The Night Stalker

April 29, 1996
Richard Ramirez, a Mexican American from El Paso, committed perhaps 14 murders in the Los Angeles area during 1984 and 1985 and wounded several people. While robbery was one of his motives, his main objective, according to Carlo (Stolen Flowers), was to achieve power over the women in the houses he entered, to rape, torture and humiliate them. He saw himself as committing his crimes in the service of Satan and expressed contempt for conventional morality. Stubborn and with a vicious temper, he insisted on being represented by two young lawyers who had never been involved in a capital case. Found guilty in 1989, Ramirez was given 19 death sentences plus six years for each of 33 other charges. Carlo speculates on the psyche of this chilling killer and introduces an intriguing supporting cast, from the prosecutor, who saw the case as good versus evil, to the alternate juror who "fell in love with" the defendant. An exceptionally well-told true-crime tale. Photos not seen by PW.