Casefile True Crime - Case 53: The East Area Rapist 1977–1978 (Part 3)

Episode Date: May 27, 2017

[Part 3 of 5] Throughout the summer of 1978, the East Area Rapist continued to stalk, attack and assault women and their families. He extended his hunting grounds, moving beyond Sacramento County to target victims in other Northern California communities. --- Researched and written by Anna Priestland Download the map of the attacks here For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-53-east-area-rapist-1977-1978-part-3

This series deals with horrific sexual assault offences, and there's a lot of them. We feel it's a very important story to cover, but it won't be suitable for all listeners so please use your discretion. If you decide to keep listening we will be releasing a map with each episode to help as you go along or for you to refer to afterwards. You'll find a link to the map in the show notes on our website or you should be able to access the link from the show notes in your app. 1977 started off with a task force being created by the Sacramento Sheriff's Office to catch the East Area Rapist. Detectives Richard Shelby and Carol Daly made it their mission to be at every crime scene and look after every victim. They methodically questioned neighbors and tracked

down every lead they could. When an attack happened in the Sacramento city limits, the investigation was taken over by the Sacramento City Police, which caused issues when Shelby and Daly weren't caught onto crime scenes on the city's turf. During one attack, the crime lab was able to determine that the East Area Rapist's blood was Type A. The East Area Rapist continued following his earlier M.O. until the local papers made special mention of the fact he had never attacked a woman with a man present in the house. He adjusted and from that time on he targeted couples. He would stack dishes on the men while they were bound, threatening to kill them if they made a sound, while he forced the woman into another room to rape her. As the

year went on and attacks grew more and more frequent, so too did the press coverage. But still, it was a time when not everyone got the news the moment it happened. While there were many people terrified of the East Area Rapist, there were those who were still oblivious. There were many sightings of a suspicious male in an area leading up to an attack, trespassing in yards and checking out houses, with suspicious vehicles also being seen. But unfortunately, most of these sightings were not reported until after the attack occurred, and police conducted a canvas. Despite the East Area rapist having a very specific MO, it was not released to the public. The police didn't want a state of panic, and they didn't want a copycat. But that meant

when women got hang-up phone calls or heavy breathing calls or when there was a break-in with nothing of value taken, only strange items moved around or stolen, the community had no idea these were related to the East Area Rapist. In mid-May 1977, the East Area Rapist showed everyone he may have been in attendance at a community meeting about him that took place towards the end of 76. At this meeting a man stood up, paced up and down yelling that no man would stand by and let his wife get raped. He certainly wouldn't.

Just seven months later, the East Area Rapist targeted this man and his wife. During this attack, he said he would kill his next victims, but there was confusion as to what exactly he said. According to the survivor, he said he would kill two people if he heard about the attack in the media, but according to her husband, he said he would kill two people if he didn't hear about the attack. When we left part two, the police were deciding what to do. Chief Deputy Fred Rees and investigators discussed at length whether or not to hold a press conference. By studying what they knew of the East Area Rapist and his behaviour up to this point, they believed he did in fact want the press to hear his message.

They felt it fit his style. So that day day an emergency press conference went ahead. It was clear that law enforcement were no longer able to keep quiet about the rapist. Rumours were flying all over the place and the public needed to know what the facts were. Chief Deputy Fred Rees issued a psychological profile of the East Area Rapist made by a panel of psychologists and psychiatrists in the community. The profile described the East Area Rapist, made by a panel of psychologists and psychiatrists in the community. The profile described the East Area Rapist as, quote, He is probably an only child but may have a younger sister. He is believed to be of greater than average intelligence or at least a high school graduate who may have been interested

in police work or military officers training at some point. He's probably unemployed now. The rapist if threatened might be violent and possibly self-destructive. If caught he might try to take a hostage or stage a shootout with his captors. But if confronted in a non-threatening situation, the rapist is probably complacent and gives no indication he is a violent criminal. He is in a sexual panic because of inadequate physical endowment, and the understanding is that since he is inadequately endowed, he can't establish a normal relationship with a woman, and raping is his way to compensate. The first composite sketch of the East Area Rapist was released, but it came

with a warning. The following was written underneath the sketch that appeared in the Sacramento Bee. Quote, an artist's conception of the East Area Rapist based on numerous bits of information from persons who caught a glimpse of him was released today by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department. No one has gotten a full-face view of the rapist, officers cautioned, noting that the shape of the jaw is tentative and the face may be leaner looking. Hairstyle and length also are tentative. The description supplied by police was White male, between 19 and 30 years of age Well built but slim Dirty blonde to medium brown hair, possibly collar length

Eyes bright blue or hazel Wears ski masks ranging from knitted to stocking The Sheriff's Office wouldn't confirm exactly how many officers they had on the case But press spokesman Bill Miller said, The overtime budget had already been exhausted, and countless deputies and highway patrol officers began volunteering their time. Chief Deputy Fred Rees, quote, We have received a great many calls and have numerous leads to check out, but so far, the solution is not in sight.

