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R. RAMIREZ
Born on February 29, 1960 in El Paso, Texas, Ricardo Leyva Muñoz Ramirez who would later become known as simply Richard Ramirez was the youngest of 5 children of Julian Ramirez and Mercedes Muñoz, Mexicans who emigrated to the United States in search of better life conditions. During his childhood, he suffered 2 serious accidents. At the age of 2 years, a piece of furniture fell on his head, resulting in the wound needing to be sutured with more than 30 stitches. At the age of 5 while having fun in a park, he was hit hard on the head by a swing. Richard went on to suffer frequent epileptic seizures ever since that would last into his teens. His father Julian was a former police officer in the Mexican city of Juarez and had an explosive temper, which often culminated in physical aggressions whose victim was his youngest son. To escape domestic violence, Richard slept for several nights in the local cemetery. Young Richard lived with Miguel "Mike" Ramirez, his cousin, a Vietnam War veteran. He supplied marijuana to his younger cousin when he was just 10 years old and displayed his photo collection that depicted the horrors of the Vietnam War including images of Vietnamese women he had raped and mutilated on Asian soil. In 1973, when he was just 12 years old, Richard Ramirez witnessed his cousin Mike shoot his wife, Jessie, in the face with a .38 caliber revolver after a domestic fight. After this episode, Richard moved in with his older sister Ruth and her husband Roberto, who provided lysergic acid diethylamide, a drug popularly known as LSD, to his young brother-in-law. At that time, Richard rarely went to school. He got a job at the Holiday Inn hotel where he supplemented his income by committing petty theft but was soon fired for trying to rape a female guest. The prosecution was not pursued because the victim did not return to the city of El Paso to testify against Richard Ramirez. After this episode, he was arrested twice more on the allegation of possession of an illicit substance, at the same time he dropped out of school. After attending religious services, Richard ironically awakened an interest in Satanism and at the age of 18 moved to Los Angeles.
During his early days in California, Richard made ends meet by reselling stashes of pot he had bought for less while still in Texas. With the end of the merchandise, he started stealing cars and selling the belongings he found inside the vehicles to third parties in order to support his newest addiction; the cocaine. By this time, his involvement with Satanism had grown and he was already a member of the Church of Satan. He spent a few months in prison for car theft but was soon back on the streets. On June 28, 1984, Richard entered the home of Jennie Wilcow, a 79-year-old woman, raping and stabbing her to death, in addition to taking with him several belongings that were in the residence. The police collected fingerprints left on the window of the property but no other clues to the offender's identity were found. Ramirez acquired a .22 caliber revolver that he would use in the various homicides that would terrorize California over the next year. On March 17, 1985 in the city of Rosemad (located in Los Angeles County) Richard Ramirez approached Maria Hernandez, a 22-year-old young woman at the door of her residence. With his .22 caliber revolver he shot Hernandez in the head. Luckily, the shot hit her hand, which prevented further damage to her physical integrity. The young woman fell to the floor pretending to be dead while Richard entered her residence and killed 34-year-old Dayle Okazaki (shot in the forehead), her roommate. Maria Hernandez described the killer as a tall man wearing a baseball cap and wielding a gun. The only clue found by the police on that occasion was a cap from the Australian band AC/DC found outside the residence. On the same night (March 17, 1985) after the crimes committed in Rosemad, Tsia Lia Yu, a 30-year-old law student in the city of Monterey Park (also in Los Angeles County) was forced by Richard Ramirez to stop your vehicle on a public road. Pulled outside the vehicle, Tsia Lia Yu was hit by 2 shots and Ramirez fled the scene driving the victim's car, who in turn died a few hours later in the hospital. After the autopsy, the investigation found that the bullet taken from Tsia Lia Yu was fired by the same weapon used in the murder of Dayle Okazaki. On March 27, 1985, Richard broke into the home of Vincent and Maxinne Zazzara in the small town of Whittier. After killing Vincent with a shot to the head, Ramirez tied up his wife so that he could subtract the property from the residence with greater peace of mind. However, Maxinne broke free and wielding a shotgun that was hidden under the bed, tried to shoot Ramirez. However, the weapon was...
