Officials reach out to the public to unravel a decades-long mystery: the identity of a woman whose body was discovered by the notorious “Happy Face Killer” on the side of a California road.
The California authorities are calling for assistance in solving a perplexing case that has remained unsolved for years. A woman’s body, left by the infamous “Happy Face Killer” on the side of a road, still remains unidentified. Keith Hunter Jesperson, a long-haul trucker who is currently serving multiple life sentences for the murder of eight women across the country, confessed in 2010 to killing this woman in 1992. Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin pleaded for help in a video posted on YouTube, stating that this woman is the last victim of Jesperson who hasn’t been identified. It’s not certain if the name “Claudia” that Jesperson referred to is her real name.
The Crimes of the “Happy Face Killer”
Keith Hunter Jesperson earned the moniker “Happy Face Killer” due to the drawings he left on anonymous letters. Journalist Jack Olsen chronicled Jesperson’s gruesome acts, revealing that he targeted women, subjecting them to torture, and ultimately killing them in the cab of his truck.
The scene around 1992 where the victim known as “Claudia,” was killed by Keith Jesperson, or the “Happy Face Killer.” – Riverside County District Attorney’s Office
The Victim’s Final Moments
On the morning of her demise, the woman is believed to have caught a ride with a grocery truck driver traveling from Las Vegas on Interstate 15. Investigators suspect that she was hitchhiking. The unknown driver dropped her off at a brake stop south of Victorville, California, where she encountered Jesperson. She asked him for a ride to Los Angeles, but since Jesperson was heading to Arizona, he could only take her as far as Cabazon, an unincorporated community in Riverside County. The woman accepted the offer, and they continued their journey down Interstate 10. They stopped at a truck stop near Indio, where they had lunch in a diner.
The victim known as “Claudia” with blonde hair, was killed by Keith Jesperson, or the “Happy Face Killer.” – Riverside County District Attorney’s Office
A Tragic End
Following their meal, an intense argument erupted inside Jesperson’s truck, leading to the woman’s untimely demise. Jesperson continued his journey towards Blythe in eastern Riverside County, where he left the woman’s lifeless body on the side of the road.
Described as a white woman with a fair complexion, the victim was approximately 25 to 35 years old at the time of her death. She had brown or dyed blonde hair, standing at around 5 feet 7 inches tall with a medium build. Additionally, she had a tattoo of two dots on the side of her right thumb and was wearing a t-shirt that read “Ride Me Ride Free” when she was killed.
The victim known as “Claudia” with brown hair, was killed by Keith Jesperson, or the “Happy Face Killer.” – Riverside County District Attorney’s Office
Seeking Closure
The woman was a frequent hitchhiker and likely hailed from Southern California, possibly from Los Angeles, San Bernardino, or Riverside County. District Attorney Hestrin urges anyone with information to come forward and help identify her, emphasizing that even the smallest piece of information could be the key to unlocking her identity.
In a recent breakthrough using genetic genealogy, authorities finally provided closure for the family of another victim of the “Happy Face Killer.” Patricia Skiple, an Oregon mother known to detectives only as “Blue Pacheco” due to her clothing color, was finally identified in April 2022.
If you have any leads on the identity of “Claudia,” please contact the cold case team at the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office by calling 951-955-5567 or emailing ColdCaseUnit@rivcoda.org.
Source: California authorities trying to identify victim of ‘Happy Face Killer’