Riverside County, California – Riverside County investigators are on the brink of a major breakthrough in identifying a woman who was murdered by the notorious “Happy Face Killer” over 30 years ago. Keith Hunter Jesperson, the serial killer, confessed to the woman’s murder and those of seven other female victims in the early 1990s, adopting the moniker “Happy Face Killer” in letters he sent to the press detailing his crimes.
Despite Jesperson referring to the woman as “Claudia,” investigators have been unable to confirm her true identity. The Riverside County district attorney’s office is now seeking the public’s assistance in providing closure to the victim’s family and bringing her murderer to justice. The killer has been in custody since 1995 and finally pleaded guilty to the Jane Doe’s murder in 2010.
According to Jesperson’s confession, he met the victim in August 1992 at a brake check area along Highway 15 south of Victorville. The woman, described as in her 20s, about 5-foot-6, and 140 to 150 pounds with shaggy blond hair and a distinctive tattoo, hitched a ride with Jesperson. Their journey ultimately led to tragedy at a rest stop in the Coachella Valley, where Jesperson killed her in his truck after a dispute about money. Her remains were then disposed of seven miles north of Blythe along Highway 95, where they were discovered on August 30, 1992.
Recent advances in DNA evidence and genealogy have revealed the woman’s biological father hailed from Cameron County in Texas, although her mother’s identity remains a mystery. Investigators are appealing to the public for any information that could aid in identifying the victim and bringing closure to her family. Those with potential leads can contact the Riverside County district attorney’s cold case hotline.
The Riverside County investigators are hopeful that new information from the public will help finally reunite the Jane Doe with her family after more than three decades and bring her killer to justice. The breakthrough in identifying the victim is a major step forward in solving this long-standing cold case.