At the age of two, Richard had a dresser fall on top of him, knocking him unconscious. On a Monday, Richard Ramirez arrived on earth to his dad, Julin Ramirez, and her mother (Mercedes Ramirez). The jury was terrified, wondering if Ramirez had somehow directed this event from inside his prison cell, and whether or not he could reach other jurors. Ramirez then pulled up at a place with "a chain-like fence" and got out of the vehicle with his victim. [100] Ramirez, who had indeed been watching the press, dropped his size 11-1/2 Avia sneakers over the side of the Golden Gate Bridge that night. [40] After cruising two other neighborhoods, he returned to Monterey Park and chose the home of Sophie Dickman, age 63. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website. That means he basically just used whatever was available during his assaults. He shot Carns three times in the head before turning his attention to Erickson. In his early teens, Richard also witnessed Mike kill his own wife Jessie, by shooting her in the face at point-blank range. He stated that he was startled to see electrical sparks emanate from the cord, and when his victim began to breathe, he fled the house believing that Jesus Christ had intervened and saved her. Jury selection for the trial began on July 22, 1988. [citation needed], On April 10, 1984, Ramirez murdered Mei Leung, a 9-year-old Chinese-American girl, in the basement of his apartment building in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco. Clearly, they didnt know back then that this loner didnt have any friends which made it impossible that he orchestrated this murder behind bars. One particular photo showed Miguel posing with a woman's severed head. he was eventually convicted for 13 counts of murder, 5 counts of attempted murder, 11 counts of sexual assault, and 14 counts of burglary. Ramirez also frequently enjoyed degrading and humiliating his victims, especially those who survived his attacks or whom he explicitly decided not to kill, by forcing them to profess that they loved Satan, or telling them to "swear on Satan" that there were no more valuables left in their homes he had broken into and burglarized. While his family was asleep, James went outside of his house to retrieve a pillow inside a truck, which was locked. He died in 2013 while awaiting execution. Addicted to drugs at a young age, Richard was also fueled by cocaine. He even taught Richard about stealth attacks, something he would use later on during his assaults. Digital Spy has launched its first-ever digital magazine with exclusive features, interviews, and videos. Ramirez's upbringing was anything but what society considers a normal, safe life for a child. [78] After quickly fencing the stolen items from the Kneiding residence, Ramirez drove to Sun Valley, CA. Plus, Mike boasted about the torture and rapes he had inflicted while in the U.S. Army by sharing Polaroid photos with Ramirez, including some where Mike posed with the severed head of a woman. After searching in vain for a knife in the kitchen, Ramirez tried to strangle the girl with a telephone cord. During this time, he committed 14 murders and numerous other heinous crimes. The Night Stalker committed his final crime on the night of August 24, 1985, when he broke into the house of Bill Carns, 30, and his fiance, Inez Erickson, 29, who miraculously survived the incident. His stories about raping Vietnamese women, murdering them, and even cutting off their heads, really changed Ramirez, especially when Mike showed pictures of them. [47], After this encounter, Ramirez broke into the house of Bill Carns, age 30, and his fiance, Inez Erickson, age 29,[48] through a back door. Ramirez's childhood is considered an influence on his crimes. Some psychiatrists believe that he became one later on in life due to various elements coming together. 9. As a teenager, he fell into the company of a sadistic cousin who was older than him. He repeatedly demanded that she "swear on Satan" that she would not scream during his assaults. [46] He remained in the area for a few more days before heading back to the Los Angeles area. As was shown in the series, charges were not brought against him for his sex crimes against children so as to spare the court the experience. Night Stalker: What Was Richard Ramirez's Childhood Actually Like. He was on death row for 24 years before he died from cancer on June 7, 2013, at age 53. One of the most notorious serial killers in history went on a crime spree that was as brutal as they come. Romero contacted the police with this information, believing James had chased away a thief. One of the most peculiar facts about Richard Ramirez wasnt necessarily his odd behavior during his trial, which confirmed he was an emotionless psychopath who didnt have any remorse for his crimes. A lot of this was due to his older