Smiley Face Killers: The Hunt for Justice - Dakota James's case - A detailed case overview

In 2017, Dakota James, a 23-year-old graduate student at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was murdered. James disappeared on January 25 after going out with friends, seen for the last time on security cameras walking through Katz Plaza and down an alley toward the Roberto Clemente Bridge. His body was discovered 40 days later in the Ohio River, 10 miles downstream.

The official verdict by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner cited accidental drowning as the cause, attributing it to high levels of alcohol. His family and amateur sleuths found discrepancies like little decomposition and unexplained markings on his neck, which indicated possible criminal intent.

The case attracted national attention via linkage with the Smiley Face Killers theory, which suggests an alleged conspiracy about a group attacking young men along waterways, leaving graffiti as a calling card. Some retired investigators have investigated whether James's killing was a part of this pattern. For further information, the docuseries Smiley Face Killers: The Hunt for Justice is being reaired on Oxygen on September 17, 2025, and it covers Dakota James's case.

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Background and disappearance of Dakota James

Dakota James's body was found after 40 days. (Image via Unsplash/ @ Daniel von Appen)

Dakota James was 23 and from Frederick, Maryland. He was pursuing an MBA from Duquesne University and working in logistics. He was described by his mother, Pam James, as energetic and driven. He had just received a raise and was getting ready for new courses. He went out to meet up with friends for drinks on Liberty Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh on January 25, 2017.

Security cameras caught him at 11:49 p.m. in Katz Plaza, looking at his phone before walking into an alley toward Fort Duquesne Boulevard, on his way to his North Side apartment. This was the last known sighting. The police later speculated that he may have gone down to the Allegheny River to urinate and drowned as a result of being drunk. But his family remembered that the alley offered a secluded place, and being a former captain of the swim team, he would not easily drown.

Six weeks prior, on December 15, 2016, one of his friends reported discovering him confused, potentially drugged, next to an SUV. When Dakota James did not come to work the following day, his employer informed his apartment manager, who called his parents. They came to Pittsburgh on January 27 and insisted on a missing persons report, which was accepted by police on January 30 after initial reluctance.

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Search efforts, discovery, and initial findings

Dakota James' body was found in the Ohio River. (Image via Unsplash/ @ Andrew Valdivia)

After his disappearance, Dakota James’s family launched a large-scale search, distributing flyers, raising a $10,000 reward, and even temporarily relocating to Pittsburgh. A vigil held on February 20, 2017, at Katz Plaza drew more than 70 supporters. Community members offered free meals and lodging during the search. On February 23, however, a social media hoax falsely claimed that James had been kidnapped, which police later debunked.

On March 6, 2017, a dog walker spotted Dakota James’s body floating in the Ohio River near Neville Island, over 10 miles downstream from where he was last seen. He was fully clothed, with his wallet and identification intact. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner reported a blood alcohol level twice the legal driving limit and ruled his death an accidental drowning, noting no signs of trauma, as per the Allegheny County ME Report.

However, some forensic experts questioned the ruling, citing the pristine condition of James’s body after 40 days in the water. His parents also rejected the drowning theory, stressing his swimming background and the unusual circumstances. Investigators also noted the presence of smiley face graffiti near the discovery site, though no official connection was made, according to Oxygen.

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Official investigation and disputes

James's family criticised the police investigation for delays. (Image via Unsplash/ @ Markus Winkler)

The Pittsburgh police reviewed surveillance footage from downtown bars and streets, but lost valuable evidence when some interior recordings were overwritten. Lead detective Krista Hoebel defended the investigation, though the family criticized its delays. In 2019, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala met with Pam James and admitted that photos suggested possible strangulation. He assigned homicide investigators but emphasized that the medical examiner would have to alter the ruling for the case to move forward, as per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Independent forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht examined autopsy photos and found marks on James’s neck that he believed indicated ligature strangulation. He also observed fingernail bed discoloration consistent with defensive actions. Wecht argued that James’s body showed minimal decomposition, inconsistent with 40 days in water.

Toxicology reports also detected elevated levels of GHB, a drug commonly associated with date-r*pe cases. While some experts noted that GHB can form naturally postmortem, James’s family argued that this supported their belief he was drugged, as per TribLive. Despite these disputes, the official ruling remains accidental drowning, with authorities leaving the case technically open pending new evidence.

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Connections to the smiley face killers theory

The case was linked to the Smiley Face Killers gang. (Image via Unsplash/ @ Nathan Dumlao)

James’s case has been linked to the controversial Smiley Face Killers theory, developed by former NYPD detective Kevin Gannon and his team. The theory suggests that a network of killers abducts young, athletic men, drugs them, kills them on land, and dumps their bodies in water to mimic drownings, often near smiley face graffiti, as per Oxygen.

Dakota James fits the profile: a young, athletic man found in a river under suspicious circumstances, with nearby graffiti noted. Gannon’s team investigated in 2018 and concluded that James was likely abducted and killed, pointing to the lack of decomposition as evidence that his body was placed in the river much later.

However, the FBI publicly dismissed the theory, arguing that most cases were alcohol-related accidents. While experts like Dr. Wecht and DA Zappala have expressed openness to investigate foul play in James’s death, neither has endorsed the existence of the Smiley Face Killers gang. Pittsburgh police also found no links between James and other local cases, such as the 2015 death of Paul Kochu, according to WPXI.

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