'Happy Face Killer' cold case: New information released on last unidentified victim
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Authorities say they're getting closer to figuring out the identity of the last unknown victim of "Happy Face Killer" Keith Hunter Jesperson.
The Riverside County District Attorney's Office on Monday released new sketches of the unidentified victim that were created thanks to recent advances in DNA technology.
The woman's body was discovered on Aug. 30, 1992 along Highway 95 north of Blythe in Riverside County. dly picked up by Jesperson headed out of the state.
"Our goal is to identify this victim and provide closure to her family, wherever they may be," District Attorney Mike Hestrin said in a statement. "We are hopeful someone hearing any of these details may remember anything that could help us reunite this woman with the family who may have been looking for her for over three decades."
Jesperson told authorities he met the victim he called "Claudia" as she was hitchhiking on the southbound 15 Freeway in Victorville. Claudia had asked for a ride to the Los Angeles area, but he took her to the Inland Empire instead, officials said.
Claudia and Jesperson allegedly got into an argument at a rest stop in the Coachella Valley, and that's where he allegedly killed her before driving out to Blythe, where her body was discovered.
Claudia was described as between 20-30 years old, 5'6"-5'7" tall, around 140-150 lbs., medium build, with shaggy blonde hair. She was found wearing a shirt printed with a picture of a motorcycle. She had a tattoo of two small dots on the left side of her right thumb. She was also described by officials as a frequent hitchhiker who also smoked cigarettes.
Claudia was described as between 20-30 years old, 5'6"-5'7" tall, around 140-150 lbs., medium build, with shaggy blonde hair. She was found wearing a shirt printed with a picture of a motorcycle. She had a tattoo of two small dots on the left side of
According to authorities, Claudia was living in or familiar with the Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside areas, and could possibly have ties to Las Vegas and the Southern Nevada area.
Living relatives of Claudia have since been identified thanks to DNA testing, but no one has been a biological match to her mother, authorities said. Her biological father has since passed away.
Jesperson, who was arrested in 1995 on suspicion of killing a woman in Washington state, was dubbed the Happy Face Killer because he drew smiley faces on letters he sent to the media and police, prosecutors said.
Jesperson eventually confessed to killing eight women between 1990 and 1995 in California, Washington, Oregon, Florida, Nebraska, and Wyoming. He is currently serving four life sentences without possibility of parole in Oregon.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Cold Case Hotline at (951) 955-5567 or email coldcaseunit@rivcoda.org.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.