The bone-chilling case of Terry Rasmussen, a serial killer who died in prison in 2010, has undergone a major twist. One of his victims has finally been identified 25 years after she was found dead in a barrel at a New Hampshire state park. The little girl named Rea Rasmussen has been identified as Rasmussen’s own daughter, and reportedly his fourth victim, according to the investigators.
Rasmussen’s series of crimes is too complicated and partly unsolved even after decades. On November 10, 1985, the mortal remains of an adult woman and a young girl were found in a barrel on private property near Bear Brook State Park in Allentown, New Hampshire. 15 years later, on May 9, 2000, a second barrel near the first barrel’s location was discovered. It contained the decayed bodies of two young girls. It was concluded that all the victims died of blunt force trauma to their heads.
Final victim of New Hampshire’s Bear Brook murders identified, closing a 40 year search for answers.
Her name is Rea Rasmussen and she is the daughter of Terry Rasmussen, the primary subject. pic.twitter.com/96cC8oyj4h
— Michael Gravell (@GravellMichael) September 9, 2025
The authorities speculate that the victims might have been killed in the late 70s or early 80s but the identities of the three victims weren’t identified until 2019. The adult woman whose remains were found in 1985 was identified as Rasmussen’s ex-girlfriend, Marlyse Honeychurch, who was in her 20s. The other two victims were her two daughters, 11-year-old Marie Vaughn and toddler Sarah McWaters.
The fourth victim, who was previously referred to as the “middle child,” was determined to be Rasmussen’s biological daughter in 2016. However, she remained unidentified until the latest discovery, made possible by extensive DNA testing.
It has been found out that Rea Rasmussen was born to his ex-girlfriend, Pepper Reed, in 1976. She was murdered when she was 2 to 4 years old. Though there are no known pictures of Rea, the facial reconstruction technology helped authorities give an idea of what Rea might have looked like when she was brutally murdered by her own biological father.
In a recent press release, Attorney General John Formella said, “This case has weighed on New Hampshire and the nation for decades. With Rea Rasmussen’s identification, all four victims now have their names back.”
“This development is the result of extraordinary perseverance by law enforcement, forensic experts, and our Cold Case Unit,” he added.
“We never forgot Rea. We never stopped looking. This case has passed through the hands of many investigators, all of whom felt the weight of speaking for those who no longer could. Naming her brings a sense of justice but also reminds us of the unanswered questions that remain,” said New Hampshire State Police Detective Sergeant Christopher N. Elphick.
The case still has a lot of unanswered questions. Rea’s mother, Pepper Reed, hasn’t been seen since the late 70s, and investigators believe that she might have been murdered too.
Rasmussen, known as the Chameleon killer, reportedly had more victims than the investigators have discovered. He is also believed to have killed another ex-girlfriend, Denise Beaudin, who went missing in 1981.
The serial killer was caught in 2002 for killing his girlfriend, Eunsoon Jim. In 2003, he was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. Rasmussen died in California State Prison at age 67 in 2010. The authorities, however, continue to dig deeper into the late serial killer’s crimes.
Terry Rasmussen in 2002 pic.twitter.com/B0D7oo9aL4
— X Case Files (@XCaseFiles) June 13, 2025
Formella said, “Our commitment to uncovering the truth, no matter how long it takes, remains unwavering.” He added that the department will “continue to seek answers about the disappearance of Pepper Reed.”
The New Hampshire Department of Justice stated that it is an ongoing investigation, and their current objectives are to find the whereabouts and fate of Pepper Reed, and to learn about Rasmussen’s movements between 1974 and 1985.
