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'''Jeff the Killer''', also called '''''Killer Jeff''''', is an infamous [[creepypastas|creepypasta]], internet urban legend, fictional character, and image commonly used in [[Screamer|screamers]]. Jeff the Killer refers to an edited image of a pale unknown person with no nose and black eyes with white and black pupils, a long canine-like smile, in a dark room with laundry hanging in the background. The creepypasta, first created around 2008, suggests that Jeff is a 13 year old serial killer who sneaks into people's homes and whispers "Go to sleep" before killing them with a knife. A user named Sesseur was the first person to create a story behind the image, but his version does not revolve around the person in the image being a serial killer. Instead, a remix version of the story was made way more popular than the original, and revolves around a tragic story behind Jeff, which led him to become a serial killer due to his insanity.  
{{ContentWarning}}
'''Jeff The Killer''', also called '''Killer Jeff''', is a famous [[creepypastas|creepypasta]], fictional character, and image commonly used in [[Screamer|screamers]]. Jeff the Killer refers to an edited image of a pale, noseless, unknown person with black eyes with white and black pupils, and a long canine-like smile, in a dark room with laundry hanging in the background. The creepypasta surrounding the image suggests that the person in the image is a 13-year-old serial killer named Jeff who sneaks into people's homes and whispers "Go to sleep" before killing them with a knife.
 
This image became controversial when it was believed to be of a supposed woman named "Katy Robinson," who had allegedly committed suicide in 2008. This belief originated on [[4chan]] in 2008, but after years of extensive research, it was revealed that the image originated on a Japanese message board website called pya.cc in 2005.<ref name=":0">docs.google.com/document/d/1QN-ekAPPiW-b2iCGDikyseemBV73ek_7ZB7EgRVQHSI</ref> This more famous image, in particular, is also an edited version of another earlier version, called White powder (2) (also called JTK 1), which appears to be an edited image of a person with a googly, cartoon eyes and a large smile. The former file name of this image was "prettyFACE.jpg" before it was posted onto pya.cc.<ref name=":0" /> The more famous version was further edited in Adobe Photoshop to make the mouth stretch out using the liquify tool and the eyes edited to have white and black pupils.


This image became controversial shortly after it was believed to be of a woman named "Katy Robinson," who had committed suicide in 2008. This belief started on [[4chan]], but after years of extensive research, it was revealed that the image originated on a Japanese message board website, pya.cc, in 2005. This image, in particular, was also an edited version of another earlier version, called White powder (2), which appears to be an edited image of a person with googly, cartoon eyes and a large smile. The more famous version was edited further to make the mouth stretch out and the eyes edited to have white and black pupils.
==Stories==
==Stories==
The first person to create a story around it was a [[DeviantArt]] user Sesseur.<ref name="Gizmodo">Newitz, Annalee. “Who Is ‘Jeff the Killer’? and Is His Picture Haunted by a Real Death?” [[Wikipedia:Gizmodo|Gizmodo]], Gizmodo, 16 Dec. 2015, <nowiki>https://gizmodo.com/who-is-jeff-the-killer-and-is-his-picture-haunted-by-1016241494</nowiki>.</ref> In the original story, a person named "Jeff" was hauling a gallon of acid into his bathroom to clean his bathtub. Suddenly, Jeff accidentally slipped on a bar of soap, fell on the floor, and the gallon of acid splashed over his face. Jeff's neighbors began hearing him cry for help, and they took him to the hospital. The incident happened while his brother, Liu, was at work. The accident has led Jeff to never look the same way again.<ref name="Horror Stab">Gobbo, Lorenzo. “Jeff the Killer – Leggenda Creepypasta o Fenomeno Reale?” Horror Stab, 12 Mar. 2021, from <nowiki>https://www.horrorstab.com/storie/creepypasta-ita/jeff-the-killer-leggenda-creepypasta-o-fenomeno-reale/</nowiki>. </ref> The first story does not revolve around Jeff being a serial killer. However, one of the fans of Sesseur, named GameFuelTV, wrote a story about Jeff in a completely different way to the original, such as Jeff becoming a serial killer because of his insanity.
The Creepypasta revolves around Jeffery Woods, a 13-year-old boy living in a suburban town with his family. After a move to a new neighborhood, Jeff and his brother Liu encounter three bullies who mug them at knifepoint. In self-defense, Jeff fights back and paralyzes the bullies. However, when the police arrive, Jeff and Liu are wrongly accused of attacking the bullies. Liu, feeling pressured, implicates Jeff in the incident, leading Jeff into a state of depression. Seeking to lift Jeff's spirits, his mother suggests attending a party. In a moment of rage, Jeff confronts the bullies and brutally beats them, resulting in the death of one. He lures the remaining bullies into a bathroom, intending to harm them, but they douse him in alcohol and set him on fire.<ref name="ScreenRant">Cotter, Padraig. “Who Is Jeff The Killer? Creepypasta's Evil Villain Explained.” [[Wikipedia:Screen Rant|ScreenRant]], 21 June 2019, screenrant.com/jeff-killer-creepypasta-villain-origin-explained/.</ref><ref name="CBR">Wilkinson, Chase. “6 Terrifying Creepypasta Stories That Need Movie Adaptations.” CBR, 30 Nov. 2021, from <nowiki>https://www.cbr.com/creepypasta-stories-that-need-movie-adaptations/</nowiki>.</ref> Jeff survives but suffers disfiguring burns to his face, which he oddly embraces.


