Terry Peder Rasmussen
American Serial Killer Case
CLASSIFICATION: Serial Homicide
LOCATION
New Hampshire, United States
TIME PERIOD
1978-2002
VICTIMS
6 confirmed
Terry Peder Rasmussen, an American serial killer known as the "Chameleon Killer," was linked to a series of murders across the United States between 1978 and 2002. He was convicted of one murder in 2002 and is suspected of at least five additional homicides, including the notorious Bear Brook murders in New Hampshire, where the bodies of Marlyse Honeychurch and her two daughters were discovered in barrels between 1985 and 2000. Rasmussen's criminal activities began in New Hampshire, where he disappeared with his girlfriend Denise Beaudin in 1981, leading to her and her daughter's suspected murders. He was apprehended in 2002 and died in prison in 2010; however, DNA evidence connected him to the Bear Brook murders in 2017, with ongoing investigations identifying three of the victims, while the identity of his daughter remains unknown.
Terry Peder Rasmussen is believed to have killed his girlfriend Denise Beaudin after her disappearance in 1981, and he is suspected of having abducted and abused her daughter before abandoning her. He is also the prime suspect in the Bear Brook murders, where the bodies of several victims were found in barrels, with DNA evidence linking him to the crime. Investigators theorize that his extensive use of aliases facilitated his ability to evade capture and continue his criminal activities across multiple states.
The Chameleon Killer: The Life and Crimes of Terry Peder Rasmussen
Early Life and Formation
Terry Peder Rasmussen was born on December 23, 1943, in Denver, Colorado—a city that would be just the first stop on a long and sinister journey. Growing up in Arizona, Rasmussen dropped out of North High School in Phoenix during his sophomore year in 1960. In 1961, he enlisted in the United States Navy, where he trained as an electrician, a skill that would support his transient lifestyle until his discharge in 1967.
Rasmussen married in 1968, and he and his wife lived with their four children in Phoenix and Redwood City, California. However, beneath the façade of family life, darkness loomed. Relatives recalled his violent tendencies, including burning one of his sons with cigarette butts. This abuse culminated in his arrest for aggravated assault in 1975, prompting his wife to leave with the children. The family saw him for the last time in December 1975 or 1976, accompanied by an unidentified woman. Their divorce was finalized in 1978.
A drifter by nature, Rasmussen roamed across states—Arizona, Colorado, California, Idaho, Virginia, Texas, Ohio, Oregon, and Hawaii—before settling in New Hampshire in the late 1970s. Known to travel with women and children, he often found work as an electrician for oil and gas companies. In Manchester, New Hampshire, he adopted the alias "Bob Evans" and worked at Waumbec Mill. His criminal activities began to surface with arrests for writing bad checks, theft, and diverting electricity. During this period, a woman named "Elizabeth Evans," believed to be Marlyse Elizabeth Honeychurch, was listed as his wife, though her identity remained unconfirmed.
The Bear Brook Murders
The chilling saga of the Bear Brook murders began in 1978 when Rasmussen became involved with Marlyse Elizabeth Honeychurch. Honeychurch, a woman with two daughters from previous marriages, was last seen in La Puente, California, on Thanksgiving Day that year. Following a family argument, she left with Rasmussen and her daughters, Marie Elizabeth Vaughn, aged six, and Sarah Lynn McWaters, aged one. They vanished without a trace.
On November 10, 1985, the decomposed bodies of Honeychurch and Vaughn were discovered in a barrel in Bear Brook State Park, Allenstown, New Hampshire. Their cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. Fifteen years later, on May 9, 2000, a second barrel was found approximately 100 yards from the first, containing the remains of McWaters and an unidentified child aged between two and four. Investigators concluded that all four victims had been killed around the same time, but the second barrel had been overlooked earlier due to its distance.
The identities of Honeychurch and her children remained a mystery until DNA profiling in 2019 confirmed them. The unidentified child was determined to be Rasmussen's biological daughter, though her identity remains unknown. Rasmussen died in prison in 2010, never facing charges for these murders.
Denise Beaudin and "Lisa"
In 1981, under the guise of Bob Evans, Rasmussen began dating Denise Beaudin in Manchester, New Hampshire. Beaudin and her six-month-old daughter disappeared after Thanksgiving that year. Authorities believe Rasmussen murdered Beaudin in California, but her body has never been found. At the time, her family assumed she left due to financial troubles.