cousin, Mike, who had just returned from fighting in Vietnam. The two seemed to enjoy smoking marijuana together while Miguel "told Ramirez about the torture and mutilation he had inflicted on several Vietnamese women," per Biography.com. Maria Hernandez, Richard Ramirez victim, 22 (shot with a .22 revolver) Credit: . "After a while, we stopped on the side of the road and he said, 'there's a gas station over there. [118] After running across the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5),[119] he attempted to carjack an unlocked Ford Mustang but was pulled out by angry resident Faustino Pinon. Thinking there was a prowler, James, after observing Ramirez through his bedroom window, went to wake his parents, and Ramirez fled the scene. Ramirez's father, Julian, had been a former policeman in Juarez, Mexico, who after emigrating to the United States, became a laborer on the Santa Fe railroad, and was said to be prone to fits of anger and a temper that Ramirez said made him "physically abusive to his entire family.". In this post, youll discover the ultimate list of facts about Richard Ramirez, one of the most infamous serial killers in history. At the age of seven, Richard would talk of having vivid dreams about monsters and of seeing them running around the garden something that frightened him. Of course not! [86], On August 8, 1985, Ramirez drove a stolen car to Diamond Bar, California, and chose the home of Sakina Abowath, age 27, and her husband Elyas Abowath, age 31. Born on February 29, 1960 in El Paso, Texas, Ricardo Leyva Muoz . [128] Beginning in 1985, Doreen Lioy[129] wrote him nearly 75 letters during his incarceration. [77] He burst into the sleeping couple's bedroom and hacked them with the machete, then killed them with shots to the head from a .22 caliber handgun. However, it was ultimately determined that Ramirez was not responsible for Singletary's death, as she was shot and killed by her boyfriend, who later committed suicide with the same weapon in a hotel. US Navy faces being totally outgunned by China in just seven years, says expert, Dances with Wolves actor pleads not guilty in 'sex cult' case, Star singer La Tigresa dies from a heart attack at 89 after storied career, TikTok star, 28, is charged with child abuse after 'attack on boyfriend', 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Anastasia Hronas has told of her horrific assault. Frequently abused by his father, Ramirez began developing gruesome and macabre interests in his early and mid-teens from his older cousin, Miguel ("Mike") Ramirez, who also taught him some of the military skills that he would go on to use during his year-long killing spree. Richard once witnessed . The woman's husband, Manuel De La Torre, witnessed the attempt and struck Ramirez over the head with a fence post in the pursuit. His crimes were chronicled in a newly released Netflix documentary series: "Night Stalker, Searching for a Serial Killer" You understand now why psychologists say that Richard Ramirez was a made-psychopath, not a born one? He committed his first murder on April 10, 1984, but this wasnt confirmed until a DNA sample taken in 2009 matched that of his. ", "Supreme Court Minutes Wednesday, September 27, 2006, San Francisco, California", "California's 'Night Stalker' serial killer Richard Ramirez dies after decades on death row", "Netflix Releases Trailer for Richard Ramirez Doc 'Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer', Interview with Stela Vasques, Supporter and Friend of Serial Killer Richard Ramirez, "The Night Stalker", History Channel: Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Ramirez&oldid=1142184699, Mabel "Ma" Bell and Florence "Nettie" Lang, Both survived attack, but Bell later died of her injuries, Chainarong and Somkid Khovananth, and their 8-year-old son, Sakina and Elyas Abowath, and their 3-year-old son, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 00:09. "Somewhere there were people who loved and cared for him deeply," the book reads, describing the reason that Ramirez did not ever want to be caught or publicly linked to the string of crimes he left in his wake. The Night Stalker Detectives Are Still Renowned for Their Work in the Case, Women Were so Obsessed With the Night Stalker, He Was Nicknamed "Death Row Romeo", You Could Say That "Night Stalker" Richard Ramirez Had a Killer Smile. His cousin, though, was acquitted of murder for reasons of insanity. The judge who upheld Ramirez's nineteen death sentences remarked that his deeds exhibited "cruelty, callousness, and viciousness beyond any human understanding". He would have married anyone who would have married him, believed anything he said and done anything for him until he died. This doesnt mean that everything was rosy in the childhood and adolescent years of Richard Ramirez. The Night Stalker killed many of his victims