CA CA - East Area Rapist aka The Original Night Stalker 1976-86

[dotr]

Was he trying to shoot the flashlight? Why wouldn't he try to shoot McGowen?

Maybe he could clearly see the flashlight, but not McGowen - he went for a sure shot, speculation, imo.

 

[GreyClay]

Was he trying to shoot the flashlight? Why wouldn't he try to shoot McGowen?

I believe that he deliberately killed Claude Snelling, both of the Maggiores and also attempted the kill Rodney Miller in cold blood when chased into Ripon Court. So he had no problem eliminating witnesses in the most ruthless fashion almost without hesitation.

It is pure speculation on my behalf but I have always wondered if the one thing that was different in this instance was that the EAR chose not to kill a police officer when he easily could have. I have always believed that the reason that William McGowen wasn't shot in the manner that the other four witnesses were was that EAR didn't want the extra 'heat' that killing a police officer would bring him. Again, he was acting purely in his own self-interest.

The police were obviously interested in catching a serial burglar, and a serial rapist - but they would have been a LOT more interested in catching a cop-killer.

IMO.

 

[mrcricket300]

I believe Maggiores recognized him, that's why he chased them down and shot them.

 

[Kano]

“Hey, OK, don’t hurt me,” he said in a squeaky voice, reaching with one hand to peel off his mask. But it was a mime trick; with his other hand he fired a shot at McGowen. The bullet shattered McGowen’s flashlight, sending shards into his eyes. The Ransacker jumped a fence and escaped. The plundering in Visalia stopped. Months later the East Area Rapist attacks in Sacramento began.”

This has always intrigued me. Shooting a pistol is not easy. Especially when you are wearing a ski mask, and running from a cop that just took a shot at you!
To turn, raise a gun, and shoot out a flash light, is extremely impressive.
With his ability to get into houses, and leave the area in a stealth pattern, let alone the marksmanship, points me in the direction of a special operations personnel. Ranger, Green Beret, Seal, or Recon Marine.


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It's a good shot but it could also be a bit of luck also. Eyes will go to the light automatically when reacting in a situation like that

 

[Leprikawn]

It's a good shot but it could also be a bit of luck also. Eyes will go to the light automatically when reacting in a situation like that

I can see that, but he has made a few impressive moves while under stress. Some people are just naturally cool in situations, but this guy acts like he was trained to do this.
Special operations people are trained to get around tough situations, security, etc. just seems he was extremely good.


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[Kano]

I can see that, but he has made a few impressive moves while under stress. Some people are just naturally cool in situations, but this guy acts like he was trained to do this.
Special operations people are trained to get around tough situations, security, etc. just seems he was extremely good.


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The thing that bothers me the most with SF training the most is his height and age. A 5,5 SF guy isn't that common. A guy of his suspected age being SF also not very common. One thing that did lean credit to training for me is his supposed smell and dog reactions. I have long heard old special forces tricks of mixing blood and cocaine on the ground to stop a dog from tracking you.

He did like to wear that old army green a lot in his early years it seems but his outfits are a point of interest to me lately. Such a huge array of outfits and always the same few styles of shoes lol..

 

[dub]

The thing that bothers me the most with SF training the most is his height and age. A 5,5 SF guy isn't that common. A guy of his suspected age being SF also not very common. One thing that did lean credit to training for me is his supposed smell and dog reactions. I have long heard old special forces tricks of mixing blood and cocaine on the ground to stop a dog from tracking you.

He did like to wear that old army green a lot in his early years it seems but his outfits are a point of interest to me lately. Such a huge array of outfits and always the same few styles of shoes lol..

Where has it been stated that he was 5'5"? Most of the descriptions I've read have him around 5'9" or 5'10".

In any case, I DO believe that he was in the military at some point. I don't really have an opinion on whether or not he was special forces. (I do though also think he was a little older than a lot of the descriptions suggest--like 24 or 25 years old at the start of the east area rapes).

 

[Kano]

Where has it been stated that he was 5'5"? Most of the descriptions I've read have him around 5'9" or 5'10".

In any case, I DO believe that he was in the military at some point. I don't really have an opinion on whether or not he was special forces. (I do though also think he was a little older than a lot of the descriptions suggest--like 24 or 25 years old at the start of the east area rapes).

