Amateur investigators want to heat up the cold case of a California serial killer. Originally dubbed the East Area Rapist, aka the Original Night Stalker, writer and hobby private eye Michelle McNamara hopes a new, accurate moniker and a compilation of multimedia clues will trigger new leads.
For this month's issue of Los Angeles magazine, McNamara details the 10 murders and some 50 rapes of the "Golden State Killer" who police believe is still alive. Some telltale signs that connect him over the course of violent crimes from 1976 to 1986, from San Francisco to Orange County, are nylon twine, pry marks on doors and the shoe impressions of size 9 sneakers (either Adidas or Pumas).
McNamara isn't alone in her hunt. The case haunts a retired detective (Larry Crompton wrote the book on the case, "Sudden Terror") and dozens of other true crime enthusiasts.
Can you help find this serial killer? Why does this case inspire such fascination? Is the FBI adding resources to the investigation?
Guest:
Michelle McNamara , Founder, TrueCrimeDiary.com; Writer of Los Angeles magazine feature this month entitled “In the Footsteps of a Killer ”
The police believe the killer made "wrong number" calls before attacking his victims. In this audio clip, the possible voice of the Golden State Killer asks, "Is Ray there?" over and over again.
A map of the original Night Stalker rampage, from L.A. Magazine: