Riverside, California – Authorities in Riverside County are seeking the public’s help in identifying a woman who was murdered by the notorious “Happy Face Killer” in 1992. This comes more than three decades after the heinous crime was committed.
The victim, still unidentified, was the last to fall victim to Keith Jesperson, known as the “Happy Face Killer.” Riverside County officials have launched a new nationwide effort to uncover her identity and provide closure to her family.
According to Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin, their goal is to finally identify the victim. Police have referred to her as “Claudia” based on information provided by Jesperson, who was convicted of the woman’s murder 14 years ago. However, it is unclear whether that was her real name.
In a recent law enforcement interview, Jesperson revealed that he met “Claudia” at a brake check area near Victorville, California, while working as a trucker. He admitted to arguing with her about money during a ride and subsequently killing her in his truck, before dumping her body in Blythe.
Police believe the woman, described by Jesperson as having shaggy, wild blonde hair and wearing tight clothing, was roughly 20 to 30 years old at the time of her murder and likely lived in or frequented Southern California and Nevada.
Recent advances in DNA technology and tips from the public have renewed hope for uncovering the victim’s identity. Forensic investigators and genealogists have traced her to a now-deceased father from Texas who traveled extensively, and possible ties to Louisiana or Texas through her mother.
Jesperson, a Canadian-born long-haul trucker, terrorized the country in the ‘90s, claiming to have killed women in multiple states before turning himself in 1995. The unidentified woman’s body was found in Blythe, California, and Jesperson pleaded guilty to her murder in 2010.
The “Happy Face Killer” earned his moniker from the smiley faces he drew on a letter in which he boasted about his crimes. The efforts to identify the last victim of this notorious killer continue as authorities seek to bring closure to her family and finally lay her to rest with a name.