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Richard Ramirez: The Night Stalker
About The Programme
During a two-year rampage, a sadistic serial killer broke into the homes of families throughout California. He raped, mutilated and tortured more than 25 victims in one of the most vicious sprees in US criminal history.
When Richard Ramirez was arrested on 25th August 1985, a bizarre story involving Satanism and cult worship began to emerge, and the killer seemed to exercise an extraordinary hold over many people who attended his trial.
The Crimes
Ramirez’ reign of terror left the people of Los Angeles in a state of constant fear. 1985 was one of the hottest for many years, yet a crazed killer was entering homes after dark. Because of this, the tabloids named him the Night Stalker. People were scared to leave a window open despite the blistering heat. Sales of guns and dogs rocketed.
Between May and August 1985, Ramirez killed, raped and robbed at an alarming rate. Many serial killers prey on one set of people. The Yorkshire Ripper attacked mainly prostitutes, Jeffrey Dahmer’s victims were men - but Richard Ramirez attacked males and females of many races with ages ranging from a 16-year-old girl to an elderly couple. But one similarity in many of his killings was scrawling black magic symbols such as pentagrams at the crime scenes.
Ramirez was unlike any of the serial killers which had previously been studied. He was hard to categorise because many of his crimes were so different in nature and he varied his methods many times. Because of these variations, it took police detectives a long time to realise they had a serial killer at large.
Capture
Throughout his killing spree, Ramirez left the police a number of clues. Apart from descriptions from his survivors, there were also footprints from a rare type of training shoe. There was also the satanic aspect, pentagrams drawn at the crime scenes and the verbal abuse directed at his victims telling them to praise Satan.
After what was to be his final attack, Ramirez escaped in a stolen car. The car was found and it contained a full set of prints belonging to the Night Stalker. The Police had identified their killer.
Ramirez was not in Los Angeles when his name and picture appeared on TV and in newspapers, but on returning, he was immediately recognised.
Upon seeing his picture on the front page of a newspaper he fled. He tried unsuccessfully to hijack a car, but by now a huge crowd of people were chasing him. He was eventually caught by the mass of angry people and beaten. Ironically, his life was saved by the police who arrived just in time. While he was held in a cell at Hollenbeck police station, a lynch mob of more than 600 gathered outside, calling for his hanging.
At the end of his trial in September 1989, Ramirez was convicted of 13 murders, 5 attempted murders, 11 sexual assaults and 14 burglaries.
Led from the court in chains, he made the sign of the devil's horns with his hand, and told reporters: "Big deal. Death comes with the territory. I'll see you in Disneyland". Sentenced to die in the gas chamber, he is currently on Death Row in San Quentin.
But his story doesn’t end there. The Night Stalker received many fan letters from women. In 1985, a freelance editor who worked on teen magazines started writing to Ramirez, sending over 75 letters. In 1996, he proposed to her and they married in San Quentin prison's waiting room.