I read a little on this some time back. It’s spooky and I’m inclined to think serial killer, it’s just too much of a coincidence, IMO.
A few years back, my stepson who was attending Middle TN State, came east with friends to Knowxville, TN to attend a concert. He got separated from the three friends at a large bar in K-ville and turned up/woke up barefoot and shirtless behind a quick stop gas/grocery store on the outskirts of K-ville the next morning. He called me and could not recall what had happened to him the night before! This is a large guy (carried tuba in the high school marching band), powerful, smart, and not prone to drinking blackouts. I wondered then (six years ago) if his episode was somehow related to this smiley face murdering cult. I was perplexed if it was because he either got away from them or something about him didn’t fit the profile of what they were trolling to murder.