The series will tell the story of Melissa Jesperson-Moore, who at age 15 discovered that her father, Keith Hunter Jesperson, was the serial murderer known as the Happy Face Killer. As an adult, Melissa changed her name, guarded her secret, and cut off all ties to her father, who is currently serving life in prison. Then, her father contacts her to take credit for another victim, which pulls Melissa into an investigation of her father and his crimes. The drama will follow her as she discovers the impact of her father's crimes had on the families of his victims, which ultimately leads to a reckoning of her own identity.
Jennifer Cacicio developed the drama. She will executive produce with Robert King, Michelle King, Liz Glotzer, Melissa Jesperson-Moore, Bob Pittman and Conal Byrne. CBS Studios, King Size Productions and iHeartMedia will produce.
"We're obsessed with true-crime podcasts, and Happy Face is the best we've heard," said Robert and Michelle King. "Melissa's story screams out to be dramatized, and Jen is exactly the showrunner to do it."
"Melissa's unique, deeply personal and utterly shocking story has captivated listeners around the world," added Nicole Clemens, President of Original Scripted Series, Paramount+. "We couldn't be more excited to have Jennifer at the helm of this project for Paramount+ alongside the incomparable Robert and Michelle King. The Good Fight and more recently Evil are two of the most successful series on our service, and we look forward to bringing our subscribers yet another series for fans to love."