Hah, you will hate me for this but I think I grabbed that bit earlier from a 3 part podcast I was listening to on the subject. I was bored this morning and wanted to brush up on this case so I listened to about 4 or 5 various shows on the case as a brush up but I think it from a witness description in one of those 3 parts. I have no doubt others know the case far better than I but it could be worth a listen if it one you are into. Between all 3 parts it has more detail than any other audio source I came by
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVN47lHYvtA&t=2425s

 

[eritain]

I think the simplest explanation is still that he was trying to shoot McGowan and he hit the flashlight by chance. The reasoning just seems circular to me: "EAR was a crack shot! Proof: He nailed the flashlight!" What makes us sure he was aiming at the flashlight? "Well he hit it, didn't he? And everyone knows EAR was a crack shot!"

He did some remarkable things under stress but he also mixed up his intended victim (1976-11-10), choked when his routine was preempted (1979-07-05), playacted completely unconvincingly at talking to a second person, and so forth. To me, that seems like a skilled criminal who had good and bad nights, not like a thoroughly drilled commando.

 

[Kano]

I think the simplest explanation is still that he was trying to shoot McGowan and he hit the flashlight by chance. The reasoning just seems circular to me: "EAR was a crack shot! Proof: He nailed the flashlight!" What makes us sure he was aiming at the flashlight? "Well he hit it, didn't he? And everyone knows EAR was a crack shot!"

He did some remarkable things under stress but he also mixed up his intended victim (1976-11-10), choked when his routine was preempted (1979-07-05), playacted completely unconvincingly at talking to a second person, and so forth. To me, that seems like a skilled criminal who had good and bad nights, not like a thoroughly drilled commando.

I think he was a criminal and even more so if the Visalia Ransacker is the EAR. What I think is interesting is that I think he was a rather welloff kid that didn't need to do any of the crime he was doing. This wasn't a guy that started to break into homes because he didn't have a job and needed money etc.

The plates are another newer point of interest for me.. Granted on old tv shows you would see people steal things like this a lot but did that happen in real life? Out of all the things in the home what are the chances of him stealing this plate set and knowing how expensive it was? Most guys don't have much of an eye for fine China lol and most guys today would skip right over it even if it in a display case. Then there is the transport issue.. Stealing a set of 14 fragile plates and then making a get away on foot seems... Loud..

 

[dub]

I think the simplest explanation is still that he was trying to shoot McGowan and he hit the flashlight by chance. The reasoning just seems circular to me: "EAR was a crack shot! Proof: He nailed the flashlight!" What makes us sure he was aiming at the flashlight? "Well he hit it, didn't he? And everyone knows EAR was a crack shot!"

He did some remarkable things under stress but he also mixed up his intended victim (1976-11-10), choked when his routine was preempted (1979-07-05), playacted completely unconvincingly at talking to a second person, and so forth. To me, that seems like a skilled criminal who had good and bad nights, not like a thoroughly drilled commando.

Exactly where I'm at. Like I said I do think he was in the military, but it's more of a gut feeling related to peripheral stuff than the actual execution of the crimes.

I'm positive the flashlight shot was just good fortune for mcgowan.

 

[mrcricket300]

Someone in the military wouldn't be allowed to stay out late nights, like he did. But yeah, it's possible he was in the military before he started committing crimes and got kicked out or something, or he could have had a father who was in the military.

I believe he was just a college student who had too much time on his hands.

 

[Kano]

Just to throw it out there and I don't know that this factchecked but it would appear he stole far more than I ever assumed. A few of these items more bulky than I would expect also. How is this guy running and riding a bike with a lamp and crystal curio or portable typewriter? I think one that really stands out is "Answering machine tape"?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAEnacwQ358

 

[PaulR]

Have any of the well-known profilers (Douglas, Ressler, Walter, etc.) done a write-up on what kind of person they think EAR/ONS was?

 

[snowleopard]

Have any of the well-known profilers (Douglas, Ressler, Walter, etc.) done a write-up on what kind of person they think EAR/ONS was?

Hi Paul, A Florida Department of Law Enforcement profiler did one quite a while back. It was mentioned on the Cold Case Files show and elsewhere. Here's a link to a downloadable adobe file from the old jjmgr ear-ons board. Contains a fair amount of conjecture, imo.

https://sites.google.com/site/jjmcgr/nightstalkerprofile.pdf?attredirects=0

 

[Sailor Haumea]

I think the simplest explanation is still that he was trying to shoot McGowan and he hit the flashlight by chance. The reasoning just seems circular to me: "EAR was a crack shot! Proof: He nailed the flashlight!" What makes us sure he was aiming at the flashlight? "Well he hit it, didn't he? And everyone knows EAR was a crack shot!"

