12 Los Angeles Serial Killers Who Terrorized The City

The most terrifying and horrible crimes in history have taken place in Los Angeles, a city renowned for its gloss and elegance. A group of people with repugnant deeds who emerged from the city’s seedy underbelly rocked the town to its very foundations. In this article, we will list 12 Los Angeles serial killers who terrorized the city.

Gordon Stewart Northcott

Northcott’s gruesome spree of murders began with an unidentified Mexican boy whom he shot and decapitated. He coerced Sanford into disposing of the head by burning it in a fire pit and crushing the skull. The headless body of the Mexican boy was left near a road in La Puente, California. Several months later, Northcott abducted Walter Collins, Jr., subjecting him to torture, rape, and a fatal beating with an ax on his farm. Initially, police suspected enemies of Walter’s father to be responsible for the abduction, but the case gained national attention and put pressure on the Los Angeles Police Department to solve it.

The Winslow brothers, Lewis and Nelson, became Northcott’s next victims when he abducted and raped them, before killing them with an ax. Sanford held captive on his uncle’s farm for two years, finally confided in his sister Jessie about the horrors inflicted by Gordon on him and other boys. Jessie promptly reported this to the American consulate after returning to Canada.

Immigration inspectors visited the farm and apprehended Sanford, who revealed that his uncle had escaped. In September 1928, Northcott and his mother were arrested in British Columbia, Canada. Sarah initially confessed to the murders but later retracted her statement. Northcott, however, admitted to killing more than five boys. The investigation of the farm led to the discovery of three shallow graves containing human remains, corroborating Sanford’s testimony. Northcott received a death sentence by hanging, while his mother was sentenced to life in prison. On September 18, 1959, he was executed in the gas room at San Quentin State Prison.

Harvey Glatman – Lonely Hearts Killer

In 1957, Glatman relocated to Los Angeles and began targeting models for his crimes. He lured them with promises of work, only to take them to his apartment where he sexually assaulted, photographed, and eventually strangled them. His known victims were Ruth Mercado, Judith Dull, and Shirley Ann Bridgeford, whom he knew through a Lonely Hearts ad. Glatman is also a suspect in the murder of “Boulder Jane Doe,” whose identity remained unknown for 55 years until she was identified as Dorothy Gay Howard in 2009.

Glatman’s arrest came in 1958 when he was caught kidnapping his potential fourth victim, Lorraine Vigil. A vigilant patrolman witnessed the struggle and apprehended him. During interrogation, Glatman confessed to the three murders and led the police to a toolbox containing photographs of his victims.

Found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, Glatman was sentenced to death. He accepted his fate and even requested the warden not to intervene to save his life. On September 18, 1959, Glatman was executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin State Prison.

Vaughn Greenwood

Greenwood carried out the initial attacks in November 1964, killing two transients. Greenwood was convicted and jailed for a knifing assault in Chicago in 1966, resulting in a ten-year hiatus between murders. He was imprisoned for five and a half years for this conviction before being released and returned to California. Greenwood’s murder spree resumed in December 1974, with nine people killed between December 1974 and February 1975.

Greenwood was found guilty on nine murder charges, including 8 of the “Skid Row Slasher” attacks in Southern California. The victims of “Slasher” had their necks slashed from ear to ear. There were indications that the killer drank the victims’ blood. Greenwood surrounded the corpses with blood cups and salt circles. Because of the objects found around the bodies, some believe the killings were motivated by Satanism. K.V. Lanning disputes this.

Greenwood got a sentence to life in prison on January 19, 1977.

Patrick Kearney

Hill and Kearney’s relationship deteriorated over time, leading to frequent arguments. Kearney would often go on solitary drives, during which he would pick up and kill young male hitchhikers or men from gay bars. Kearney had a consistent method of murder and disposal, motivated by his necrophilic tendencies. He avoided physical confrontation and preferred quick and efficient killings, without inflicting unnecessary pain on his victims.

Kearney confessed to his first murder in 1962, shooting a 19-year-old man in the head after luring him to a secluded area. He later confessed to two more murders in the same year. In 1968, Kearney committed another murder, luring a man to his residence where he shot and sodomized him, before dismembering and burying the body.

As time went on, Kearney refined his methods, committing murders almost monthly from 1974 onwards. He would shoot his victims while driving, using a Derringer .22 pistol, and then sexually violate their bodies. The corpses would then frequently be mutilated and dismembered before being dumped in various places, like canyons, dumps, or by motorways. Kearney took precautions to eliminate evidence, such as draining blood and bathing body parts. In some cases, he would beat the bodies to vent his anger and gain a sense of power.