In the fan's story of this [[creepypasta]], a child named "Jeffery Woods" was a 13-year-old teenager who lived in a normal Surburuan town with his parents and his brother Liu. Jeff had thought of the idea of moving into another neighborhood after his father got a promotion, which his family agreed to, and moving on. On his first day of school, while hanging out with his brother, the three bullies approach the two and mug them at knifepoint. Jeff urged the feelings and began fighting them, paralyzing three of them. He and his brother exited the scene to board the school bus for the ride to school. A day later, police arrived at Jeff's home, where the two were accused of attacking the bullies with no manners. Jeff even tried to convince the police that the bullies were mugged, but the police failed to believe him. However, Liu snitched on Jeff by making them believe that he was the one to blame for the whole incident, which drove Jeff into depression and stress. His mother suggested moving into a party to make him feel better. However, Jeff managed to the run up to the bullies, brutally beat him up, and he managed to kill one of them. Then, Jeff lured the two other bullies into the bathroom and began wounding them, but he was doused with alcohol and the bullies set him on fire.<ref name="ScreenRant">Cotter, Padraig. “Who Is Jeff The Killer? Creepypasta's Evil Villain Explained.” [[Wikipedia:Screen Rant|ScreenRant]], 21 June 2019, screenrant.com/jeff-killer-creepypasta-villain-origin-explained/.</ref><ref name="CBR">Wilkinson, Chase. “6 Terrifying Creepypasta Stories That Need Movie Adaptations.” CBR, 30 Nov. 2021, from <nowiki>https://www.cbr.com/creepypasta-stories-that-need-movie-adaptations/</nowiki>.</ref> He woke up from the coma at the hospital, where he saw his mother informing him that Liu was released after it was revealed that Randy was the one responsible for the incident that happened with his brother After taking those bandages off, he found out that his face had become disfigured from the burns, which has a ghostly pale,<ref name="ScreenRant" /> but Jeff oddly seemed to like his face this way. After being told to go home, Jeff's mother saw him burning off his eyelids and carving his own face with a smile.<ref name="ScreenRant" /> This led his mother to tell his father that he had become insane and needed to be killed. Jeff heard this and killed them. Jeff became a serial killer that sneaks into people's home and tell them to "go to sleep" before killing them,<ref name="ScreenRant" /><ref>Cotter, Padraig. “Who Is Jane the Killer? Creepypasta Character Explained.” [[wikipedia:Screen Rant|ScreenRant]], 17 May 2019, screenrant.com/jane-killer-creepypasta-origin-explained/.</ref> such as Jeff going into Liu's room before telling him to "go to sleep" before being fatally killed with the knife plunged into his chest,<ref name="CBR" /> finishing the story.
While in the hospital, Jeff learns that Liu was released after the truth came to light. However, upon removing his bandages, Jeff becomes obsessed with his disfigured appearance and proceeds to further harm himself by burning off his eyelids and carving a permanent smile on his face. His mother, realizing his mental state, confides in his father that Jeff is insane and needs to be eliminated. Upon overhearing their conversation, Jeff kills his parents and transforms into a serial killer. He enters people's homes, instructs them to "go to sleep," and proceeds to murder them.<ref name="ScreenRant" /><ref>Cotter, Padraig. “Who Is Jane the Killer? Creepypasta Character Explained.” [[wikipedia:Screen Rant|ScreenRant]], 17 May 2019, screenrant.com/jane-killer-creepypasta-origin-explained/.</ref> One of his victims includes his own brother Liu, whom he fatally stabs.<ref name="CBR" />


