(sirens whirring)
- [Voiceover] Warning,
the following episode
contains graphic images.
(tings)
(ominous music)
From UFO's to psychic powers
and government conspiracies
history is riddled with
unexplained events.
You can turn back now or learn
the stuff they don't want
you to know.
You may have heard of Richard
Ramirez the notorious serial
killer who operated in San
Francisco and Los Angeles
from 1984 to 1985, he's commonly
called the night stalker
and died of medical complications
while awaiting execution
on San Quentin's death row.
However before Ramirez's
short reign of terror
another killer operated in
California from the mid 1970's
to at least the mid 1980's
people across Santa Barbara,
Ventura and Orange County
were terrorized by what
investigators originally
thought were two unrelated
criminals.
A prolific burglar known
as the East Area Rapist
and a deranged, sadistic
murder called the original
night stalker.
The killer prepared obsessively,
observing his victims
and often breaking into
their homes before hand to
familiarize himself with
the layout to steal trinkets
and to remove any potential weapons.
Once he struck the murder
rejoiced in sadism,
assuring victims he only
wanted money until after he'd
tied them up assaulting
the female victims.
He'd wander around the house
between assaults occasionally
helping himself to food in the fridge.
Unlike Richard Ramirez, this
killer was never apprehended
so what happened?
He may still be alive.
Investigators believe the
murderer was younger at the
time of his crimes, possibly
in his mid to late 20's
meaning that as of 2016 he could
be in his 50's to mid 60's.
Law enforcement built an
extensive profile of the criminal
tracing the increasing
deterioration of the killer's
self control and mental
state as his crimes escalated
from burglary to rape
to torture and murder.
His use of distinctive
knots indicated a possible
involvement with maritime
or ranching professions,
the extensive time this
individual put into his crimes
as well as his use of different
vehicles led some to believe
he had either a wealthy
background or profession that gave
him access to a range of cars.
The killer also called
victims on the phone
before or after his crimes
to taunt or intimidate them.
Like similar serial murderers
this killer was desperate
for attention, even sending
poorly written poetry to
the Sacramento Bee.
The last known contact from
the Night Stalker occurred
in 1991 when he made a phone
call to a former victim.
More than 20 years after his
last contact with the public
investigators, survivors
and journalists are all
asking the same questions.
What happened?
Why did the original
night stalker disappear?
Are there any clues we
have somehow missed?
According to psychological
profiler Lesslie D'Ambrosia
it's possible that the
killer was himself killed
in a botched attempt at a
break in or incarcerated
for another crime or
even attempted suicide.
Surprisingly profilers don't
believe there's much chance
of the murderer being locked
in a mental institution.
Amateur investigators around
the globe have poured over
these facts as well leading
to numerous circumstantial
connections and countless
threads of speculation.
At the time of this recording,
federal authorities still
consider the case open
and one disturbing possibility remains,
that the killer could be alive,
still somehow functioning
in a dormant period
similar to that of Dennis
Radar the BTK killer.
If so that's certainly something
the original night stalker
doesn't want you to know.
(thundering)
Learn more about the
original night stalker in our
audio pod cast, available at
stufftheydontwantyoutoknow.com.
(tings)
