A woman’s body found on a California highway in 1992 remains unidentified, and authorities are seeking the public’s help in identifying her. The victim, referred to by “Happy Face Killer” Keith Jesperson as “Claudia,” is the only one of his victims left to be properly identified. Jesperson, a B.C.-born long-haul trucker, confessed to killing at least eight women from 1990 to 1995 and signed anonymous confession letters with a smiley face, earning him the moniker “Happy Face Killer.” He is currently serving four life sentences at the Oregon State Penitentiary.
Riverside County officials released a new sketch and DNA-renderings of the California woman known as “Claudia,” hoping to give her back her identity. Jesperson’s account of Claudia’s appearance and the circumstances surrounding her death have provided investigators with details to aid in her identification. Despite having identified some of Claudia’s family members through forensics, investigators are yet to establish her true identity.
In an effort to identify Claudia, cold case investigators interviewed Jesperson behind bars, leading to the revelation that he encountered her at a brake-check area in Victorville, Calif., and later got into an argument about money with her, ultimately leading to her death. Jesperson then disposed of her body in Blythe, Arizona, before completing his trucking job in Phoenix.
The Calgary Police Service played a crucial role in identifying one of Jesperson’s victims, Patricia Skiple, by partnering with the DNA Doe Project and reaching out to Calgary police to track down Skiple’s Canadian relatives. Jesperson’s arrest in 1995 and recent advances in forensic genetic genealogy have begun to piece together the identities of some of his victims, providing closure and justice for the families of the victims. Jesperson has confessed to eight killings in various states, and his chilling spree has sparked a renewed effort to identify all of his victims and bring closure to their families.