The Diamond Knot Killer – The Original Night Stalker
California
Investigators in California estimate that 50 rapes which occurred in Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Sacramento, Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Yolo were committed by the Original Night Stalker, also known as; The East Area Rapist, The Diamond Knot Killer and the Golden State Killer.
DNA evidence also just so happened to conclusively link him to 8 murders which occurred in Dana Point, Goleta, Ventura, and Irvine, California although it is believed that he committed up to at least 12 murders in all.
2 other murders in Goleta were linked by MO but, not DNA. Additionally, investigators believe that the same perpetrator either The Original Night Stalker or his copycat committed 3 other murders, 2 in Rancho Cordova and 1 in Visalia.
The Original Night Stalker struck in both Northern California and in Southern California from 1979 all the way through 1986.
His last crime and the only one after 1981 was in 1986.
Between 6/18/76 to 10/1/79 The Original Night Stalker struck at least 22 times before taking a 3 month break. In all of his attacks during this time he was only raping women.
By his 30th attack, he was ready to kill and he murdered Brian and Katie Maggiore.
At his 37th attack he took another 3 month break.
In a case such as this it is not surprising to see a copycat, what is surprising is the copycat’s accuracy when it comes to being able to mimic The Original Night Stalkers crimes, save for the inability to copy the DNA.
Investigators found evidence that he would watch his victims, specifically watch them engaging in sexual activity shortly before killing them.
And with couples, initially, he would watch a couple, he would then gain entry into the couple’s home, tie them up, using what investigators dubbed a “very specific” type of knot known as the diamond knot, he would rape the female then bludgeon the couple to death.
By the 2nd murder, the killer began to cover the heads of his victims prior to bludgeoning them to death. It is commonly believed the reason that the killer began covering the heads of his victims was due to the fact that when you bludgeon someone to death it can be quite messy.
By the 3rd murder, the original night stalker killed his first female victim who was alone.
He liked the same area’s and felt comfortable in them. He was also one of those fellows that I refer to as the commoners.
Someone you might see so often that you hardly notice when they are around meaning he had the ability to blend in, making it appear that he belonged in and around the area’s he killed in.
What makes this killer interesting is that some profilers believe that the original night stalker had a hate for women. I disagree with that.
This killer likes women, but his view of them is a bit off. He views women as property to be used for sexual gratification then discarded in any manner he wished. If he had or has a partner the partner is the sub in the relationship, to the killer the sub is his and he can do anything that he wants with her.
It is far from hate and very much about the ability to gain complete and total control over another. He is driven by sex and sexual fantasies which are more about complete control. It is a far cry from hating women.
His sexual taste would follow the lines of Sadism in that he derives a great deal of sexual pleasure from the ability to inflict pain and suffering upon another individual that is what gets him off. The ability see his partner suffer is what does it for him.
Sadism is part of Paraphilias which are of the behaviors in a group of sexual problems associated with sexual arousal in response to being stimulated in ways not associated with normal sexual behavior patterns.
His sexual tastes however, unless caught red handed are not something many other than a willing partner would know about outside of the bedroom.
He engaged in sexual deviant behaviors yet I would not go as far as to say that he engaged in sexual activity with ladies of the night, it simply would not have been something that he would do.
Although he would have been a fan of dom/sub porn. Always viewing women as property, things to be used for his sexual pleasure.
He was well mannered, he was friendly, very friendly with people. He is a narcissistic type of person and very manipulative.
He also would lie or play mind games for lack of better words with individuals for his mere enjoyment.
Through the years letters and poems have been written by those claiming to the have been The Original Night Stalker to local papers however, I doubt very much that they were from him. It isn’t his style, it isn’t something he would have done.
More often than not he would tell tall tales about his life in order to make himself appear better or more than he actually was.
Maybe faking family, education, military or work backgrounds.
He had an income yet he could afford to carry out his attacks in the late night to early morning hours.
I believe that he was in good shape, would have been well groomed, a charming individual, someone who would not have been seen as a threat.
Investigators believed at one time that the diamond knot the killer used might have been enough to lead them right to him because it was such a specific type of knot.
Sadly, it was never quite enough and because of the media broadcasting that detail so much after the first murder, it allowed for copycats to learn and then mimic the knot.
Investigators also feared that he ended up in jail or dead before being caught. I doubt jail for anything major.
He may very well have died or found a willing partner to carry out his fantasies with or simply moved out of the US, or decided that the risk was too high should he carry on any further.
It is difficult to say for certain if he would have had a troubled childhood in that he might have had a record. Men like this are usually really adept at making sure they don’t get caught, even at an early age.
It would be more likely that he engaged in deviant sexual behavior, perhaps raped as a teen and was able to manipulate his way out of the situation.
I would actually start with that and work my way back with it, it is amazing how a woman will open up years after what she felt was a crime that had been committed against her.
It is my belief that to find out who The Original Night Stalker was, investigators and the FBI would do well to work it from the teen years forward.
Too many copycats may have been committing like crimes during this time and have complicated things.
The key is finding that one guy who was able to fly under the radar for so long, as a teen he would have raped someone without a doubt.
Someone who has yet to tell.
Cristal M Clark
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