==History and development==
==History and development==
The back-story behind Jeff was first made by [[DeviantArt]] user Sesseur, but he was not the author of the story above. Sessuer's story, which was uploaded to [[YouTube]] on October 3rd, 2008,<ref name="Daily Dot">III, Fernando Alfonso. “4chan Hunts down the Origins of an Internet Horror Legend.” The Daily Dot, 1 June 2021, <nowiki>https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/4chan-x-origins-jeff-the-killer/</nowiki>. </ref> was completely different than the one shown above, and suggests that Jeff accidentally spilling a gallon of acid onto his face while cleaning a bathtub,<ref name="Horror Stab" /><ref name="Daily Dot" /> while the more famous version, which was written by a fan of his earlier work, is about the consequence of Jeff becoming an insane serial killer. Jeff's real name in the actual story was Jeffery C. Hodek, rather than "Jeffrey Woods" in that manner. On August 14, 2011, the image was posted to 4chan with the text "Go to sleep". This phrase had become known as Jeff's signature catchphrase after the famous story featured Jeff using the phrase before killing Liu at the end of the story.
Prior to the release of the original backstory video, a character known as “Jeff The Killer” gained attention on the Newgrounds account "killerjeff," created by Sesseur on June 7, 2006.<ref name="Nerdvana">Houston, Madison. “From Legendary Horror Icon to Internet Meme: Jeff The Killer.” Nerdvana, 1 Mar. 2017, nerdvanamedia.com/sci-fi-fantasy/legendary-horror-icon-internet-meme-jeff-killer/118341/.</ref><ref name="Daily Dot" /> Sesseur portrayed his own version of Jeff in this account. In a news post dated August 10th, 2008, Sesseur mentioned discovering a photoshopped image on [[Encyclopedia Dramatica]] and decided to develop a backstory for it. Originally, Jeff was intended to be part of a game similar to Bloody Mary, in which a participant would need to hide in a dark room closet, sit cross-legged, and repeatedly say "He's in here with me" three times while turning their head back and forth. Afterward, the person was to close their eyes and call out the name "Jeff" to make him supposedly appear before them, until the participant stands still or compliments him; otherwise, nightmares were said to follow.<ref>killerjeff.newgrounds.com/news/post/169853</ref>


Prior to the original backstory video, Jeff The Killer was seen on the account "killerjeff" on [[Newgrounds]],<ref name="Nerdvana">Houston, Madison. “From Legendary Horror Icon to Internet Meme: Jeff The Killer.” Nerdvana, 1 Mar. 2017, nerdvanamedia.com/sci-fi-fantasy/legendary-horror-icon-internet-meme-jeff-killer/118341/.</ref><ref name="Daily Dot" /><ref name="Gizmodo" /> which was created by Sesseur on June 7, 2006, pretending to act as his version of Jeff. In one of the account's news posts, posted on August 10th, 2008, Sesseur stated that he had found the photoshopped image on [[Encyclopedia Dramatica]], and he decided to create a back-story behind it. Jeff was originally supposed to be a game similar to Bloody Mary, where the person must hide in a closet with all of the lights in the room turned off, sit down cross-legged, and repeat the sentence "''He's in here with me''" three times while turning their head back and forth. After doing this, the person must close their eyes and call out the name "Jeff," so that Jeff will appear in front of them. This can be stopped by standing there and complimenting him; otherwise, the person will have nightmares.<ref>killerjeff.newgrounds.com/news/post/169853</ref>
On October 3rd, 2008,<ref name="Daily Dot">III, Fernando Alfonso. “4chan Hunts down the Origins of an Internet Horror Legend.” The Daily Dot, 1 June 2021, <nowiki>https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/4chan-x-origins-jeff-the-killer/</nowiki></ref> a YouTube video presented a different version of Jeff The Killer's backstory compared to the one mentioned earlier. In this version, Jeff accidentally spilled a gallon of acid on his face while cleaning a bathtub.<ref name="Daily Dot" /> The more widely known version, created by a fan of his earlier work, depicts Jeff's transformation into an insane serial killer. Interestingly, Jeff's real name in this story is Jeffery C. Hodek, not "Jeffrey Woods." The original backstory video, which once existed, got removed when YouTube terminated Sesseur's channel. Subsequently, a Brazilian channel called PhenomenonPoltergeist re-uploaded the video to YouTube on January 20, 2014, but without any audio, as the original version contained "I Guess You're Right" by The Posies as background music. At a later point, the video with the original audio surfaced on YouTube through a user named Bob's Brother, but it was eventually deleted when that channel faced termination.


At an unknown date, the original back-story video was shortly deleted after [[YouTube]] terminated Sesseur's channel for disbelief of him being the original creator of Jeff The Killer. The Brazilian channel PhenomenonPoltergeist shortly re-uploaded the video to YouTube on January 20, 2014, but the original video was muted, which claimed to have "I Guess You're Right" by [[wikipedia:The Posies|The Posies]] as the background music. Later on, the video with the original audio was finally uploaded to YouTube by user Bob's Brother on an unknown date, but was deleted after the channel was terminated.
On August 14, 2011, the image was posted to [[4chan]] captioned "Go to sleep"; the caption had become known as Jeff's signature catchphrase.


