Local & Community
Riverside County Identifies Happy Face Killer Victim
After more than three decades, Riverside County investigators have identified the final victim associated with serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as the Happy Face Killer.
The victim is 26-year-old Lydia Jane Wade McWhorter, a Texas woman who was found dead August 30, 1992, along Highway 95, about seven miles north of Blythe.
For years, the woman was known only as "Claudia."
Jesperson later confessed to her murder, telling investigators he met McWhorter while working as a long-haul truck driver. He is serving multiple life sentences in Oregon.
In 2024, Riverside County's cold case team asked the public for help identifying the unidentified woman. Investigators eventually used advances in DNA technology and genetic genealogy to locate relatives on both sides of McWhorter's family.
A DNA sample collected this week confirmed her identity.
McWhorter's family had spent decades without knowing what happened to her after she disappeared from Texas.
One family member, Brenda, said she agreed to provide a DNA sample because she wanted to finally know whether the unidentified woman was her missing sister.
"It was either her or it was someone else's little sister," Brenda said.
Riverside County officials said cold case investigations can be difficult because evidence may be limited and witnesses can be difficult to locate. Investigators also recognize that families may wait years or even decades for answers.
Officials credited the public for helping investigators move the case forward and said tips and information from community members can make a significant difference.
With McWhorter's identification, Riverside County's cold case homicide team has officially closed the final unidentified victim case associated with Jesperson's eight convicted murders.
Officials hope the identification brings closure to McWhorter's family after more than 30 years of uncertainty.
Explore: NBCPalmSprings.com, where we are connecting the Valley.
By: NBC Palm Springs
August 27, 2026
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