Night Stalker Essay

Submitted By lit301
Words: 1163
Pages: 5
Open Document
Richard Ramirez “The Night Stalker”
Richard Ramirez was born on February 28, 1960 and was the youngest of seven children. He was known to have had a very troubles childhood. One of his cousins, named Mike, had served as a Green Beret in the Vietnam War. Mike came home to the adoration of his family for his service, but little did they know that he would be the flame to Richard’s fire that would start Richard down the path he would take. Mike would tell him stories of how he would torture and mutilate Vietnamese women and would even show Richard polaroid pictures of these assaults and killings. Fascinated by Mike, Richard would look up to him and the two would even smoke Marijuana together and talk about Satanism. Being the rebellious teen that he was, Richard would commit petty thefts to support his drug habit. This pushed him even further away from his Catholic parents, which, in turn, would see him spending even more time with his cousin, Mike. When Mike murdered his wife, Richard was present. This would undoubtedly sow the seeds for a future serial killer.
He would be placed in juvenile detention for a slue of petty crimes he committed. He would also go on to receive a probationary sentence for marijuana possession. From this, he progressed to cocaine and burglary. An interest in weapons and Satanism were next. In 1983, he was convicted of a car theft charge and would be sentenced to prison. He would be released a year later. A free man with no conscious, rotten teeth and a deep seeded interest in Satan would become a recipe for disaster.
From his deep-rooted hate and history of theft, he changed from a common thief into one of this Nation’s most notorious serial killers. He would be caught after his final murder when he tried stealing a car in East Los Angeles, but on lookers would not let him get away with it. They brutally beat Ramirez before the cops could get them and take him into custody. He would be found guilty on 43 charges, including 13 counts of murder, five counts of attempted murder, 11 sexual assault charges and 14 burglary charges. He was sentenced to death and spent 23 years on death row. He died of natural causes on June 7, 2013. He was 53 years old. What circumstances and/or behaviors in this case indicate the presence of mental health concerns?
From a young age, he was subjected to things that no adolescent should see or even hear about, yet his older cousin Mike would tell him these stories in detail and even show him photographs of gruesome things. This would undoubtedly have a huge impact on a growing mind and could influence him in a big way. Also, gouging out the eyes of victims after murdering them is not something a mentally stable human being would do.
Did the mental health issue contribute to the criminal conduct being charged in this case?
Yes. A mentally stable human being would not commit such acts upon another human being. From a young age, he was brain washed in a sense by his older cousin Mike, and was heavily influenced by what he heard and saw. Speaking in depth about Satanism with an adult while still a youth would definitely have an affect mentally on him as well, and would encourage his crime spree.
Was the mental health issue a main factor in the outcome of the case?
No. He was found to be competent. The outcome of his case would be determined by the actions he committed, not his mental state.
How do you think this case impacted the criminal justice system? In general, what are some of the major challenges that the criminal justice system faces due to mental health issues. Explain your answer.
I believe this case did not have much affect on the criminal justice system because of the fact that there have been serial killers for decades before Richard Ramirez came into the scene. It may have had an impact on local police departments where he was known to be committing his crimes, but other than that, I do not think so. The ways in which it may have had an
Show More

Related Documents: Night Stalker Essay

Richard Ramirez Research Paper

The Night Stalker or better known as Richard Ramirez was one of the most prolific serial killers in Los Angeles during the 80’s. What makes him so infamous in American history is that Richard took his slaughter to another level. The Night Stalker went by another name because of this, “The Walk-in Killer” as he would break into homes through unlocked doors, windows, or even entering through garages. An example of his brutal antics was that he didn't attack during the day. Richard found that the best…

Words 227 - Pages 1

Richard Remierez Essay

“Piece of good news” “Piece of good news” - Anne Frank - Anne Frank Famous World News Famous World News The End to the Night Stalker Richard Ramirez Richard Ramirez Richard Ramirez also known as, the night stalker is a serial killer who has murdered more than 25 people, from 1984 to August 1985, in Southern California. Richard was born in El Paso, Texas, on February 28, 1960, to Julian and Mercedez Ramirez. These murders were all related to his satanic worshiping. As a child Richard…

