A woman considered the “final unidentified victim” of convicted serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, dubbed the “Happy Face Killer,” has been identified nearly 34 years after her body was found along a stretch of California highway.
Jesperson previously pleaded guilty in 2010 to killing the woman, who he called “Claudia,” according to prosecutors. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in connection with her death and remains behind bars in Oregon, where he is currently serving several life sentences.
This week, investigators officially identified “Claudia” as Lydia Jane Wade McWhorter, who vanished in Texas before her body was located on August 30, 1992, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office announced on Thursday, August 27.
“Lydia’s sisters that she grew up with spent decades not knowing what happened to her after she disappeared from Texas in the 1990s,” the office said in a news release.
McWhorter was 26 years old when she died, per CBS News.
She was found dead in an area of Highway 95 near Blythe, which is located about a 75-mile drive east from Joshua Tree National Park, according to prosecutors.
When Jesperson eventually admitted to killing her, he said he encountered McWhorter “while working as a long-haul truck driver,” the district attorney’s office said.
Jesperson has admitted to the murders of eight women between 1990 and 1995, according to the Los Angeles Times. He was known for detailing his killings in letters sent to news outlets that were signed with a smiley face, resulting in his “Happy Face Killer” nickname.
Riverside County cold case investigators ultimately asked the public in 2024 for help to identify McWhorter, according to the district attorney’s office.
“At that time, advances in DNA technology and genetic genealogy had allowed investigators to identify relatives on Lydia’s paternal side, but a maternal connection was still needed to confirm her identity,” the district attorney’s office said.
The investigation developed further when investigators found one of Lydia’s maternal relatives and obtained a DNA sample, according to prosecutors.
The sample came from a cheek swab provided by McWhorter’s sister, the Los Angeles Times reported, and confirmed McWhorter’s identification.
The district attorney’s office said it is coordinating with McWhorter’s family on “how they would like to honor and lay her to rest.”
“I want to thank the public for the role you play in our investigations,” Billy Hester, the supervising investigator of Riverside County’s Cold Case Unit, said in a statement.
“When people take the time to share information, submit a tip or simply pay attention to what is happening in their community, it can make a real difference,” Hester added. “You may not know where a piece of information will lead, but our investigators will follow it. Most importantly, I hope this will finally bring closure to Lydia’s family.”