Kearney targeted primarily young men but also had child and adolescent victims. His youngest victim was a 5-year-old boy, and his last known victim was an 8-year-old. Kearney’s arrest came after he killed a 17-year-old who had visited his home to meet with Hill. Kearney impulsively shot him and later dismembered the body.

During his killing spree, Kearney’s strange behavior went largely unnoticed, except for a grocery store owner who observed his purchases of butcher knives and described him as a loner. Kearney’s supervisor at work considered him a model employee.

Randy Steven Kraft

Randy Kraft, between 1971 and 1983, is believed to have killed 67 male victims, aged 13 to 35. He was charged with and convicted of 16 of these homicides, occurring from 1972 to 1983. Many victims were US Marines, found with high levels of alcohol and tranquilizers, indicating they were unconscious during the abuse and killings.

Kraft lured victims into his vehicle with rides or alcohol. Once inside, he drugged, bound, tortured, sexually abused, and killed them. Strangulation, asphyxiation, bludgeoning, and lethal doses of drugs were common methods. Victims were often left near California freeways, and some were taken to Kraft’s home before being murdered.

Victims suffered burns, blunt force trauma, rectal insertions, emasculation, and dismemberment. Most murders occurred in California, with victims also in Oregon and Michigan.

The first suspected victim was Wayne Joseph Dukette in 1971. Edward Daniel Moore, Kevin Clark Bailey, Ronnie Gene Wiebe, and others followed. In 1975, John Leras and Craig Jonaitis were murdered. The investigation connected 14 victims to one methodical, organized lust killer.

Keith Crotwell’s murder in 1975 led to Kraft becoming a suspect. He was initially released but later connected to more killings. The spree paused until December 1975, when Mark Hall endured extreme torture before being asphyxiated.

Randy Kraft’s crimes were a horrifying chapter of terror and brutality.

William Suff

William Suff, also known as the “Riverside Prostitute Killer,” was convicted of twelve counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. From June 1989 to December 1991, Suff terrorized Riverside County, California, committing a series of heinous crimes.

His victims included Rhonda Jetmore, who managed to escape after Suff attacked her during a sexual encounter. Kimberly Lyttle was found strangled with cigarette burns on her body, and evidence connected her murder to Suff through fibers matching his van’s sleeping bag. Christina Leal suffered binding, stab wounds, and mutilation. Darla Jane Ferguson was also strangled and found near another victim, Kimberly Lyttle.

Carol Lynn Miller was smothered and stabbed, with a grapefruit placed next to her body. Cheryl Coker was strangled, with her right breast severed, and a shoe print matching Suff’s shoes was discovered at the scene. Susan Melissa Sternfeld was found strangled and posed near a dumpster. Kathleen Leslie Milne was found nude with a sock stuffed in her throat.

Other victims included Sherry Ann Latham, Kelly Marie Hammond, Catherine McDonald, Delliah Zamora, and Eleanor Casares. Suff was linked to several additional murders, but only Cherie Michelle Payseur’s case resulted in charges, although he was not convicted.

Suff was finally arrested on January 9, 1992, during a routine traffic stop when police discovered a bloody knife and items associated with the killings. Ironically, Suff had been working as a warehouse clerk for Riverside County and had delivered furniture to the investigators handling his own case.

Phillip Carl Jablonski

Jablonski perpetrated a rape at Knifepoint in 1972, but his victim managed to flee and report the crime. He began dating Linda Kimball in 1977, and they had a child together. Jablonski threatened to rape Kimball’s mother in 1978 but did not follow through. Kimball later left Jablonski and was discovered dead in her apartment when she tried to get their baby’s possessions. Jablonski was apprehended 11 days later and sentenced to life in prison for her murder.

In 1982, Jablonski married Carol Spadoni after his parole. Spadoni and her mother were brutally killed in their house in 1991. Jablonski was accused of the murder of Fathyma Vann, who was discovered sexually assaulted and shot in the desert. He also pointed a gun at Yvette Shelby before being arrested and released by authorities.

Jablonski was arrested in Kansas in 1991 after being charged with the robbery and murder of Margie Rogers. He was found guilty and sentenced to death for the murders. He died in prison in 2019 at the age of 73 from unexplained circumstances.

Gerald Parker

In 1979, Parker committed a series of heinous crimes that included rape and murder. His first known attack occurred on July 19, when he broke into Jane P.’s apartment, assaulted her with a piece of wood, raped her, and left her in a coma with severe injuries. Several months later, on February 2, 1980, he attacked Aida Demirjian in a parking garage, beating her with a metal pipe, robbing her, and inflicting great bodily harm.

