bags with 75 feet of rope in the area.

• See related article: Another Body Pulled From The Hudson River: Police
• See related article: Police Identify New Jersey Woman Recovered From Hudson River in Upper Manhattan
• See related article: Body Recovered From Hudson River Near GWB

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Keep updated with local public safety alerts at the Patch Hoboken Facebook page.