The Happy Face Killer: 5 Shocking New Details And The Cold Cases Solved By DNA

Keith Hunter Jesperson, the infamous Canadian-American serial killer known as the "Happy Face Killer," continues to dominate headlines in the true crime world, even decades after his horrific murder spree across the United States. As of December 2025, the case is experiencing a significant resurgence in public interest due to a major new television series and groundbreaking advancements in forensic science that are finally giving names back to his long-unidentified victims.

The story of the long-haul truck driver who murdered at least eight women between 1990 and 1995 is no longer just a cold case file. It is a dynamic, ongoing investigation fueled by genealogical DNA profiling and a powerful new media project that promises to bring the terrifying story of the man who signed his confession letters with a crudely drawn smiley face to a global audience.

The Complete Biography and Profile of Keith Hunter Jesperson

Keith Hunter Jesperson was a seemingly ordinary man living a double life as a dedicated serial killer. His career as a long-haul truck driver provided him with the perfect cover and the mobility to commit murders across state lines, making his capture significantly more difficult for local law enforcement agencies.

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• Full Name: Keith Hunter Jesperson
• Nickname: The Happy Face Killer (coined by a newspaper reporter after he sent anonymous confession letters to the media, each signed with a smiley face).
• Date of Birth: April 6, 1955
• Place of Birth: Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada
• Nationality: Canadian-American
• Occupation: Long-Haul Truck Driver
• Years Active: 1990–1995
• Confirmed Victims: At least eight women, though he has falsely claimed as many as 160.
• States of Murders: Oregon, Washington, California, Florida, Nebraska, and Wyoming.
• Current Status: Serving multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole in Oregon State Penitentiary.

Jesperson’s first confirmed victim was Taunja Bennett, whom he raped and strangled in Portland, Oregon, in January 1990. The case was initially botched when another woman, Laverne Pavlinac, falsely confessed to the murder along with her boyfriend, John Sosnovske, who were both wrongfully convicted. Jesperson, enraged that he was not getting credit for the crime, began sending letters to the media and police, detailing the gruesome specifics of his murders and signing them with the infamous smiley face, thus earning his chilling moniker.

The New Era of Justice: Genealogical DNA and Naming the Jane Does

One of the most significant and recent developments in the Happy Face Killer case involves the use of forensic genealogical DNA profiling—a cutting-edge technique that has reinvigorated cold case investigations nationwide. For decades, several of Jesperson's victims were simply known as "Jane Does," their identities lost to time and the vastness of the American highway system. This is finally changing.

The use of advanced DNA technology has allowed investigators to submit the victims' genetic profiles to public genealogy databases. By building family trees from distant relatives, detectives can work backward to identify the victim, a process that is rewriting the history of this serial killer's crimes.

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Suzanne Kjellenberg: The Jane Doe Identified After 29 Years

A massive breakthrough occurred when DNA evidence from a victim found near Holtville, California, in 1994 led to a successful identification in 2022. The victim, initially known as the Fifth Victim or a Santa Clara County Jane Doe, was finally identified as Suzanne Kjellenberg from California.

Kjellenberg was a mother who had been missing for decades. Her identification brought closure to her family, demonstrating the immense power of combining old evidence with new technology. The efforts of the DNA Doe Project (DDP) and the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department were instrumental in this success.

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The Final Unidentified Victim: A Current Riverside County Cold Case

As of late 2025, investigators are intensifying efforts to identify Jesperson's last unknown victim, a woman found in Riverside County, California. The Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team has released new information and detailed sketches, hoping to generate leads. This victim, whose remains were discovered in 1992, is the final piece of the puzzle in Jesperson’s confirmed murder count. Authorities are actively seeking public assistance, emphasizing that even a small, seemingly insignificant detail could be the key to giving this woman her name back.

The *Happy Face* Series: Melissa G. Moore’s Story on Paramount+ (2025)

Perhaps the biggest driver of renewed public interest in the case is the upcoming true crime drama series, *Happy Face*, slated for release on Paramount+ in 2025. This series is not a typical serial killer documentary; instead, it focuses on the devastating, intimate story of Jesperson’s daughter, Melissa G. Moore.

The show is based on Moore's own experiences, including her memoir and the popular podcast she hosted. It explores the psychological trauma of discovering that her own father was one of the country's most notorious murderers. Moore’s journey from a teenage girl to a woman grappling with her father’s monstrous legacy offers a unique and heartbreaking perspective rarely seen in the true crime genre.

The series will delve into the manipulations of Keith Hunter Jesperson and the difficulty Moore faced in explaining her father's identity to her own children. This narrative shift—from the killer's perspective to the survivor's and the family's—is what makes the Paramount+ adaptation a highly anticipated event.

The Legacy of the Serial Killer Truck Driver

The case of the Happy Face Killer remains a chilling reminder of the dangers posed by mobile predators. Jesperson is one of several infamous serial killer truck drivers, a category of criminal that exploits the anonymity and vast reach of the North American highway system to target vulnerable individuals, often sex workers or hitchhikers, across multiple jurisdictions. The states involved—Oregon, Washington, California, Florida, Nebraska, and Wyoming—underscore the massive scope of his killing spree.

The ongoing efforts to identify his Jane Doe victims, decades later, highlight the commitment of cold case investigators and the transformative potential of forensic genealogy. Every name recovered, from Taunja Bennett to Suzanne Kjellenberg, is a small victory for justice and a step toward reclaiming the victims' humanity from the killer who tried to erase them. As the 2025 Paramount+ series approaches, the public will once again be forced to confront the chilling reality of the man behind the smiley face.