During the 1980s in L.A., Richard Ramirez went on a bloody spree of murder and rape. He would walk into people’s homes and brutalize them with whatever he could find, leaving behind satanic symbols and a wake of grief. From 1984 to 1985, Ramirez would kill around 14 people — all men, women, and children alike. These are just the basic facts of the so-called Nightstalker, and it is now the subject of Netflix’s latest docuseries.
Ramirez was only caught because his photo had been released to the public, and he was caught by L.A. citizens trying to steal a car. He was beaten by an angry mob before the cops arrived to arrest him at last. On September 20, 1989, he was convicted of 13 counts of murder, five counts of attempted murder, 11 sexual assault charges, and 14 burglary charges… he was given the death sentence. Ramirez sat on death row for over 20 years before dying of lymphoma, he was 53 when he died in jail.
While I am not a serial killer aficionado, I do know a thing or two about several high-profile cases… but more than that, I am a big fan of American Horror Story, and Ramirez had part to play in a couple of episodes. Upon the first watch, I had no idea who he was so I did a little research and was disturbed to say the least. When I first saw Netflix was opting to make this into a series, I knew it was going to be bloody! Everything that Ramirez did was seeped in blood and violence — to my mind, there was no way a series about him would be anything but the same.
Yet, we’ve heard that many on Twitter are complaining the new series is too bloody, too graphic, too hard to watch? However, during our scroll through hashtag-land, we found some differing opinions…
Richard Ramirez grew up in violence and neglect — he learned first hand from his parents and his cousin how to be ruthless and brutal. Ramirez is one of the most infamous serial killers in the States. A docuseries about him would, obviously, not be a walk in the park. Perhaps if you are new to murder-docs, you should NOT start with Ramirez… maybe watch the Ted Bundy docuseries first and go from there. But we want to know what you think — have you seen the new Night Stalker series? Did you *like* it or did you think it crossed a line? Let us know in the comments below.
And as always, from all of us at Trill!: masks on, back it up six feet, and go get vaccinated!
