Genealogical testing has gotten investigators one step closer to naming the unidentified remains of the biological child of Terry Rasmussen, also known as The Chameleon Killer. Suspected of murdering her and at least 4 others—including two other children—this Jane Doe is the only unidentified victim among the four found in 55-gallon drums in the New Hampshire wilderness in 1985 and 2000.
Recently, the New Hampshire State Police partnered with genetic genealogist Barbara Rae-Venter to find any further clues as to the identity of the child Jane Doe. Rae-Venter’s research suggests the mother of the child—who is a suspected victim of Rasmussen’s, but whose remains have not yet been found—has relatives in Pearl River County, Mississippi.
Rae-Venter says the child and her mother could be descendants of Thomas ‘Deadhorse’ Mitchell, born in 1836, or William Livings, born in 1826. Jane Doe would be the fifth or sixth great-grandchild of one of these men.
“The two ways the public can help is by sharing across social media, expanding the reach of the information, and as comfortable, uploading their DNA into GEDmatch or Family Tree DNA to increase the chances of identifying this little girl,” the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement. “Even if people don’t think they are related, anyone originally from the Mississippi region, who allows for the DNA to be examined, could potentially assist with genealogy efforts.”
Although the child’s body was found in the New Hampshire woods along with three others, the investigation has suggested she is not originally from the area, likely only spending a few weeks or months there before her murder.
Authorities already know that the little girl was 2 to 4 years old at the time of her death, placing her birthdate between 1975 and 1977. DNA testing revealed she is primarily Caucasian with a small amount of Asian, Black and American Indian ancestry. An analysis of her bones suggests she may have had anemia, and a slight overbite that could have been noticeable. She had slightly wavy brown hair and stood approximately 3’3” to 3'9" tall.
A killer hidden in plain sight
In 1985, a hunter walking along woods near a New Hampshire state park found a rusted 55-gallon drum. Inside, wrapped in plastic, were two badly decomposed bodies—a female adult and a female child. With no missing persons reports in the area, the case went cold quickly. It didn’t heat back up until 15 years later when a New Hampshire trooper investigating the case went back to the area and found a second drum about 100 yards from the first. It was the same story—the drum contained the decomposed remains of two children, 2 to 4 years old and 1 to 3 years old.
All four victims had been beaten, possibly to death, and some were dismembered. The killings are believed to have been committed around the same time.
Rasmussen's web of lies, murder and false identities began to unravel in 2002 when he was arrested for the murder of his girlfriend, Eunsoon Jun. Despite being arrested as Larry Vanner, his fingerprints came back belonging to Curtis Kimball, a California parolee who had disappeared after being released on a child endangerment charge. That charge stemmed from Rasmussen abandoning his 5-year-old child, Lisa Jenson, at a neighbor’s house. Subsequent DNA testing confirmed Rasmussen was not Lisa’s biological father.
In June 2003, Rasmussen was convicted of Jun’s murder and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison, where he would stay until 2010 when he died of natural causes. His death did not mean the end of the case, though. Investigators, amateur sleuths, professional genealogists and others continued their dogged pursuit for answers and identities.
In 2016, DNA testing revealed one of the children in the barrels was Rasmussen’s biological child. Police also announced Denise Beaudin, one of Rasmussen’s girlfriends, was officially listed as missing and a suspected victim of the probable serial killer. Beaudin is the biological mother of Lisa Jenson. She, nor her remains, have been found.
In 2017, authorities revealed Rasmussen’s true name, and that he was suspected in the deaths of at least six people.
In 2019, genealogical research, including a message on ancestry.com, lead authorities to positively identify three of the bodies in the barrels as Marlyse Elizabeth Honeychurch and her children Marie Elizabeth Vaughn and Sarah Lynn McWaters. The children were the oldest and youngest victims, as Rasmussen’s biological child is aged between them.
Dubbed “The Chameleon Killer” for his multitude of alias, Rasmussen went by all the following during his life and suspected killing spree: Terry Peder Rasmussen, Robert (Bob) T. Evans, Curtis Mayo Kimball, Jerry Edwards Gorman, Gordon Curtis Jenson and Lawrence William Vanner. He has ties to multiple areas in New Hampshire, including Allenstown and Manchester; Galveston and Ingleside, Texas; Hawaii; Phoenix, Arizona; and various locations throughout California, including Cyprus, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, La Puente and more.
Photo: An artist’s rendering shows what the unidentified daughter of suspected serial killer Terry Rasmussen might have looked like before her killing. Genealogical testing has now shown she likely has/had relatives in Pearl County, Mississippi. Credit: New Hampshire State Police/NamUs