The Original Night Stalker
Did you know that there was a Night Stalker before the Night Stalker? Yes, it's true; there was a murdering rapist operating in California from June 18, 1976–May 4, 1986 who became known as the Original Night Stalker. I was not aware of this until I saw an episode of Cold Case Files today.
The Original Night Stalker was first identified in Orange County, California but later connected with a spate of rapes in the Sacramento area, where he was known as the East Area Rapist. All told, this man can be linked, by either DNA or MO, to nearly 200 crimes, making him one of the (if not the) most prolific serial criminals in California history.
His earliest crimes, in Northern California, were almost exclusively rapes, but after gaining notoriety in the press, the EAR began to escalate his violence, which resulted in a homicide on February 2, 1978. Investigators believe the media attention directly encouraged the EAR to take greater risks, seeing the press coverage as a challenge. In December of 1979, the first Original Night Stalker murder occurred in Southern California, and a total of 10 murders were perpetrated in the Orange County area before the ONS disappeared from the radar.
Like the Zodiac, the EAR/ONS has never been caught, and, like the Zodiac, he may never be caught. Composite portraits of the alleged killer exist, as, of course, does DNA evidence, but no logical links to suspects have thus far panned out.
But this man's criminal activity apparently didn't begin with the Northern California rapes. Between April 1974 and December 1975, a spate of "burglaries" (roughly 125) occurred in Visalia, California. The perpetrator of these "burglaries" became known as the Visalia Ransacker as his primary goal seemed to be property destruction, not theft. Through witness descriptions and modus operandi the Ransacker was linked to the EAR/ONS.
As of 2011, no firm suspect has been identified and the investigation is ongoing. The suspect was described as being in his 20's at the time of these crimes, which would put him in his 50's or 60's now. There is also speculation that he may no longer be alive. If you have an interest in learning more, or you happen to be the EAR/ONS/Ransacker, you can visit the EAR/ONS victim memorial site here.
The Original Night Stalker was first identified in Orange County, California but later connected with a spate of rapes in the Sacramento area, where he was known as the East Area Rapist. All told, this man can be linked, by either DNA or MO, to nearly 200 crimes, making him one of the (if not the) most prolific serial criminals in California history.
His earliest crimes, in Northern California, were almost exclusively rapes, but after gaining notoriety in the press, the EAR began to escalate his violence, which resulted in a homicide on February 2, 1978. Investigators believe the media attention directly encouraged the EAR to take greater risks, seeing the press coverage as a challenge. In December of 1979, the first Original Night Stalker murder occurred in Southern California, and a total of 10 murders were perpetrated in the Orange County area before the ONS disappeared from the radar.
Like the Zodiac, the EAR/ONS has never been caught, and, like the Zodiac, he may never be caught. Composite portraits of the alleged killer exist, as, of course, does DNA evidence, but no logical links to suspects have thus far panned out.
But this man's criminal activity apparently didn't begin with the Northern California rapes. Between April 1974 and December 1975, a spate of "burglaries" (roughly 125) occurred in Visalia, California. The perpetrator of these "burglaries" became known as the Visalia Ransacker as his primary goal seemed to be property destruction, not theft. Through witness descriptions and modus operandi the Ransacker was linked to the EAR/ONS.
As of 2011, no firm suspect has been identified and the investigation is ongoing. The suspect was described as being in his 20's at the time of these crimes, which would put him in his 50's or 60's now. There is also speculation that he may no longer be alive. If you have an interest in learning more, or you happen to be the EAR/ONS/Ransacker, you can visit the EAR/ONS victim memorial site here.
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