Someone out there must know who this man is, and we are trying to reach that person. We hope this is the answer. In four days, 20 deputies recorded 3,000 tips that had been called in. It was estimated that 15% of those tips were worthwhile. In an attempt to quell rampant rumours that the East Area Rapist was disfiguring women, the Deputy Chief confirmed that he had never significantly physically injured anyone. This was also the first time the public heard that the East Area Rapist spent long periods of time in the victims' homes as he committed repeated attacks. The city of Sacramento flipped into a state of unprecedented panic,

especially the east side. Couples started sleeping in shifts so someone in the house would be awake at all times. People started leaving loaded guns next to their beds. The Sacramento Bee's secret witness protection program donated $15,000 as a reward. A local dentist then upped that reward to $25,000. The East Area Rapist Surveillance Patrol, or the YEARS Patrol for short, continued to circle the streets every night. The YEARS Patrol were community members who had taken it upon themselves to patrol the streets in cars with CB radios. By the end of May, the Sheriff's Office publicly asked the Years Patrol to stop. Under Sheriff Dick Phillips, quote, I'm not doubting their good interest, but they could

be a hindrance instead of an assistance. Driving up and down the street is not going to stop this guy. A large number of people are in a state of near panic, and an influx of strangers isn't going to help that. Police were worried there would be an accidental shooting. The local dentist who donated money for the reward was heading up a civilian patrol, and he said they weren't prepared to stop. There were several thousand people willing to join the patrols. The following day it was confirmed that Visalia detectives had returned to work with the Sacramento Sheriff's Department. They were there for a second time to see if a link could be made between the

Visalia ransacker from 72 to 75 and the East Area Rapist. They confirmed the psychological profile and actions between the two offenders had similarities, but the physical description was raising some questions. Where the East Area Rapist was described as lean and athletic, the Visalia Ransacker was described as being rounder with some fat on him. There was a chance he could have lost weight in the time in between, but it didn't explain his stoppier fingers. There were also descriptions of the ransacker having a different shaped nose. Law enforcement was still divided as to whether or not the ransacker and the East Area Rapist were the same person. What the community realised

very quickly was that the East Area Rapist probably looked totally normal, blending into their community just like everyone else. They knew no one was safe. Following this press conference, a Sheriff's Department memo was sent around the office, which included as much as they knew about the East Area Rapist's M.O. and his physical appearance. It also confirmed some facts and assumptions they had. The following is taken directly from that memo that was sent around in May 1977. Vehicle. Numerous suspicious vehicles have been checked and eliminated. Still outstanding

is a 1952 or 1953 Ford or Chevrolet bright yellow step-side pickup. This vehicle was seen on Nulwood Edge Day for three days prior to the rape on Thornwood, which was attack number 14. It is assumed that the suspect travels by automobile. On five separate occasions, dogs have tracked the suspect to a location one would expect a vehicle to be parked. The suspect could use other means of travel. There is some evidence that he has traveled drainage ditches, vacant fields, and park areas on foot. Scene of the attack. The suspect usually attacks a single-story, single-family dwelling in a middle or upper-middle-class neighborhood. The residence is usually located near a drainage ditch,

vacant field, new construction or park area, or there may be a row of houses between the victim's residence and such areas. Considerable research has been conducted in an attempt to find some common factor between all of the victims, without success. Failing this, it is believed that the suspect identifies his next victim by prowling and burglarising. Burglaries of particular interest are those in which no loss or minimal loss occurs. During the rape, the suspect will frequently take small items of costume jewellery. He looks through photograph albums and lingerie drawers. Also of interest are prowler reports, particularly those where zigzag pattern

footprints are found. The Investigation. Over 150 suspicious persons, including 290 registrants, ex-convicts, etc. have been investigated. Many have been eliminated, but most cannot be completely excluded at this time. At present, there are no strong suspects. The investigators are checking all suspicious persons and vehicles with the thought that the suspect may pose as a meter reader, insurance salesman, real estate salesman, or some other person that has or appears to have legitimate access to the neighbourhood. Investigators are also reviewing all sex offences,laries, and prowler reports for possible connections to the East Area Rapist. The evidence. In addition to the blood sample,

head and pubic hair, and shoe sole impressions, latent fingerprints have been recovered from every scene. These latents have been cross-compared without a match. This is what the memo said in 1977. We know now that the prints from attack 7 seem to be the only ones thought to be from the East Area Rapist. Police were still chasing up leads and speaking to possible suspects. One of these possible suspects lived in Orangevale and drove an ice cream truck around East Sacramento. When Shelby visited his house, the man didn't seem at all surprised the police were there. Shelby thought this was unusual.