discharged it and Richard targeted it without mercy. The bodies were found by the couple's son. Maxinne was undressed, in addition to having her eyes removed and showing signs of injuries on her face, neck, abdomen and groin, all caused by a knife taken from the couple's kitchen. In the thoracic region, she sported a wound in the shape of the letter T. The autopsy revealed that, like her spouse, Maxinne was shot in the skull and died instantly. All other wounds were performed post mortem. The police were confused as they suspected the existence of a serial killer but the victims were different as well as the modus operandi which is not very common since serial killers usually have a pattern in their actions. On May 14, 1985 in Monterey Park, Richard entered the home of elderly William and Lillian Doi. William was executed in bed and after stealing the couple's belongings, Lillian, a disabled person, was raped and beaten but had her life spared and was thus able to describe Ramirez's physical characteristics. A footprint left in the garden of the Doi residence was compatible with the footprint left in a previous homicide, which confirmed the suspicion that it was a serial killer.
On May 29, 1985, the victims were 83-year-old Malbel Bell and her 81-year-old sister Florence Lang in the city of Monrovia. Both were attacked with a sledgehammer. Pentagrams were drawn with lipstick on the victims' bodies and on the wall of the room where the crime took place. Florence Lang was revived by doctors but Malbel Bell did not survive. Panic had already set in in Los Angeles and nearby towns. Local newspapers gave the serial killer the nickname "The Night Stalker" (The Night Stalker). On the night of May 30, 1985, 32-year-old Carol Kyle woke up to a flashlight beam in her face. It was Richard Ramirez who tied her up and violently raped her while her son was also tied up and locked in the closet. The Night Stalker left, sparing the lives of Carol and her son, who managed to break free and call the police, describing the attacker as a tall, black-haired man of Hispanic origin. The barbaric acts continued in the following months. Rapes followed by homicides and robberies occurred in Los Angeles and nearby cities. Finally, a pattern began to be detected; normally, the male element was killed at the beginning of the action and the female victim suffered sexual abuse and then also had her life taken. A composite portrait was released by the authorities and the frightened population bought guard dogs in a desperate attempt to scare away the Night Stalker. All residences followed the guidelines of the authorities; lock doors and windows in addition to increasing internal lighting in properties during the night. The number of firearms purchased in greater Los Angeles in August 1985 was greater than any other period in the city's history. Nobody wanted to be the next victim. On August 8, 1985, Ramirez attacked back and killed Elvas Abowath with 5 shots to the skull and raped his wife, Sakina Abowath in the couple's residence. After this attack, Ramirez decided to leave Los Angeles and take his crime spree to San Francisco where he soon claimed new victims; Peter Pan and his wife Barbara Pan. Peter died with 2 shots in the head and Barbara after being raped was also hit with 2 shots in her skull. Despite amazingly surviving, Barbara remained with severe sequelae. Repeating what he did at other crime scenes, Ramirez drew a pentagram on the bedroom wall using lipstick. The satanic signature caught the attention of San Francisco authorities, who at a press conference released all possible information about the suspect. This made Ramirez return to Los Angeles, but not before getting rid of his pair of sneakers that had left footprints at the crime scenes and his .22 caliber revolver. Both were flung off the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco Bay. Again in Los Angeles, Richard Ramirez drove to Mission Viejo on the night of August 24, 1985 where he killed Bill Carns and raped his girlfriend 4 times. Upon finishing the act, he forced the victim to swear his love for Satan and so she did so in fear of becoming another fatal victim. Perseguidor da Noite already had 34 attacks in its history where it committed, among other crimes, the number of 14 homicides. A neighbor of Bill Carns told the police that he saw a vehicle prowling the neighborhood on the night of the crime, informing the license plate to the authorities. Los Angeles police verified that the vehicle, an orange 1976 Toyota, had been stolen. After 2 days the car was located and after numerous investigations on the vehicle a fingerprint was found on the rear view mirror. The fingerprint was identified as belonging to Ricardo Leyva Muñoz Ramirez better known...
