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MUÑOZ RAMÍREZ Ricardo Leyva

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Not to be confused with the unrelated serial killer, commonly known as the "Original Night Stalker", Joseph DeAngelo.
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“ Big deal. Death always went with the territory. See you in Disneyland. „

~ Richard Ramirez, statement to reporters after his death sentences.[1]

Biography

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Ricardo Leyva Muñoz Ramírez was born February 29, 1960, to immigrant church going parents Julian and Mercedes Ramirez. He had three brothers and one sister and was the last child to be born in the family.

Julian and Mercedes were hard working parents who often worked long hours, and it was said that his father Julian had a bad temper. From his brothers, during his teenage years, Richard learned the burglary trade. Perhaps the most influential character in Richard's life was his cousin Mike.

Mike was a Vietnam veteran with a bad marriage because his wife was not happy that the man that came back from the military was in no way the man who left for the military. Instead of getting a job and supporting his family all he wanted to do now was smoke pot and hang out with Richard. During the time Richard and Mike were together they spent their time riding around smoking pot and reliving the days that Mike spent in Vietnam raping and torturing women there. He had an old footlocker filled with mementos such as pictures of the women taken during the raping and killing process. These pictures were very graphic both sexually and violently, and the subject always talked about was sex. Young Richard experienced sexual feelings while viewing these pictures and having these conversations and doing drugs with Mike.

When Richard was 11 Mike and his wife were having an argument, when Mike took out a gun and shot her in the face. Richard witnessed this along with Mike's two children. Later after Mike had gone to jail, Richard and his dad went to the house to collect some personal items and shut the house down. The evidence and blood were still there.[2]

When Richard was 17, his mother, fed up with his marijuana use, rock music, and getting in trouble with his brothers, kicked him out of the house. At 18, disillusioned and atheistic, he left El Paso Texas, his hometown for California where he got arrested for burglary crimes. While in jail, he learned about Satanism from his cell mate. He figured that instead of worshiping God who did not condone his actions, he should be worshiping Satan who most certainly condoned his actions and thoughts.

His first murder was actually intended to be a burglary. Jennie Vincow was the victim. When Richard entered the apartment and found nothing worth stealing, he got angry and decided to take the most valuable thing she had- her life. This was in June 1984. The following year in 1985 he went on to murder 12 more people by strangulation, stabbing, shooting them, slashing their throats, or simply beating them to death. He aspired to be the best serial killer there ever was, thinking that it would earn him an elevated spot in hell at Lucifer's side, however he got caught before he could fulfill that fantasy. When he was caught, he was charged with 63 crimes – thirteen murder charges, and the rest comprised of attempted murder charges, rape charges, and sexual assault charges.[3]

Victims

Confirmed victims

Name Age Date of Death Cause of Death
Mei Leung 9 April 10, 1984 Stabbing
Jennie Vincow 79 June 28, 1984 Stabbing
Dayle Yoshie Okazaki 34 March 17, 1985 Shooting
Tsai-Lian "Veronica" Yu 30 March 17, 1985 Shooting[note 1]
Vincent Zazzara 64 March 27, 1985 Shooting[note 2]
Maxine Zazzara 44 March 27, 1985 Shooting[note 3][note 4]
Bill Doi 66 May 14, 1985 Shooting[note 5]
Mabel "Ma" Bell 83 May 29, 1985 Bludgeoning
Mary Louise Cannon 75 July 2, 1985 Stabbing[note 6]
Joyce Nelson 60 July 7, 1985 Beating
Lela Kneiding 66 July 20, 1985 Shooting[note 7]
Maxson Kneiding 68 July 20, 1985 Shooting[note 8]
Chainarong Khovananth 32 July 20, 1985 Shooting[note 9]
Elyas Abowath 31 August 8, 1985 Shooting[note 10]
Peter Pan 66 August 18, 1985 Shooting[note 11]

Survivors

Name Age Date of Attack
Anastasia Hronas 6 February 25, 1985
Maria Hernandez 22 March 17, 1985[note 12]
Lillian Doi 56 May 14, 1985
Florence "Nettie" Lang 81 May 29, 1985
Carol Kyle 42 May 30, 1985
Carol Kyle's son 11 May 30, 1985
Whitney Bennett 16 July 5, 1985
Sophie Dickman 63 July 7, 1985
Somkid Khovananth July 20, 1985
Somkid Khovananth's son 8 July 20, 1985
Chris Peterson 38 August 6, 1985
Virginia Peterson 27 August 6, 1985[note 13]
Sakina Abowath 27 August 8, 1985
Sakina Abowath's son 3 August 8, 1985
Barbara Pan 62 August 18, 1985
James Romero Jr. and family August 24, 1985[note 14]
Bill Carns 30 August 24, 1985
Inez Erickson 29 August 24, 1985

