Joseph James DeAngelo

For other uses, see Night Stalker.

The Original Night Stalker is the nickname for an unidentified serial killer and rapist who murdered at least six people in Southern California from 1979 through 1986. The crimes attributed to this serial killer are not related to the crimes of Richard Ramirez, who was also dubbed The Night Stalker in the mid-1980s. Six murders in Ventura, Dana Point and Irvine, California, have been linked by DNA evidence to the Original Night Stalker. The Original Night Stalker is considered one of the worst serial offenders in California, and American history, and is also connected to at least 50 other rapes in California, and is the most prolific unapprehended serial criminal in history since the Middle Ages.

Victims

On March 13, 1980, Charlene Smith, 33, and Lyman Smith, 43, were found murdered in their home in Ventura. A log from the fireplace was used to bludgeon both the victims. Their wrists and ankles were bound with drapery cord and an unusual Chinese knot was used on their wrists.

On August 19, 1980, Keith Harrington, 24, and Patrice Harrington, 27, were found bludgeoned to death in their home in the Niguel Shores gated community in Dana Point. Although there was evidence that the Harringtons were bound at the wrist and ankles, no ligatures or murder weapon were found at the scene. The Harringtons were married only three months at the time of their deaths. Patrice was a nurse in Irvine, while Keith was a medical student at the University of California, Irvine.

On February 5, 1981, Manuela Witthuhn, 28, was murdered in her home in Irvine. Again, while the body showed signs of being tied before being bludgeoned, no ligatures or murder weapon were found at the scene. While the victim was married, her husband was recuperating from an illness in the hospital, thus she was alone at the time of the attack. A lamp and crystal curio were removed from her house, presumably by the killer. Also, detectives remarked that Mrs. Witthuhn's television was found in the backyard, which was possibly the killer's attempt to make it appear as a botched robbery.

On May 4, 1986, Janelle Lisa Cruz, 18, was found bludgeoned to death in her Irvine home. Her family was on vacation in Mexico at the time of the attack. A pipe wrench was reported missing by Cruz' stepfather and was the probable murder weapon.

An additional four murders in Goleta in 1979 and 1981 are often considered to be the work of the same individual, although there is no DNA link between those crimes and the murders presented above. Additionally, the Goleta murders show distinctive characteristics not found in the later crimes, such as the shooting of the victims with a gun, the escape or almost escape of the victims,the presence of a recently stolen bicycle at the crime scene and the use of a weapon found in the home (rather than brought by the attacker).

The perpetrator's modus operandi was to stalk middle-class neighborhoods for victims who lived in single story homes. He sought out women who were alone and couples. He stealthily entered their living space late at night, then took control, probably with a handgun, in a surprise home invasion. All victims were bound with ligatures the criminal brought to the crime scene. Law enforcement theorizes the male victims were killed first by bludgeoning. Female victims were raped before their death by bludgeoning.

The Linking of EAR and ONS and Further Developments

In 2001, California law enforcement linked DNA evidence from the Original Night Stalker's crimes to DNA found from victims of an unidentified serial rapist dubbed the East Area Rapist in Northern California. The connection of the East Area Rapist to the Original Night Stalker make this the most extensive and geographically widespread crime series in California history. The case remains open in multiple California jurisdictions.

This case, along with that of the Zodiac Killer, remains one of the most tantalizing and mysterious unsolved serial crimes in American history. Some California Law Enforcement authorities estimate his possible combined total number of victims at well over 50, including his rape victims in Sacramento and the Bay Area, and his rape and murder victims in Southern California. (A complete list of incidents and victims can be found by clicking here). So far in the investigation, every named or investigated suspect has been cleared through DNA, alibi or other investigative means and methods.

The EAR-ONS case was the motivating factor in the passage of legislation leading to the establishment of California's DNA database, which authorizes the collection of the DNA of all convicted felons in California. California's DNA data retrieval and storage program is considered by experts to be second only to Virginia's in size and effectiveness in breaking cold cases. Ironically, while the California DNA database motivated by this casae has solved numerous previously unsolved cold cases across the country, the original case remains unsolved.

5/20/09

Brock and Davina Husted, both 42, were stabbed to death by an intruder in their Faria Beach home on May 20 around 10:30 p.m. The Ventura County Sheriff immediately developed the theory that they were murdered by a "crazed homeless person". This theory was never explained in detail, and a closer examination revealed some interesting similarities to the Original Night Stalker. The home was for sale and located near the ocean. The killer had no apparent motive, and used a motorcycle helmet to conceal his identity. This is merely speculation as there is no concrete evidence that this triple murder is in any way connected to the Original Night Stalker. The Husted case shows some drastic dissimilarities with the other Original Nigh stalker cases. The crime was a blitz-style attack, unlike most ONS assaults which were against sleeping victims who were then bound. The attack left behind witnesses, both at the home and at a nearby RV attack. The killer did not try to sexually assault his female victim and immediately fled the scene. Even by a very loose interpretation of MO, this crime does not really resemble the other attacks from over 20 years before.

Authorities have released virtually no information about the crime scene evidence. As of May 28, 2009, the Ventura County Sheriff's Department is now claiming it was a "random" crime.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-faria-beach-pictures,0,7227682.photogallery?index=5

Psychological Profile of the Offender

After criminalists matched serological evidence found at the southern California murder scenes, a psychological profile of the Original Night Stalker was compiled. According to Leslie D'Ambrosia, who was the primary author of the profile, the Original Night Stalker would possess the following characteristics:

1) White Male
2) Emotional age of 26 to 30 at the time the crimes were committed
3) Lived and/or worked near Ventura, California in 1980
4) Had some means of income, but did not work in the early morning hours
5) Drove a well-maintained car
6) Dressed well and would not stand out in upscale neighborhoods
7) Intelligent and articulate
8) Neat and well-organized in his personal life
9) Unmarried
10) Would have been described by those who knew him as domineering, a chronic liar, and manipulative
11) Had some knowledge of police investigative methods and evidence gathering techniques
12) Was a skilled and experienced cat burglar
13) Was in good physical condition
14) Had a criminal record
15) Hated women for real or perceived wrongs.

In addition to describing the characteristics of the Original Night Stalker, the profile also speculates about the fate of the slayer. According to the profile, the Original Night Stalker could have been incarcerated following Janelle Cruz' murder or killed in the commission of a similar crime. As to the latter point, the profile indicates that law enforcement agencies should look into attempted hot prowl burglaries in the late 1980s which resulted in the death of a lone male offender. The profile also indicates that there is a slight chance the Original Night Stalker committed suicide, but that it would be unlikely that he is confined in a mental institution.

The entire profile can be accessed at the following link:

http://www.aetv.com/cold_case_files/web_exclusives/ep46/nightstalkerprofile.pdf

References

• http://www.aetv.com/cold_case_files/web_exclusives/ep46/nightstalkerprofile.pdf

External links

• Arts & Entertainment Channel's COLD CASE FILES episode #46 about The East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker.