person. he studied the bible and was a good student. then certain things started going wrong with ricky and he started doing bad things. he was doing something very wrong. i believe you live by the sword you die by the sword and that is just the way it is. ♪ welcome to "very scary people." i'm donnie wahlberg. the media called it a rampage. there was a serial killer on the loose in california, >>ks throughou> welcome to very people. the media called it a rampage. there was a serial killer on the loose in california. random attacks throughout the spring and summer of 1985. he broke into people's homes, stole anything of value, then assaulted beat and murdered anybody he found inside. now investigators had a promising lead. one that would finally end the night stalker's rain of terror. here is part two of the night stalker. i will be avenged. >> the victim's throat had been slashed. >> he found her horribly mutilated. >> it appears the suspect got into a open window. >> he stole a lot of jewelry and graduated to these horrible crimes of violence. >> it was a night of sheer terror. >> it was a isolated murder here and there but then that summer it was constant. >> five murders and three sexual attacks in eight weeks. >> this man may be linked to at least six homicides. >> 33 cases including 14 murders have been linked to the walk in killer. >> the killer leaves the pentagram, the mark of the devil. >> he was openly bringing a satanic aspect to the attacks. >> i am nervous for my family, friends and neighbors. >> bill was shot in the head. >> what was different about this incident, there was a young man who lived a couple of blocks away. >> he spotted a suspicious man and was able to get a partial license plate number. >> the plate matched a orange station wagon. >> it was one of the best leads they got during the investigation. >> they issued a all points bulletin for the orange station wagon. so the police -- they watch the car for 24 hours, ultimately the station wagoner turns up abandoned in a parking lot. >> the police watch the car for 24 hours and the driver never showed up. >> eventually they brought it in to be processed for evidence. >> the examination of the car revealed the presence of a latent fingerprint on the rearview mirror. >> there was a brand-new technology just coming online called the automated fingerprint identification system. computerized technology were a fingerprint is scanned and it goes through a database in the computer spits out possible matches. >> he had been arrested in december 1983 for auto theft and that was on file. >> it came in just in time to help them identify the night stalker. >> the individual who we believe is responsible for the crimes, a man by the name of richard ramirez. >> richard was a tall, thin, dark-haired, hispanic male with rotting teeth. a 25-year-old drifter from el paso. >> his photograph was published. >> at this moment a alert is going out to all law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for this individual who is to be considered armed and extremely dangerous. >> now police all over california are on the hunt for richard ramirez. >> the police were also sticking out the greyhound bus station where he is known to frequent. >> he gets off the bus and the first thing he sees is a newspaper stand with his photo on the front of the la times. >> that booking photo looked exactly like him. >> he is surprised when the crowd recognizes him. >> the walk-in killer suspect just discovered he was a wanted man and tried to make a run for it. >> he starts running and gets into a bus and people recognize him, he jumps out and fled on foot and tried to steal a car. >> we handled a radio call. we received a broadcast over the air of a possible night stalker sighting. >> he tried to hijack a classic bus, you do not do that in east la. >> he chased after the suspect after he claimed ramirez was trying to steal his mustang. even though he was there and with a gun he fought him anyway. >> i grabbed him by the neck and we struggled. >> during this time we are hearing requests for additional units. the police helicopter was requested to follow any possible suspects. he was last seen traveling eastbound on eighth street. >> they chased him physically and a number of neighbors got involved. people were just yelling. the killer, the night stalker. >> i remember going up on indiana to percy street and we see people pointing down the direction where this person was going. >> then ramirez attempted to carjack another vehicle. big mistake. >> another man, hitting his wife while pulling her out. >> what was she thinking? >> that is when torres grabbed the pipe and began hitting that man. >> when i exited my police car he was bleeding from the back of his head. >> ultimately a group of folks realized who it is and they grab ramirez. >> at that point he was dead meat. >> my concern was, i wanted to remove him from that hostile situation he was in. he was hit over the head with a copper rod they used to ground telephone poles. >> i am sure he was happy to see the cops show up. >> he was on the grass parkway of the street south side of hubbard and he was