He told Shelby he had actually just phoned the sheriff's office requesting a description of the East Area Rapist. He didn't say why. This man fit the height of the rapist, was blood type A, and was wearing size 9 tennis shoes with a zigzag pattern on the sole when Shelby spoke with him. As promising as it seemed, there were other things that didn't fit, and he was never arrested. He wasn't the only potential suspect that seemed promising at that time. Attack 20, that occurred May 14th, 77, was the one where the couple had only recently moved in. When the house was for sale, a suspicious man who said he was a real estate agent rocked up without an appointment. He frightened the woman who was selling the house, as he didn't appear to be checking out the things that real estate agents usually do. He was looking at the windows and he asked a lot of questions about the woman's

husband and child. The house sold soon after and the east area rapist committed attack 20 in the house soon after that. The name that suspicious man who said he was a real estate agent gave was Frank William Dubbins Jr. Shelby had been looking into the name when he received a call from a sergeant at Lake Tahoe Police Department. The sergeant provided Shelby with the name of someone he thought he should look into. Coincidentally, the name was Frank William Dubbins Jr. We have already covered several strange suspects and occurrences that looked promising, only for it to be nothing more than a bizarre coincidence. And here was another.

Dubbins was a security guard in the Tahoe area. He was a suspect in a number of break-ins where women were sometimes assaulted but not raped as far as what was known at the time. Dubbins became a suspect when it was noticed that after each break-in, he would turn up just as police arrived at the scene. He would always be out of breath, saying he had been trying to chase the suspect down. Dubbins owned a police monitor and a.357 handgun. He was investigated, stayed on the East Area Rapist watch list for a period of time, but was never arrested. Two more possible suspects in a long list of promising leads that amounted to nothing. Around this time in mid-1977,

there were numerous sightings of someone wearing a ski mask riding a bike. It's believed this person was the east area rapist. Police knew he was likely to have used a bike before. Some of the attack locations were perfect for escaping via bike or on foot. He may have even chosen to use a bike more regularly at this point, as a direct result of police specifically looking for sole male drivers of vehicles. Police received many calls from the public about this bike rider wearing a ski mask, and one night Detective Shelby and Sergeant Irwin actually saw this man for themselves. They were parked right in the middle of one of the hotspots in Rancho Cordova.

A man dressed completely in black wearing a ski mask sped through an intersection right in front of them. This happened as their police radio announced an attempted break-in from the exact direction of where the ski mask bike rider had just come from. When they sped around the corner to the end of the street, there was the canal, perfect for riding a bike through, and the bike rider wearing the ski mask was gone. Many sightings were reported, but there were also countless sightings that weren't. Many people at the time saw this bike rider, but didn't connect him to the East Area Rapist. It was common for people to call the Sheriff's Office days, weeks and even months later when they realised the bike rider wearing the ski mask may have been relevant to the case. But by that time, it was too late.

relevant to the case, but by that time it was too late. It seems like there are countless stories of people seeing a prowler or suspicious male who didn't call it in. Many were simply unaware of the connection, but there are those who reported later that they feared if they made the call, they might be next, and if they closed their curtains, didn't talk about it, then he might just go away. Only he didn't. Ten days had ticked by since the last attack, Attack 21, which occurred on May 17th, 1977. The press conference had been held and residents of Sacramento hoped the East Area Rapist had been scared away with the massive media attention. Police hoped that with the amount of eyes they had on the ground, he would be captured before anyone else fell victim. The dentist who donated to the reward

and who was running what was by then referred to as the Citizens Vigilance Committee had his dentist office in South Sacramento. This next attack may have been a warning to him. Just a few blocks away from the dentist office, the East Area Rapist had his eye on a house. It was on 4th Parkway, just half a mile from the Florin Road exit of California State Route 99, also known as Highway 99. It was further south than he had been before, but it fit perfectly location-wise. There was a canal at one end, and the close proximity to Highway 99 allowed for an easy escape. The new owners of the house had just moved in a few weeks earlier, and the real estate sign was still upright in the front yard. It was right behind Sacramento's water treatment,