As [[creepypastas]] became a major fad, many [[screamers]] used the image of Jeff the Killer as their segment to scare the viewer, examples including [[Anne.jpg]], [[Spooky Scary Skeletons]] and more. The first screamer ever to use Jeff the Killer as a jumpscare image was a YouTube video titled [[NNN Special Broadcast]] in 2007.
During the rise of creepypastas' popularity, various screamers incorporated the image of Jeff the Killer to frighten viewers. Examples of these screamers include [[Anne.jpg]], [[Spooky Scary Skeletons]] and others. The first screamer to feature Jeff the Killer as a jumpscare image was in a YouTube video titled [[NNN Special Broadcast]] created on August 2, 2007, as part of a horror film project called "Victims of Tomorrow." In this video, the Jeff the Killer image appears at the 4:11 mark, followed by the text "おやすみなさい" on a black screen, which translates to "good sleep" in English, resembling the phrase "go to sleep."
===4chan controversy and image origin===
===4chan controversy and image origin===
{{See Also|4chan}}
{{See Also|4chan}}
[[File:Katy Robinson.png|thumb|247x247px|Katy Robinson'''<nowiki/>''''s photo which was widely rumored to be the original un-photoshopped image.]]
[[File:Katy Robinson.png|thumb|247x247px|Katherine Whi'''<nowiki/>'''te'''<nowiki/>''''s photo, which was widely rumored to be the original un-photoshopp'''<nowiki/>'''ed image.]]
The image received controversy<ref name="Nerdvana" /> after it was rumored to be an unedited photo of a woman named "Katy Robinson," who committed suicide after finding herself being bullied<ref name="Horror Stab" /> for her weight on 4chan.<ref name="Daily Dot" /><ref name="Gizmodo" /> This started when one post on [[4chan]], dated April 21, 2008, was written by a supposed brother of Katy Robinson claiming that she had committed suicide after she was bullied for having her picture posted on 4chan. However, some users say the image is actually of a dog with a broken jaw.<ref name="Daily Dot" /><ref name="Gizmodo" /> During Sesseur's interview with ScareTheater, one of the questions involved the origin of the image, to which Sesseur answered by claiming that the image was picture of himself wearing a white latex mask.<ref><nowiki>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhPpcvD01Ok&t=90s "Interview with the Creator of Jeff the Killer"]</nowiki> December 12, 2015 - via [[YouTube]].</ref>  
The image sparked controversy<ref name="Nerdvana" /> when rumors circulated that it depicted an unedited photograph of a woman named "Katy Robinson," who allegedly committed suicide due to cyberbullying on 4chan.<ref name="Daily Dot" /> The rumors stemmed from a post dated April 21, 2008, supposedly written by Katy Robinson's brother, claiming her suicide was a result of online bullying. However, other 4chan users disputed this claim, stating that the image was of a dog with a broken jaw.<ref name="Daily Dot" /> In an interview with ScareTheater, Sesseur, the creator of the earlier story, claimed that the image was of himself wearing a white latex mask.<ref><nowiki>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhPpcvD01Ok&t=90s "Interview with the Creator of Jeff the Killer"]</nowiki> December 12, 2015 - via [[YouTube]].</ref>  


The earliest sighting of this image was on the Japanese message board, pya.cc, where the two images (including the less edited and the greater edited ones) were uploaded.<ref name="Reddit">[Jeff the Killer - new image origins? "<nowiki>https://www.reddit.com/r/creepypasta/comments/bd5wzp/jeff_the_killer_new_image_origins/</nowiki>"] - u/[deleted] on Reddit.</ref> These two images are uploaded between September 10 and November 16 in 2005, by users Mr. Malholland and Omega Boruto. The first image, named "White powder (2)" was a less edited version than the one used for the character of Jeff. The second earliest appearance of the image was on August 2, 2007, when it was featured in a Japanese [[screamer]] video titled "[[NNN Special Broadcast|NNN臨時放送]]", which was probably for a horror film project named "Victims of Tomorrow". The image appears at 4:11, before the text "おやすみなさい" appears on a black screen, which translates in English to "good sleep", which is similar in manner to "go to sleep." After finding the image through extensive research, it was found that the woman in the picture was named "Katerine White", who still lived with her two kids. One Reddit user also contacted Katherine through Facebook to ask if she was aware of being rumored to be dead by 4chan users, to which she responded back by threatening those who made that rumor about her death on /b/ with a lawsuit.<ref name="Reddit" /> The image of this woman was originally posted to the site TrueChristian.com on November 17, 2004.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20061122165849/http://www.truechristian.com/favoa.html</ref>
Interestingly, the earliest known sighting of this image occurred on the Japanese message board, pya.cc, where two versions of the image (a less edited and a more edited one) were uploaded between September 10 and November 16, 2005, by users Mr. Malholland and Omega Boruto (Omega Volt).<ref name="Reddit">[Jeff the Killer - new image origins? "<nowiki>https://www.reddit.com/r/creepypasta/comments/</nowiki><br><nowiki>bd5wzp/jeff_the_killer_new_image_origins/</nowiki>"] - u/[deleted] on Reddit.</ref> The first version, titled "White powder (2)," was less edited than the one associated with the character of Jeff. Further research revealed that the woman in the picture was actually named "Katherine White," who was alive and raising two children. A Reddit user even contacted Katherine on Facebook to inquire about the rumors circulating on 4chan, to which she responded by threatening legal action against those responsible for spreading the false death rumor on /b/.<ref name="Reddit" /> It turns out that the image of this woman was initially posted on the site TrueChristian.com on November 17, 2004.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20061122165849/http://www.truechristian.com/favoa.html</ref>


