In the mid-1980s, California was terrorized by a serial killer, rapist, and burglar who became known as the Night Stalker. At the time, it wasn’t yet known that the perpetrator was Richard Ramirez, who killed his first known victim in 1984. There are then believed to have been eight months between Ramierez’s murders, but in 1985 he ramped up his criminal acts to horrifying effect, according to Britannica.
The killings made front-page news, and the resulting fear caused a sharp increase in gun sales, as fearful citizens looked for protection. Ramirez’s last known murder happened on August 30, 1985. Less than one week later, police released his name and photograph to the public, and after someone called in a tip, Ramirez was caught the next day (per Britannica).
Ramirez went to trial in 1989, which turned into a media circus, especially when the self-described Satanist showed up to court with a pentagram drawn on the palm of his hand. Ramirez was convicted of 13 murders and sent off to death row at San Quentin State Prison. He died in 2013, but 10 years before his death, he would miss out on a visit from Metallica.
ncG1vNJzZmhqZGy7psPSmqmorZ6Zwamx1qippZxemLyue8KroKadX6m1pnnInKanoZNir6K6w6xkpq2jnrBuvsicn5qqlGK%2FornIq5yzZaeWwG6wxKegnpxdrLWquMRmpqdllJqutbSMq6awZw%3D%3D