Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker

In 1985 Los Angeles was fearful of the Night Stalker, a criminal who would sneak into houses at night and kill the occupants. It took some time to identify this criminal, making residents even more fearful.

At twelve years old, the Night Stalker, Richard Ramirez, idolized his cousin Mike, a Vietnam veteran. Mike would share pictures of human torture and rape with Richard. Richard became fascinated with brutality. One day Mike shot and killed his wife in front of Richard.

Ramirez later became addicted to drugs and began worshipping Satan. He moved to California and became skilled at breaking and entering.

The Night Stalker often first killed the husband. He would then focus on the wife. The victims were anywhere from 30 to 83 years old, and were shot, bludgeoned, slashed and otherwise mutilated. A 44 year old woman's eyes were carved out and taken as trophies. Pentagrams were sometimes drawn on victims.

The Night Stalker was credited with over 12 murders by August 1985. The identity of the killer was still not known. After a few weeks, he shot a man and raped a woman, then took off in their car. The police recovered the stolen car and were able to get a set of fingerprints. The fingerprints matched Richard Ramirez, who had been thought of as a small time criminal. Richard Ramirez was finally caught on August 31 when he tried to pull a woman out of her car. Passersby heard her screams, recognized Ramirez (his picture had been on television) and held him until police came. The police actually had to save Ramirez from the enraged citizens.

During trial Ramirez was anything but normal. He flashed pentagrams to photographers. He would also put his fingers to his head in the shape of devil horns and chant "evil, evil". Constant appeals meant his trial ultimately lasted four years.

Ramirez was officially convicted of 13 murders and received a death sentence for each. While serving in death row, he admitted to an inmate that he has killed 20 people. He is now at San Quentin. In 1996 he married Doreen Lioy, a 41 year old groupie of his. She proclaimed herself a virgin, and Ramirez has said that is what attracted him. Lioy was raised Catholic and apparently has no problem with his devil worship. She even gave him a silver wedding band, knowing Satan worshippers don't wear gold.

Sources:
The A to Z Encyclopedia of Serial Killers; Schechter, Harold and Everitt, David; Pocket Books, 2006.
http://crime.about.com/od/serial/p/nightstaker.htm