laying there and a deputy had just rolled him over and we reroute requested a rescue ambulance. >> if you look at the media coverage you will see the bandages. these citizens were heroes, they caught the night stalker. eva's about to learn her fear of missing out leads to overeating. i totally eat stuff to not miss out. and that's just a bit of psychology eva learned from noom weight. sign up now at noom.com after switching to the farmer's dog we noticed so many improvements in remi's health. his allergies were going away and he just had amazing energy. it looks like nutritious food, and it is. i'm investing in my dog's health and happiness. get started at longlivedogs.com businesses need 5g solutions today. that's why they choose t-mobile for business. mlb partners with t-mobile to not only enhance the fan experience, but to advance how the game is played. aaa relies on t-mobile's network to stay connected nationwide, so they can help get their members back on the road. and we're helping pano ai innovate, to stop the spread of wildfires. now's the time to see what america's largest 5g network can do for your business. it's ihop's 65th anniversary and kids eat free from 4-10pm. so come on in and celebrate with the whole family. only for a limited time at ihop. ( ♪ ♪ ) wake up, achievers. you're making the most of every hour of your life. except the hours that you're sleeping. so why do we leave so much untapped potential on the table? this is a next level bed, for a next level you. my circadian rhythm is kicking your circadian rhythms butt! it's not a competition. i know, but i'm still winning! so, it is a competition. save 50% on the sleep number limited edition smart bed. plus, 36-month financing on select smart beds. shop now only at sleep number. okay everyone, our mission is complete balanced nutrition. together we provide nutrients to support immune, muscle, bone, and heart health. yaaay! woo hoo! ensure with 25 vitamins and minerals and ensure complete with 30 grams of protein. ♪ walls: we're happy to report that the suspect that we have in custody is richard ramirez, otherwise known as the night stalker. k. we are happy to report the suspect we have in custody is richard ramirez, the night stalker. >> he is handcuffed. when i was talking to him i felt different. he looks like the presence of evil before you. >> he was a drifter, he was in arizona for a while. he came to california for unknown reasons. started as a burglar and he graduated to horrible crimes of violence. the satanism, my personal view is that it was a affect on his part. to make the big question was, what happened to create this monster? ricardo ramirez was born february 29, 1960 in el paso, texas. >> his mother were in a boot factory and his father worked for the santa fe railroad. the youngest of five kids. >> we went to school together, he was very smart. then he started doing that things. >> when we interviewed some people, people were saying he was a petty thief. >> he did not have a good reputation. >> we found out through medical records that he had many seizures in the seventh grade. we headed doctor examined him and they did scans on his brain and they found abnormalities. >> maybe he was epileptic but he never got a official diagnosis. >> richard ramirez also had a very disturbed childhood. >> he had what could be considered now a very abusive father. the father was very authoritarian. he would not hesitate to use the web. he would go and steal things and be caught by his dad. part of the corrective measure he would use, he would tie him up in a cemetery next door to where they lived. he would be left overnight. he had to endure those things at a early age. >> richard's father was clearly a influence but many believe it was another family member that did the most damage. >> part of his childhood had to deal with a cousin. a vietnam veteran that shared with him some of the details of war, combat and some of the killings he witnessed. >> he taught him how to use a knife, how to cutthroats. >> ricky was very scared of mike. he had panic attacks. he told me how much he despised mike. >> mike had all of these tales about vietnamese women that he assaulted and killed and he had photographs that he would show ramirez of decapitated heads of women that he assaulted and he really schooled him how to kill. >> sometimes gruesome photos put images in your mind and they had a great impact on ricky. >> there is no question that his criminal behavior later in life reflects a lot of sex offenses that are violent and involve torture. so for him, there were is a clear fusion between lust and cruelty. >> when richard was 13, he was present when mike got into a argument with his wife and shot her in the face. >> ramirez shot many of his victims in the face, that is not a common place to shoot people yet he is shooting victims in the face often, just like his cousin mike shot the first homicide victim ramirez ever witnessed. >> he was found not guilty for reason of insanity and given a lighter sentence. after he finished his sentence he came back into richards life. it is a pivotal moment in this young kids development. >> richard