Shortly after that, on February 15, 1980, Parker abducted 13-year-old Paula S., raped her in a van, and eventually released her. She reported the incident, leading to Parker’s arrest. He was found guilty of rape and kidnapping.

In 1984, while in prison, Parker assaulted his roommate, David Feurtadot, resulting in a conviction for assault with a deadly weapon.

Parker’s murderous acts began on December 1, 1978, when he entered Sandra Fry’s apartment, fatally beating her. He struck again on April 1, 1979, killing Kimberly Rawlins. Another victim, Marolyn Carleton, died on September 16, 1979, from injuries sustained during Parker’s attempted rape. Lastly, on October 6 and October 20, 1979, he murdered Debora Kennedy and Debra Lynn Senior, respectively.

In 1998, Parker was convicted on six counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. He accepted full responsibility for his actions and expressed willingness to have his life taken as retribution. Parker was taken to San Quentin State Prison where he awaited execution by lethal injection after the jury approved the capital penalty.

Richard Ramirez

Richard Ramirez, also known as the Night Stalker, was an American serial killer who terrorized California from 1984 to 1985. Born in 1960 in Texas, Ramirez committed at least 13 murders, along with rape and burglary. His criminal tendencies developed early, influenced by his cousin, a Vietnam War veteran who showed him disturbing photos.

Ramirez’s killing spree began in June 1984 when he raped and stabbed a 79-year-old widow. His victims, often sexually assaulted and beaten, were attacked during home invasions. The Los Angeles area was gripped by fear as the Night Stalker struck, leaving Satanic symbols at crime scenes.

In 1985, Ramirez was identified through a fingerprint, leading to his capture. At his trial, he showed no remorse and was convicted of 13 murders and other crimes. Sentenced to death, he died in 2013 from cancer while on death row. Ramirez’s reign of terror left a lasting impact on California, and despite suspicions of more crimes, he was never charged with additional murders or rapes.

Grim Sleeper

Between 1985 and 1988, a series of murders occurred in South Los Angeles, attributed to a killer known as “The Grim Sleeper.” The first victim, Deborah Jackson, was a cocktail waitress. Over the next three years, the killer targeted eight more women, coinciding with the murders of other prostitutes by a man nicknamed “The Southside Slayer.” The attacks stopped when Enietra Margette Washington survived an assault in 1988 and provided a detailed description of the killer. 

After a long hiatus, the killer resurfaced in 2002, claiming the life of a 15-year-old runaway named Princess Berthomieux. The pattern changed, with the victim being strangled instead of shot. Two more murders occurred in 2003 and 2006 or 2007. In 2007, DNA evidence linked the killer to the previous Sleeper murders. Christopher Franklin was identified as a suspect, and his DNA sample connected him to the crimes. Franklin was arrested in 2010, charged with ten Sleeper murders, and eventually found guilty. He died in prison in 2020.

Timothy Joseph McGhee

A member of the Toonerville Rifa 13 gang from Los Angeles and convicted serial murderer Timothy Joseph McGhee was born on April 27, 1973. Between 1997 and 2001, he was connected to at least 12 homicides, three of which led to convictions. McGhee is also suspected of 10 murder attempts, four of which resulted in convictions. Along with Charles Manson and other killers, The Los Angeles Times placed him among the top 20 most infamous murderers in California.

McGhee has a violent past, which included an assault as a young person in 1989. He was sentenced to three years in prison in 1994 for attacking a police officer. He is accused of shooting two members of opposing gangs, leaving one of them crippled, after being freed in 1997. Later, McGhee was connected to his first murder, but owing to a parole infraction, he was sent back to prison.

McGhee was frequently released from jail and brought back between the late 1990s and early 2000s, which occurred at the same time as an increase in violence in the Atwater Village neighborhood. He was given a death sentence in 2009, however, due to modifications in California’s capital penalty rules, he was recently moved from death row to the general population.

Dana Sue Gray

Dana Sue Gray (born December 6, 1957) is a serial murderer from the United States who murdered 3 elderly women in 1994. She was apprehended after another intended victim escaped and recognized her. Gray claims she committed the murders in order to fund her spending habits. She is presently detained at the Chowchilla, California, Women’s Prison.

Conclusion

After the horrific stories of the above 12 Los Angeles serial killers who terrorized the city, we may also feel the dreadful effects they left behind. Let’s work together to bring a better future for not only this beautiful city but also all of our world!

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