Home / Crime and Justice / Happy Face Killer Victim ID'd After 34 Years
Happy Face Killer Victim ID'd After 34 Years
28 Aug
Summary
- Victim identified nearly 34 years after her body was found.
- Serial killer Keith Jesperson pleaded guilty to her murder in 2010.
- DNA technology and genetic genealogy aided identification efforts.
The final unidentified victim of the "Happy Face Killer," Keith Hunter Jesperson, has been identified nearly 34 years after her discovery. Riverside County investigators announced on August 27 that "Claudia," a name used by Jesperson, is Lydia Jane Wade McWhorter, who disappeared from Texas in the 1990s.
McWhorter's body was found on August 30, 1992, along Highway 95 near Blythe, California. Jesperson, who admitted encountering McWhorter while working as a long-haul truck driver, pleaded guilty to her murder in 2010 and is serving multiple life sentences in Oregon.
Investigators utilized advancements in DNA technology and genetic genealogy to identify McWhorter. After identifying paternal relatives, a DNA sample from a maternal relative confirmed her identity, bringing closure to her family who had spent decades searching for answers about her disappearance.
Jesperson admitted to murdering eight women between 1990 and 1995. His notorious "Happy Face Killer" moniker stemmed from smiley faces he drew in letters sent to news outlets detailing his crimes. The Riverside County Cold Case Unit thanked the public for their assistance in solving this decades-old mystery.
