Richard Ramirez — The Night Stalker

Richard Ramirez, known as the Night Stalker, was an American serial killer, rapist, and burglar who terrorized California between 1984 and 1985. During a 14-month reign of terror, Ramirez broke into homes at night, killing 13 people and sexually assaulting many more across the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas. His randomness and savagery created mass panic throughout Southern California. [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2013/07/10/us/richard-ramirez-night-stalker-fast-facts/index.html)

Born on February 29, 1960, in El Paso, Texas, Ramirez had a troubled childhood marked by violence and disturbing influences. His cousin Mike, a decorated Vietnam veteran, introduced the young Ramirez to graphic photographs of torture and sexual violence from the war. Mike later murdered his wife in front of Ramirez when he was 13. Ramirez drifted through his teen years, developing a fascination with Satanism and heavy metal music.

Ramirez moved to Los Angeles in the early 1980s and began a life of petty crime. His first confirmed murder occurred on June 28, 1984, when he killed 79-year-old Jennie Vincow in her Glassell Park apartment, slashing her throat and sexually assaulting her body. The attack bore the hallmarks that would define his crimes: nocturnal entry, extreme violence, and sexual assault.

Beginning in March 1985, his attacks escalated rapidly. He killed two women in one night on March 17, 1985 — Dayle Okazaki and Tsai-Lian Yu. His victims ranged in age from nine years old to 83. He used various weapons — firearms, knives, hammers, a tire iron — and made no effort to conceal his crimes, sometimes leaving pentagrams drawn in lipstick at crime scenes. [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jun/15/night-stalker-richard-ramirez-crimes-documentary)

Ramirez was identified after a fingerprint from a stolen car linked him to the crimes. On August 30, 1985, his photo was published on the front page of every major California newspaper. The following day, a crowd of East Los Angeles residents recognized him and beat him severely before police arrived to arrest him. [Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/richard-ramirez-the-night-stalker-dies-in-prison/2013/06/07/29d3ae1c-cf7b-11e2-8f6b-67f40e176f03_story.html)

Ramirez was charged with 13 counts of murder, five attempted murders, 11 sexual assaults, and 14 burglaries. His trial was one of the longest and most expensive in California history. It was marked by delays, courtroom outbursts, and Ramirez's theatrical behavior — he frequently flashed a pentagram drawn on his palm at photographers and shouted "Hail Satan" in court. [BBC](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57386584)

On September 20, 1989, after 13 months of jury deliberations (including breaks for juror death and replacement), Ramirez was convicted on all 13 counts of murder and sentenced to death in California's gas chamber. Judge Thomas Tyack sentenced him to death for all 13 murders.

Ramirez was transferred to San Quentin State Prison. He became something of a celebrity among true crime enthusiasts, receiving thousands of fan letters and eventually marrying Doreen Lioy, a magazine editor who had corresponded with him for years, in 1996. They later divorced.

Ramirez spent 24 years on death row. He never showed remorse. On June 7, 2013, he died at Marin General Hospital from complications of B-cell lymphoma, liver failure, and substance abuse — three years before his scheduled execution date. [AP News](https://apnews.com/article/richard-ramirez-night-stalker-dead-2013) He was 53 years old. [NPR](https://www.npr.org/2013/06/07/189712729/night-stalker-richard-ramirez-dies-on-death-row)