New series featuring Dakota James case claims he may have been murdered

PITTSBURGH — Channel 11 is revisiting the Dakota James case after a huge interest this weekend following a TV show that aired about his death and the police investigation surrounding it.

The show, which is on Oxygen and called "Smiley Face Killer: The Hunt for Justice," is a series that follows a team of retired detectives who are investigating the deaths of young men found drowned in similar patterns across the country. The investigators believe the deaths could be the work of a group that they call the Smiley Face Killers.

The detectives believe these deaths may be connected and that it's the work of a group of serial killers.

The show is meant to get these cases reopened and the deaths ruled as homicides.

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James, 23, was attending Duquesne University when he went missing in January of 2017. His body was pulled from the Ohio River that March, and his death was ruled an accidental drowning.

In the show, James' parents hire former medical examiner Dr. Cyril Wecht, who did an independent autopsy on James. Wecht said there were ligature marks on James' neck.

Wecht went on to say there is no forensic evidence that he is aware of that this was an accident.

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In the piece, James' parents say they want to speak with the medical examiner and they want the Pittsburgh Police Department to reopen James' case.

Since then, Allegheny County Medical Examiner Dr. Karl Williams has met with them twice and said he is willing to meet with them again. He also said he wants them to send him he reports from the retired detectives and Dr. Wecht.

Williams said they haven't sent that information.

"The cause and manner of death for Dakota James was made based on the evidence and information available to the Allegheny County Office of Medical Examiner at the time of the autopsy. To date, no other evidence or information has been provided or shown to the office..."

Cox Media Group