became increasingly drawn to macabre things. >> richard took to sleeping in cemeteries. >> he would wear a lot of black clothes and created a persona of a gothic night marauder. >> he started with marijuana and then later went to heavy drugs like acid. >> he was having seizures, coupled with drugs and all of that, it is a combination. >> he explained, you do not care about anybody, not even your self and when you get to that stage it is very dangerous. >> he did not go to school much, he started hanging out with a gang and he dropped out at 14. >> he got in trouble with the law. once that happened he decided not to go back to school. then certain things started going wrong with ricky. >> after ramirez was finally captured, the arresting officer said he was polite but refused to cooperate. >> the sheriffs came and transported him later to the county jail. when he was arrested, it led to a locker at the greyhound bus station, there was a trove of evidence recovered in that locker. stolen property linked to the victims, ammunition for the guns. >> charges were filed within 48 hours. >> ramirez was charged with 14 murders, 19 burglaries,'s seven sexual assaults and a slew of other charges. >> richard was arrested in 85 and it was three years before he went on trial. >> he came to court wearing sunglasses. >> he changed from a evil looking guy to a rock star. so, we switched to tide pods free & gentle. it cleans better, and doesn't leave behind irritating residues. and it's gentle on her skin tide free & gentle is epa safer choice certified. it's got to be tide let innovation refunds help with your erc tax refund so you can improve your business however you see fit. rosie used part of her refund to build an outdoor patio. clink! dr. marshall used part of his refund to give his practice a facelift. emily used part of her refund to buy... i run a wax museum. let innovation refunds help you get started on your erc tax refund. stop waiting. go to innovationrefunds.com you really got the brows. the minute you drive off the lot. or more. that's why farmers new car replacement pays to replace it with a new one of the same make and model. get a whole lot of something with farmers policy perks. ♪ farmers mnemonic ♪ ♪ tourists tourists that turn into scientists. tourists photographing thousands of miles of remote coral reefs. that can be analyzed by ai in real time. ♪ so researchers can identify which areas are at risk. and help life underwater flourish. ♪ that's why comcast business de is launching theal. mobile made free event. with our business internet, new and existing customers can get one year of unlimited mobile for free. it's our best internet. powered by the next generation 10g network and with 99.9% reliability. plus one line of free mobile for an entire year. it's the mobile made free event-happening now. get started for just $49.99 a month. plus, ask how to get one free line of unlimited mobile. comcast business, powering possibilities. aw, you ain't no reporter. jenkins: richard ramirez was finally behind bars, and californians could finally sleep at night after a year of being on edge. now came the monumental task of bringing the night stalker to justice. richard ramirez was finally behind bars and citizens can finally sleep at night after a year of being on edge. now came the monumental task of bringing the night stalker to justice. >> it is case number 877172. richard ramirez. >> there were tremendous challenges putting the case together. >> you have all of these agencies coordinating. all of these the dems to care for. this is a monumental effort. it is also a capital murder case. >> he was initially represented by two appointed members of the public defenders office. great attorneys. for whatever reason, his family chose to fire the public defenders office and bring in a series of private counsel. the first issue was who was paying for the defense, mounting a capital offense defenses extremely expensive. >> understanding is that you would like to be your attorney, correct? >> apparently he offered him deals with movies. >> in the 80s serial killers were treated as celebrities. ramirez was in that group. >> he did what a lot of people like him do. he suddenly decided i am a celebrity and i will milk it for everything i can. >> there is some indication that there was a book deal in the works which poses ethical issues. the judge appointed another loyal to advise ramirez about the ramifications of the book deal. ultimately, he came on the case, they are not related even though they have the same last name. >> we ended up with a case and it made a big difference. knowing the culture. being bilingual. >> he was very impressed that i unshackled him and we broke the ice. so he hired us. we were not welcome in la. we were in danger. >> i was working as a paralegal with hector hernandez who is now my husband. i received a phone call late in the evening and they said we know who you are. we are the family of one of the victims and we are going to kill you. i immediately hung up on the person and hightailed it out of the office. >> there was a issue that was brought up as to whether or not they were