In a breakthrough in an old cold case, law enforcement has identified a woman who was the victim of notorious “Happy Face” serial killer Keith Jesperson nearly three decades after his murder.
Keith Jesperson, infamously known as the “Happy Face” killer, is serving multiple life sentences for his chilling confession to the murders of eight women in several states between 1990 and 1995.
His nickname arose from his habit of sending notes to the media, signed with a sinister smiley face, according to a press release from the Okaloosa, Florida, Sheriff’s Office.
The case of the unidentified victim dates back to February 1996, when Jesperson revealed to an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office investigator that he had killed a woman in 1994 and disposed of her remains along the Interstate. 10 in Oregon. Jesperson, however, did not remember her name and vaguely identified her as “Susan” or “Suzette.”
Happy Face: Decades of unanswered questions
When the victim’s body was discovered on September 14, 1994, investigators faced the enormous challenge of identifying her. At that time, they could only determine that she was a white woman, probably between 35 and 55 years old.
Despite extensive efforts, including facial reconstruction in 2007 and isotope analysis in 2018, his identity remained a mystery.
In late 2022, the District One Medical Examiner’s Office joined forces with Othram, a private company specializing in genetic genealogy. Using next-generation forensic genome sequencing, Othram created a complete genealogical profile of the unidentified woman in 2023, ultimately revealing her identity as Suzanne Kjellenberg.
Suzanne Kjellenberg was 34 years old at the time of her tragic death. According to Okaloosa Sheriff Eric Aden, Kjellenberg’s surviving family resides in Wisconsin.
Keith Jesperson has now been charged with the murder of Suzanne Kjellenberg. In a meeting with investigators in September 2023, Jesperson provided chilling details of the crime. He claimed to have encountered Kjellenberg in 1994 while working as a long-haul truck driver.
They stopped at a rest area in Florida, where Jesperson parked next to a security guard while Kjellenberg rested in the bunk of his truck. Jesperson reported that she began screaming and, in an attempt to evade her attention, he prevented her from breathing by applying pressure to her neck and then secured zip ties around her throat.
Sheriff Eric Aden expressed relief that Suzanne Kjellenberg, the latest unidentified victim of Jesperson’s nationwide murder spree, could finally be laid to rest. He thanked the tireless efforts of those involved in resolving this cold case, offering a glimpse of closure for the victim’s family.
This development follows the identification of another of Jesperson’s victims in 2022. Patricia Skiple, formerly known as “Blue Pacheco” due to clothing found with her remains, was identified through genetic genealogy, shedding light on a mystery of 30 years.
Jesperson confessed to her murder in 2006 and detailed the horrific circumstances in a letter to the county district attorney’s office.
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