RICHARD RAMIREZ "THE NIGHT STALKER"

From June of 1984-August of 1985 Los Angeles was terrorized by a ghoulish predator that struck in the middle of the night committing murder, rape, and robbery.

Ricardo Munoz Ramirez was born on February 29th 1960 in El Paso, Texas. He is the fifth child of hard working Mexican immigrants and was diagnosed with epilepsy and suffered from seizures since the age of six.

By the age of twelve Richard began experimenting with drugs (marijuana) and spending a great deal of time with an older cousin Mike who was a self-proclaimed murderer and torturer of women during the Vietnamese War. He showed young Richard pictures of his victims and instructed him in the use of weapons and ways to kill and torture people.

Drug Use and Satanism

Richard witnessed his cousin murder his own wife before his eyes. He became deeper involved in drugs and petty crime and dropped out of school. His passions were drugs and candy, one led to rotten teeth and halitosis, and the other to more advanced crimes to support his habits.

Richard was arrested several times on drug-possession related charges and his demeanor began to change and his crimes and fantasies began to spiral toward more serious offenses and deeper and harder drug use and Satanism. When Richard was 18 he decided to move to Los Angeles.

Satan Worshiper and Serial Killer

Richard began to further explore his interests in Satan worship. He began dressing in all black and maintained a haggard appearance to further emphasize his dark beliefs and he recognized that his appearance intimidated people and he enjoyed that.

He became an accomplished burglar but began lingering in the homes he robbed and eventually surrendered to the urge to kill. In June of 1984 he murdered an elderly woman and discovered the act of killing stirred sexual feelings inside that prompted him to commit acts of necrophilia.

His next several attacks, which started in March of 1985, were random and included the shooting and robbery of a couple, the murder of a women in her car, and the killing of an eight-year old girl several days later.

A Killers Calling Card

Ramirez became further enamored of the terror he had created and of the name the media had given him “The Night Stalker.” His crimes began to take on a more sinister air and he started leaving demonic symbols and pentagrams at the scenes of his crimes to denote his worship of Satan and routinely began to mutilate the bodies of his victims.

Forensic Evidence

Ramirez started getting sloppy and several of his intended victims survived to provide the cops with descriptions of him and clues began to surface including foot imprints and finger prints left from a abandoned stolen car he had used in one of his crimes.

Richard continued his reign of terror throughout the summer, but by August of 1985 the police knew the identity of “The Night Stalker” and were stalking him. His photo was distributed to the public and Richard was a marked man.

The Serial Killer Is Caught

On August 30th Richard was spotted by a civilian who recognized him from his heavily circulated picture. He panicked and fled on foot to the East side of Los Angeles where he unsuccessfully tried to steal a car from the driveway of a man who was underneath the vehicle.

The car owner gave chase and soon the word spread that “The Night Stalker” was loose in the neighborhood and a small mob of people formed and pursued Ramirez. Several Hispanic males tackled and beat Richard and held him captive until the police arrived to rescue him.

The Death Toll

Ramirez’s romp of death and destruction was finally over but he had left behind fourteen dead victims and several traumatized survivors. He had committed fourteen counts of first-degree murder, numerous counts of burglary, rape and sodomy. He had mutilated corpses and performed acts of necrophilia.

Richard claimed his acts of psychopathic butchery were performed to glorify Satan. He maintained this demonic demeanor throughout his trial chanting evil slogans and wearing blacks clothes and dark sunglasses.

The Night Stalker's Fate

As expected the trial of Richard Ramirez was a circus and lasted over four years with endless appeals and groupies who admired him flocking to the courthouse whenever trial was in session.

In the end “The Night Stalker” got the death penalty on September, 20th 1989 for his crimes but currently is awaiting execution in California on death row at San Quentin Prison. He has never shown the least bit of remorse or regret for his crimes and was even allowed to marry one of his groupies, Doreen Lioy, in 1996.

Interested in reading books about the Night Stalker? Here are a few:

The Night Stalker (Pinnacle True Crime)

Book By: Philip Carlo

Night Stalker

Book By: Clifford L. Linedecker

Richard Ramirez- The Night Stalker (Biography)

By Biographiq