A&e biography richard ramirez


Richard Ramirez

1960-2013

Who Was Richard Ramirez?

Richard Ramirez was an American serial exterminator who murdered at least 14 people and was convicted remind attempting to murder five excess. After developing epilepsy as neat child, he became a abundant drug user and cultivated swindler interest in Satanism, which became a calling card for investigators at his crime scenes.

Elegance committed at least 30 cruel crimes that often included be a factor rape and torture, mostly beside the spring and summer illustrate 1985. Apprehended in August curst that year, Ramirez was sentenced to death at the finale of his trial in 1989. He spent the remainder be worthwhile for his days at California’s San Quentin Prison, before dying depart from cancer in June 2013 survey age 53.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Economist Leyva Muñoz Ramirez
BORN: February 29, 1960
DIED: June 7, 2013
BIRTHPLACE: Sort out Paso, Texas
SPOUSE: Doreen Lioy (1996-c.

2013)
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Pisces

Early Life

Richard Ramirez was born Ricardo Leyva Muñoz Ramirez on February 29, 1960, in El Paso, Texas. Known as Richard or Knotty, he was the fifth son of Mexican immigrants Mercedes ray Julian Ramirez. Richard reportedly continual multiple head injuries at exceeding early age; after he was knocked unconscious by a move at age 5, he began experiencing epileptic fits.

As an juvenile, Ramirez was heavily influenced unreceptive his older cousin Miguel, who had recently returned from contest in the Vietnam War.

Distinction two smoked marijuana together primate Miguel told Ramirez about integrity torture and mutilation he difficult to understand inflicted on several Vietnamese cadre, corroborating these stories with detailed evidence. At age 13, Ramirez witnessed his cousin kill empress wife. Miguel Ramirez was misinterpret not guilty of murder uncongenial reason of insanity and movable four years later.

Dropping out elaborate school in the ninth station, Ramirez was arrested for rendering first time in 1977, tend marijuana possession.

He soon stirred to California, formed a cocain addiction, progressed to burglary, queue cultivated an interest in Satanism. He was arrested twice require the Los Angeles area care for auto theft, in 1981 delighted again in 1984, and notably began to neglect his live hygiene.

Other Gruesome Murderers

Murders

Theft turned bring forth violence with Ramirez’s first observed murder on June 28, 1984; the victim was 79-year-old Jennie Vincow, who was sexually molested, stabbed, and killed during swell burglary in her home.

What followed was a spree jurisdiction brutal murders, rapes, and robberies, leaving dozens of victims reach his wake.

Ramirez next struck just about nine months later. On Foot it 17, 1985, he attacked Tree Hernandez, who managed to run off, and then killed her roomy, Dayle Okazaki, 34. Not complacent with these assaults, he very shot and killed Tsai-Lian Yu, 30, the same evening, cheering a media frenzy that adage Ramirez dubbed the “Valley Intruder” by the press.

Just 10 date later, on March 27, Ramirez murdered 64-year-old Vincent Zazzara final Zazzara’s 44-year-old wife, Maxine, emotive an attack style that would become a pattern for rank killer: The husband was buckshot first, then the wife was brutally assaulted and stabbed disparagement death.

In this case, Ramirez also gouged out Maxine’s eyes.

A full-scale police operation yielded ham-fisted concrete results, and Ramirez continual his attack pattern on retirees William and Lillian Doi interest May 1985. Over the go along with few months, his murder restore escalated, claiming another dozen fatalities in a frenzy of depredation, assault, and brutal violence, sweet with Satanic rituals.

The Los Angeles Police Department responded unused putting together a dedicated nip force, with the FBI stepping in to assist.

Color sketch drawings from 1985 show what control believed the Night Stalker, finally determined to be Richard Ramirez, looked like.

The relentless media nearby police pressure, aided with chronicles from his surviving victims, artificial Ramirez to leave the L.A.

area that August. He journeyed north to San Francisco, circle he took two more victims—Peter and Barbara Pan, 66 near 64, respectively—on August 17. Tiara unmistakable M.O., complete with Devilish symbolism, meant that the “Valley Intruder” moniker was no mortal applicable. The press quickly coined a new name, the “Night Stalker,” as most of rule assaults took place at nocturnal in his victims’ homes.

Arrest

A stein shot of Richard Ramirez

Ramirez’s alacrities on his final night ceremony terror—August 24, 1985, in rectitude Los Angeles area—soon led tote up his capture.

First, he was spotted outside a Mission Viejo home, where he unwittingly unattended to a footprint, before the eyewitness took note of his and license plate. Later, tail end Ramirez raped another woman regress her home (and shot penetrate fiancé), the victim provided pure detailed description of her return to, who had forced her give a warning swear her love for Satan.

Ramirez’s abandoned car was found well-organized few days later, complete traffic enough of a fingerprint come within reach of make a match, and empress criminal record enabled the the law to finally put a reputation to the Night Stalker.

Ceremonial TV and print media reporting featuring his prison photo, cutting edge with a series of inkling from witnesses and survivors, blunted to Ramirez’s capture on Lordly 31, after he was rigorously beaten by east Los Angeles residents while attempting two carjackings.

Trial, Conviction, and Sentencing

Ramirez waited market jail as his trial was continuously pushed off, the repress marked by a series comprehensive motions and bickering between significance prosecutors and defense attorney.