Rasmussen continued to pose as the father of Beaudin's daughter, whom he named Lisa. Arrested in Cypress, California, in 1985 as "Curtis Kimball" for driving under the influence, he failed to appear in court. Switching aliases to "Gordon Jenson," he abandoned Lisa at an RV park in Scotts Valley, California, in 1986. Two years later, under the name "Gerry Mockerman," he was arrested for driving a stolen vehicle. Fingerprints linked him back to his Kimball alias, leading to a three-year sentence for child abandonment in 1989. Paroled in 1990, Rasmussen vanished, becoming a fugitive once more.
Eunsoon Jun and Final Capture
Rasmussen reemerged in December 1999 in California under the name "Larry Vanner." He was introduced to Eunsoon Jun, a chemist, and they married unofficially in 2001. Jun disappeared by June the following year, and her body was later discovered buried in cat litter in their home, having died from blunt force trauma.
In November 2002, Rasmussen was arrested and in 2003 pleaded no contest to charges related to Jun's murder and dismemberment. Sentenced to fifteen years to life, his guilty plea surprised many. Detective Roxane Gruenheid speculated that Rasmussen may have pleaded guilty to halt her investigation into his past, as she had begun probing into Lisa's paternity. Fingerprint evidence had already linked Rasmussen's aliases, tying him to child abandonment charges and prompting further inquiry into his background.
Posthumous Revelations
In 2013, San Bernardino detective Peter Headley was assigned to Lisa's case. By then, genealogy databases had expanded significantly. Genetic genealogist Barbara Rae-Venter assisted Lisa in discovering her true identity in 2015, unraveling that the man she thought was her father was her abductor. This revelation linked Rasmussen to New Hampshire during the Bear Brook murders.
On January 26, 2017, authorities named "Bob Evans" as a suspect in Beaudin's disappearance and the Bear Brook murders. DNA confirmed he was the father of the middle child found in Allenstown, though his real identity remained unknown. In June 2017, police released a 2002 interview video with Evans, hoping to uncover his true identity. Two months later, Y-DNA testing confirmed him as Rasmussen, thanks to a DNA sample from a child of his believed first marriage.
The use of genetic genealogy opened new forensic avenues, later aiding in the capture of serial killer Joseph James DeAngelo. New Hampshire investigators announced in June 2019 that DNA testing confirmed the identities of Honeychurch, Vaughn, and McWaters. The identity of Rasmussen’s daughter and her mother remain unknown, with investigators suspecting the mother was also killed by Rasmussen.
Suspect in Other Crimes
Rasmussen's shadow extended beyond his known victims. In 1980, he lived near fourteen-year-old Laureen Rahn, who vanished from Manchester. Denise Daneault, 25, disappeared from a bar near Rasmussen's residence in June 1980. Despite searches and renewed interest due to Rasmussen's ties, no evidence linked him to these cases.
Elizabeth Lamotte, who disappeared from a Manchester youth center in 1984, was speculated to be "Elizabeth Evans," but DNA later identified her as a victim of the unrelated Redhead murders. When questioned in 1986, Lisa claimed her siblings had died eating "grass mushrooms," leading police to suspect other possible victims during the gap between Beaudin's disappearance and Lisa's abandonment.
Speculation also surrounds Rasmussen as a potential suspect in the 1995 murder of Amanda Schumann Deza, found in a refrigerator in Holt, California. Like Rasmussen's other victims, she died from blunt force trauma. Deza was identified as the "San Joaquin Jane Doe" in 2023, raising further questions about Rasmussen's reach.
The Legacy of the Chameleon Killer
Criminologist Jack Levin remarked that Rasmussen's willingness to target those close to him distinguished him from other serial killers, earning him the moniker "The Chameleon Killer." His use of numerous aliases and nationwide crime spree have left an indelible mark on forensic and criminal investigations. In 2018, New Hampshire Public Radio explored his story in the "Bear Brook" true crime podcast, ensuring his dark legacy continues to intrigue and horrify.
Sources
For further information, please refer to the original Wikipedia article: Terry Peder Rasmussen.
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First Suspected Murders
Terry Rasmussen begins a series of crimes, including the Bear Brook murders.
Denise Beaudin Disappearance
Denise Beaudin disappears with her daughter, believed to be abducted by Rasmussen.
Bear Brook Victims Found
Bodies of Marlyse Honeychurch and her daughter found in barrels in Bear Brook State Park.
Rasmussen Arrested
Terry Rasmussen is arrested for the murder of Eunsoon Jun.
Guilty Plea
Rasmussen pleads no contest to charges related to Eunsoon Jun's murder.
Rasmussen Linked to Bear Brook
Authorities announce Rasmussen as a suspect in the Bear Brook murders.
Victims Identified
Three of the Bear Brook victims are identified through DNA testing.
Rasmussen Dies
Terry Rasmussen dies in prison from health complications.
