Published 16:38 IST, January 14th 2021
Who was the Night Stalker? Find out who America's most-wanted serial killer was
Who was the Night Stalker? Find out about the real-life boogeyman that brought California to a standstill. Read to know all America's notorious serial killer.
Netflix's latest venture is making netizens around the world ask one question: 'Who was the Night Stalker?' The Night Stalker is one of the most vicious serial killers down history. But before he became who he is now called out to be, he was also an innocent impressionable boy who never imagined his future to be written in such a peculiar way. Read on to know who was the Night Stalker:
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Who was the Night Stalker?
Born as Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker had a rather tough childhood stemming from his cousin Miguel Ramirez' influence. Richard was 12 when he first witnessed terror. His cousin Miguel, who had recently returned from the Vietnam War, chose to show him pictures of Vietnamese women getting raped, tortured and killed. At the age of 13, he saw his cousin shoot his wife in the face. Soon after, Richard moved to Los Angeles and chose drugs and burglary over his education, for which he eventually got arrested under juvenile delinquency for several months.
The name Night Stalker was coined a few years later though. First known as the "walk-in killer", Richard Ramirez had made invading homes to attack people at night his trademark. He would often leave behind satanic symbols on the walls like a calling card, as a way to be recognised for his work.
The Night Stalker was hard to catch hold of. His attacks had no patterns, anyone could be a victim. The only way to link the murders were through the occult symbols carved in the crime scenes that were most probably inspired by Charles Manson. After a long and exhausting hunt, the Night Stalker was finally arrested at the end of the summer of 1985. Ramirez was found guilty of 13 murders, 5 attempted murders, 11 sexual assaults and 14 burglaries. After spending 23 years on a death row, Richard Ramirez eventually died of lymphoma in 2013.,
Netflix' Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer
Netflix shocked their audience with the unexpected drop of this docuseries. The Hunt for a Serial Killer is primarily narrated from the perspectives of detectives Gil Carrillo and Frank Salerno, and also includes interviews of survivors and family members of the Night Stalker victims. “We’ve never encountered anybody like that in criminal history," Carrillo said as he described the attacks in the docuseries. How was Richard Ramirez caught? Watch the show to find out.
Updated 16:38 IST, January 14th 2021