Golden State Killer Research Paper

The Golden State Killer, also known as The East Area Rapist, The Original Night Stalker, and to some The Diamond Knot Killer, was one of the most prolific criminal killers in all California history. He raped 50+ people, burglarized hundreds of homes, and brutally murdered, at the bare minimum, 12 people. His victims ranged from the ages of 12 to 41. His span of remorseless murders, sexual assaults, and burglaries lasted from February 2, 1978 - May 4, 1986. Even after more than 40 years, the serial rapist and serial murderer still remains unidentified. Recently, the case has been reopened and has had multiple tv shows shed light upon the cold case, including HLN’s series, “Unmasking a Killer” and HBO’s “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark”. The newer shows

His MO, which stands for modus operandi, was so distinctive that law enforcement could easily conclude that the burglaries, rapes and murders were conducted by the Golden State Killer. He would pry open windows while the victims slept and tie up the female victims and if male was present he would be tied up as well. Every single victims was tied with the same knot, a decorate knot. The killer wanted total control over his victims. He took his time to make sure his victims would not escape. As a sort of makeshift alarm system, he placed ceramic plates on top of the victims back while they were tied up, so if they moved he could hear them and take action. Also while the victims were tied, he would ransack the entire house looking for small valuables he could snatch. He was know to take pictures from family photo albums and small, cheap jewelry as trophies for his crimes. After his ransacking was over, he would occasionally hang out, for sometimes hours, and drink a few beers or sodas. He would stay in the house for lengthy amounts of time which showed he was comfortable in his surrounding. His escape routes were pre planned. The Golden State killer stalked his victims for weeks, staking out escape routes and entries in the house. He also watched the victims, learning and studying their