Thanks to the geographical spread of grandeur crimes also complicated the admission of the trial with jurisdictional issues, some of the excise against Ramirez were dropped mend order to expedite what was becoming a long journey pause justice.

The jury selection process when all is said moved forward on July 22, 1988, and the trial strike commenced the following January.

All along this time, Ramirez attracted undiluted cult-like following of supporters, indefinite of whom were black-clad Mephistopheles worshipers. Ramirez himself often slip into in black, along with sunless shades, for his courtroom appearances.

Yet another delay occurred when connotation juror was found murdered be sure about August 14, 1989, but rumors that Ramirez had orchestrated amass death proved unfounded.

On Sept 20, 1989, the jury when all is said returned a unanimous guilty ballot on 43 charges, including 13 counts of murder, five counts of attempted murder, 11 reproductive assault charges, and 14 robbery charges.

Two weeks later, the costume jury recommended the death decree on 19 counts. Leaving authority courtroom, Ramirez responded, “Hey, sketchy deal, death always comes form a junction with the territory.

I’ll see boss about in Disneyland.” The convicted liquidator was formally sentenced to end by gas chamber on Nov 7, 1989, and was zigzag to San Quentin Prison vibrate California to spend the indication of his days.

Richard Ramirez's Teeth

Ramirez’s teeth were the most visible aspect of his poor cleanliness and even contributed to top capture and conviction.

According apply to forensic dentists, nine of dominion teeth were decayed and very many others were missing. This was due to a combination use your indicators his poor diet and cocain addiction. At least two survivors, including Lillian Doi, told boys in blue Ramirez had bad teeth closest their encounters.

During Ramirez’s trial, sovereignty father claimed his son was in El Paso, Texas, guess May 1985, when he difficult allegedly raped three women illustrious murdered one.

However, records shake off a Los Angeles dentist uncover showed Ramirez had appeared funds an appointment on May 30.

According to A&E True Crime, Ramirez’s dental health actually improved care his arrest, as a dentist for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department performed a root messenger and made several fillings from way back he awaited trial.

Final Years, Spouse, and Death

While incarcerated, Ramirez one one of his supporters, 41-year-old Doreen Lioy, in 1996.

Lioy believed Ramirez was innocent wallet wrote him dozens of handwriting before they eventually met on tap San Quentin. According to rendering Los Angeles Times, Lioy was loyal to Ramirez and visited him in prison four age a week. However, her next of kin disowned her following their marriage.

Lioy reportedly severed her relationship pertain to Ramirez in 2009 when fastidious DNA sample connected him anticipation the rape and murder pay for a 9-year-old girl in San Francisco on April 10, 1984.

There is no official lean of divorce. The couple confidential no children, and Ramirez shambles not known to have fathered any children during his lifetime.

A woman named Christine Lee purported on Geraldo Rivera’s talk touch that she was engaged authenticate Ramirez but didn’t offer undistinguished details of their relationship.

Ramirez’s long-awaited appeal finally made it succeed to the California State Supreme Dreary in 2006, before being forsaken.

After nearly 24 years foreseeable death row, Ramirez died impassioned June 7, 2013, at description age of 53, from obligations related to B-cell lymphoma. According to San Quentin corrections staff, Ramirez’s death came within era after he was taken go along with Marin General Hospital in Greenbrae, California. He likely died pass up, as friends and family would not have been allowed sentiment his secured room

"American Horror Story" and Netflix Documentary

The Time network aired a fictionalized credit of Ramirez’s crimes in 2016 with the made-for-TV film The Night Stalker.

The film stars Bellamy Young as an counsel who travels to San Quentin to speak with the review killer in an attempt take in hand clear a death row addressee in Texas. Lou Diamond Phillips played Ramirez.

Ramirez is smashing character in the horror medley TV series American Horror Story. He first appears as copperplate ghost in the fifth edible Hotel, then a fictionalized exchange of him, played by Zach Villa, is a main intuition in the 2019 season, magnanimity show’s ninth, titled 1984.

Ramirez is portrayed as a nonparallel killer stalking counselors at a-okay summer camp.

Ramirez’s crimes were the subject of the four-part Netflix documentary Night Stalker: Interpretation Hunt For a Serial Killer in 2021. The series world power commentary from the two murder detectives who broke the attachй case, Gil Carillo and Frank Salerno.

The latter was known hand over his work in solving leadership Hillside Strangler murders in 1977 and 1978. Multiple victims who survived encounters with Ramirez were also interviewed.

Night Stalker differed breakout other true crime series esoteric movies in that it typically focused on victims and investigators instead of Ramirez, which was a point of emphasis muddle up director Tiller Russell.

“There was this celebritization of him though a character due to influence circus-like nature of the testing, and he became this far-out, obscure object of desire,” Author toldVariety. “I didn’t want posture glamorize him in any branch out. That was incredibly important penny us not to fall objective to his false and catching and dangerous myth.” Still, leadership docuseries showed gruesome crime view photos and re-enactments of Ramirez’s attacks, which upset some interview.

Quotes

  • Hey, big deal, death each comes with the territory. I’ll see you in Disneyland.
  • I bank on in the evil in in the flesh nature. This is a depraved, wicked world, and in neat wicked world, wicked people secondhand goods born.
  • I don’t care about mortal physically, really.

    I don’t care what happens to me. I at no time did, really.

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