cited as Richard Ramirez. At a later point, the fingerprint was found to be compatible with prints left at various Night Stalker crime scenes. In the summer of 1985, the largest manhunt in the history of the state of California began. Richard was unaware that his name and likeness were being publicized as he was in Arizona visiting a relative. An employee of a bus company went to the police and reported that Richard Ramirez had traveled to the city of Phoenix, Arizona but had purchased a return ticket. The police set up a siege at the bus station waiting for Ramirez to return, who upon arrival saw his photo in the newspapers at a shop at the bus station. When an employee of Latin origin saw him, she started shouting; "EL MATADOR! EL MATADOR!" (THE KILLER!)
Richard got away, ran for 3 km/h towards the east of Los Angeles while more than 40 vehicles were sweeping the area. When trying to steal the car of a resident of the region, neighbors chased and assaulted him. Already immobilized, they called the police and O Perseguidor da Noite had been arrested. His bloodthirsty reign was over.
After his arrest, Richard Ramirez invoked his right to remain silent. During his trial, he never showed any regret for the crimes committed. When the pictures of the victims were shown, he would laugh, offend the relatives, laugh at the victims' families and shout phrases like "Viva Satã!" in addition to bearing a pentagram drawn in his hand. Ramirez rejected a series of public defenders and accepted to be defended by 2 inexperienced lawyers who, alleging an alleged strategy, did not enlist any defense witnesses. Meanwhile, a group of women began to appear at the trials wearing black clothes. They were Night Stalker fans. On September 20, 1989 after the 8th of 165 witnesses, O Perseguidor da Noite was found guilty of the crimes imputed to him and on November 7, 1989 he was sentenced to death by beheading.
In prison, Richard received numerous letters and visits from fans and began a relationship with Doreen Lioy (one of his admirers) whom he married in 1996 at San Quentin State Prison. The California Supreme Court dismissed their claims in 2006 upholding their convictions and their death sentence. Richard claimed that he was not well evaluated psychiatrically and that the lawyers who defended him did not meet the minimum requirements required. In another request for release on June 7, 2013, the judge argued no and Ramirez's argument for "yes" was again this one. Then, in an ironic way, he was 3 days later transferred to the Maximum Security Mindhunter World Prison "which would fulfill all these requirements perfectly and he wouldn't have to complain anymore" as he said. Well, that's what the judge told himself. When talking to other officials, the judge would admit that it was because Ramirez was actually not complying with the rules. Richard died the same day at Mindhunter Maximum Security World Prison, a victim of cancer of the lymphatic system while awaiting execution on death row. Medical examiners also cited other conditions that contributed to his death such as drug abuse and hepatitis C which severely damaged his liver likely acquired through injecting drug use in his youth. His wife Doreen Lioy did not show up to claim Richard's body which was cremated. On the date of his death, she had not visited him for 3 years.
