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Jeff the Killer was a fictionalhorrorcharacter and creepypastameme. The concept of the character was created by DeviantArt and Newgrounds user "Sesseur", the character gained widespread popularity following a publication of the creepypasta story in 2011. He was depicted as a psychotic serial killer with ghastly pale skin, no eyelids, long black hair and a permanent smile-shaped scar. Jeff the Killer quickly became one of the most popular creepypasta characters, inspiring a multitude of fan works.
Jeff the Killer's concept was created by Jeff Case from Auburndale, Florida. Case began posting in 2008 on DeviantArt under the username "Sesseur" and on Newgrounds under the username "killerjeff", where they described a Bloody Mary-like ritual that supposedly summoned Jeff. In his own story, Jeff, initially named Jeffrey C. Hodek, "accidentally spilled a bucket of acid on his face while trying to clean his bathtub."[1]
The most notable version of the Jeff the Killer character and story, emerged in 2011 created by DeviantArt user "GamefuelTV," the pseudonym of Joshua Jordan, follows a teenager named Jeffrey Alan Woods, who is attacked by a group of bullies Randy, Troy and Keith. The altercation ends with Jeff being nearly arrested for assault, but his brother Liu takes the blame, resulting in his placement in juvenile hall. This event causes Jeff to become depressed and introverted. His concerned parents force him to attend a party, where he encounters the same bullies from the earlier fight. In a violent confrontation, Jeff kills the bullies but is doused with alcohol and set on fire, suffering severe burns over much of his body. After being discharged from the hospital and having his bandages removed, Jeff is entranced by his disfigurement and begins to lose his sanity.
He carves a smile-shaped scar into his face, removes his eyelids, and ultimately kills his family. He becomes a serial killer, targeting victims by sneaking into their homes at night. He is known for whispering the phrase "Go to sleep" before killing his victims.[2][3]
History
The famous edited Jeff the Killer image.
Jeff the Killer gained virality primarily through the story published on the Creepypasta Wiki in 2011 by the user “GameFuelTv” (Josh Jordan). This version of the story and its associated imagery are widely recognized as the definitive portrayal of the character. Earlier posts by DeviantArt user “Sesseur” (Jeff Case) are often cited as precursors, but the version by GameFuelTv was the one that truly popularized the character across online horror communities.
The story increased in popularity over time as users expanded and contributed to its lore through online forums and fan fiction. One notable addition was Jane the Killer, who was introduced as a female counterpart to Jeff the Killer. In the most widely accepted version of her backstory, Jane was Jeff's neighbor before his transformation into a serial killer, and her family became his victims. She is depicted as a burn victim wearing a black wig and a white mask.
In contrast to Jeff's infamous catchphrase, "Go to sleep," Jane's signature line is, "Don't go to sleep. You won't wake up." While Jane is often portrayed as a sympathetic character seeking vengeance, many versions of the story depict her as killing innocent people as well. Some fans envision a confrontation between Jeff and Jane similar to Freddy vs. Jason.[4]
"Homicidal Liu" is a another side story, made by a Tumblr user of the same name, where Jeff's brother Liu survived the stabbing and became a killer himself. The story is what coined Jeff and his family's popular surname Woods, as the GameFuelTv story has no surnames.
After the original story faced criticism over its writing, it was removed from the Creepypasta Wiki website. A writing contest was held to replace the original story with a new version.[5] The winner was K. Banning Kellum and his version is the version of the story on the website currently.[5]
On April 6, 2017, 14-year-old Donovan Nicholas fatally stabbed and shot Heidi Taylor, his father's longtime girlfriend, in their home in Urbana, Ohio. According to an autopsy, Taylor sustained approximately 60 stab wounds before being shot in the forehead.
During a 911 call made from the scene, Nicholas, speaking in an unsteady voice, claimed that an alternate personality named "Jeff", inspired by Jeff the Killer, had taken control and carried out the attack. Investigators later determined that Nicholas had dressed as Jeff during the murder, wearing black clothing and even slashing his mouth to mimic the character's signature grin. Prosecutors stated that he had ambushed Taylor near the front staircase, calling her downstairs before launching the attack. Despite Taylor's attempts to flee and plead for help, Nicholas ultimately retrieved his father's 9mm handgun from a nightstand and delivered the fatal shot.
In June 2019, shortly after his 16th birthday, Nicholas was convicted as an adult of aggravated murder and sentenced to life in prison, with eligibility for parole after 28 years. Prosecutors argued that Nicholas, motivated by resentment and preoccupied with violent fantasies, carried out the killing after Taylor confiscated his phone upon discovering he had been sexting an out-of-state girlfriend.
While Nicholas's attorney, Darrell Heckman, claimed that his client suffered from dissociative identity disorder (DID) and required treatment in the juvenile system, Champaign County Prosecutor Kevin Talebi dismissed the alternate personality claim as an excuse, noting that multiple psychological evaluations found Nicholas legally sane. However, two psychologists did acknowledge that he struggled with mental health issues, including depression and self-harm, though the exact diagnosis remained uncertain.[9]
At his sentencing in July 2019, Nicholas expressed remorse and stated that he wanted treatment. In conversations with family from prison, he reportedly apologized repeatedly for his actions.[10][11]
On July 9, 2023, the Supreme Court of Ohio ruled to vacate Donovan Nicholas's adult court conviction, citing a faulty discretionary decision by the juvenile court that had bound his case over to adult court. This ruling resulted in Nicholas's release.[8]
Original image
An earlier edit of the Jeff the Killer image.
A 2013 article claimed that the original image of Jeff the Killer was an edited photograph of a girl who reportedly committed suicide in the fall of 2008 due to online ridicule about her appearance.[12] However, in 2018, users on 4chan's /x/ (Paranormal) board conducted extensive research and debunked this rumor. The earliest known instance of the image used in the Jeff the Killer creepypasta appeared on the Japanese imageboard website Fileman on July 24, 2005.[13] However, the original unedited image has not been found.[1]
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