James then went into his garage to begin working on his mini bike before hearing Ramirez's footsteps outside the house. His father Julian was beaten extensively by his own father and his grandfather, which made him quiet and withdrawn. Instead, he looked for a job and found one at a nearby hotel. After Ramirez was captured in 1985, Lioy began visiting him at the. It was around this time that his cousin Miguel (also known as Mike) returned from the Vietnam war, providing Richard with someone to look up to. Hronas explained. to Mexican immigrants Mercedes and Julian Ramirez, and became known affectionately in the family as Richard or Ricky. He and Mike resumed bonding over their shared use of drugs and alcohol. [56] The two murders, and an attempted third, in a single day attracted extensive coverage from news media, who dubbed the attacker, described as curly-haired with bulging eyes and wide-spaced, rotting teeth, "The Walk-In Killer" and "The Valley Intruder". His four brothers and sisters were called Robert, Ruth, Joseph, and Ruben, and were all born with birth defects due to the fact that their mother worked at a boot factory where she was exposed to chemical fumes while pregnant. [18], When he reached adolescence, Richard Ramirez began to meld his burgeoning sexual fantasies with graphic violence including forced bondage/BDSM, murder, mutilation, and rape. [73], On July 7, 1985, Ramirez burglarized the home of Joyce Lucille Nelson, age 60, in Monterey Park. In 2016, it was revealed that a second suspect's DNA an unnamed man, said to be a convicted felon was also recovered at the scene (via New York Post). Ramirez was dubbed the "Night Stalker" by the press after he became a serial killer with the majority of his assaults coming at night in the homes of his victims. Copyright 2023 Distractify. He was an opportunist! Richard Ramirez spent 23 years on Death Row in California's San Quentin Prison until he died from cancer in 2013 at the age of 53. His victims ranged from age 6 to 82. At his first court appearance, Ramirez raised a hand with a pentagram drawn on it and yelled, "Hail Satan! His crimes were chronicled in a newly released Netflix documentary series: "Night Stalker, Searching for a Serial Killer" In El Paso, Texas, he was the youngest child growing up. "There was one point when we were driving and he looked at me and said: 'open up the glove compartment', and I did and there was a gun inside," she continued. [87] Sometime after 2:30 am he entered the house and went into the master bedroom. When he was outside he heard a rustling noise. raped and tortured included children that were as young as six-years-old. Ramirez repeatedly stabbed Cannon's body after she was already dead. He later became a laborer on the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway. [66] After raping Lang, he used Bell's lipstick to draw the Satanic pentagram symbol on her thigh as well as on the walls of both bedrooms. 'It's us,' he told Richard, 'the poor, the downtrodden, against them, the rich and influential,'" Carlo wrote. Romero contacted the police with this information, believing James had chased away a thief. "[126] The trial cost $1.8 million ($3.93million in 2021 dollars), which at the time made it the most expensive murder trial in the history of California until surpassed by the O. J. Simpson murder case in 1994. As mentioned in the documentary, Ramirez became something of a celebrity following his arrest and as we've seen in other cases, such as Ted Bundy some women were drawn to him. Ramirez, who was convicted in the late 1980s, died in prison in 2013. This was eventually proven as it was the womans husband who killed her. There are actually women who idolize serial killers and send them letters to express their love. "[121] On August 3, 1988, the Los Angeles Times reported that some jail employees overheard Ramirez planning to shoot the prosecutor with a gun, which Ramirez intended to have smuggled into the courtroom. He then demanded cash and more jewelry, and made her "swear on Satan" there was no more. [60] Vincent and Maxine's bodies were discovered by their son, Peter. Some psychiatrists believe that he became one later on in life due to various elements coming together. On multiple occasions, Richard joined the voyeur on his nightly escapades, which is the exact behavior he would replicate during his own assaults. 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. In 1989, he was arraigned and found guilty of dozens of heinous charges . In 1984, her body was found in the basement of a hotel in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco. ", Around the same time, Ramirez was seeking an escape from his father's violent temper and began sleeping in a local cemetery. At 13 years old, Ramirez watched his cousin murder his wife. The Night Stalker is available on Netflix. He was eventually found guilty. The 12-year old was heavily influenced by Miguel (Mike) Ramirez a decorated U.S. Army Green Beret combat veteran who loved to boast about the horrific crimes he committed during the Vietnam War. Michelle Nati. During his trial, he attracted a cult-like following of Satan worshippers who idolized him. He lived nomadically between San Francisco and Los Angeles County during this time prior to his incarceration. His cousin boasted of raping and killing numerous women which fascinated Richard. He went on a crime spree from April 10, 1984 to August 24, 1985, killing 14 people. His father, a former Juarez, Mexico police officer, was often angry and physically abused his children, according to the book The Night Stalker: The Life and Crimes of Richard Ramirez by Philip Carlo. Perhaps one of the most astonishing facts about Richard Ramirez is that his murder spree actually started earlier than initially thought. Interested in Digital Spy's weekly newsletter? He shot her fiance before the woman called the police and provided a detailed description of her assailant. On June 28, 1984, 79-year-old Jennie Vincow was found murdered in her apartment in Glassell Park, Los Angeles. [131][bettersourceneeded] By the time of his death in 2013, Ramirez was engaged to a 23-year-old writer. [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. Shortly after the shooting, Richard moved in with his older sister, Ruth, and her husband, Roberto, an obsessive "peeping tom" who took Richard along on his nocturnal exploits. [51] Ramirez's fingerprint was found on a mesh screen he removed to gain access through an open window. After the shooting, Richard became sullen and withdrawn from his family and peers. Born on February 29, 1960 in El Paso, Texas, Ricardo Leyva Muoz . Shortly after this horrific incident, Ramirez moved in with his older sister named Ruth, mainly because he finally wanted to escape his abusive father. He repeatedly demanded that she "swear on Satan" that she would not scream during his assaults. 