Richard Ramirez Dead at 53...

[Magpie]

..and not a moment too soon.

[Barnaby]

Any one know cause of death? I just see "natural causes."

[kensei]

..and not a moment too soon.

I'm tempted to say "Amen!" But upon reflection, no, it is too soon. Because he escaped his sentence. I've been bringing up Ramirez for years as the ultimate example of the failings of the death penalty in America. This Satanic monster was caught in 1985 at the young age of 25. It took until 1989 to organize his trial and conviction for 13 murders and I don't even recall how many rapes and burglaries and you can be sure that those numbers don't represent his true total. He was sentenced to death. As he was led out of the courtroom then, he defiantly said to the cameras, "Who cares? Death was always part of the bargain." Good, everyone thought. Great work. And then he sat there. And sat there. And sat there. For twenty-four years. You can't seriously expect me to believe that the appeals process takes that (blanking) long. This was literally a Satanic serial killer. He would hold a gun to womens' heads after murdering their husbands in front of them and then raping them and demand to know where the rest of their valuables were. If they said, "That's all of it, I swear to God!" he would demand "NO! SWEAR TO SATAN!" That's who just outlived his sentence. I'm glad he's dead, but I don't feel a sense of justice. I mean, twenty-four years? Really?

The one person I'm glad for is his wife, Doreen. Yes everyone, The Night Stalker got married in prison to one of his adoring fans. If anyone knows differently please correct me, but the last I knew they were still married and she was declaring that when the day of his execution finally came she would commit suicide. At the very least now, she should be able to grieve without joining him in death.

I also remember reading that there was a teenage girl Ramirez tried to batter and strangle to death who just would not die, and that her resilience actually freaked him out a bit. She ended up marrying the son of one of the detectives who caught Ramirez. I hope their marriage is still going strong (though what a twisted thing to have bring them together!), and I offer a prayer for all the many, many people whose lives this monster effected. Good riddance to him.

[Robert]

I don't take much interest in anyone except JTR, but I clicked up an interview someone did with Ramirez. I switched off after a couple of minutes. He was a fraud. I doubt if he believed in satanism or anything else.

[DVV]

He was a fraud. I doubt if he believed in satanism or anything else.

Agreed.
Un crétin fini.

[jmenges]

Any one know cause of death? I just see "natural causes."

I've read that he died of liver failure from hepatitis-c. Possibly caused by his intravenous drug use.

Dirty needles do that.

JM

[Magpie]

I've read that he died of liver failure from hepatitis-c. Possibly caused by his intravenous drug use.

Dirty needles do that.

JM

I heard a suggestion that it was from prisons tats.

[RivkahChaya]

I've seen interviews where he appears to be interacting with other prisoners, and I recall reading that he was accused of raping another prisoner. If he also got tattooed in prison, then California must have a much looser death row than most states. In most states, death row prisoners rarely have contact with the general population, or with each other.

Ramirez was specifically sentenced to die in the gas chamber, which California doesn't even have anymore, so that might have presented a problem if there ever were a date set for his execution. California has a bigger problem, though, in that its laws regarding execution require the presence of a medical doctor, and right now, no doctor in California is willing to participate.

[jmenges]

I heard a suggestion that it was from prisons tats.

Good call. More likely than his prior to 10 years in prison habits, unless he had access to IV drugs on death row.

I'll go with the dirty tattoo needle for now. That makes more sense.

JM

[Beowulf]

I don't take much interest in anyone except JTR, but I clicked up an interview someone did with Ramirez. I switched off after a couple of minutes. He was a fraud. I doubt if he believed in satanism or anything else.

"Clicked up" well that's a novel expression. Going to remember that

He might've not believed in satan but satan might've believed in him.

[kensei]

Like many people who've dabbled in Satanism I think Ramirez's beliefs probably waffled all over the place at various times. The definitive work on him is "Night Stalker: The Life and Crimes of Richard Ramirez" by Philip Carlo, which describes how he once met with Anton LaVey's Church of Satan and explored the possibility of joining them, but he decided against it because he saw them as far too public and open to infiltration by the police. The clear indication there is that he associated Satanism with illegal activity. I do believe that when he was in full swing as the Night Stalker, in his mind he was honoring Satan with his evil deeds. If he strayed from full belief in Satan later on, that would hardly be unusual. (Interesting fact: Zena LaVey, one of Anton's daughters, was a regular attendee of Richard's trial.)

Some background on Ramirez: He was a product of horrible abuse as a child, which is to be expected I suppose. His father- who actually worked as a cop for a time- was such a disciplinarian (just as his own father had been) that his abuse sometimes led Richard to flee his home and sleep in a cemetery. He had a cousin who was a Vietnam vet and showed him photos of atrocities he'd committed there- rapes and murders, bragging about them, equating them with power. Richard even witnessed his cousin murder his wife in front of him, then saw him get off legally on the grounds of his war trauma. The message- victimizing women is the way to get ahead and be powerful. Richard's first attempted rape was when he was still a teenager and working as a bellboy in a hotel. He attacked a female guest, but was caught in the act by her husband who beat him half to death. No charges were filed because the couple was from far away and they declined to pursue it. That all happened around El Paso. When Richard grew up he moved to California and became what he became. He supported himself as a professional burglar, which grew into so much more.

Of course I don't care about his background. As with any serial killer or any kind of criminal, in the vast majority of cases the mere fact that they take steps to avoid detection means that they do know right from wrong and are therefore culpable. If you had a messed up youth, seek help. If you give in to the trauma and go Ramirez's route you do so by free will and I have no compassion for you.

The Night Stalker is on par with Jack the Ripper and Ted Bundy as one of those serial killers that just really make you shudder. Example- when the case against him was being prepared, authorities sent a letter to his family asking if he had ever sent them certain stolen items. On the list along with various pieces of jewelry and other things was "A pair of human eyes." Yikes.

[Barnaby]

So I guess Ramirez wasn't high on the list for a liver transplant.

[kensei]

So I guess Ramirez wasn't high on the list for a liver transplant.

Good one. I'm guessing it wasn't even considered. Just as when Susan Atkins of the Manson family was dying of brain cancer and had had a leg amputated and requested "compassionate release" from prison so that she could die in peace. The answer was "NO- you should have thought about that before you went and slaughtered all those people for Charles Manson."

It irks me that Ramirez outlived his sentence. I try to find solace in hoping that he suffered as he was dying. And I know that that diminishes me, which makes me hate him even more for making me sink that low.

[DVV]

When your name is Ramirez, you should not listen too much hard rock.

[Abby Normal]

Rest In Hell, RR, as was your want.


Now if they could only catch the other Nightstalker.