where the husband worked as a supervisor. He was also a Marine Reserve. Early in the evening of May 27th, 1977, the woman was home with their young son. She was doing laundry in the garage, which was connected to the house, when she noticed the side door into the garage open. She guessed the wind must have blown it, so she shut it and locked it. She went to bed about 11.30pm and was asleep by the time her husband got home from the treatment plan, which was about midnight. Their son was asleep in his room. The husband had a beer and watched television before going to bed about 2am. Shortly after going to bed, he heard the sliding glass door that led from their bedroom to the patio. He turned and saw a dark figure walk

in through the door. The flashlight in the east area rapist's left hand shone into his eyes. In his right hand, the rapist held a.45 automatic handgun. The husband thought instantly it looked like what is known as a blue steel military type gun. The woman woke to the following words, Lay perfectly still or I will kill all of you. I will kill you. I will kill her. And I will kill your little boy.

The East Area Rapist pulled out shoelaces from his jacket and said to the woman in his distinctive whisper through clenched teeth, Tie the man up. A slight change from his previous attacks, he used the words, the man, indicating that he didn't have enough knowledge about the couple to know he was her husband. In previous attacks, he had incorrectly called boyfriends husbands. Now he just said the man. While the woman was tying her husband's wrists, the East Area Rapist kept telling her to make it tighter. When the East Area Rapist was the one tying, he could ensure his diamond knot technique was done. But when he began forcing women to tie their husbands or boyfriends, there was no time for lessons. women to tie their husbands or boyfriends, there was no time for lessons. Just like most of the prior attacks on couples, the rapist ended up re-tying the husband himself. He then tied the

woman's wrists and made sure they were both face down on the bed. He was wearing black gloves, dark pants and a dark bulky jacket, similar to astyle M-65 Army jacket. His ski mask was red and knitted, with just small holes for his eyes and mouth. When he spoke in that harsh whisper, his voice got more high-pitched when it seemed like he was getting excited. He also began breathing in and out loudly and stuttered some words. This was something he had done before. He seemed to stutter on many words that contained the letter L. After telling them he was just there for food and money, he ransacked their closets. At one point the husband lifted his face to try and get a look at the East Area Rapist. He swiftly got a flashlight in his eyes. If you don't keep your face down, I'll kill her and your son.

The East Area Rapist pulled shoelaces from shoes in their closet and walked back over to the bed. He put the gun to the man's head and told him to lay still. He used the shoelaces to retie his wrists again. He then tied his and the woman's ankles. They heard him rummaging in the bathroom, then go out to the kitchen. When he returned, he put dishes on the man's back and said, "'As I promised, I'm only going to get food and money and then go to my van and eat it. If I hear that sound, I'll come back and I'll kill everyone in the house.'"

The East Area Rapist untied the woman's feet and pushed her out into the living area. He got lotion from the bathroom, then shut the bedroom door. In the living room, the woman noticed he had already cut or ripped pieces of towel and left them on the floor. He blindfolded her, then he raped her, before going back to check on her husband. After rummaging around the kitchen again, he returned to the survivor and said, I have something for you to tell the fucking pigs. They got it mixed up the last time. I said I would kill two people. I'm not going to kill you. If this is on TV or in the paper tomorrow, I'll kill two people. Are you listening? Do you hear me? I have TVs in my apartment and I'll be watching them. If this is on the news, I'll kill two people.

Then he did something he hadn't done before. He started sobbing. Whether or not it was an act is unknown, but while he was sobbing, he said, It scares my mummy when it's on the news. It scares my mummy when it's on the news. He again stuttered on the letter L. When he said the word pigs, he was mad, but when he said the word mummy, he sounded like he was about to cry. He then walked to the back sliding door, walked out into the yard and was gone. After enough silence, the husband flicked the dishes off his back and rolled over towards

the phone at the bedside. He flipped the phone from its hold and called police. Patrol officers arrived, followed shortly after by Shelby. They found a wine bottle and an open packet of sausages on the back patio. The survivor and her husband were still bound inside. Their son had slept through the whole thing. Shelby called the tracking dog who tracked the east area rapist across a small vacant lot to a fence bordering highway 99. They put the dog over the fence and it continued to track for a short distance, but then the trail ended at a set of tyre tracks from a small car. A neighbourhood canvas revealed that a few neighbours had been receiving hang-up phone calls, but there wasn't

the spate of suspicious activity and sightings there had been leading up to previous attacks. This was also one of the attacks where the East Area Rapist did not cut the phone line. When detectives took a step back and compared the attacks where the phone line was cut to the ones where it wasn't, they realised that he only ever seemed intent on cutting the phones when he had a fair distance to get to his getaway vehicle. If he cut the phone, it allowed him more time before police arrived. If he was parked close by or escaped on foot or bike through a nearby canal, he felt no need to cut the phone. That same day, police were called to a gas station in South Sacramento.