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. [74] Ramirez assaulted and handcuffed Dickman at gunpoint, attempted to rape her, and stole her jewelry; when she swore to him that he had taken everything of value, he told her to "swear on Satan". One of the most notorious serial killers in history went on a crime spree that was as brutal as they come. "[103] Erickson untied herself and went to a neighbor's house for help. Mike was later found not guilty of Jessie's murder by reason of insanity, with the shooting attributed to post-traumatic stress disorder from his service in Vietnam; he was confined for several years at the Texas State Mental Hospital. Ramirez's crimes shocked the nation not only for how many he committed in a short amount of time, but also for his tendency to mutilate and sodomize the bodies of his victims,The New York Timesnoted. [116] Police quickly arrived at the 3700 block of Hubbard and found that Ramirez was severely beaten and unarmed and took him into custody. [84] He then shot Chris in the neck and attempted to flee; Chris fought back while avoiding being hit by two more shots during the struggle before Ramirez managed to escape. At that time, little was known or publicised about the detrimental effects of close proximity to this, but there was a high rate of birth defects in the area. Clearly, they didnt know back then that this loner didnt have any friends which made it impossible that he orchestrated this murder behind bars. [106] The identification of Ramirez's print was described as a "near miracle" as the system used to identify him was recently installed, as well as the fact that the system contained the fingerprints of criminals born after January 1, 1960, only a month before Ramirez was born. He also had a son who died in 1973 during a gas explosion: https://ibb.co/kqbXt5V https://ibb.co/nnZwtw0 https://ibb.co/xqqx08P https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1272143/miguel-angel-valles-ramirez He didnt feel much for school, so he dropped out of the Jefferson High School in South-Central El Paso in the ninth grade. Richard Ramirez was born in the county seat of El Paso, far southwestern part of the U.S. state of Texas. Miguel shot his wife in the face, killing her, said Encyclopedia Britannica. ", "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. His disorder probably contributed to the fact that he never showed any remorse for his crimes. That means he basically just used whatever was available during his assaults. [61] Surprising Doi in his bedroom, Ramirez shot him in the face with a .22 semi-automatic pistol as Doi went for his own handgun. His Childhood. In 1973, Miguel was arrested for killing his wife, a crime Richard saw with his own eyes, per Carlo. Digital Spy has launched its first-ever digital magazine with exclusive features, interviews, and videos. EEAAO star gives tearful speech after historic win, The best Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom deals, Ed Kemper's true story, according to FBI agent, Knives Out 3: Everything you need to know, Outer Banks: Where else to watch the cast. By the time he started committing his own murders, he used a wide variety of weapons, including handguns, knives, a machete, a tire iron, and a hammer. Mike often boasted of his brutal war crimes, and shared Polaroid photos with Richard showing Vietnamese women whom he had raped, murdered, and dismembered or decapitated. [123] The alternate juror who replaced Singletary was too frightened to return to her home. As a 12-year-old, Ramirez became close to his older cousin, Miguel, who went by "Mike," and had recently come back from fighting in the Vietnam War. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website. [100] This leak infuriated the detectives in the case, as they knew the killer would be following media coverage, which gave him the opportunity to destroy crucial forensic evidence. Knowing further detail about his earlier years might help to piece some of it all together. Ramirez was also prone to accidents. His cousin was perhaps even a worse psychopath, 9. Maria Hernandez, Richard Ramirez victim, 22 (shot with a .22 revolver) Credit: . His father, a former Juarez, Mexico police officer, was often angry and physically abused his children, according to the book The Night Stalker: The Life and Crimes of Richard Ramirez by Philip Carlo.His parents immigrated to the United States, and his mother worked in a factory that may have resulted in congenital disabilities in all of their children . Not much else is known about Ramirez's siblings aside from the fact that his sister Ruth, his brother Joseph, and Joseph's teenage daughter attended his 1996 wedding in California's San Quentin Prison to Doreen Lioy. After being captured, the angry mob beat him to a pulp before being apprehended by the police. [117] He walked past police officers, who were staking out the bus terminal in hopes of catching the killer should he attempt to flee on an outbound bus, and into a convenience store in East Los Angeles. ", "How a 13-Year-Old Boy Brought Down L.A.'s Most Notorious Serial Killer", "Shattered Dreams: 'Night Stalker' Victim Fights to Regain His Memory, Rebuild Life a Year After Attack", "The Night Stalker Detectives Are Still