RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Riverside County officials are seeking the public’s help to identify the remaining unidentified victim of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as the “Happy Face Killer.” Recent advancements in DNA technology have provided a significant lead in identifying the woman, referred to as “Claudia” by Jesperson, who was killed 31 years ago. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office revealed that a forensic approximation has been created using DNA technology, the victim’s remains, and Jesperson’s descriptions.
The victim’s body was found on August 30, 1992, along Interstate 95, about seven miles north of Blythe, California. Jesperson, convicted of the murders in 2010, pleaded guilty to killing her and seven other women. However, “Claudia” remained the only victim who was not identified. In a recent interview at the Oregon State Penitentiary, Jesperson provided additional details about “Claudia,” claiming to have met her in August 1992 at a brake check area on Interstate 15, south of the Victorville area, where he was working as a truck driver.
Jesperson described the victim as having “shaggy, wild blonde hair” in her 20s, wearing a T-shirt with a motorcycle print, and a tattoo of two small dots on the left side of her right thumb. Authorities believe “Claudia” had ties to Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside County, with connections to Las Vegas and southern Nevada, and was believed to have been a cigarette smoker and a frequent hitchhiker. Investigators were able to find the victim’s biological father from Cameron County, Texas, who is now deceased. The victim’s maternal side of the family is suspected to have ties to the Louisiana and/or southeast Texas area.
District Attorney Mike Hestrin expressed hope that someone with any information may remember anything that could help in reuniting “Claudia” with her family. The Riverside County DA’s Office, in collaboration with the Regional Cold Case Homicide Team, is encouraging anyone with information to contact the Cold Case Hotline at (951) 955-5567 or email coldcaseunit@rivcoda.org.
The search for “Claudia’s” identity continues as authorities strive to provide closure to her family after over three decades.