Storied Vancouver detective’s career comes to an end

VANCOUVER, Wash. — If you haven’t heard of Rick Buckner, chances are you at least know his work.

As a detective, Buckner has helped put away Westley Allan Dodd, Dennis Keith Smith and Keith Hunter Jesperson, better known as the “Happy Face Killer.”

And those are just a few of the 50-plus homicide cases Buckner has investigated during his career at the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. After 35 years, Buckner has retired.

“It still is a fun job, I still enjoy it. You interact with people, you never know what you’re going to get into,” he said. But, he added, “after 35 years, it’s time to leave.”

Buckner was a reserve at the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office as a way to give back to the community before deciding to join the Clark County Sheriff’s Office in October 1980.

Ever since, he’s had fun and never looked back. Helping the community and making a difference was rewarding, Buckner said, but he also enjoyed the drama.

“You get a front-row seat to the greatest show on Earth,” he said. “Really, we all have morbid curiosity, and it’s exciting.”

He worked in patrol and as an arson investigator, but his 20 years as a detective are what landed his name in true-crime novels and TV programs.

Buckner’s first big case came in 1989 when he was assigned to a regional task force investigating Dodd, the serial killer behind the grisly murder of two brothers, William Neer, 10, and Cole Neer, 11, in David Douglas Park in Vancouver.

Buckner said he helped the case by simply listening to what Dodd had to say.

“For some reason I tend to connect with these individuals,” he said. “Most people are repulsed by them. I am, but I tend to put on a better front. . I listen to them. Most of these people just want the attention, they want to be recognized.”

Hard case to work

Buckner remembers that when Dodd was arrested in Camas, Buckner worked through the night into the next day and then into another night. After hours of investigating, he paused to call his wife.

“I just broke down; I lost it at that point,” he said. “That was probably one of the hardest cases I ever worked because I had kids that age.”

During his interviews and conversations with Dodd, though, Buckner built a rapport. Dodd confessed to many crimes, Buckner said, closing a lot of cases.

“It’s as simple as talking to him . treating him like a human being,” he said.

At one point, Dodd gave Buckner a letter to give to the prosecutor to bypass his attorneys. The letter said he wanted to plead guilty to everything and his attorneys didn’t want him to.

Another high-profile homicide case came in 1995, when Smith killed Carolyn Killaby of Vancouver. Before police could arrest him, he fled to Florida, where he lived under an assumed name for years. After the story aired on “America’s Most Wanted,” Smith was recognized and arrested.

The most notable homicide case, though, involved Jesperson.

Buckner was the lead investigator in the 1995 murder of Julie Ann Winningham of Camas that involved a suspect who put smiley faces on letters to media, earning him the nickname the “Happy Face Killer.”

Buckner and his partners narrowed in on Jesperson, who was Winningham’s boyfriend. Because Jesperson was a truck driver, the case took Buckner to Arizona, where he collected DNA samples from Jesperson and questioned him for hours. But police didn’t have enough evidence to arrest him, so they let him go. Buckner left, but not before handing Jesperson a card and asking him to call him in a week.

When he got home, Buckner felt disappointed. But eventually, he learned that his friendly demeanor with Jesperson had worked.

Days later, Jesperson called Buckner and said: “You were right; I want to turn myself in.”

He confessed to killing Winningham but let it slip to Buckner that he had killed more. From there, Buckner sent out messages to other police agencies and tipped off The Columbian, all of which led regional authorities to make connections between several other murders and Jesperson.

Buckner is quick to point out that he had a lot of good partners and other help at the sheriff’s office.

“It wasn’t me, it was everyone I worked with,” he said.

Through all the cases, though, Buckner said the best part was giving the families of the victims closure.

“And for the most part, I’ve been able to do that,” he said. “Obviously not all of (the cases) are as glamorous . but you talk to the family members. You get to know the victims, and the family is appreciative.”

Buckner said his career has given him a lot of joy and a lot of friends. He said he will continue his work as a polygraph expert at his company, Advantage Polygraph Services, and looks forward to spending more time with his four granddaughters.

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