 |
| Police composite sketch of the Original Night Stalker |
The Original Night Stalker is a serial killer and rapist who
operated in both the northern and southern parts of California from 1976 until
the mid-1980s. He is assumed to be one of the most active serial rapists and
murderers in California history. He is also one of the most active unidentified
serial killers in world history. The only reasons we know he exists are the
links between his horrific crimes and the DNA taken from several crime scenes.
Even with the DNA database that California is now keeping of criminals, the
killer has yet to be caught.
The name "Original Night Stalker" derives from
that of a serial killer/rapist arrested in California after the crimes of this
serial killer were committed. The crimes of the "Night Stalker" Richard Ramirez differed from those of the Original Night Stalker in many ways
and other evidence rules Richard out as the perpetrator of the previous crimes. Richard was caught and nearly killed by a mob before police could catch him. His
picture had been posted on the news. A sketch of the Original Night Stalker was
also posted on the news, before he began killing his victims. It was of no use.
The crimes of the Original Night Stalker began in northern
California in 1976. He would meticulously case houses, break in days or even
weeks before the crime and ready the house for his rape. In many cases, he
loosened window screens so his passage into the house would be easy and quiet.
In one case, he found the household gun and emptied the clip. He would then
break into the house at a later date, parking his car away from the residence so no one could report his vehicle.
His modus operandi was to enter the house quietly and then
shine a flashlight in his victim's face, yelling at her to wake up. He would
then tie her up using a specific diamond knot. He would rape her and often stay
in the house for hours, stealing small keepsakes and even eating in some
residences. The women he attacked described his behavior as torturous. His
attacks were both physically violent and psychological.
When it was posted on the news that he was attacking women
alone, he changed his methods. He began attacking couples in their homes. He
would tie up the woman and the man and then tell the man that if he tried to
stop the rape, he would kill the woman. He had a gun with which to commit
murder. However, he did not commit any murders during this time of which police
are aware.
Over the course of three years, the Original Night Stalker
raped more than 50 women. Profilers later said that he must have been
intelligent and aware of police procedure. He wore a mask and gloves, but he
was known to be white because women saw the bare skin of his legs. He would
steal bicycles and use them to leave the scene of the crime so his car was not
connected to them. He also began calling his victims after the rapes and making
horrible threats, but he never stayed on the line long enough to get a trace.
The recordings are a chilling record of his existence and one of the few
records we have.
The rapist behind these rapes came to be known as the East
Area Rapist. At least two witnesses believe they saw the man leaving a
neighborhood or entering it at one time or another, so police were able to make
a sketch of him. The sketch was released and the crimes stopped for some time.
However, they began again in neighboring areas within months. Then, in 1979,
they stopped altogether. It was not until 2001 that police were able to prove
that the rapes stopped in northern California because the East Area Rapist had
gone to southern California to commit a series of murders and murder/rapes.
During his killing spree, the Original Night Stalker killed
four couples and two individual women. His murders were violent, particularly
for the women. He would bludgeon them to death with blunt objects. In one case,
he used a fireplace log to commit the murders. As before, he would do extensive
casing of his targets. It is quite possible that, like with the BTK killer,
several people got lucky when his planning went awry in some way. The murders
stopped in California as suddenly as they started. Police tried to find a link
to him elsewhere in the country, but thus far, nothing has turned up.
Some assume that the Original Night Stalker must be dead or
in prison. It is almost guaranteed that he is not in prison in California. He
may have been killed when entering someone's house, but police followed that
hypothesis as well and found nothing. Given the typical starting age of serial
killers and the Original Night Stalker's profile, it is assumed that he was in
his twenties or early thirties when he was committing his rapes. That would
make him 50 or 60 by now. Sadly, the case gets colder all the time. If he is
dead, we may never know who he was. If he is alive, he may never pay for his
crimes.
Sources
THS Investigates: The Original Night Stalker, 2009
Santa Cruz, Nicole & Chawkins, Steve, DNA testing sheds
new light on Original Night Stalker Case, retrieved 11/13/11, L.A. Times,
March, 2011
Comments
Post a Comment