Terry Peder Rasmussen, an American serial killer known as the "Chameleon Killer," was linked to a series of murders across the United States between 1978 and 2002. He was convicted of one murder in 2002 and is suspected of at least five additional homicides, including the notorious Bear Brook murders in New Hampshire, where the bodies of Marlyse Honeychurch and her two daughters were discovered in barrels between 1985 and 2000. Rasmussen's criminal activities began in New Hampshire, where he disappeared with his girlfriend Denise Beaudin in 1981, leading to her and her daughter's suspected murders. He was apprehended in 2002 and died in prison in 2010; however, DNA evidence connected him to the Bear Brook murders in 2017, with ongoing investigations identifying three of the victims, while the identity of his daughter remains unknown.
Terry Peder Rasmussen is believed to have killed his girlfriend Denise Beaudin after her disappearance in 1981, and he is suspected of having abducted and abused her daughter before abandoning her. He is also the prime suspect in the Bear Brook murders, where the bodies of several victims were found in barrels, with DNA evidence linking him to the crime. Investigators theorize that his extensive use of aliases facilitated his ability to evade capture and continue his criminal activities across multiple states.
The Chameleon Killer: The Life and Crimes of Terry Peder Rasmussen
Early Life and Formation
Terry Peder Rasmussen was born on December 23, 1943, in Denver, Colorado—a city that would be just the first stop on a long and sinister journey. Growing up in Arizona, Rasmussen dropped out of North High School in Phoenix during his sophomore year in 1960. In 1961, he enlisted in the United States Navy, where he trained as an electrician, a skill that would support his transient lifestyle until his discharge in 1967.
Rasmussen married in 1968, and he and his wife lived with their four children in Phoenix and Redwood City, California. However, beneath the façade of family life, darkness loomed. Relatives recalled his violent tendencies, including burning one of his sons with cigarette butts. This abuse culminated in his arrest for aggravated assault in 1975, prompting his wife to leave with the children. The family saw him for the last time in December 1975 or 1976, accompanied by an unidentified woman. Their divorce was finalized in 1978.
A drifter by nature, Rasmussen roamed across states—Arizona, Colorado, California, Idaho, Virginia, Texas, Ohio, Oregon, and Hawaii—before settling in New Hampshire in the late 1970s. Known to travel with women and children, he often found work as an electrician for oil and gas companies. In Manchester, New Hampshire, he adopted the alias "Bob Evans" and worked at Waumbec Mill. His criminal activities began to surface with arrests for writing bad checks, theft, and diverting electricity. During this period, a woman named "Elizabeth Evans," believed to be Marlyse Elizabeth Honeychurch, was listed as his wife, though her identity remained unconfirmed.
The Bear Brook Murders
The chilling saga of the Bear Brook murders began in 1978 when Rasmussen became involved with Marlyse Elizabeth Honeychurch. Honeychurch, a woman with two daughters from previous marriages, was last seen in La Puente, California, on Thanksgiving Day that year. Following a family argument, she left with Rasmussen and her daughters, Marie Elizabeth Vaughn, aged six, and Sarah Lynn McWaters, aged one. They vanished without a trace.
On November 10, 1985, the decomposed bodies of Honeychurch and Vaughn were discovered in a barrel in Bear Brook State Park, Allenstown, New Hampshire. Their cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. Fifteen years later, on May 9, 2000, a second barrel was found approximately 100 yards from the first, containing the remains of McWaters and an unidentified child aged between two and four. Investigators concluded that all four victims had been killed around the same time, but the second barrel had been overlooked earlier due to its distance.
The identities of Honeychurch and her children remained a mystery until DNA profiling in 2019 confirmed them. The unidentified child was determined to be Rasmussen's biological daughter, though her identity remains unknown. Rasmussen died in prison in 2010, never facing charges for these murders.
Denise Beaudin and "Lisa"
In 1981, under the guise of Bob Evans, Rasmussen began dating Denise Beaudin in Manchester, New Hampshire. Beaudin and her six-month-old daughter disappeared after Thanksgiving that year. Authorities believe Rasmussen murdered Beaudin in California, but her body has never been found. At the time, her family assumed she left due to financial troubles.
Rasmussen continued to pose as the father of Beaudin's daughter, whom he named Lisa. Arrested in Cypress, California, in 1985 as "Curtis Kimball" for driving under the influence, he failed to appear in court. Switching aliases to "Gordon Jenson," he abandoned Lisa at an RV park in Scotts Valley, California, in 1986. Two years later, under the name "Gerry Mockerman," he was arrested for driving a stolen vehicle. Fingerprints linked him back to his Kimball alias, leading to a three-year sentence for child abandonment in 1989. Paroled in 1990, Rasmussen vanished, becoming a fugitive once more.
