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Here Are the Scariest Northern California Serial Killers

When Northern California is said, we often imagine a part of the country that is laid back and people live a stress-free life as they enjoy the sunshine and good views. However, there is a darker side in this part of the state as it has been the playground for various notorious serial killers that have committed gruesome crimes and left irreparable impact on the state. In this article, we are going to explore the scariest serial killers who operated in Northern California. The article will be a good source of knowledge for the reader about serial killers.

The Zodiac Killer

A sketch of who is believed to have been the Zodiac Killer. , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The name Zodiac Killer was a pseudonym that was given to a notorious serial killer who was active in the San Fransisco area in the 1970s. The serial killer caused a lot of panic in the area as he killed people and then proceeded to send letters to the press taunting law enforcement authorities on the crimes that he had committed. He got the nickname because he signed the letters that he sent using the zodiac sign. The identity of the Zodiac killer was never uncovered even though there have been many speculations on the identity of the killer but no one has ever been convicted for the murders that he committed to date.

Edmund Kemper

A mugshot of serial killer Edmund Kemper. , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Popularly known as the Co-Ed Killer, Edmund Kemper was a serial killer who was active in Northern California in the 1970s. he went on a murder spree and in the process killed the victims including his grandparents, mother and six other young women. The serial killer would target young women who went to the University and were hitchhiking along the highway. His crimes featured a lot of violence that involved mutilation and necrophilia. What made his crimes more chilling was the fact that he was very calm and articulate. Edmund turned himself in by going to the local authorities in 1973 and confessed to his crimes in chilling detail. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Charles Ng and Leonard Lake

The duo were serial killers who were responsible for a string of murders that happened in California in the mid-1980s. the duo would kidnap their victims and then proceed to sexually assault them before killing them. Their crimes were conducted in a remote cabin which made it easy for them to go on for so long undetected. The cabin had a bunker-like structure that Leonard Lae had constructed which the duo used to commit and videotape their crimes. Charles was arrested in 1985 after his accomplice committed suicide and charged with twelve counts of murder. He was found guilty and given a death sentence.

Herb Mulin

A mugshot of serial killer Herb Mulin. , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The notorious serial killer was active in Northern California in the early 1970s. He committed senseless murders and did not have a particular target. He was deluded that the murders that he committed prevented earthquakes and, in the process, he killed thirteen people with one of his victims being a priest.

It was difficult for law authorities to spot a pattern among Mullin’s crimes because they seemed to have no link to one another. He frequently shot, stabbed, or beat his victims, leaving a path of dread throughout the Santa Cruz region. Mullin was apprehended in 1973 as a result of a tip from a friend who had observed Mullin’s odd behaviour. Mullin was found guilty of his actions and given a life sentence.

Wesley Shermantine and Loren Herzog

The two criminals were popularly known as the Speed Freak Killers because their crimes always featured them being on drugs and driving recklessly. The duo was active in Northern California in the 1980s up to the 1990s and during this time they committed a number of murders. Their targets were sex workers and drug addicts as it was easy to capture them. The horrible deeds committed by the pair included committing murder, sexual assault, and kidnapping. While Herzog first got his conviction reversed owing to a legal technicality, Shermantine was found guilty of several murders. But after learning that his admissions would probably result in his re-conviction, he later committed suicide.

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Juan Corona

A picture of Juan Corona. , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Juan Corona was active in the 1970s. he shocked the residents of Northern California with his crimes which were concentrated in Yuba City, California. Juan was an immigrant labour contractor who targeted other farm migrant workers that he had hired as his victims. His modus operandi involved mutilation and brutal bludgeoning of his victims. He was finally arrested when shallow graves where he had buried his victims were discovered in his ranch. He was then convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 consecutive life terms

Roger Kibbe

Popularly known as the 1-5 Strangler, Roger Kibbe was a prolific serial killer who was active in Northern California in the late 1970s up to the 1980s. The killer targeted women he found along the Interstate 5 corridor and kidnapped them and then proceeded to sexually assault them before strangling them. He would then discard the bodies of his victims in remote areas. Kibbe was later arrested in 1983 and convicted of six murders in 1991. He was given multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole after being found guilty.

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The Zebra Killers

The group of murderers who called themselves Death Angels were African-American men who were active in the early 1970s. most of the group’s crimes were racially motivated and in a span of a year from 1973 to 1974, their victim count is said to be around 15. They were finally apprehended when an acquaintance of theirs known as Anthony Harris who had seen them commit murders informed law enforcement authorities.

The Unabomber

A mugshot of Ted, popularly known as Unabomber. , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Ted Kaczynski also known as Unabomber was a UC Berkeley professor who got his nickname because he made handmade explosives and mailed them to his victims as a way to start an anti-technology revolution. Ted sent his first explosive to Buckley Christ who was an engineering professor at Northwestern but he survived the bombing. His next victim, High Scrutton who owned a computer store was not so lucky as he died from it. He was arrested in 1996 and sentenced to life in prison.

The Doodler

The serial killer is said to have been responsible for the death of 14 victims in San Fransisco, California where he targeted the gay community. Before, killing his victims, he would sketch them and thus the name The Doodler. His modus operandi involved stabbing his victims to death. What makes his crimes more chilling is that he was never found.

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