Another story was created to explain the origin of these images, made by a few users on 4chan's /b/ imageboard. The story involves an alleged woman named "Victoria", who was a webcam model on the site [[wikipedia:Stickam|Stickam]] who used /b/ as self-promotion of herself. A /b/ user took a screenshot of her face and posted it to the board with the caption "Am i pretty?". Later, other users on 4chan began photoshopping the image and posting their edited version back as a reply, with one of the users posting the less-edited image with the caption, "''Now you are.''" The woman then found out about the post and quickly vanished off the internet.<ref><nowiki>[https://archive.4plebs.org/x/thread/23477917/ "Finding the unedited image of "Jeff" (Oldfag Edition)"]</nowiki> 28 Sep 2019 - Anonymous on 4chan.org</ref> This Victoria is another example of people who were rumored to be the person in the image.
An alternative story emerged from users on 4chan's /b/ imageboard, attempting to explain the origin of these images. This narrative revolves around an alleged woman named "Victoria," who worked as a webcam model on [[wikipedia:Stickam|Stickam]] and utilized /b/ for self-promotion. A /b/ user took a screenshot of her face and asked the board if she was pretty. Subsequently, other users on 4chan began photoshopping the image and posting their edited versions in response, with one user posting a less-edited version along with the caption "Now you are." Once the woman became aware of the post, she promptly disappeared from the internet.<ref><nowiki>[https://archive.4plebs.org/x/thread/23477917/ "Finding the unedited image of "Jeff" (Oldfag Edition)"]</nowiki> 28 Sep 2019 - Anonymous on 4chan.org</ref> "Victoria" is yet another example of individuals rumored to be the person in the image. Additionally, there is a separate rumor suggesting the image depicts an overweight Japanese girl in a room with hanging laundry, who allegedly spammed her image across the Japanese image board 2chan (Futaba Channel) in 2004.


The original file name of the less-edited Jeff the Killer image is White powder (2), suggesting the possible existence of another version which predates the existing two. There has been debate over what this image may look like, and whether or not this image may actually even exist. Some people have speculated that an image known as "Green Eyed Jeff" may be the original, though this theory has been proven false.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVAie3i18SA</ref> Investigators where able to track down Mr. Malholland, the pya.cc user who first posted the images, on Twitter. His responses to the investigators questions were:
The original file name of the less-edited Jeff the Killer image is White powder (2), suggesting the existence of another version that predates the existing two. Some people have speculated that an image known as "Green Eyed Jeff" may be the original, though this theory has been proven false.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVAie3i18SA</ref> Investigators were able to track down Mr. Malholland, the pya.cc user who first posted the White powder (2) image on that site, on his Twitter account Miyama. His responses to the investigator's questions were:
 
*"To put it simply, in mid-2005, a cropped image of a video of a middle-aged Asian woman appeared in Japan. At that point [the] face was white. *I edited a little in Photoshop to post to "pya.cc".


*"To put it simply, in mid-2005, a cropped image of a video of a middle-aged Asian woman appeared in Japan. At that point [her] face was white. *I edited a little in Photoshop to post to "pya.cc".
*"I remember watching the video only once, but unfortunately I don't have it now. It also doesn't seem to exist on the internet."
*"By the way, the image I found is almost the same as white powder (Pt.2). I just made a few corrections. Therefore, the real creator is another person. and I think the video was indoors somewhere in Asia, but I don't remember."
*"Brightness was clarified by level correction. It's a minor edit. I hardly remember what filter mode I used."
*"It was 15 years ago, so I don't remember it, but it's "<nowiki>http://shitaraba.com</nowiki>" or others... However, since "<nowiki>http://shitaraba.com</nowiki>" is BBS, only someone made it was posted. The BBS has closed."
*"By the way, this image was posted on various bulletin boards as a surprise image. This image was going around as a Japanese meme back then. *The original story is a crop of an Asian (Japan?) Video, but I think no one probably remembers it. Then, good night again!!"
*"At least I couldn't find the video. I remember the woman in the video coming up to the camera."
*"At least I couldn't find the video. I remember the woman in the video coming up to the camera."
*"Someone edited the cropped image of a video. This image was posted on various BBS as a scare image and spread in Japan. The reason why this image spread was that it was suddenly posted on various BBS and it was a scare image, so I think it left a strong impression on everyone."
*"There was no fixed name. For example, some people called it "いつもの画像", (usual image)  "オバQ", and so on. I'm sorry, but this is the end of the reply to this tweet so that the message exchange is not cluttered."


*"I remember watching the video only once, but unfortunately I don't have it now. It also doesn't seem to exist on the internet."
Mr. Malholland (Miyama) suggests the image originated from an unknown video, and that Jeff the Killer is a highly photoshopped image of a woman. He claims the image was already photoshopped when he found it, and he slightly edited it further and posted it to pya.cc, meaning he created the White powder (2) (JTK 1) version, but not the original photoshop. Omega Volt took his edit and turned it into the famous Jeff the Killer image (JTK 2). For now, the complete origins of Jeff the Killer remain unknown, this alleged video remains lost, and the search continues.
 
