Growing up in California during the ’80s was a hell of a lot of fun. We had great theme parks, amazing parks and plenty of places to get into trouble as kids. We also had a serial killer running around Southern California who claimed to worship Satan and was murdering people at random.
When we say our area, we mean it. Chino, Whittier, San Gabriel, Alhambra. These are places we knew well growing up, and during the summer of 1985, Richard Ramirez knew them too.
Now, a new documentary is heading back to that terrifying summer.
Summer of Satan: Surviving the Night Stalker examines Ramirez’s notorious crime spree and the fear that spread throughout California as authorities worked to identify the man responsible for a string of murders, sexual assaults, burglaries and other violent crimes.
The documentary comes from KTLA’s Mary Beth McDade and looks at Ramirez’s attacks across Los Angeles County, Orange County and the Bay Area. Rather than simply revisiting the headlines, the film features survivors and family members discussing the lasting impact those crimes had on their lives.
Several of the case’s notorious attacks are revisited, including the murders of Max and Lela Kneiding in Glendale, the assault of Whitney Bennett in Sierra Madre, and the attack involving Bill Carns and his fiancée in Mission Viejo.
The investigation itself became a massive undertaking as detectives attempted to make sense of a case that stretched across multiple jurisdictions. Ramirez’s victims varied in age and gender, while the crimes themselves involved different methods of attack, making the investigation particularly difficult.
A breakthrough eventually came through forensic evidence, witness information and tips from the public. Authorities released Ramirez’s photograph in August 1985, putting his face in front of millions of Californians and launching an enormous search for the suspect.
Ramirez’s attempt to escape authorities ultimately ended in East Los Angeles, where residents recognized him and helped stop him after he attempted to steal cars. Police later confirmed his identity through fingerprint comparisons.
Ramirez was convicted in 1989 of multiple murders and numerous other felonies, including rape, burglary and attempted murder. He received a death sentence and remained on death row until his death in prison in 2013.
For anyone who grew up in Southern California, the Night Stalker case remains particularly unsettling because of how close to home it was. These weren’t fictional neighborhoods created for a horror movie. Ramirez’s crimes happened in communities that millions of people knew, visited and called home.
Summer of Satan: Surviving the Night Stalker is available exclusively on KTLA+, the free streaming app available on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and Samsung smart TVs. Search KTLA in your channel store.
