Lydia McWhorter identified as final victim of Happy Face Killer

Authorities have identified the final unidentified victim of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, known as the ‘Happy Face Killer,’ more than 34 years after her body was discovered. Lydia Jane Wade McWhorter, 26, of Texas, was identified through advances in DNA technology and genetic genealogy.

For decades, McWhorter was known only as ‘Claudia,’ a name used by Jesperson. Her remains were found on August 30, 1992, along Highway 95 near Blythe, California. Jesperson, a former long-haul truck driver, confessed to her murder and several others, earning his nickname by sending letters to the media signed with smiley faces.

Investigators from the Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team achieved the breakthrough by establishing a maternal family link. While paternal relatives had been identified previously, a DNA sample from a maternal relative confirmed McWhorter’s identity, providing closure to her surviving sisters.