Charting Richard Ramirez's reign of terror

"Night Stalker" Richard Ramirez was convicted of 13 murders in 1989 and sentenced to death.

But he's was suspected in several more -- including the 1984 slaying of an 8-year-old girl in San Francisco.

There have been complaints about the length of Ramirez's appeals process for the death sentence. But delayed by problems in getting him a lawyer and preparing the voluminous trial transcript, Ramirez's direct appeal was not heard by the California Supreme Court until June 2006. His convictions and death sentence were upheld. But more appeals are coming.

Check out The Times' interactive map showing the location of Ramirez's crimes and information about the victims and circumstances.

Read selected Times coverage of the Ramirez trial and aftermath.

-- Shelby Grad

Comments

[ELA Justice]

I lived in the neighborhood where this animal was caught,if it weren't for a few sane people who stopped others from giving this animal a good old fashion EAST LA BEAT DOWN, the Night Stalker for not be alive today.
God Bless all the victims.

[RabidinL.A.]

This is an outrage. Worse, it is a mockery of justice, ramirez's tortured and very dead victims, and the American public. Giving convicted torturers and murderers appeals is downright abusive and this insane practice must be stopped. For vermin as heinous as ramirez, his rights should have been forfeited with his first victim. ALL rights. It is disgusting seeing how criminals are coddled, victims' thrown in the trash. It should be the other way around.
We the People demand immediate execution for not only justice's sake and society's well being, but to immediately extinguish this ridiculous usurpation of our hard earned taxpayers' money to maintain this parasite.
Those who are allowing and perpetuating this abusive use of appeals or in any way hampering his execution should be bound, gagged, tarred, and feathered.

[jt]

Appeal, appeal, appeal, appeal. Meanwhile his victims are still dead, and killed in the most horrific manner by this piece of dog****. Everybody knows this trash will die of old age before he even comes close to being put to death. Our justice system is BROKEN.

[Jon K.]

If ever there was a man who deserved the death penalty it is Richard Ramirez. How has it taken so long to kill this guy? I'm not a huge proponent of the death penalty, but give me a break, if someone is going to be executed, we should get it taken care of instead of allowing this creep to waste the resources of this state. The only expense the state should have to endure after the conclusion of his first appeal should be the cost of a single bullet.

[stewart]

I do not feel it was a reign of terror at all, it was time when we knew there was a killer out there and we were informed-armed, and intent on stopping him by any amd all means, many thanks to the folks in the community who discovered him in their city and over powered him that day!

[Schigolch]

We only now come to realize these were hate crimes.

[Yikes]

This is what is wrong with the California Death Penalty process. The criminal has more rights than the victim and their families. This guy should have been pushing up daisies a long time ago. If a lawyer doesn't want to take the case, it should be left to the judge (in this case only) to render a decision.

Same with the other monsters on death row. If they commited murder and the conviction WAS NOT based on circumstantial evidence, facts/DNA only, then off with their heads!

[Winnipeg Ted]

We do not execute criminals in Canada we let them out to re offend!
We have a revolving door syndrome!

[Gibraltar]

I remember being afraid in 1985 of the Night Stalker. A jury found Richard Ramirez guilty in 1989 & he was sentenced to die. I have zero empathy for someone who needlessly attacks & kills others for his own gratification. The death penalty is basically useless in Calif & the tax payers are left holding the bag for this guy's upkeep.

[Lilly]

Only in CA. We should imitate Texas. They don't play around.

[ovphoto]

so how much is this costing the tax payers-1/2 mil +,one 45cal at 2$ is all thats needed,thats how china dos it

[Whaz Up]

...Richard Ramirez is also a Child Molester...my friend's daughter who was around 9-10 years old at the time was taken from her bed in the middle of the nite in Eagle Rock and was found by LAPD walking in the street early in the morning... LAPD called my friend who was a Pastor and told him that they had his daugther...he told them that his daughter was asleep in her bed...he didn't even know that someone had come in the middle of the nite and took her...LAPD later notified my friend that Richard Ramirez was the one who had taken and molested his daughter...this happened about 1 month or two before he started to kill people...

[Whaz Up]

...Richard Ramirez is also a Child Molester...my friend's daughter who was around 9-10 years old at the time was taken from her bed in the middle of the nite in Eagle Rock and was found by LAPD walking in the street early in the morning... LAPD called my friend who was a Pastor and told him that they had his daugther...he told them that his daughter was asleep in her bed...he didn't even know that someone had come in the middle of the nite and took her...LAPD later notified my friend that Richard Ramirez was the one who had taken and molested his daughter...this happened about 1 month or two before he started to kill people...

[Sela]

It's very easy to incriminate people who are already condemn. I don't believe Richard killed that little girl. To put his DNA on a crime scene is something easy to do. To solve another crime by put the guilty in someone like Ramirez (or other criminal) is very convenient. Now another murder case is solved!!! Was Richard Ramirez "The Night Stalker" !!! Oh please!! I mean is not impossible but for what I know about Ramirez case... it just don't fit...

I don't believe that people really believe in these things of "justice"...

[??????]

When should we expect to hear feedback regarding the crime lab results and further development?