Investigators in Riverside County, California, have made significant progress in identifying the last unknown victim of the infamous “Happy Face” serial killer. The killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, confessed to murdering at least eight women in different states. One victim, known as “Claudia,” was murdered during a hitchhiking trip from Victorville to Los Angeles, with her body eventually being found in Blythe in August 1992.
The Riverside County District Attorney’s office used DNA to track down living relatives of “Claudia,” but have yet to find a biological match to her parents. In an effort to provide closure for her family, the district attorney’s office has released an updated sketch and description of “Claudia” in hopes of receiving new tips about her identity.
The victim was likely between 20 and 30 years old, 5-feet, 6-inches to 5-feet, 7-inches tall, and weighed between 140–150 pounds. She had a medium build, shaggy blonde hair, a tattoo of two small dots on her thumb, and was frequently tattooed and smoked cigarettes. The district attorney’s office believes she most likely lived in Southern California and may have had ties to Las Vegas and the Southern Nevada area.
Jesperson, now in his late 60s, is currently serving four life sentences without the possibility of parole in an Oregon prison for the murders he committed. A “frequent hitchhiker,” as prosecutors described her, “Claudia” was likely a resident of Southern California, possibly Los Angeles, San Bernardino, or areas in Riverside County.
The district attorney’s office is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying “Claudia.” Anybody with information is encouraged to contact the Cold Case Hotline at (951) 955-5567 or email coldcaseunit@rivcoda.org. No information has been provided.