[136], "The Night Prowler" redirects here. 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. 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. It was during this period that Richard began to cultivate an interest in Satanism and the occult. Hisolder cousinMiguel was a heavy influence on his life, having fought in the Vietnam war, where he tortured and mutilated Vietnamese women. [85] The couple survived their injuries. [125] He stated to reporters after the death sentences, "Big deal. [23][24] In 1982, at the age of 22, he moved to and settled permanently in California. [13] Around this time, Richard began to seek escape from his father's violent temper by sleeping in a local cemetery.[13]. Later that day, she was found shot to death in her apartment. Richard Ramirez, born Ricardo Leyva Muoz Ramirez, was the youngest of five. [127], By the time of the trial, Ramirez had fans who were writing him letters and paying him visits. The Truth About Richard Ramirez's Childhood, considerable attention was brought to his personal life, The Night Stalker:The Life and Crimes of Richard Ramirez. He suffered a deep cut on his forehead and the scar remained visible as an adult. When he was outside he heard a rustling noise. He frequently traveled between the northern and southern areas of California both before and during his yearlong crime spree. When Miguel returned from the Vietnam War, he regaled his young cousin with stories about his gruesome exploits, reported The New York Times. Of course not! He turned to Satanism after moving toCaliforniain the late 1970s and was arrested several times for drug possession, burglary, and auto theft. "Things started from there. James raced outside and noted the color, make, and style of the car, as well as a partial license plate number. A SURVIVOR of the "Night Stalker" serial killer and rapist has recounted the harrowing details of her assault from when she was abducted at just six-years-old. During his trial, he attracted a cult-like following of Satan worshippers who idolized him. To escape his father's outbursts, he often opted to spend the night at local cemeteries. The days of The Night Stalker were finally over, and California breathed a sigh of relief! He was called The Night Stalker by the media, 12. 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. "When his cousin showed him those photographs," his biographer told A&E network, "Ramirez became sexually aroused. 9. Fast-forward to 1985 and once Richard Ramirez, now the Night Stalker, was taken into police custody, he refused to talk about anything relating to his crimes. She recalled empty food packages and "takeout stuff" scattered around the "slimy" home and a Madonna album being played on repeat. Learn more about Richard Ramirez in Netflix's The Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer. Unlike for instance Ted Bundy, who can be considered to be the prototype of a born psychopath, its assumed that Ramirez wasnt a born psychopath at all. Three years later, he was once again knocked unconscious when a swing hit his head. 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. The documentary series also delves into Ramirez's past and the horrible trauma Ramirez had to face as a child. He was an opportunist! Ramirez's upbringing was anything but what society considers a normal, safe life for a child. Ramirez didn't have any specific means for his murders; he used guns, knives, blunt objects, and even his own fists to violently kill his victims. His dad treated him poorly he would tie him to a cross in a . Julian, whose temper had been getting shorter and shorter, beat him in a way that was described in the book as being merciless. [124] During the penalty phase of the trial on November 7, 1989, he was sentenced to death in California's gas chamber. [73], On July 7, 1985, Ramirez burglarized the home of Joyce Lucille Nelson, age 60, in Monterey Park. 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 . 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. Richard was present on May 4, 1973, when Mike fatally shot his wife, Jessie, in the face with a handgun during a domestic argument. The woman's husband, Manuel De La Torre, witnessed the attempt and struck Ramirez over the head with a fence post in the pursuit. Bullets found at the scene were matched to those found at previous attacks, and the police determined that a serial killer was at large. ", Around the same time, Ramirez was seeking an escape from his father's violent temper and began sleeping in a local cemetery. The evidence that finally led to his arrest", "Mayor lets word out on the 'Night Stalker', "The Night Stalker: Serial Killer Richard Ramirez: "I Love Satan", "Crime File Famous criminal: Richard Ramirez: The Night Stalker", "The Valley Intruder: PATTY ELAINE HIGGINS: Arcadia, June 27", "Judge Dismisses Murder Count Against Ramirez; 13 Remain", "Shedding some light on the Night Stalker", "Night Stalker: Police remember the day 'pure evil' was captured and how they saved his life", "How the Night Stalker Richard Ramirez Got Caught", "Richard Ramirez: The story, the evidence, the Night Stalker", "Calif. serial killer Richard Ramirez dies", "Night Stalker Prosecutor Tells of Death Threat", "The