Investigators Identify Final Victim of 'Happy Face Killer' More than 30 Years After Her Death
A DNA match from her sister ended a decadeslong search and confirmed the remains belonged to the final unidentified victim of Keith Hunter Jesperson.
- Lydia McWhorter was identified this week as the final unidentified victim of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, known as the 'Happy Face Killer,' according to the Riverside County district attorney.
- Jesperson, currently serving multiple life sentences in Oregon, confessed to killing eight women between 1990 and 1995, referring to this victim only as 'Claudia' while working as a truck driver.
- After decades of uncertainty, Brenda Burks provided DNA that matched, stating she wanted the test "because I knew if I did the swab that it would prove whether or not the lady that they found was actually my little bitty sister that" was missing.
- Investigators credited genealogy research and public tips for providing crucial leads, and the Riverside County district attorney is working with Lydia's family to determine how to lay her to rest.
- Lydia's remains were discovered along U.S. Route 95 near Blythe in August 1995, and this identification follows the 2022 confirmation of another Jesperson victim, Patricia Skiple, by the Santa Clara County Sheriff.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Serial killer’s final victim identified as chilling California mystery solved after 34 years
The last unidentified victim linked to Happy Face Killer Keith Hunter Jesperson has been identified as Lydia Jane Wade McWhorter, who was found near Blythe, California.
California authorities identify final unknown victim of ‘Happy Face Killer’ Keith Jesperson after 34 years
'Happy Face Killer' Keith Hunter Jesperson's final unknown victim has been identified via DNA as Lydia Jane Wade McWhorter, whose body was found along a California highway in 1992.
Authorities identify Happy Face Killer victim found in California more than 30 years ago
Investigators have identified the final victim of a serial killer known as the Happy Face Killer, almost 34 years after the discovery of her body in Southern California. The Happy Face Killer, identified as Keith Hunter Jesperson, has eight confirmed murder victims killed across multiple U.S. states between 1990 and 1995. He reportedly mailed many [...]
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