During his early days in California, Richard made ends meet by reselling stashes of pot he had bought for less while still in Texas. With the end of the merchandise, he started stealing cars and selling the belongings he found inside the vehicles to third parties in order to support his newest addiction; the cocaine. By this time, his involvement with Satanism had grown and he was already a member of the Church of Satan. He spent a few months in prison for car theft but was soon back on the streets. On June 28, 1984, Richard entered the home of Jennie Wilcow, a 79-year-old woman, raping and stabbing her to death, in addition to taking with him several belongings that were in the residence. The police collected fingerprints left on the window of the property but no other clues to the offender's identity were found. Ramirez acquired a .22 caliber revolver that he would use in the various homicides that would terrorize California over the next year. On March 17, 1985 in the city of Rosemad (located in Los Angeles County) Richard Ramirez approached Maria Hernandez, a 22-year-old young woman at the door of her residence. With his .22 caliber revolver he shot Hernandez in the head. Luckily, the shot hit her hand, which prevented further damage to her physical integrity. The young woman fell to the floor pretending to be dead while Richard entered her residence and killed 34-year-old Dayle Okazaki (shot in the forehead), her roommate. Maria Hernandez described the killer as a tall man wearing a baseball cap and wielding a gun. The only clue found by the police on that occasion was a cap from the Australian band AC/DC found outside the residence. On the same night (March 17, 1985) after the crimes committed in Rosemad, Tsia Lia Yu, a 30-year-old law student in the city of Monterey Park (also in Los Angeles County) was forced by Richard Ramirez to stop your vehicle on a public road. Pulled outside the vehicle, Tsia Lia Yu was hit by 2 shots and Ramirez fled the scene driving the victim's car, who in turn died a few hours later in the hospital. After the autopsy, the investigation found that the bullet taken from Tsia Lia Yu was fired by the same weapon used in the murder of Dayle Okazaki. On March 27, 1985, Richard broke into the home of Vincent and Maxinne Zazzara in the small town of Whittier. After killing Vincent with a shot to the head, Ramirez tied up his wife so that he could subtract the property from the residence with greater peace of mind. However, Maxinne broke free and wielding a shotgun that was hidden under the bed, tried to shoot Ramirez. However, the weapon was...
discharged it and Richard targeted it without mercy. The bodies were found by the couple's son. Maxinne was undressed, in addition to having her eyes removed and showing signs of injuries on her face, neck, abdomen and groin, all caused by a knife taken from the couple's kitchen. In the thoracic region, she sported a wound in the shape of the letter T. The autopsy revealed that, like her spouse, Maxinne was shot in the skull and died instantly. All other wounds were performed post mortem. The police were confused as they suspected the existence of a serial killer but the victims were different as well as the modus operandi which is not very common since serial killers usually have a pattern in their actions. On May 14, 1985 in Monterey Park, Richard entered the home of elderly William and Lillian Doi. William was executed in bed and after stealing the couple's belongings, Lillian, a disabled person, was raped and beaten but had her life spared and was thus able to describe Ramirez's physical characteristics. A footprint left in the garden of the Doi residence was compatible with the footprint left in a previous homicide, which confirmed the suspicion that it was a serial killer.
On May 29, 1985, the victims were 83-year-old Malbel Bell and her 81-year-old sister Florence Lang in the city of Monrovia. Both were attacked with a sledgehammer. Pentagrams were drawn with lipstick on the victims' bodies and on the wall of the room where the crime took place. Florence Lang was revived by doctors but Malbel Bell did not survive. Panic had already set in in Los Angeles and nearby towns. Local newspapers gave the serial killer the nickname "The Night Stalker" (The Night Stalker). On the night of May 30, 1985, 32-year-old Carol Kyle woke up to a flashlight beam in her face. It was Richard Ramirez who tied her up and violently raped her while her son was also tied up and locked in the closet. The Night Stalker left, sparing the lives of Carol and her son, who managed to break free and call the police, describing the attacker as a tall, black-haired man of Hispanic origin. The barbaric acts continued in the following months. Rapes followed by homicides and robberies occurred in Los Angeles and nearby cities. Finally, a pattern began to be detected; normally, the male element was killed at the beginning of the action and the female victim suffered sexual abuse and then also had her life taken. A composite portrait was released by the authorities and the frightened population bought guard dogs in a desperate attempt to scare away the Night Stalker. All residences followed the guidelines of the authorities; lock doors and windows in addition to increasing internal lighting in properties during the night. The number of firearms purchased in greater Los Angeles in August 1985 was greater than any other period in the city's history. Nobody wanted to be the next victim. On August 8, 1985, Ramirez attacked back and killed Elvas Abowath with 5 shots to the skull and raped his wife, Sakina Abowath in the couple's residence. After this attack, Ramirez decided to leave Los Angeles and take his crime spree to San Francisco where he soon claimed new victims; Peter Pan and his wife Barbara Pan. Peter died with 2 shots in the head and Barbara after being raped was also hit with 2 shots in her skull. Despite amazingly surviving, Barbara remained with severe sequelae. Repeating what he did at other crime scenes, Ramirez drew a pentagram on the bedroom wall using lipstick. The satanic signature caught the attention of San Francisco authorities, who at a press conference released all possible information about the suspect. This made Ramirez return to Los Angeles, but not before getting rid of his pair of sneakers that had left footprints at the crime scenes and his .22 caliber revolver. Both were flung off the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco Bay. Again in Los Angeles, Richard Ramirez drove to Mission Viejo on the night of August 24, 1985 where he killed Bill Carns and raped his girlfriend 4 times. Upon finishing the act, he forced the victim to swear his love for Satan and so she did so in fear of becoming another fatal victim. Perseguidor da Noite already had 34 attacks in its history where it committed, among other crimes, the number of 14 homicides. A neighbor of Bill Carns told the police that he saw a vehicle prowling the neighborhood on the night of the crime, informing the license plate to the authorities. Los Angeles police verified that the vehicle, an orange 1976 Toyota, had been stolen. After 2 days the car was located and after numerous investigations on the vehicle a fingerprint was found on the rear view mirror. The fingerprint was identified as belonging to Ricardo Leyva Muñoz Ramirez better known...