on the West Coast between 1984 and 1985most of which occurred in 1985. For the Patrick White film, see, Mugshot of Ramirez, taken on December 12, 1984, after an arrest for auto theft, Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, Night Stalker: The Hunt For a Serial Killer, List of serial killers in the United States, List of deaths and violence at the Cecil Hotel, "Richard Ramirez, the 'Night Stalker' Killer, Dies at 53", "El Paso relatives of 'Night Stalker' Richard Ramirez react to his death", "Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker 'A Good Boy', "DNA links 'Night Stalker' to girl's 1984 slaying, S.F. He was found not guilty of the murder by reason of insanity and was released after four years of incarceration at the Texas State Mental Hospital, after which point he and Ramirez resumed their close relationship. Mike told Richard not to tell anyone what he'd seen. Authorities have not publicly identified the suspect, described as being a juvenile at the time, and have not brought charges due to the lack of evidence.[28]. [46], On August 24, 1985, Ramirez traveled 76 miles (122km) south of Los Angeles, in a stolen orange Toyota, to Mission Viejo. After the shooting, Richard became sullen and withdrawn from his family and peers. [11][12] Richard would later state while incarcerated that he was fascinated, rather than repulsed, by the images and stories Mike shared with him. Before leaving the home, Ramirez told Erickson, "Tell them the Night Stalker was here. Note: This article contains discussion of sexual assault, crimes against children and other themes that some might find distressing. Ramirez's highly publicized home invasion and murder spree terrorized the residents of the Greater Los Angeles area and later the San Francisco Bay Area over the course of fourteen months. During his trial, he attracted a cult-like following of Satan worshippers who idolized him. It was during this period that Richard began to cultivate an interest in Satanism and the occult. Stone also stated that Ramirez was knocked unconscious and almost died on multiple occasions before he was six years old and as a result "later developed temporal lobe epilepsy, aggressivity, and hypersexuality. Nine months later, Ramirez attacked Maria Hernandez, who managed to escape his clutches on March 17, 1985. But what was his family life like before he turned to murder? Richard Ramirez's victims remembered his decayed teeth. [107] On August 29, 1985, law enforcement officials decided to release a mug shot of Ramirez from a 1984 arrest for auto theft to the media, and the "Night Stalker" finally had a face. Instead, he looked for a job and found one at a nearby hotel. [92], Ramirez, who had been following the media coverage of his crimes, left Los Angeles and headed to San Francisco. At the age of five, he was knocked unconscious by a swing in the park playground. Some viewers, however, are knocking Night Stalker: Hunt for a Serial Killer for glossing over Richard Ramirez's childhood and how it shaped his most violent and murderous tendencies. Ramirez also cultivated a strong interest in Satanism and the occult. Night Stalker revisits Ramirez's crimes, which saw him break into the homes of innocent Californians at night and attack men, women, and children alike, sexually assaulting, mutilating, and murdering more than a dozen of them. [108] At the police press conference it was announced: "We know who you are now, and soon everyone else will. On August 14, the trial was interrupted because one of the jurors, Phyllis Singletary, did not arrive at the courtroom. The best El Paso TX information website. Richard, the youngest, witnessed a lot of what was going on in the house and was said to have been deathly frightened of his father. There will be no place you can hide. It wouldn't be long. It was confirmation of Ramirez's involvement in this rape and murder that ended his marriage to Doreen Lioy. I'll see you in Disneyland.". During his assault, he demanded that she "swear to Satan" that she was not hiding any money from him. 4. Ramirez, who was thought to have been responsible for many more killings not yet discovered, was handed 19 death sentences and placed on Death Row. Around that time, Richard moved in with his sister, Ruth, and her husband, Roberto Avala. She pulled the trigger just after he turned around and saw her. Ramirez left footprints from a pair of Avia sneakers in the flower beds, which the police photographed and cast. Before turning his attention to Erickson he would use later on during assault. Of Sophie Dickman, age 63 swear on Satan '' that she was not hiding any money him... The trial began on July 22, 1988 Mike, who managed to escape his clutches March... Revolver ) Credit: his family and peers shooting, Richard Ramirez arrived on earth his! 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