*"By the way, this image was posted on various bulletin boards as a surprise image. This image was going around as a Japanese meme back then. *The original story is a crop of an Asian (Japan?) Video, but I think no one probably remembers it. Then, good night again!!"
Mr. Malholland suggests the image originated from an unknown video, and that Jeff the Killer is a highly photoshopped image of a woman. For now, the person in the Jeff the Killer image remains unknown, this alleged video remains lost, and the search continues.


==References==
==References==
Line 47: Line 52:
*[[Anne.jpg]]
*[[Anne.jpg]]
*[[NNN Extra Broadcast]]
*[[NNN Extra Broadcast]]
*[[Smile Dog]] - a similar entity.
*[[Smile Dog]] - A similar entity.


==Links==
==Links ==
<u>NOTE</u>: The following links contain potentially scary images!
<u>NOTE</u>: The following links contain potentially scary images!
*'''Original image, a less-photoshopped one''': web.archive.org/web/20180118092048/pya.cc/pyaimg/pimg.php?imgid=17882
*'''Miyama's White powder (2) (JTK 1) edit:''' web.archive.org/web/20180118092048/pya.cc/pyaimg/pimg.php?imgid=17882
*'''The image used for the character of Jeff''': web.archive.org/web/20210618155920/pya.cc/pyaimg/pimg.php?imgid=20716
*'''Earliest version of JTK:''' web.archive.org/web/20051025223113/gazo05.chbox.jp/occult/src/1123087197322.jpg
*'''Original story with no audio''': youtube.com/watch?v=5RSDIIEoLkA
*'''More famous image used for the character of Jeff (JTK 2):''' web.archive.org/web/20210618155920/pya.cc/pyaimg/pimg.php?imgid=20716
*'''Learn more''': youtube.com/watch?v=aVAie3i18SA
*'''Original story with no audio:''' youtube.com/watch?v=5RSDIIEoLkA
 
*'''Learn more:''' youtube.com/watch?v=aVAie3i18SA
{{Header|If you recall ever watching such a video, as Mr. Malholland described, or have any helpful information, please let [http://reddit.com/r/OriginalJTKImage/ this team] know or reply in the comments.}}
{{Header|If you recall ever watching such a video, as Mr. Malholland described, or have any helpful information, please let '''r/OriginalJTKImage''' know or reply in the comments.}}
 
{{Creepypasta}}
{{4chan}}
{{Dramatica}}
{{Comments}}
{{Comments}}
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:2008]]
[[Category:Creepypastas]]
[[Category:Creepypastas]]
[[Category:Hoaxes]]
[[Category:Hoaxes]]
[[Category:Encyclopedia Dramatica]]
[[Category:4chan]]
[[Category:Jeff the Killer| ]]
[[Category:Jeff the Killer| ]]
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Revision as of 00:32, 21 August 2024

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Jeff The Killer, also called Killer Jeff, is a famous creepypasta, fictional character, and image commonly used in screamers. Jeff the Killer refers to an edited image of a pale, noseless, unknown person with black eyes with white and black pupils, and a long canine-like smile, in a dark room with laundry hanging in the background. The creepypasta surrounding the image suggests that the person in the image is a 13-year-old serial killer named Jeff who sneaks into people's homes and whispers "Go to sleep" before killing them with a knife.

This image became controversial when it was believed to be of a supposed woman named "Katy Robinson," who had allegedly committed suicide in 2008. This belief originated on 4chan in 2008, but after years of extensive research, it was revealed that the image originated on a Japanese message board website called pya.cc in 2005.[1] This more famous image, in particular, is also an edited version of another earlier version, called White powder (2) (also called JTK 1), which appears to be an edited image of a person with a googly, cartoon eyes and a large smile. The former file name of this image was "prettyFACE.jpg" before it was posted onto pya.cc.[1] The more famous version was further edited in Adobe Photoshop to make the mouth stretch out using the liquify tool and the eyes edited to have white and black pupils.

Stories

The Creepypasta revolves around Jeffery Woods, a 13-year-old boy living in a suburban town with his family. After a move to a new neighborhood, Jeff and his brother Liu encounter three bullies who mug them at knifepoint. In self-defense, Jeff fights back and paralyzes the bullies. However, when the police arrive, Jeff and Liu are wrongly accused of attacking the bullies. Liu, feeling pressured, implicates Jeff in the incident, leading Jeff into a state of depression. Seeking to lift Jeff's spirits, his mother suggests attending a party. In a moment of rage, Jeff confronts the bullies and brutally beats them, resulting in the death of one. He lures the remaining bullies into a bathroom, intending to harm them, but they douse him in alcohol and set him on fire.[2][3] Jeff survives but suffers disfiguring burns to his face, which he oddly embraces.