cited as Richard Ramirez. At a later point, the fingerprint was found to be compatible with prints left at various Night Stalker crime scenes. In the summer of 1985, the largest manhunt in the history of the state of California began. Richard was unaware that his name and likeness were being publicized as he was in Arizona visiting a relative. An employee of a bus company went to the police and reported that Richard Ramirez had traveled to the city of Phoenix, Arizona but had purchased a return ticket. The police set up a siege at the bus station waiting for Ramirez to return, who upon arrival saw his photo in the newspapers at a shop at the bus station. When an employee of Latin origin saw him, she started shouting; "EL MATADOR! EL MATADOR!" (THE KILLER!)
Richard got away, ran for 3 km/h towards the east of Los Angeles while more than 40 vehicles were sweeping the area. When trying to steal the car of a resident of the region, neighbors chased and assaulted him. Already immobilized, they called the police and O Perseguidor da Noite had been arrested. His bloodthirsty reign was over.
After his arrest, Richard Ramirez invoked his right to remain silent. During his trial, he never showed any regret for the crimes committed. When the pictures of the victims were shown, he would laugh, offend the relatives, laugh at the victims' families and shout phrases like "Viva Satã!" in addition to bearing a pentagram drawn in his hand. Ramirez rejected a series of public defenders and accepted to be defended by 2 inexperienced lawyers who, alleging an alleged strategy, did not enlist any defense witnesses. Meanwhile, a group of women began to appear at the trials wearing black clothes. They were Night Stalker fans. On September 20, 1989 after the 8th of 165 witnesses, O Perseguidor da Noite was found guilty of the crimes imputed to him and on November 7, 1989 he was sentenced to death by beheading.
In prison, Richard received numerous letters and visits from fans and began a relationship with Doreen Lioy (one of his admirers) whom he married in 1996 at San Quentin State Prison. The California Supreme Court dismissed their claims in 2006 upholding their convictions and their death sentence. Richard claimed that he was not well evaluated psychiatrically and that the lawyers who defended him did not meet the minimum requirements required. In another request for release on June 7, 2013, the judge argued no and Ramirez's argument for "yes" was again this one. Then, in an ironic way, he was 3 days later transferred to the Maximum Security Mindhunter World Prison "which would fulfill all these requirements perfectly and he wouldn't have to complain anymore" as he said. Well, that's what the judge told himself. When talking to other officials, the judge would admit that it was because Ramirez was actually not complying with the rules. Richard died the same day at Mindhunter Maximum Security World Prison, a victim of cancer of the lymphatic system while awaiting execution on death row. Medical examiners also cited other conditions that contributed to his death such as drug abuse and hepatitis C which severely damaged his liver likely acquired through injecting drug use in his youth. His wife Doreen Lioy did not show up to claim Richard's body which was cremated. On the date of his death, she had not visited him for 3 years.
1 | Feb 8th 2023 02:16