qualified to handle a case like this, both were attorneys for only five years and never handled a capital offense case. >> during the case they get into public shouting matches with each other. >> he was always mocking us. he did not have what we call judicial temperament. >> they made statements that the prosecution considered unsupported by the evidence. or they were going for publicity. the lead prosecutor is very knowledgeable but there was contention between phil and the hernandez's. a lot of that was natural given the nature of the case and the stakes involved. >> in the middle of all of the chaos was richard ramirez. >> richard came into court for the final day of his hearing flashing the same grim. he kept smiling as the judge ruled there was sufficient evidence to bind the 26-year-old to trial for 14 murder charges as well as the others. >> he was arraigned, and the circus began. >> ramirez revealed a pentagram on his left palm and later shouted hail satan. >> the first time i spoke to ramirez on the phone, it was very scary. i knew what he had represented on his hand and all of the hype that happened. >> i truly believe all of this was him acting out, he wanted to play the role of the celebrities serial killer. he is the night stalker and should be feared. herding cattle, reeling in trout, and exploring paradise valley from their backyard. here's to another 150 years of adventure. there's a story in every piece of land. run with us on a john deere gator xuv and start telling yours. julian's about to learn that free food is a personal eating trigger. no, it isn't. (sigh) yes, it is. and that's just a bit of psychology julian learned from noom weight. sign up now at noom.com. ♪ welcome back to "very scary people." on august 30, 1988, almost three years after his arrest, the night stalker finally stands trial in los angeles. will come back to very scary people. on august 30, 1988, three years after his arrest, the night stalker finally stands trial in la. he is not finished yet. he begins a bizarre new chapter that has some wondering if the night stalker could escape justice after all. >> it was one of the biggest trials in the history of la. you had to get there hours ahead of time to have a chance to get in the courtroom. richard loved the attention. >> ramirez who spent months in the shadows now relished his time in the spotlight. >> he had armani suits donated from goodwill. he changed from a really evil looking guy to a rock star. >> he was a well looking guy. >> his transition was another part of the circus atmosphere the case was taking on. he seemed to be enjoying his role as the defendant. the star of the case. >> he said i am getting all of this fame now. he got all of his glory. >> he had a powerful energy but it was not a good energy. it was difficult to explain. >> his father took the stand and tried to alibi him. >> he testified richard was at a family gathering at the same time as several attack. >> which would eliminate him as a suspect. if you did not commit these he did not commit the others. the prosecution brought me in as a rebuttal witness. i interviewed him in 19 85 and he said i have not seen him for a number of years. >> he acted up during the trial. he came to court wearing sunglasses. the judge ordered him to take off the glasses and he said no in a loud voice. >> security was increased after ramirez threatened to have a friend smuggle a gun to him. they had to erect metal detectors and ramirez was brought in guarded and shackled. >> there were rumors about everything. we would frisk all of the time. it came with the territory. >> there was something that happened in lockup where the bailiffs took him to the ground. >> the two officers were ex- navy seals and they were watching him. >> he threatened the witness. >> it causes a bar fight like scenario. they grabbed him and beat the crap out of him. >> with so much drama the judge decided the two attorneys needed help. >> the judge appointed a third lawyer, he made a great selection in ray clark took over the case. >> he helped a lot. >> he also had a controversial strategy. >> hopefully not guilty. i think somebody else did it. he is not guilty in my mind. >> the argument at trial was that somebody else did all of these crimes. >> some other guy did it. i do not think there was another guy like him. >> it was not the oddest thing about the trial. >> the entire back row was filled with goth girls. $5 all you can eat pancakes are back to celebrate ihop's 65th anniversary. so come on in. even if it's your birthday, too. available for a limited time only at ihop. download the app and start earning free food. hi, i'm jill and i've lost 56 pounds on golo. hi, i'm barry and i've lost 42 pounds. jill and i are a team. if she tells me to do something, i usually jump on board. golo was doable, it's realistic, and it's something we can do the rest of our lives. hi! need new glasses? buy one pair, get one free at visionworks! how can you see me squinting? i can't! i'm just telling everyone!...hey! buy one pair, get one free for back to school. visionworks. see the difference. reporter: why were you in the courtroom today? i just