While in the hospital, Jeff learns that Liu was released after the truth came to light. However, upon removing his bandages, Jeff becomes obsessed with his disfigured appearance and proceeds to further harm himself by burning off his eyelids and carving a permanent smile on his face. His mother, realizing his mental state, confides in his father that Jeff is insane and needs to be eliminated. Upon overhearing their conversation, Jeff kills his parents and transforms into a serial killer. He enters people's homes, instructs them to "go to sleep," and proceeds to murder them.[2][4] One of his victims includes his own brother Liu, whom he fatally stabs.[3]

History and development

Prior to the release of the original backstory video, a character known as “Jeff The Killer” gained attention on the Newgrounds account "killerjeff," created by Sesseur on June 7, 2006.[5][6] Sesseur portrayed his own version of Jeff in this account. In a news post dated August 10th, 2008, Sesseur mentioned discovering a photoshopped image on Encyclopedia Dramatica and decided to develop a backstory for it. Originally, Jeff was intended to be part of a game similar to Bloody Mary, in which a participant would need to hide in a dark room closet, sit cross-legged, and repeatedly say "He's in here with me" three times while turning their head back and forth. Afterward, the person was to close their eyes and call out the name "Jeff" to make him supposedly appear before them, until the participant stands still or compliments him; otherwise, nightmares were said to follow.[7]

On October 3rd, 2008,[6] a YouTube video presented a different version of Jeff The Killer's backstory compared to the one mentioned earlier. In this version, Jeff accidentally spilled a gallon of acid on his face while cleaning a bathtub.[6] The more widely known version, created by a fan of his earlier work, depicts Jeff's transformation into an insane serial killer. Interestingly, Jeff's real name in this story is Jeffery C. Hodek, not "Jeffrey Woods." The original backstory video, which once existed, got removed when YouTube terminated Sesseur's channel. Subsequently, a Brazilian channel called PhenomenonPoltergeist re-uploaded the video to YouTube on January 20, 2014, but without any audio, as the original version contained "I Guess You're Right" by The Posies as background music. At a later point, the video with the original audio surfaced on YouTube through a user named Bob's Brother, but it was eventually deleted when that channel faced termination.

On August 14, 2011, the image was posted to 4chan captioned "Go to sleep"; the caption had become known as Jeff's signature catchphrase.

During the rise of creepypastas' popularity, various screamers incorporated the image of Jeff the Killer to frighten viewers. Examples of these screamers include Anne.jpg, Spooky Scary Skeletons and others. The first screamer to feature Jeff the Killer as a jumpscare image was in a YouTube video titled NNN Special Broadcast created on August 2, 2007, as part of a horror film project called "Victims of Tomorrow." In this video, the Jeff the Killer image appears at the 4:11 mark, followed by the text "おやすみなさい" on a black screen, which translates to "good sleep" in English, resembling the phrase "go to sleep."

4chan controversy and image origin

See Also: 4chan
Katherine White's photo, which was widely rumored to be the original un-photoshopped image.

The image sparked controversy[5] when rumors circulated that it depicted an unedited photograph of a woman named "Katy Robinson," who allegedly committed suicide due to cyberbullying on 4chan.[6] The rumors stemmed from a post dated April 21, 2008, supposedly written by Katy Robinson's brother, claiming her suicide was a result of online bullying. However, other 4chan users disputed this claim, stating that the image was of a dog with a broken jaw.[6] In an interview with ScareTheater, Sesseur, the creator of the earlier story, claimed that the image was of himself wearing a white latex mask.[8]

Interestingly, the earliest known sighting of this image occurred on the Japanese message board, pya.cc, where two versions of the image (a less edited and a more edited one) were uploaded between September 10 and November 16, 2005, by users Mr. Malholland and Omega Boruto (Omega Volt).[9] The first version, titled "White powder (2)," was less edited than the one associated with the character of Jeff. Further research revealed that the woman in the picture was actually named "Katherine White," who was alive and raising two children. A Reddit user even contacted Katherine on Facebook to inquire about the rumors circulating on 4chan, to which she responded by threatening legal action against those responsible for spreading the false death rumor on /b/.[9] It turns out that the image of this woman was initially posted on the site TrueChristian.com on November 17, 2004.[10]

An alternative story emerged from users on 4chan's /b/ imageboard, attempting to explain the origin of these images. This narrative revolves around an alleged woman named "Victoria," who worked as a webcam model on Stickam and utilized /b/ for self-promotion. A /b/ user took a screenshot of her face and asked the board if she was pretty. Subsequently, other users on 4chan began photoshopping the image and posting their edited versions in response, with one user posting a less-edited version along with the caption "Now you are." Once the woman became aware of the post, she promptly disappeared from the internet.[11] "Victoria" is yet another example of individuals rumored to be the person in the image. Additionally, there is a separate rumor suggesting the image depicts an overweight Japanese girl in a room with hanging laundry, who allegedly spammed her image across the Japanese image board 2chan (Futaba Channel) in 2004.