He did some remarkable things under stress but he also mixed up his intended victim (1976-11-10), choked when his routine was preempted (1979-07-05), playacted completely unconvincingly at talking to a second person, and so forth. To me, that seems like a skilled criminal who had good and bad nights, not like a thoroughly drilled commando.

It seems more likely, considering it was nighttime, that he aimed for the flashlight, which he could see. That's a definite target and something he could actually see.

For what it's worth, McGowan was convinced that the Visalia Ransacker went on to be the East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker.

 

[PaulR]

It seems more likely, considering it was nighttime, that he aimed for the flashlight, which he could see. That's a definite target and something he could actually see.

For what it's worth, McGowan was convinced that the Visalia Ransacker went on to be the East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker.

It's hard to hit the flashlight though even if he could see it. More likely he aimed at McGowan's center of mass (torso area) which is probably where McGowan was holding his flashlight.

 

[elastic]

Just putting it out there for people who may not be aware that this guys appears to have been on some type of amphetamine when committing these crimes. Heres why:

Bad breath: this is a major issue with amphetamine use and very common for someone using Amphetamines to have incredibly putrid revolting breath.

Talking with clench jaw: typical for people who have large amounts of amphetamines in their system. He probably deliberately wanted to talk this way anyway to disguise his voice but it would have made it fairly easy considering his jaw would have wanted to stay clenched anyway due to the drug.

Small penis size and limp penis: this is a major issue for amphetamine use, a mans penis literally shrivels up and becomes tiny, maintaining an erection becomes almost impossible, and climaxing becomes an enormous effort(most people give up)

I did some research and Amphetamine use was huge in the time period that the EAR/ONS was around, here is an example:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2377281/

If he was being prescribed amphetamines eg. Dexidrine or Dexamphetamine then I would be looking at Psychiatrists, otherwise he probably had contactswith drug dealers. Also alot of military tend to use them too.

He also did alot of his rape and murder sprees late at nighht, Amphetamines dont allow you to sleep amd increase your energy levels enormously.

In my oppinion he suffered from regular drug use, whether prescribed or recreational.

 

[Kano]

Just putting it out there for people who may not be aware that this guys appears to have been on some type of amphetamine when committing these crimes. Heres why:

Bad breath: this is a major issue with amphetamine use and very common for someone using Amphetamines to have incredibly putrid revolting breath.

Talking with clench jaw: typical for people who have large amounts of amphetamines in their system. He probably deliberately wanted to talk this way anyway to disguise his voice but it would have made it fairly easy considering his jaw would have wanted to stay clenched anyway due to the drug.

Small penis size and limp penis: this is a major issue for amphetamine use, a mans penis literally shrivels up and becomes tiny, maintaining an erection becomes almost impossible, and climaxing becomes an enormous effort(most people give up)

I did some research and Amphetamine use was huge in the time period that the EAR/ONS was around, here is an example:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2377281/

If he was being prescribed amphetamines eg. Dexidrine or Dexamphetamine then I would be looking at Psychiatrists, otherwise he probably had contactswith drug dealers. Also alot of military tend to use them too.

He also did alot of his rape and murder sprees late at nighht, Amphetamines dont allow you to sleep amd increase your energy levels enormously.

In my oppinion he suffered from regular drug use, whether prescribed or recreational.

He actually stole a small amount of cocaine in one robbery. He could also be on a heavy mental drug. The dog reaction and smell, a lot of times when you are prescribed strong pills that your body can't process the remainder ends up being secreted through various forms with a smell. I always wondered if adverse reactions to medications didn't play a part in his changing MO.

Does anyone actually know what was said in the 1991 prank call?

 

[Sailor Haumea]

He actually stole a small amount of cocaine in one robbery. He could also be on a heavy mental drug. The dog reaction and smell, a lot of times when you are prescribed strong pills that your body can't process the remainder ends up being secreted through various forms with a smell. I always wondered if adverse reactions to medications didn't play a part in his changing MO.

Does anyone actually know what was said in the 1991 prank call?

Yes.

"You know who this is."

Then he hung up.