A faded photograph of a young boy conceals a horrifying future.
Born on February 29, 1960, in El Paso, Texas, he was the youngest of five children.
His Mexican immigrant family lived modestly, steeped in Catholic traditions.
His father, a railway laborer, maintained a typical working-class household.
Yet, behind closed doors, the boy endured a nightmarish childhood.
His father’s violent alcoholism led to frequent physical abuse.
Before age six, repeated head injuries triggered temporal lobe epilepsy.
As punishment, he was tied to a crucifix in a cemetery overnight.
By 10, he turned to marijuana and alcohol to escape his pain.
At 15, he saw his cousin shoot his wife dead during an argument.
The traumatic event left him sullen; his cousin was deemed insane.
Dropping out of high school, he joined his sister’s voyeuristic husband, spying on women.
By 1982, at 22, he moved to California, heavily addicted to cocaine.
His name was Richard Ramirez, and his crimes would soon terrify a nation.
To fund his addiction, he committed burglaries across San Francisco and Los Angeles.
In 1984, he murdered a nine-year-old girl, his first known killing.
From March to August 1985, he unleashed a random, brutal killing spree.
Satanic symbols marked his crimes, with pentagrams drawn on victims’ bodies.
A massive manhunt ensued, led by detectives connecting his widespread crimes.
A teenager’s sighting of his car and a fingerprint led to his capture in 1985.