From late 1983 through 1985, Los Angeles,
CA was terrorized by a murderous sadistic maniac. His identity
remained unknown during his reign of terror up until some
two days before his capture. Early on however, investigators
were considering the possibility of 5 different killers
at large and did not come to the conclusion that there
was one killer until early 1985. When this information
became public, the media were quick to dub him as “The
Night Stalker”.
Richard Ramirez, did not fit the bill of your standard
serial killer. Although his sole preferences were for
blood, mutilation, and murder, Richard Ramirez did not
discriminate. He targeted people of all races, men and
women, young and old, gay or straight.
One of the first victims to be traced to Richard Ramirez
was a 79 year old woman from Glassell Park, CA in June
1984.
February 1985 there was an incident where of a 6 year
old girl was taken from a bus stop near her school via
a laundry bag. She was dumped off on the roadside in
Silver Lake, CA on February 25th. Two weeks
later a 9 year old girl was taken from her Monterey Park,
CA home on March 11th. She also was raped
and dumped on the roadside in Elysian Park, CA. Authorities
made no connection between the two incidents.
-March 17th Rosemead, CA
34 year old Dayle Okazaki was shot and killed at her
home, her roommate, Maria Hernandez was also wounded
in the attack. It was Maria, that police obtained their
very first description of the notorious killer.
The same day in Monterey Park, 30 year old Tsa Lian
Yu was attacked whilst getting in her car, dragged several
feet from her car, and then shot numerous times.
-March 20th Eagel Rock, CA
A young girl was found dumped along the side of the
road, beaten and raped.
-March 27th Whittier, CA
64 year old Vincent Zazzara and his 44 year old wife
Maxine Zazzara were attacked and killed at their home.
Their bodies would lie as Richard Ramirez left them for
two days before being discovered. Vincent was found beaten
to death, and Maxine stabbed to death. One thing stood
out, however, that resembled nothing like the bodies
they've previously come across. Richard Ramirez had carved
out Maxine Zazzara's eyeballs and kept them as souvenirs.
-May 14th Monterey Park, CA
65 year old William Doi was killed by a single gunshot
wound to the head. He managed to save his wife Lillie
Doi, by crawling to a phone and dialling 911 before he
died.
-May 29th Monrovia, CA
Richard Ramirez struck again, attacking 84 year old
Mabel Bell and her invalid sister 81 year old Florence
Lang. Both were beaten within inches of their life, yet
had somehow survived. They were found by a gardener on
the morning of June 2nd. Richard Ramirez had
taken the time to ink a pentagram on both Bells stomach
and the walls. Mabel Bell died on June 15th.
-May 30th Burbank,
CA
Carol Kyle was raped. Descriptions matched others made
by recent rape victims.
-June 27th Arcadia, CA
32 year old Patty Elaine Higgens was attacked inn her
home and died shortly ater Richard Ramirez slashed her
throat.
-July 2nd Arcadia. CA
Less than two miles from where Patty Elaine Higgens
was killed, 77 year old Mary Louise Cannon was also murdered
in a similar fashion.
-July 5th Arcadia, CA
Whitney Bennet was found barley alive haven been beaten
with a crowbar.
-July 7th Monterey Park, CA
61 year old Joyce Lucille Nelson was beaten to death
at her home. Later the same day Sophie Dickens was robbed
and raped by Richard Ramirez.
-July 20th Sun Valley, & Glendale, CA
Richard Ramirez struck twice on July 20th killing
three people. The first victim, 32 year old resident
of Sun Valley, Chainarong Khovanath. After Richard Ramirez
murdered Khovanath, Richard Ramirez then forced his wife,
Somkid Khovanath to ingest the drug known as GHB, and
after beating her and their 8 year old son, he raped
her. Richard Ramirez also walked away with some 30,000
dollars in cash in jewellery. Later that day in Glendale,
Richard Ramirez killed again. 69 year old Max Kneiding
and his 66 year old wife Lela Kneiding. Both were shot
to death.
-August 6th Northrige, CA
27 year old Virginia Peterson and 38 year old Christopher
Peterson were shot and wounded in their home. Neither
were killed in the attack, and when it hit the press
that descriptions of the attacker matched that of the
notorious “Night Stalker”, panic set in.
