Who was Suzanne Kjellenberg? Body dumped near Florida highway in 1994 identified as Happy Face serial killer's sixth victim
OKALOOSA COUNTY, FLORIDA: Suzanne Kjellenberg, a 34-year-old woman who was murdered in 1994 and dumped on the side of a Florida highway, has been identified as the sixth victim of serial murderer Keith Jesperson, infamously known as the 'Happy Face Killer’.
The 67-year-old killer was taken into custody in March 1995 after being accused of murdering a woman in Washington State.
Following the arrest, he began confessing to multiple murders. At one time, he claimed to have killed as many as 160 victims while traveling America's highways as a long-haul rig driver in the 1990s.
He eventually backtracked on most of his claims, but investigators were able to verify the murders of eight women between 1990 and 1995 in California, Florida, Nebraska, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming.
In 1996, Jesperson told investigators that he killed an unknown woman by the name of "Susan" or "Suzette" along Interstate 10 in Holt, Florida, in August 1994, according to US Sun.
The serial killer’s confession led investigators to launch a search for “Susan”, whose remains were discovered on September 14, 1994, near an exit on Interstate 10 in Holt, Florida.
How did investigators identify Suzanne Kjellenberg?
Investigators may have discovered Kjellenberg’s body in 1994 but it took them 29 long years to formally identity her.
In a press conference on Tuesday, October 3, Eric Aden, the sheriff of Okaloosa County, revealed that they consulted with a private lab and used genetic genealogy to identify Kjellenberg.
In order to locate a match, they used the DNA of the Jane Doe's remains to develop a genetic profile of her and compared it to the millions of profiles on public databases like Ancestory.com and 23andMe.
With the use of DNA technology, investigators were able to create a family tree for the subject and they identified relatives of Kjellenberg's living in Wisconsin.
Officers have notified her family members, who were grateful for the perseverance but also asked for privacy. "Suzanne deserves a voice,” said Sherrif Aden, adding "We're that voice for her today and this case has been years in the making.”
Jesperson, who is currently serving four life sentences in Oregon, has now been formally charged with Kjellenberg’s murder as well.
Keith Jesperson confesses to murdering Suzanne Kjellenberg
Before formally announcing Kjellenberg’s identity, a team of Okaloosa investigators visited Jesperson in prison to get more information about her final moments.
At that time, the serial killer told investigators that in August 1994, he was at a truck stop in Tampa where he first met Kjellenberg, who had been hitchhiking across the country.
He admitted he didn't know exactly where she was going but agreed to take her to his next location in Cairo, Georgia, where they shared a lunch.
Jerperson said after making it to Cario, he began driving back to Florida, at which point he parked at a rest stop near a security vehicle and went to check on Kjellenberg who was in his cab.
Inside, he claims she had been sitting on a mattress when he decided to sit down next to her and she began to scream.
According to Jesperson, he became anxious because a security guard was parked next to his truck and decided to kill her to stop her. "I was like, ‘Shut up!’ and the more I told her to ‘shut up,’ the more she screamed. And I don't need that, because I wasn't supposed to have people in my truck anyway . . . so I just killed her,” he is heard saying in the interview.
Jesperson then secured zip-ties around Kjellenberg's neck and dumped her body along Interstate 10, where it would lay undiscovered for just over a month.
Keith Jesperson's daughter apologizes for his crime
On Wednesday, one of Jesperson's daughters, Melissa Moore, expressed her sorrow over the confirmation of Kjellenberg's death and issued her apologies to the tragic woman's family.
"I’m deeply saddened to know my father is responsible for the suffering and the murder of Suzanne L Kjellenberg," she wrote in a text message to US Sun.
"I’m grateful for the dedication of local authorities in pursuing her identity for nearly three decades. While I know this will not bring closure for her loved ones, I’m grateful that it provides answers.
"Suzanne deserved a beautiful long life and I’m sorry it was cut horrifically short by my father. Sending my prayers and support to her family and friends,” she continued.