Las Vegas, Nevada may have a connection to the final unidentified victim of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as “The Happy Face Killer.” Riverside County, California investigators are seeking the public’s help in identifying the woman, whose body was found along Highway 95 about seven miles north of Blythe on August 30, 1992. Jesperson confessed to killing her and seven other women, but she has remained unidentified for decades.
On the 15th anniversary of Jesperson’s conviction for the murder, investigators are renewing their appeal for assistance in identifying the victim. They hope to provide closure to her family and reunite her with loved ones who may have been looking for her for over three decades.
Based on interviews with Jesperson, investigators believe the victim was living in or was familiar with Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside County. They also believe she had ties to Las Vegas and southern Nevada, and had a habit of hitchhiking and smoking cigarettes.
The killer, who was a long-haul trucker at the time, claims he picked her up outside Victorville along the I-15 before they traveled together to the Indio/Coachella Burns Brothers rest area. He stated that he killed her after an argument about money and later dumped her body near Blythe.
The victim, referred to as “Claudia,” was between 20-30 years old, 5′6″ – 5′7″ in height, with a medium build, weighing 140-150 pounds. She was found wearing a t-shirt printed with a motorcycle design and had a tattoo of two small dots on the left side of her right thumb.
Investigators are urging anyone with information about the woman or the case to contact their Cold Case Hotline at (951) 955-5567 or email coldcaseunit@rivcoda.org. The victim’s DNA has been entered into the CODIS system, and individuals who believe they may be related to the victim are encouraged to contact GedMatch for DNA comparison.