Suspected victims

Name Age Date of Death Cause of Death
Mary Caldwell 70 February 20, 1985 Stabbing
Christina Caldwell 58 February 20, 1985 Stabbing
Patty Elaine Higgins 32 June 27, 1985 Stabbing

Timeline

Timeline Incomplete
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Date Age Event
February 29, 1960 0 Ricardo Leyva Muñoz Ramírez is born in El Paso, Texas.
April 10, 1984 24 Ramirez commits his first known murder, Mei Leung, a 9-year-old girl in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco.
June 28, 1984 24 Jennie Vincow, 79, is found brutally murdered in her Los Angeles apartment.
March 17, 1985 25 Ramirez attacks Maria Hernandez, who survives, and murders Dayle Okazaki in Rosemead, California.
March 27, 1985 Ramirez murders Vincent Zazzara and his wife Maxine in Whittier, California.
May 14, 1985 Ramirez murders Bill Doi and his disabled wife Lillian in Monterey Park, California.
July 2, 1985 Patty Elaine Higgins is found murdered in her Arcadia, California home.
August 6, 1985 Ramirez murders Christopher Petersen and critically wounds his wife, Virginia, in Northridge, California.
August 8, 1985 Ramirez murders Sakina Abowath and her husband, Elias, in Diamond Bar, California.
August 24, 1985 Ramirez breaks into the home of Bill Carns and his fiancée, Inez Erickson, and assaults them.
August 30, 1985 Ramirez is captured and beaten by a mob of East Los Angeles residents before being arrested by police.
September 20, 1989 29 Ramirez is convicted of 13 counts of murder, 5 counts of attempted murder, 11 counts of sexual assault, and 14 counts of burglary.
November 7, 1989 Ramirez is sentenced to death and sent to California's death row at San Quentin.
June 7, 2013 53 Ramirez dies of complications related to B-cell lymphoma while awaiting execution.

Bibliography

Literature

  • Carlo, Philip (1996). The Night Stalker: The Life and Crimes of Richard Ramirez,. New York: Kensington Publishing Corp. ISBN 978-0-786-00379-2

Articles

Documentaries

Television

YouTube Documentaries

Podcasts

In popular culture

Film/TV adaptations

Music

Related Articles

See also

Links

Notes

  1. ↑ Shot twice with a .22 caliber handgun.
  2. ↑ Shot with a gunshot to his head from a .22 caliber handgun.
  3. ↑ Shot three times with the .22 caliber handgun.
  4. ↑ He mutilated her body by stabbing her several times, then gouged out her eyes and placed them in a jewelry box, which he took when he left.[4]
  5. ↑ Shot in the face with a .22 semi-automatic pistol.
  6. ↑ Stabbed with a 10-inch butcher knife from her kitchen.
  7. ↑ Shot to the head from a .22 caliber handgun.
  8. ↑ Shot to the head from a .22 caliber handgun.
  9. ↑ Shot in the head with a .25 caliber handgun.
  10. ↑ Shot in the head with a .25 caliber handgun.
  11. ↑ Shot in the temple with a .25 caliber handgun.
  12. ↑ Shot in the face with a .22 caliber handgun. She survived when the bullet ricocheted off the keys she held in her hands as she lifted them to protect herself.[5]
  13. ↑ Virginia Peterson was shot in the face with a .25 caliber semi-automatic handgun.
  14. ↑ Aborted attack, no injuries.[6]

References

  1. ↑ US serial killer Richard Ramirez dies in hospital. The Guardian.
  2. ↑ Bruno, Anthony (2010). "The Night Stalker: Serial Killer Richard Ramirez". Crime Library.
  3. ↑ Richard Ramirez. Murdersdatabase.
  4. ↑ Carlo 1996, p. 51
  5. ↑ Carlo 1996, p. 27
  6. ↑ Buchanan, Paul (May 15, 2017). "How a 13-Year-Old Boy Brought Down L.A.'s Most Notorious Serial Killer". Hour Media Group LLC.
  7. ↑ Trailer. Netflix Youtube.

Cited works

  • Carlo, Philip (1996). The Night Stalker: The Life and Crimes of Richard Ramirez,. New York: Kensington Publishing Corp. ISBN 978-0-786-00379-2
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