TEXAS, USA — Cold case investigators are hoping to positively identify the final victim of a notorious serial killer by reaching possible relatives in the Southeast Texas area.
The Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team says the victim known as "Claudia," was killed by Keith Jesperson, or the "Happy Face Killer."
This call for help comes on the anniversary of Jesperson's Jan. 8, 2010 conviction. On that day, he pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced.
"Claudia" was one of eight women killed by Jesperson.
"She is a real person and we want to make sure we give her back her identity," said Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin.
Hestrin and investigator Ebony Caviness say Jesperson met "Claudia" on Aug. 30, 1992.
"He's a long haul truck driver that is known to pick up hitch hikers," Caviness said. "He met our victim at a break check on the I-15 south near the Cajon pass."
Jesperson told police the woman, who he called "Claudia," got out of an Albertson's grocery truck and asked for a ride to Los Angeles.
"She agrees to go with him to Cabazon. When he's done repairing his rig he gets back in and he drives to the area of Coachella Indio Valley area to a Burns Bro and they have dinner there," Caviness said.
That would end up being "Claudia's" last meal.
"They get back in the truck that's when he murders her. He says prior to the murder they got into an argument and he just got angry," Caviness said.
The woman’s body was found on Aug. 30, 1992 along Highway 95, about seven miles north of the city of Blythe, California.
Jesperson described the victim as a woman with shaggy, wild blonde hair and tight clothing.
She was also described to be about 20 to 30 years old in 1992, about 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 7 inches and was of medium build, around 140-150 pounds, according to a news release from the Riverside District Attorney's Office.
"Claudia" was found wearing a t-shirt printed with a motorcycle and had a tattoo of two small dots on the left side of her right thumb.
A number of sketches have been made of her as she may have looked before her death.
Images of her were made using a combination of DNA technology, her remains and Jesperson's descriptions.
Caviness says through DNA, they were able to find "Claudia's" father, who was from Cameron County, Texas, but he's now deceased.
Now, they're looking for more family.
Several half-siblings were identified, but living relatives are not biological matches to the victim’s mother, so they wouldn't be able to help with the identification.
However, genetic mapping has indicated the victim's maternal side of the family has ties to the Southeast Texas area and/or Louisiana.
"We see she has distant relatives and ties to Texas. Harris County, Cameron and Southeast Texas. If anybody knows who Alfonso Gonzalez was dating in the 60's or they knew who her mother may be, they can give us a call," Caviness said.
"We're going to keep working until we identify her," Hestrin said.
Jesperson is serving multiple life sentences for having killed eight women across the country. He's currently in the Oregon State Prison.
Any leads can be reported to the Cold Case Hotline at (951) 955-5567, or by emailing coldcaseunit@rivcoda.org.
If you believe that you are a relative in this case, or other unsolved homicides, you can contact GedMatch for DNA comparison.