The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

Philip Carlo

Aug 2016 · Citadel Press

About this ebook

The definitive account of the notorious California serial killer examines the psychology of a murderer, his crimes, and his cult following

Decades after Richard Ramirez left thirteen dead and paralyzed the city of Los Angeles in the 1980s, his name is still synonymous with fear, torture, and sadistic murder. Philip Carlo’s classic The Night Stalker, based on years of meticulous research and extensive interviews with Ramirez, revealed the killer and his horrifying crimes to be even more chilling than anyone could have imagined. From watching his cousin commit murder at age eleven to his nineteen death sentences to the juror who fell in love with him, the story of Ramirez is a bizarre and spellbinding descent into the very heart of human evil.

After The Night Stalker was first published, thousands of women from all over the world contacted Carlo, begging to be put in touch with the killer. Carlo interviewed them and presents their disturbing stories in this updated edition along with an exclusive death row interview where the killer himself gives his thoughts on the “Ramirez Groupies” —and what he thinks they really want.

Carlo’s interviews with Ramirez are featured in Netflix’s Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer.

“An astonishing portrait of a killer not seen since In Cold Blood.” —New York Daily News

“I couldn’t put the book down . . . very scary indeed.” —Los Angeles Times

“An exceptionally well-told true crime tale.” —Publishers Weekly

Perfect for true crime readers of I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, Zodiac, and Helter Skelter.

Revised and Updated. Includes 16 Pages Of Photos.

Ratings and reviews

the beginning and middle of the book are really good. towards the end of the book it gets boring because it's the same thing over and over. basically Richard Ramirez was dubbed The night stalker. those Avia acrobat shoes they talked about that they always had them. they had fingerprints. they had his cars and all the fingerprints because they found the Toyota's. in the end there's too much and they found him because Richard Ramirez got sloppy. angry mob crowd beat him with a tire iron. he also believed the guards are poison in him which I don't think that's true. Richard Ramirez deserves to rot in hell he's a sick maniac. the book was average good times but it wasn't great.

Literally can't stop reading this. The candidness, simplicity and unpretensious style of writing reminds me of Capote In Cold Blood though this is more raw and unedited. The author spends very little time in nostalgia. He zooms in on the facts and actions.

Richard Ramirez is a fascinating phenomenon and this book has captured that beautifully. I have been obsessed with him ever since I read about him on wiki which bought me to this book, I have read it and reread it again and I can not put it down. suffice it to say that this is one of the best true crime book of all times.

About the author

Philip Carlo was born and raised in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. His research for The Night Stalker included spending over 100 hours with Richard Ramirez at San Quentin’s Death Row. The photo above was taken on the day of Ramirez’s wedding on Death Row. He also wrote the true-crime bestsellers The Ice Man, The Butcher, and Gaspipe.