In the spirit of Halloween, a time when children gather irreversible mental damage and adults get drunk in full costume without being labeled dangerously unstable, we’ve put together a pictorial shortlist of California’s most infamous serial killers to date.
These human abominations will hopefully not increase your preexisting anxiety, but will remind your dark side that California has fostered some unprecedented freaks. Our collection is packed with links to documentaries on Youtube, which are guaranteed to keep you captured for hours.
1. “The Night Stalker” Richard Ramirez – 1985-86
The composite sketch of the alleged attacker and his first moment of incarcerated fame aka, mugshot
Richard Ramirez is the essence of evil. He terrorized the streets of Los Angeles in the mid-1980’s and his recognizable police sketch is the stuff nightmares are made of. He died on death row at San Quentin State Prison in 2013.
The arraignment of The Night Stalker, who was a self-proclaimed satanist
Ramirez taunted the court room with chilling antics to pass the time
Groupies are not just for band members. Here’s one of Ramirez’s fans turned wife while Ramirez sat on Death Row
Media
Accompanying Documentary: The Night Stalker
Accompanying Documentary 2: Serial Killers 16/25 – Richard Ramirez, The Night Stalker
A conversation with Richard Ramirez – Interview
2. Charles Manson & Family: The Tate-LaBianca murders – 1968-1969
The infamous “family” at Spahn Movie Ranch, Los Angeles, CA
Charles Manson and family plotted their heinous murders right in the heart of the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, at the infamous Spahn Movie Ranch (among other places), and this disturbing bunch changed how the summer of 1969 will be viewed forever.
Susan Atkins (left) and Patricia Krenwinkel (right) arrive in court
Manson then and now
The Spahn Movie Ranch
Media
Accompanying Documentary: Charles Manson: Diane Sawyer Documentary
Accompanying Documentary 2: Charles Manson: A History Channel Documentary
Charles Manson Interview: with Penny Daniels (Complete)
3.The Toolbox Killers, Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris – 1979
Bittaker and Norris are responsible for the torture and murder of 5 teenage girls. It takes a special breed of psycho to commit these atrocities in a pair, yet there are more couples who kill than you’d think.
Bittaker with fellow inmate and serial killer, William Bonin, aka The Freeway Killer
Victims
Finally in custody
Media
Accompanying Documentary:The Toolbox Killers
Lawrence Bittaker: confession
4. The Hillside Strangler/s, Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono – 1977-1978
Buono (left) and Bianchi
The most prolific of their time, these two pimps turned murderers had the LAPD scrambling for almost a year while they tossed bodies all over Los Angeles. Their rampageous run finally came to an end in 1978.
Bianchi mugshot
Just one of the many films inspired by these killing cousins
Testimony
Media
Accompanying Documentary: The Hillside Stranglers
Accompanying Documentary2: Serial Killers Kenneth Bianchi & Angelo Buono, The Hillside Stranglers
Psychopaths Speak: Kenneth Bianchi speaks
5. The Scorecard Killer, Randy Steven Kraft – 1972-1983
Randy Kraft left crabbed clues about his killing spree in a morbid “scorecard” for his own twisted pleasure. He has been linked to over 60 murders, mostly in California, and had southern Californians terrified for over a decade.
A sinister court smile
Kraft was pulled over in May 1983 after driving erratically, the officers found a dead Marine in his car
Documentary
Media
Accompanying Documentary: 20 Most Dangerous Serial Killers – The Scorecard Killer
Dishonorable mention: Chowchilla kidnapping – 1976
A kidnapping and attempted murder of a school bus full of children in Chowchilla, California sets the disgust level particularly high on the abhorrent acts scale. By some surprising miracle everyone who was buried alive in this quarry escaped, and the perpetrators were captured.
Survivors comforting each other after being rescued
Hero bus driver Ed Ray (center) who saved the children, and himself
Families await the arrival of their children
The convicted: James Schoenfeld (left), Fred Woods (center) and Richard Schoenfeld
Survivors Jodi Heffington-Medrano (left) and Lynda Carrejo Labendeira reunite decades after their horrific experience
Media
1993 Made-for-TV movie based on the event: Vanished without a trace
Short news clip: 40 years later: victims recall being buried alive
CNN: Where are they now: Buried Alive: California mass kidnapping victims
That was a god read. I like how you say ‘Dishonourable’ mention as opposed to ‘Honorable’. Quite rightly so.
I was just wondering, was there ever a movie made of the vile Bittaker & Norris case? As in a TV movie or the like?
I’m very interested in true crime. I always wish the best Justice possible for the survivors & victims. These people are demons, pure evil. Unbelievable what they do.
Kind regards,
Ruple Thaker UK Kent & London
(Rupal Thaker-Facebook Kent)