Words 560 - Pages 3

Richard Ramirez Research Paper

Richard Ramirez. Does that name sound familiar? How about The Night Stalker? Ring a bell? If not, you're lucky. He’s just one of those people who kills for pleasure. No, he kills because “ satan makes him”. Many people in LA would be shaking and sweating bullets behind their locked windows and houses, because one of the worst serial killers in the state's history was out there committing his crimes. No one ever knew who he was going to go for next. This criminal was very notorious for his rapes…

Words 846 - Pages 4

Ricardo Munoz Ramirez

Ricardo Leyva Munoz Ramirez also known as Richard Ramirez was a serial killer, rapist, and burglar. Most of his crimes took place in Los Angeles and San Francicso during the time frame of June 1984 until his capture in August of 1985. Ramirez was born in El Paso, Texas on February 29, 1960. He was the youngest of five children born to Julian and Mercedes Ramirez. Richard’s father was known to have been short tempered which resulted in physical abuse. When Richard was 12 years old, his older cousin…

Words 1003 - Pages 5

What Is The Story Of A Case Study

(1)). The couple states that they over came this issue by sitting down and talking to each other daily. Shortly after their wedding, Lindsay became pregnant with their son, Robert. During her pregnancy, Lindsay was stalked by a former client. The stalker on top of the pregnancy caused additional stress in their marriage. Lindsay showed signs of hypervigilance, and Bobby feared the possibility of a miscarriage. Although there were stressors, the couple used this opportunity of conflict to bond closer…

Words 1104 - Pages 5

Wedding Stalker Research Paper

The Catch of the Wedding Stalker I thought it was impossible to find a stranger character than, “The Colorado Slayer” until the case of “The Wedding Stalker” came across my desk. I have been working as the lead detective at the Colorado Police Department for a little over three years, with four highly trained field officers. I have run across some strange things and even stranger people, but never a case involving a suspect that stalks his victims at weddings. A wedding is supposed to be a time…

Words 691 - Pages 3

Essay on Serial Killers And Mass Murderers

essentially gets more complicated. Professionals always have to do extensive research to get into the mind of a serial killer or a mass murderer to try and explain why they committed the crimes they did. Richard Ramirez, nicknamed “the night stalker” was an American serial killer who raped and tortured more than 25 victims and killed at least 13 of them over a two year rampage. To understand why he committed such awful crimes, one has to look back into his life, where something must have gone…

Words 736 - Pages 3

Carroll Bonnet Case Summary

Case Name: Carroll Bonnet Where: Illinois When: 1978 Suspect: Jerry Watson Summary: Carroll Bonnet was stabbed to death at his apartment, and police found fingerprints in the bathroom., They didn’t develop any from leads from those fingerprints. Bonnet’s car was stolen and fingerprints in the car weren’t found. The case was then put aside and reopened in 2008. After analyzing more evidence, an advertisement came to light and Jeremy Watson’s name was found, and a couple days later he was found and…

Words 260 - Pages 2

Arnold Friend Essay

Emile Neelis Dr. Stinson EN1173 9:30 25 Sept. 2014 Arnold Friend is (Probably) the Devil Fantasy versus reality, and how the line between the two can be so easily blurred, is a common theme amongst fictional pieces of literature. In Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” the line between the two becomes decidedly blurred somewhere around the beginning of the second half of the story, which takes on an almost dreamlike quality. The arrival of the bizarre Arnold Friend signifies…

Words 1123 - Pages 5

Harlan Coben The Undercover Parent Summary

parent, that was until he did some research. I agree and disagree at the same time because sometimes you need to see what they look up on the internet so you just look at the history but you don't need to see what they're doing live that's being a stalker parent. My mom doesn't even look at my history because she trusts me because she knows I'm old enough to know the dangers of the internet. When I read from this article is way too much for a regular child. He says that they should “spyware” to check…

Words 258 - Pages 2