Known as Jeff the Killer, he became one of the Internet’s most disturbing legends and favorite bogeyman. His picture shows a pale, nose-less person with soulless eyes and an odd, almost Joker-like grin on his face. The creepy picture spawned several horror fiction stories, YouTube videos, and even a Jeff the Killer video game. But what is the true origin of the eerie 2008 photograph that appeared suddenly on the Internet with little or no explanation striking fear and wonderment in all who viewed it?
The origin of the Jeff the Killer legend
Jeff the Killer appeared on the Internet sometime during or prior to 2008 with no explanation. The photo spread fast and theories spilled forward as quickly as the photo circulated throughout the Internet. As the phenomena grew, people wondered, who was Jeff the Killer and where did the photo come from? Some proposed Jeff the Killer was a hybrid photograph created from the eyes of a cadaver and the mouth of a dog. Was the picture a result of Photoshop magic? Others noted that a sequel to the popular horror movie Saw did indeed appear a few weeks after the photo was discovered on the Internet. Was the curious photo publicity for a horror movie? The picture appeared on a popular message board along with other “valid” ghost photographs. Was Jeff the Killer the spirit of a long-lost soul?
Jeff the Killer theories arise
The most common legend explaining Jeff the Killer begins with bullies pouring bleach on the face of an timid, innocent youth and then lighting the bleach on fire with a match. Face burned beyond recognition, Jeff began experiencing symptoms of psychosis, his mental state degenerating into a soulless, drooling shell of a person. One night, his mother heard cries coming from the bathroom. She went to investigate and found Jeff on the bathroom floor, carving his own face (slicing his mouth and eyelids) with a knife. When asked why he would deface himself, he explained that he simply wanted to “smile forever without feeling any pain”.
The mother returned to the bedroom to warn the father when Jeff appeared suddenly in the doorway crying, “Mother, you lied!” Jeff then murdered his mother and father with a knife. Later in the night, his brother(Liu) awoke to find Jeff lying in bed next to him, staring into his face. He said calmly, “Go to sleep” and then stabbed him to death.
Legend says that Jeff the Killer committed suicide after the fateful events. Today he hides in your closet and when discovered, whispers “go to sleep” before disemboweling everyone in the home while they lay asleep in their beds.
Oddly, the Jeff the Killer legend may be based on fact.
Categorised in: Bizarre
This post was written by Nadia Vella