True Crime/Paranormal/Conspiracy Stories Part VI

The Golden State Killer Part II

Maggiore murders

A young Sacramento couple—21-year-old Brian Keith Maggiore, a military policeman at Mather Air Force Base, and his 20-year-old wife Katie Lee Maggiore—were walking their dog in the Rancho Cordova area on the night of February 2, 1978, near where five East Area Rapist attacks had occurred. The Maggiores fled after a confrontation in the street but were chased down and shot to death. Some investigators suspected that they had been murdered by the East Area Rapist because of their proximity to the other attacks' locations, and a shoelace was found nearby. The FBI announced on June 15, 2016, that it was confident that the East Area Rapist had murdered the Maggiores. On June 29, 2020, DeAngelo entered a plea of guilty to these murders.

Original Night Stalker (1979–1986)

Shortly after the rape committed on July 5, 1979, DeAngelo moved to Southern California and began killing his victims, first striking in Santa Barbara County in October. The attacks lasted until 1981, with a lone 1986 attack, only the couple in the first attack survived, alerting neighbors and forcing the intruder to flee; the other victims were murdered by gunshot or bludgeoning. Since DeAngelo was not linked to these crimes for decades, he was known as the Night Stalker in the area; before being renamed the Original Night Stalker after serial killer Richard Ramirez received the former nickname.

Crimes

1 Monday, October 1, 1979 None (attempted murder; botched attack) Queen Ann Lane, Goleta Santa Barbara

2 Sunday, December 30, 1979 Robert Offerman, Debra Manning Goleta

3 Thursday, March 13, 1980 Charlene & Lyman Smith Ventura Ventura

4 Tuesday, August 19, 1980 Keith & Patrice Harrington Dana Point Orange

5 Friday, February 6, 1981 Manuela Witthuhn Irvine

6 Monday, July 27, 1981 Cheri Domingo, Gregory Sanchez Goleta Santa Barbara

7 Sunday, May 4, 1986 Janelle Cruz Irvine Orange

1979

On October 1, an intruder broke in and tied up a Goleta couple. Alarmed at hearing him say, "I'll kill 'em" to himself, the man and woman tried to escape when he left the room, and the woman screamed. Realizing that the alarm had been raised, the intruder fled on a bicycle. A neighbor (an FBI agent) responded to the noise and pursued the perpetrator, who abandoned the bicycle and a knife and escaped on foot through local backyards. The attack was later linked to the Offerman–Manning murders by shoe prints and twine used to bind the victims.

On December 30, 44-year-old Robert Offerman and 35-year-old Debra Manning were found shot to death at Offerman's condominium on Avenida Pequena in Goleta. Offerman's bindings were untied, indicating that he had lunged at the attacker. Neighbors had heard gunshots. Paw prints of a large dog were found at the scene, leading to speculation that the killer may have brought one with him. The killer had also broken into the vacant adjoining residence and stolen a bicycle, later found abandoned on a street north of the scene, from a third residence in the complex.

1980

On March 13, 33-year-old Charlene Smith and 43-year-old Lyman Smith were found murdered in their Ventura home; Charlene Smith had been raped. A log from a woodpile on the side of the house was used to bludgeon the victims to death. Their wrists and ankles had been bound with drapery cord. An unusual Chinese knot, a diamond knot, was used on Charlene's wrists; the same knot was noted in the East Area Rapist attacks, at least one confirmed case of which was publicly known. The murderer was, therefore, briefly given the name Diamond Knot Killer.