Riverside County in California has made significant progress in identifying the only remaining unidentified victim of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, known as the “Happy Face Killer,” thanks to recent advances in DNA technology. The Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team, under the leadership of investigators from the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, is seeking assistance from around the world in putting a name to the woman’s face on the anniversary of Jesperson’s conviction for her murder.
The woman’s body was discovered on August 30, 1992, along Highway 95, approximately seven miles north of Blythe, California. Jesperson confessed to killing her and seven other women after his arrest in another case. Despite pleading guilty to the murder in Riverside County and being sentenced to 15 years to life in prison, Jesperson’s victim, referred to as ‘Claudia,’ was never positively identified.
The District Attorney, Mike Hestrin, stated, “Our goal is to identify this victim and provide closure to her family, wherever they may be. 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.”
Recent interviews with Jesperson by the Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide investigators shed light on new details about the victim. Based on Jesperson’s description, forensic sketches have been created, using a combination of DNA technology, her remains, and a description by Jesperson himself. Investigators believe that the victim may have had ties to the Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside County areas, as well as Las Vegas and southern Nevada. There is also reason to believe her maternal side of the family has ties to the Louisiana and/or southeast Texas area.
The Riverside County DA’s Office is calling on the community to provide any additional leads that can help identify the victim and answer long-asked questions from her family. Any leads, regardless of how insignificant they may seem, can be reported to the Cold Case Hotline at (951) 955-5567 or by emailing coldcaseunit@rivcoda.org.
The Regional Cold Case Homicide Team, comprised of members from the DA’s Office Bureau of Investigation, the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner Department, the FBI, and the Riverside Police Department, is dedicated to assisting in the investigation of cold case homicides for all Riverside County law enforcement agencies. Funding for DNA testing in this case is made possible by a grant to assist with the investigation and prosecution of cold case murders and violent sexual assault cases where a suspect’s DNA is currently in CODIS.
In conclusion, the advancements in DNA technology are providing hope in bringing closure to the families of victims of heinous crimes like those committed by Keith Hunter Jesperson. The efforts of the Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team demonstrate a commitment to seeking justice for the victims and their loved ones, while also highlighting the crucial role of forensic science in solving long-standing mysteries.