Night Stalker: Serial Killer Richard Ramirez: The Los Angeles Trial", "Ramirez Guilty on All Night Stalker Murder Charges", "The End of the Night Stalker Richard Ramirez", "US serial killer Richard Ramirez dies in hospital", "Serial killer, rapist Richard Ramirez -- known as 'Night Stalker' -- dead at 53", "No shortage of women who dream of snaring a husband on Death Row", "The Night Stalker: "Satanists Don't Wear Gold", "Who is Doreen Lioy Dating Currently After the Death of Richard Ramirez? ", "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? [79], At approximately 4:15 am, he broke into the home of the Khovananth family. Richard Ramirez, a serial kidnapper, burglar, rapist, and murderer, who became known as the "Night Stalker", terrorized Los Angeles residents from the spring of 1984 up until his August 31, 1985 arrest. [131][bettersourceneeded] By the time of his death in 2013, Ramirez was engaged to a 23-year-old writer. While his actions are certainly hard to stomach, they need to be rooted in real-world context. He was beaten up by an angry mob just before being arrested, 14. he was eventually convicted for 13 counts of murder, 5 counts of attempted murder, 11 counts of sexual assault, and 14 counts of burglary. He appealed his sentence in California State Supreme Court in 2006, but it was ultimately rejected. Ramirez served time on San Quentin's Death Row in Northern California, Dayle Okazaki was shot in her Rosemead condo at 8510 Village Lane, after Ramirez rushed in through the garage, Ramirez was found guilty on October 9, 1985, The Night Stalker was a Satanist and witnessed his cousin murder his wife at just 13 years old, Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer. You understand now why psychologists say that Richard Ramirez was a made-psychopath, not a born one? But because he was incapable of shutting off his irrational thoughts, he became consumed by, and acted on, his more hellish instincts. He bound the couple's 8-year-old son before dragging Somkid around the house to reveal the location of any valuable items, which he stole. At his first court appearance, Ramirez raised a hand with a pentagram drawn on it and yelled, "Hail Satan! His victims ranged from age 6 to 82. He often attacked elderly pensioner couples and at one time raped and murdered a nine-year-old girl. 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. [8] Richard began smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol at the age of 10. [21] Although the husband beat Ramirez at the scene, criminal charges were dropped when the couple, who lived out of state, declined to return to Texas to testify against him. One particular photo showed Miguel posing with a woman's severed head. [19] While still in school, he took a job at a local Holiday Inn and used his passkey to rob sleeping patrons. [64], On the night of May 29, 1985, Ramirez drove a stolen car to Monrovia, and stopped at the house of Mabel "Ma" Bell, age 83, and her disabled sister, Florence "Nettie" Lang, age 81. The youngest child of Mexican national Julian Tapia Ramirez and his wife Mercedes, Richard Ramirez (born Ricardo, he was also called Ritchie by his family) was born in El Paso, Texas,. [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. Hronas explained. The crime was not discovered until July 2, when she did not show up for work. Ramirez repeatedly stabbed Cannon's body after she was already dead. 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. Ramirez,who became known as the Walk-In Killer, Valley Intruder and, more infamously, the Night Stalker, was also known for leaving Satanic symbols in his crime scenes and for not having a "type," attacking men, women, and children of different ages and backgrounds, per NYT. He was convicted and sentenced to death in 1989. According to The New York Times, Ramirezstarted sniffing glue when he was in the seventh grade. "I remember saying 'stop, this hurtsdon't' or 'why are you doing this?'" Richard then moved to live with his sister and her husband, who was apparently a peeping Tom. For over a year, Ramirez crept into houses in the wee morning hours and raped and tortured his randomly selected victims. [92], Ramirez, who had been following the media coverage of his crimes, left Los Angeles and headed to San Francisco. At the age of 2, a dresser fell on Ramirez's head, causing a large forehead laceration. The horrific way that people got killed in combination with the fact that he used the stealth attack tactics in the middle of the night, which he had learned from his cousin, turned the murderer into a real-world boogeyman during this period. By the time he had left his home in Texas and moved to California at the age of 22, he had begun frequently using cocaine. Ricardo "Richard" Leyva Muoz Ramirez (/rmrz/; February 28, 1960 June 7, 2013), dubbed the Night Stalker, the Valley Intruder (as his attacks were first clustered in the San Gabriel Valley), and the Walk-In Killer was an American serial killer and sex offender whose crime spree took place in California between June 1984 and August 1985. Ramirez was born in El Paso, Tex. "Nothing would happen for a while, then he'd take me back and continue.". 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