No one felt safe.
-August 8th Diamond Bar, CA
Killing again, this time it was 35 year old Elyas Abowath.
Richard Ramirez also severely beat his wife Sakina Abowath,
as well as raping her.
That very night, August 8th 1985, authorities
declared a manhunt for a suspected serial killer linked
to 7 different murders, and numerous more possible links
to several other deaths. That number nearly tripled over
the following weeks.
-August 17th San Francisco, CA
Wandering further north than usual, Richard Ramirez
struck again. This time shooting and killing 66 year
old Peter Pan. Richard Ramirez also beat as well as shot
Pan's wife. She however managed to survive the attack.
-August 22nd Mission Viego, CA
Richard Ramirez shot and killed 29 year old Bill Carnus
and raped his fiancée, Inez Erickson. He then
fled in a stolen car. By this time this sadistic lunatic
known to the public as the “Night Stalker” was
linked to 14 murders in the state of California.
-August 28th
Police found the car stolen by Richard Ramirez, and
with it police also obtained their first set of clear
fingerprints, belonging to none other than 25 year old
Richard Ramirez.
-August 30th
Authorities released an all points bulletin for Richard
Ramirez, and the following day Richard Ramirez was literally
'taken down' by an angry civilian mob. He was spotted
whilst attempting to steal a car, and the crowd attacked
Richard Ramirez and proceeded to beat him senseless.
It is assumed that had police not arrived when they did,
the angry mob may very well have killed Richard Ramirez.
By September 28th, Richard Ramirez was facing
a total of 68 felony charges, among them were; 14 counts
of murder, and 22 counts of sexual assault. In December
1985, 8 more felonies, 2 rapes, and 1 attempted murder
were added to the list. His hearing was an absolute circus,
an regular media scandal. Upon arriving to court Richard
Ramirez would often wave his palm at spectators and cameras,
flashing them the pentagram, whilst shouting “Hail
Satan”, or “Evil, Evil, Evil” whilst
making devil horns with his index fingers. Richard Ramirez
also supposedly informed a fellow inmate “I've
killed 20 people man. I love all that blood.”
Those who knew Richard Ramirez knew that he was a devout
satanist, as well as a drug addict. Neither were considered
to be kept much of a secret by Richard Ramirez. He proudly
admitted that all of his killings were done so as an
offering to his Master... Satan. He was rarely not under
the influence of one drug or another, whether it was;
LSD or PCP, cocaine or horse tranquillisers, made little
difference. Some of these drugs are known to invoke violent
behaviour, but the twisted hatred that burned hot within
Richard Ramirez needed little fueling.
It wasn't until July 22nd 1988 that the
courts began jury selection. It was almost 14 months
later, September 20th 1989, that Richard Ramirez
was convicted on 13 counts of murder and 30 other related
felonies; including attempted murder, rape, and various
sexual assaults. An execution request was filed on October
4th, and Richard Ramirez was officially sentenced
to death on November 7th 1989.
Richard Ramirez's response to receiving his sentence
was;
“You maggots make me sick. You don't understand
me. I am beyond good and evil, I will be avenged. Lucifer
dwells within us all.”
Outside the courtroom Richard Ramirez told reporters;
“Big deal. Death always came with the territory.
I'll see you at Disneyland.”
When he arrived at the courts in San Francisco for
the trial of Peter Pan, he was greeted a large groupie
fanbase that had formed during the spectacle of a trial
in Los Angeles. Many of these women lined up for hours
in order to visit Richard Ramirez in jail. It quickly
turned into a sick sort of competition between these
women to spend time with Richard Ramirez. So intense
it became that it wasn't long before fights and violent
brawls began to erupt, often enough that it prompted
officials to relocate Richard Ramirez to San Quentin
State Prision. During his addmission search at San Quentin,
Richard Ramirez was found in possession of a key, a needle,
and a syringe, all contained inside a metal canister
which was found stuffed into his rectum. That was in
September 1993. He is still living on death row, awaiting
death to this day. |