Renowned for Their Work in the Case", "Night Stalker: Richard Ramirez's unique Avia shoes helped link the serial killer to at least 8 murders", "How did the police catch the Night Stalker? Eventually, Ramirez decided to leave the house with Hronas in tow. [98] When it was discovered that the ballistics and shoe print evidence from the Los Angeles crime scenes matched the Pan crime scene, San Francisco's then-mayor Dianne Feinstein divulged the information, including the gun caliber,[99] in a televised press conference. [47] The stolen Toyota was found abandoned on August 28 in Koreatown, Los Angeles, and police obtained a single fingerprint from the rear-view mirror despite Ramirez's careful efforts to wipe the car clean of his prints. [57] Zazzara's wife, Maxine Levenia Zazzara, age 44, was awakened by the gunshot, and Ramirez beat her and bound her hands while demanding to know where her valuables were. [93] On August 18, 1985, he entered the home of Peter and Barbara Pan. The murderer received a lot of publicity as the body count grew in the years 1984 and 1985. [52] She survived when the bullet ricocheted off the keys she held in her hands as she lifted them to protect herself. He used numerous weapons to murder his victims, 5. (He made me) look at him and touch him, and things like that.". Ramirez then pulled up at a place with "a chain-like fence" and got out of the vehicle with his victim. Richard Ramirez started smoking marijuana at the age of 10, and things really started going downhill when his cousin started hanging out with him. After Ramirez was convicted in 1989, he was formally sentenced to death by gas chamber. [5][6] His father Julin, a Mexican national and former Ciudad Jurez policeman who later became a laborer on the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway,[7] was an alcoholic who was prone to fits of anger that often resulted in physical abuse towards his wife and children. Combine this with the fact that he was working in a dead-end job at the Santa Fe railroad and had an extremely short temper, this often resulted in physical abuse in the house. RICHARD Ramirez was an infamous serial killer who was given the nickname "Night Stalker" after his string of heinous crimes. Richard then moved to live with his sister and her husband, who was apparently a peeping Tom. Thinking there was a prowler, James, after observing Ramirez through his bedroom window, went to wake his parents, and Ramirez fled the scene. While his actions are certainly hard to stomach, they need to be rooted in real-world context. He was convicted and sentenced to death but died while in prison. 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. 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. 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. His employment ended abruptly after Ramirez attempted to rape a woman in her hotel room and was caught in the act by the victim's husband. [26] The killing was not linked to Ramirez until 2009 when his DNA was matched to a sample obtained at the crime scene. to Mexican immigrants Mercedes and Julian Ramirez, and became known affectionately in the family as Richard or Ricky. He attempted to have sex with her body, but found himself so shaken by her attempting to shoot him that he was unable to achieve an erection. [27], In 2016, officials disclosed evidence of a second suspect, identified through another DNA sample retrieved from the scene, who is believed to have been present at Leung's murder. He fled the scene after retrieving the child from the closet and binding the two together again with the handcuffs. He even taught Richard about stealth attacks, something he would use later on during his assaults. [102] After stealing what he could find, Ramirez dragged Erickson to another room before raping her. His first murder wasnt confirmed until 2009, 11. Richard Ramirez, also known as the Night Stalker, terrorized the city of Los Angeles between 1984 and 1985. This happened on May 4, 1973. He made a crucial mistake during his final crime, 13. Netflix released the docuseries Night Stalker: The Hunt For a Serial Killer, based on Ramirez's life and crimes, on January 13, 2021. In 1989, Ramirez was convicted of thirteen counts of murder, five attempted murders, eleven sexual assaults, and fourteen burglaries. Bullets found at the scene were matched to those found at previous attacks, and the police determined that a serial killer was at large. Before leaving the home, Ramirez told Erickson, "Tell them the Night Stalker was here. At the age of 22, Richard Ramirez moved to California and basically became a drifter who didnt have any social relationships except for sporadic contact with his family. He punched, pistol whipped, and strangled many of his victims, both with his hands and in one instance a ligature, stomped at least one victim to death in her sleep, and tortured another victim by shocking her with a live electrical cord. [128] Beginning in 1985, Doreen Lioy[129] wrote him nearly 75 letters during his incarceration. Sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox and don't forget to join our Watch This Facebook Group for daily TV recommendations and discussions with other readers. He became known for using a variety of weapons, beginning with handguns and knives, which later escalated to machetes, tire irons, and hammers, the Los Angeles Magazine described. Nine months later from Vincow's murder on March 17, 1985, he attacked Maria Hernandez, who managed to escape his clutches. The youngest of five children, Ramirez often witnessed his father beat his older siblings when they got into trouble, especially for substance abuse, per Digital Spy. Maxine 's bodies were discovered by their son, Peter wrote him 75... Tell them the Night Stalker '' after his string of heinous charges, interviews, and fourteen burglaries her... City of Los Angeles between 1984 and 1985 rooted in real-world context while in prison was... [ 103 ] Erickson untied herself and went to a 23-year-old writer 128 ] Beginning in,. 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