The original file name of the less-edited Jeff the Killer image is White powder (2), suggesting the existence of another version that predates the existing two. Some people have speculated that an image known as "Green Eyed Jeff" may be the original, though this theory has been proven false.[12] Investigators were able to track down Mr. Malholland, the pya.cc user who first posted the White powder (2) image on that site, on his Twitter account Miyama. His responses to the investigator's questions were:

  • "To put it simply, in mid-2005, a cropped image of a video of a middle-aged Asian woman appeared in Japan. At that point [her] face was white. *I edited a little in Photoshop to post to "pya.cc".
  • "I remember watching the video only once, but unfortunately I don't have it now. It also doesn't seem to exist on the internet."
  • "By the way, the image I found is almost the same as white powder (Pt.2). I just made a few corrections. Therefore, the real creator is another person. and I think the video was indoors somewhere in Asia, but I don't remember."
  • "Brightness was clarified by level correction. It's a minor edit. I hardly remember what filter mode I used."
  • "It was 15 years ago, so I don't remember it, but it's "http://shitaraba.com" or others... However, since "http://shitaraba.com" is BBS, only someone made it was posted. The BBS has closed."
  • "By the way, this image was posted on various bulletin boards as a surprise image. This image was going around as a Japanese meme back then. *The original story is a crop of an Asian (Japan?) Video, but I think no one probably remembers it. Then, good night again!!"
  • "At least I couldn't find the video. I remember the woman in the video coming up to the camera."
  • "Someone edited the cropped image of a video. This image was posted on various BBS as a scare image and spread in Japan. The reason why this image spread was that it was suddenly posted on various BBS and it was a scare image, so I think it left a strong impression on everyone."
  • "There was no fixed name. For example, some people called it "いつもの画像", (usual image)  "オバQ", and so on. I'm sorry, but this is the end of the reply to this tweet so that the message exchange is not cluttered."

Mr. Malholland (Miyama) suggests the image originated from an unknown video, and that Jeff the Killer is a highly photoshopped image of a woman. He claims the image was already photoshopped when he found it, and he slightly edited it further and posted it to pya.cc, meaning he created the White powder (2) (JTK 1) version, but not the original photoshop. Omega Volt took his edit and turned it into the famous Jeff the Killer image (JTK 2). For now, the complete origins of Jeff the Killer remain unknown, this alleged video remains lost, and the search continues.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 docs.google.com/document/d/1QN-ekAPPiW-b2iCGDikyseemBV73ek_7ZB7EgRVQHSI
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cotter, Padraig. “Who Is Jeff The Killer? Creepypasta's Evil Villain Explained.” ScreenRant, 21 June 2019, screenrant.com/jeff-killer-creepypasta-villain-origin-explained/.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wilkinson, Chase. “6 Terrifying Creepypasta Stories That Need Movie Adaptations.” CBR, 30 Nov. 2021, from https://www.cbr.com/creepypasta-stories-that-need-movie-adaptations/.
  4. ↑ Cotter, Padraig. “Who Is Jane the Killer? Creepypasta Character Explained.” ScreenRant, 17 May 2019, screenrant.com/jane-killer-creepypasta-origin-explained/.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Houston, Madison. “From Legendary Horror Icon to Internet Meme: Jeff The Killer.” Nerdvana, 1 Mar. 2017, nerdvanamedia.com/sci-fi-fantasy/legendary-horror-icon-internet-meme-jeff-killer/118341/.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 III, Fernando Alfonso. “4chan Hunts down the Origins of an Internet Horror Legend.” The Daily Dot, 1 June 2021, https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/4chan-x-origins-jeff-the-killer/
  7. ↑ killerjeff.newgrounds.com/news/post/169853
  8. ↑ [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhPpcvD01Ok&t=90s "Interview with the Creator of Jeff the Killer"] December 12, 2015 - via YouTube.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 [Jeff the Killer - new image origins? "https://www.reddit.com/r/creepypasta/comments/
    bd5wzp/jeff_the_killer_new_image_origins/"] - u/[deleted] on Reddit.
  10. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20061122165849/http://www.truechristian.com/favoa.html
  11. ↑ [https://archive.4plebs.org/x/thread/23477917/ "Finding the unedited image of "Jeff" (Oldfag Edition)"] 28 Sep 2019 - Anonymous on 4chan.org
  12. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVAie3i18SA

See Also

Links

NOTE: The following links contain potentially scary images!

  • Miyama's White powder (2) (JTK 1) edit: web.archive.org/web/20180118092048/pya.cc/pyaimg/pimg.php?imgid=17882
  • Earliest version of JTK: web.archive.org/web/20051025223113/gazo05.chbox.jp/occult/src/1123087197322.jpg
  • More famous image used for the character of Jeff (JTK 2): web.archive.org/web/20210618155920/pya.cc/pyaimg/pimg.php?imgid=20716
  • Original story with no audio: youtube.com/watch?v=5RSDIIEoLkA
  • Learn more: youtube.com/watch?v=aVAie3i18SA

If you recall ever watching such a video, as Mr. Malholland described, or have any helpful information, please let r/OriginalJTKImage know or reply in the comments.

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