wanted to see what he looked like. i think he's cute. yochelson: he loved the attention. at this point, the women started showing up, d growhies, >>o would come> why were you in room today? >> i wanted to see what he looked like. >> had this point the women started showing up, the groupies that would come to court who would want to see ramirez and who are rooting for him. >> i walked into the court room, the entire back row was filled with girls in black leather dresses, dark hair and chains. >> all kinds of people. there was a lot of weird stuff. people are really crazy. >> the thing that astonished me was the attraction of otherwise intelligent and capable women attracted to somebody who is accused of crimes of this horrific magnitude. >> everybody makes him look so bad but i know he is a nice person because i have met him. >> it is a extreme exaggerated form of the tendency of many women to be attracted to bad boys. there is some kind of beauty and the beast fantasy going on. my love will transform this creature into a warm and loving being. >> she was one of the most persistent follower. she was a elegant lady. she claimed she wanted to die with him and she would kill herself if he was put to death. she liked to write to richard and she wrote really good letters. >> this is la, even as a young attorney it seemed to be par for the course. it was a distraction because it was annoying. >> at that time it was the case of the century. >> there was a lot of press coverage. mostly print reporters. there were still photographers in the courtroom and television filmed the closing argument. >> many of the jurors had tears in their eyes as they listened to the horror. >> i would like to add to my wife's statement. it is my belief that the death penalty be given without reservation. >> the demons were able to identify ramirez and describe what he did. they connected fingerprints to the scenes so other he was doing it were somebody had his fingerprints. the guns found on his person were connected to the scenes. >> all of the stolen property traced back to him as well. >> he still a lot of jewelry and it was recovered and identified by the victims or the survivors. >> despite the evidence the defense continued to argue that ramirez was the wrong guy and in one case they actually tried to implicate a victim's family. >> he later admitted under defense cross examination that his mother often engaged in large disputes. >> the defense was shooting from the hip trying to create a diversion from his guilt. >> we are trying to throw in some kind of reasonable doubt. >> as he described how he found his mother's body, ramirez leaned forward and smiled. >> he had a smirk on his face. he was just radiating evil. >> i could feel waves of hatred coming out of him, just pure malice. i looked at him and thought i better not look at him anymore. >> when he got the nickname night stalker, why not play it out more by scaring people in the courtroom? creating images that would be remembered decades later. so he succeeded. >> this is a long trial, 165 witnesses and eight thousand pages of testimony that the jurors had to go through to reach a verdict. >> a bizarre twist made the public wonder if ramirez was still killing from behind bars. >> one day one of the jurors did not show up. >> i will see you at disneyland. tourists photographing thousands of miles of remote coral reefs. that can be analyzed by ai in real time. ♪ so researchers can identify which areas are at risk. and help life underwater flourish. ♪ my cpa told me i wouldn't qualify for the erc tax refund, so i called innovation refunds. their team of independent tax attorneys will work with your cpa to determine if your company is eligible. [whip sound] take the first step to see if your small business qualifies. this is how tosin lost 33 pounds on noom weight. i'm tosin. noom gave her a psychological approach to weight loss. noom has taught me how you think about food has such a... huge impact on your relationship with it. visit noom.com and start your trial today. the minute you drive off the lot. or more. that's why farmers new car replacement pays to replace it with a new one of the same make and model. get a whole lot of something with farmers policy perks. ♪ farmers mnemonic ♪ (jack) we're standing up for our right to be lazy. (jan) by sitting down. (ronald) and reclining back (lyn) we work full-time and parent full-time. (lyn's husband) we will be reclined until further notice. (andi) it's our right to let the dishes soak overnight. (rob) and to mow the lawn... tomorrow-ish. (ben) we proudly declare that yes, we are still watching that. (ariel) and no, we won't be cooking tonight. (damon) we, the lazy, are taking back lazy... (doreen) ...by getting comfy on our la-z-boy furniture. (vo) la-z-boy. long live the lazy. bridgett is here. she has no clue that i'm here. she has no clue who's in the helmet. are you ready? -i'm ready! alright. xfinity rewards creates experiences big and small, and once-in-a-lifetime. reporter: dark sunglasses and shackles -- that was richard ramirez's daily attire throughout the almost year-long night stalker trial. and from the