Unsolved Murder Victim Finally Identified
The last of four victims in a series of infamous murders has finally been identified. This announcement was made by law enforcement officials in the state of New Hampshire. The victim, who was previously known as "The Middle Child," has now been recognized as Rea Rasmussen, who was born in 1976 in Orange County, California.
Rea was the biological daughter of a man known as Terry Peder Rasmussen, who is believed to have committed these murders. Her mother was Pepper Reed, who was born in Texas in 1952 and hasn't been seen since the late 1970s.
A History of Violence
Terry Rasmussen, who used the alias "Bob Evans" in New Hampshire, died in prison in 2010. Rasmussen, a serial criminal, was known for using many different names. In 1985, the remains of an adult woman and a young girl were discovered in a barrel in a state park in Allenstown. Fifteen years later, a second barrel containing the remains of two more girls was found nearby.
By 2019, three of the victims were identified as Marlyse Honeychurch, Rasmussen's former girlfriend, and her daughters, Sarah McWaters and Marie Vaughn. In 2017, investigators were able to link one of the victims to Rasmussen.
The Role of DNA Analysis
A forensic team was the first to work with investigators on genetic analysis for this case. DNA testing initially discovered connections through an abduction case involving a baby named Lisa Jensen, who was taken by Rasmussen. The case developed into a pioneering effort in genetic testing, using material from hair samples and reconstructing genetic sequences.
According to the forensic team's president and founder, Barbara Rae-Venter, getting to a point where the team could use the technique to build genetic trees and identify someone took a very long time. The hair samples turned out to be an essential part of the investigation. The minimal human remains found with the victims contained a lot of bacterial DNA, which made it challenging to get accurate results.
Barbara Rae-Venter said the process took not just hundreds, but thousands of hours. Then, in January 2024, the cold case unit of the state police began collaborating with a project specializing in genetic genealogy testing. This partnership eventually led to the identification of Rea Rasmussen.
The Continued Investigation
While all four victims have now been identified, the search for Pepper Reed, who vanished in the late 1970s, continues. Law enforcement believes she may also have been a victim of Rasmussen.
Diane Kloepfer, Rasmussen's estranged daughter, said her father left them when she was just six years old. She has few memories of him, except that he was abusive. For years, she and her siblings tried to determine their father's true identity, eventually finding clues in an online community. After the first three victims were identified, Kloepfer started a campaign to discover the identity of her half-sister, Rea Rasmussen. Now that this mission has been accomplished, Kloepfer says her feelings are mixed.
The law enforcement community remains committed to solving the mystery of Pepper Reed's disappearance. A statement from the Attorney General emphasized the unwavering commitment to uncovering the truth, no matter how long it takes.
A news conference will be held to discuss the recent identification and provide more details and victim impact statements to the public.
