'Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer': Release date, plot, trailer and all you need to know about Netflix docu-series
'Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer' is the latest “ripped from the headlines” docuseries to land on Netflix and from the first look of it's trailer, which was dropped by the streaming platform on YouTube a couple of weeks ago, it sure looks like the creepiest true crime content on the site in recent times. It depicts a terrifying tale of Los Angeles during the 80s when Richard Ramirez, a serial killer who committed multiple murders in California between 1984 and 1985, prowled the streets. The four-part limited series is described by the streaming giant as an “iconic L.A. real-life horror story,” and is all set to become our new crime obsession in the coming year.
Release date
'Richard Ramirez, Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer' will release on January 13 on Netflix.
Plot
Ramirez was responsible for at least 14 murders and was eventually convicted on all charges. His trial was the most expensive trial in California history until the 1994 O.J. Simpson murder trial.
The most common moniker used for Ramirez was “The Night Stalker” in the media. However, he also earned the titles like “The Walk-In Killer” and “The Valley Intruder” because of the nature of his crimes. It often involved breaking into his victim’s homes in order to kill them. According to the 'Night Stalker' trailer, Ramirez’s crimes appeared to be random — “there was no pattern” and “anyone could be a victim.” Ramirez' choice of murder weapon also varied from guns, knives, hammers and tire irons, according to the People Magazine. He was a self-professed satanist whose trademark was carving pentagrams on his victims.
Netflix described the case as such: “In the sweltering summer of 1985, a record-breaking heatwave hit Los Angeles, along with a series of murders and sexual assaults that at first seemed disconnected. The victims were men, women and children. They ranged in age from six to 82. They came from different neighborhoods, racial backgrounds and socioeconomic levels. Never before in criminal history had a single killer been responsible for such a grisly array of crimes.”
The docuseries is told from the perspective of L.A. County Sheriff’s Department detectives Gil Carrillo and Frank Salerno (who also investigated the Hillside Strangler).
Synopsis
“Racing against the clock to stop this nocturnal monster were a young detective named Gil Carrillo from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the legendary homicide investigator Frank Salerno,” the official synopsis read. “As they worked tirelessly to solve the case, the media hounded their tracks, and panic gripped California… [T]his four-part series represents the definitive telling of this iconic L.A. real-life horror story, painting a portrait of how it felt to live in fear at a time when absolutely anyone could be the Night Stalker’s next victim.”
Director
Night Stalker, which comes from director Tiller Russell, uses interviews with investigators and survivors as well as archival footage to narrate the story of one of the most notorious and terrifying serial killers of the 20th century.
Trailer
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'American Horror Story: 1984'
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Chris Fisher’s 2002 'Nightstalker'
Ulli Lommel’s 2009 'Nighstalker'
Megan Griffiths’ 2016 'The Night Stalker'