very beginning, prosecutor philip halpin dark sunglasses and shackles. that was richard ramirez's attire during 2 nithe night stalker trial. >> ray clark's argument was, we have to have sympathy, even for the worst of all people. but you're not going to get sympathy for a guy who had done all these horrible things. >> some people would hang you for spitting on a sidewalk. i wouldn't hang you for atrocities such as hitler did. >> we're talking about a death penalty. the state is going to execute somebody. >> the prosecution's argument was a methodical argument. it was going through all of the crimes and listing all of the evidence that linked ramirez. >> it was a long and tumultuous trial. in the end, there were 165 witnesses and 658 pieces of evidence presented before the defense and the prosecution gave their final closing arguments. >> as the jury was deliberating this mountain of evidence they had to consider, one day, one of the jurors didn't show up. >> then, she was found dead. >> there was a lot of speculation in the media that the murder of this juror was really somehow related to the case. that it was a conspiracy. that ramirez had followers who had done this. >> the rumors included me as a coconspirator. i was the prime suspect. >> none of this was true. it was an act of domestic violence on the part of the juror's husband. this was all out there. and the defense argued there should be a mistrial because they were afraid that the jurors would speculate it was close to the case. >> oh, boy. if they declare a mistrial, it would be god awful. >> an alternate juror had to be substituted in. and under california law, the jury had to start over again. >> the jury had to deal with this awful distraction and the murder of one of their own. but in tend, they did their job. >> richard ramirez wasn't in the courtroom to hear the verdict against him. he opted to stay in his cell, for what was a loud and clear decision. >> we the jury in the above entitled action, find ramirez guilty of murder. >> they came back with verdicts convicted ramirez with murder. murder in the first degree, making it eligible for the death penalty. and 30 other felonies. >> he would yell in front of the holding cell, i'm guilty, i want the death penalty, i want to die now. >> when richard ramirez was found guilty, he left the courthouse and flashed the sign of satan. when it determined if he would live or die, he flashed an obscenity. the final courtroom chapter of a serial killer was played out for richard ramirez. the 29-year-old grifter from texas had been found guilty of his crimes. the courtroom date was to pronounce final sentencing. >> i don't think anyone was surprised when the sentence was read. >> we, the jury, find it to be an intentional murder, and fix the penalty at death. >> and ramirez spoke, evoking the spirit of satan during the year-long trial. >> i am beyond good and evil. i will be avenged. lucifer walks within us all. that's it. >> when he was leaving the courtroom for the last time, he made some statements. >> he made it clear he is not afraid to die. >> big deal. death always went with the territory. i'll see you in disneyland. >> as the trial ended, his time in the spotlight was over. there was one person who was stick by his side. >> here she comes. >> doreen leo was the winner in the serious suitors he had attracted during the course of the trial. >> i want to say i'm ecstatically happy today. and very proud to have married richard and be his wife. i hope you will be respectful of the day and let me go and enjoy my day in peace. >> would you respond that you're recluse and live in a fantasy world and things like that? >> can you say why, doreen? >> in 2009, the san francisco police department was able to link and unsolve the homicide of a small child. >> once he had his dna in the system, they started finding out that little girl, 9-year-old, in san francisco. >> she was killed and sexually assaulted, which was a terrible case. >> doreen divorced ramirez, citing information that she wanted to distance herself from the night stalker. >> he never showed any signed of remorse all through the trials. never showed a sign of remorse whatsoever. just a monster. i don't think we've seen the likes of that before or since. thank god for that. >> since the mid-1980s, i asked the correctional officers to unchain the inmate that i was going to interview so he would be comfortable. richard ramirez is the only inmate i interviewed for whom i request he be freed and unchained. >> it's put a huge detour in my life. i wasn't the same person i was prior to the injury. now, it's time to pick up the pieces and keep going on. >> he would have never stopped. he would have never stopped. >> richard ramirez continued to attract the people from san que quentin. he died at the age of 53. not by execution. but by complications related to b-cell lymphoma. the families and victim les of the night stalker vicious attacks, did what they could to move forward with their lives. i'm donnie wahlberg, thanks for watching. good night. hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the united states and all around the world.