Eunsoon Jun and Final Capture
Rasmussen reemerged in December 1999 in California under the name "Larry Vanner." He was introduced to Eunsoon Jun, a chemist, and they married unofficially in 2001. Jun disappeared by June the following year, and her body was later discovered buried in cat litter in their home, having died from blunt force trauma.
In November 2002, Rasmussen was arrested and in 2003 pleaded no contest to charges related to Jun's murder and dismemberment. Sentenced to fifteen years to life, his guilty plea surprised many. Detective Roxane Gruenheid speculated that Rasmussen may have pleaded guilty to halt her investigation into his past, as she had begun probing into Lisa's paternity. Fingerprint evidence had already linked Rasmussen's aliases, tying him to child abandonment charges and prompting further inquiry into his background.
Posthumous Revelations
In 2013, San Bernardino detective Peter Headley was assigned to Lisa's case. By then, genealogy databases had expanded significantly. Genetic genealogist Barbara Rae-Venter assisted Lisa in discovering her true identity in 2015, unraveling that the man she thought was her father was her abductor. This revelation linked Rasmussen to New Hampshire during the Bear Brook murders.
On January 26, 2017, authorities named "Bob Evans" as a suspect in Beaudin's disappearance and the Bear Brook murders. DNA confirmed he was the father of the middle child found in Allenstown, though his real identity remained unknown. In June 2017, police released a 2002 interview video with Evans, hoping to uncover his true identity. Two months later, Y-DNA testing confirmed him as Rasmussen, thanks to a DNA sample from a child of his believed first marriage.
The use of genetic genealogy opened new forensic avenues, later aiding in the capture of serial killer Joseph James DeAngelo. New Hampshire investigators announced in June 2019 that DNA testing confirmed the identities of Honeychurch, Vaughn, and McWaters. The identity of Rasmussen’s daughter and her mother remain unknown, with investigators suspecting the mother was also killed by Rasmussen.
Suspect in Other Crimes
Rasmussen's shadow extended beyond his known victims. In 1980, he lived near fourteen-year-old Laureen Rahn, who vanished from Manchester. Denise Daneault, 25, disappeared from a bar near Rasmussen's residence in June 1980. Despite searches and renewed interest due to Rasmussen's ties, no evidence linked him to these cases.
Elizabeth Lamotte, who disappeared from a Manchester youth center in 1984, was speculated to be "Elizabeth Evans," but DNA later identified her as a victim of the unrelated Redhead murders. When questioned in 1986, Lisa claimed her siblings had died eating "grass mushrooms," leading police to suspect other possible victims during the gap between Beaudin's disappearance and Lisa's abandonment.
Speculation also surrounds Rasmussen as a potential suspect in the 1995 murder of Amanda Schumann Deza, found in a refrigerator in Holt, California. Like Rasmussen's other victims, she died from blunt force trauma. Deza was identified as the "San Joaquin Jane Doe" in 2023, raising further questions about Rasmussen's reach.
The Legacy of the Chameleon Killer
Criminologist Jack Levin remarked that Rasmussen's willingness to target those close to him distinguished him from other serial killers, earning him the moniker "The Chameleon Killer." His use of numerous aliases and nationwide crime spree have left an indelible mark on forensic and criminal investigations. In 2018, New Hampshire Public Radio explored his story in the "Bear Brook" true crime podcast, ensuring his dark legacy continues to intrigue and horrify.
Sources
For further information, please refer to the original Wikipedia article: Terry Peder Rasmussen.
No Recent News
No recent news articles found for this case. Check back later for updates.
No Evidence Submitted
No evidence found for this case. Be the first to submit evidence in the comments below.
Join the discussion
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First Suspected Murders
Terry Rasmussen begins a series of crimes, including the Bear Brook murders.
Denise Beaudin Disappearance
Denise Beaudin disappears with her daughter, believed to be abducted by Rasmussen.
Bear Brook Victims Found
Bodies of Marlyse Honeychurch and her daughter found in barrels in Bear Brook State Park.
Rasmussen Arrested
Terry Rasmussen is arrested for the murder of Eunsoon Jun.
Guilty Plea
Rasmussen pleads no contest to charges related to Eunsoon Jun's murder.
Rasmussen Linked to Bear Brook
Authorities announce Rasmussen as a suspect in the Bear Brook murders.
Victims Identified
Three of the Bear Brook victims are identified through DNA testing.
Rasmussen Dies
Terry Rasmussen dies in prison from health complications.