It was off the exit on Interstate 5, also known as I-5, which runs parallel to Highway 99. In a men's restroom stall at Red, this is a fucked part of town. Next month I start here. East Area Rapist. There was no way to confirm whether this was in fact the scribblings of the East Area Rapist. There was also no way of knowing exactly when it was written, but it's believed to have been recent. The Sacramento Bee wasted no time in reporting on the latest attack. The article speculated that the new location, further south than any previous attacks, was selected to escape the heat of previous locations,

where police and numerous volunteers from the years patrols were still out and about every night the sheriff's department stated they had a further 100 000 allocated for officers to work overtime they also said they wanted to try and use helicopters as part of their patrols detective shelby lived in the northwestern section of rancho cordova at the time very close to a u-shaped bend in the American River. He lived with his wife and children. His house backed onto a large park, which bordered the local elementary school, and directly on the other side of the park, there was a middle school. Shelby often worked nights, and he made a point of driving by his own house regularly, seeing as he knew they lived in a perfect East Area rapist hunting ground.

own house regularly, seeing as he knew they lived in a perfect East Area rapist hunting ground. On nights he was working, the family's German Shepherd would always be inside with whomever was home. One night, Shelby's youngest son, who was four, crawled into bed with his parents, saying he was scared. The next morning, Shelby learned that his son had been woken up by a person wearing a mask, hanging upside down from their roof, looking into his window. The man flashed a torch all around the room, then disappeared. There was no sign of footprints or any entry attempt that Shelby could find. He believed certain neighbourhoods were spared of attacks by the East Area Rapist because of the different styles of homes built. His home, and those in his immediate area, had the types of windows you roll outwards only a small way, not sliding windows which open enough to climb through. After the last attack,

Attack 22 that occurred on May 28th, 77, more calls started to come in regularly about break-ins or suspicious men people believed could have been the East Area Rapist. In June a resident of Cedarhurst Way in the northern part of Carmichael reported that he had been looking for paperwork with his work schedule on it. While he was searching he discovered his handgun which he always kept loaded in his nightstand had been unloaded and moved. There had been a report of a male with thick black curly hair seen acting suspiciously on the path directly behind this resident's house. The resident never located his work schedule either. Two days later, Shelby received a call from a woman who had been broken into while she was out. Her street butted up with Cedarhurst Way,

where the resident with the missing paperwork lived. His house was just moments up the road. woman who had been broken into while she was out. Her street butted up with Cedarhurst Way, where the resident with the missing paperwork lived. His house was just moments up the road. This woman and her daughter had come home to find that things inside their house had been disturbed. Nothing was taken, but she was sure things had been moved around. When Shelby arrived to take a look, he found a footprint with a zigzag pattern underneath one of her windows. Shelby door-knocked some houses on her street and found a similar story up the road. A woman and her daughter told Shelby that on quite a few occasions they had returned home to find their front door unlocked and sometimes left slightly ajar. She never found anything missing, so she had never reported it to police, but she was adamant that things were often moved inside her house. She had also been receiving a lot of hang-up phone

calls. When she told Shelby that she kept her spare key underneath her doormat, he realised she had no idea about the East Area Rapist. In the backyard of the house opposite hers, they found tennis shoe footprints with the zigzag pattern and a number of the same style cigarette butts Shelby had seen before. They were gathered at the base of a huge tree, with a clear line of sight to the woman's house. The neighbour said that a week earlier he had seen a young blonde man approach that backyard. Shelby informed the woman about the dangers of leaving her key under the doormat, while also warning her about the East Area Rapist. It's unknown whether the rapist knew law enforcement were now closely watching this area, or that Shelby had spoken to what looked

like to be one of his future targets, but he never appeared to surface again in that particular neighbourhood. In fact, the entire month of June went on and no attack by the East Area Rapist was reported. Soon the time between attacks grew longer than any break he had had before. It was at this time that the reward grew to $30,000. In July 77, Shelby was going on vacation. On the first day he was scheduled off, he was notified he was being reassigned to Patrol Watch Commander. It was a sought-after administrative post, but Shelby felt it was to get him out of the way of Captain Stam, as the two butted heads on how the East Area Rapist investigation was being run. This reassignment meant Shelby would no longer be actively investigating the case.

When July came and went without an attack, and August began, some had hopes they had seen the end of the terror. On August 16th, 77, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office received a typed letter. This letter was never publicly released released and only small parts of what it said can be taken from newspaper articles and comments by law enforcement at the time. The letter was signed off from someone calling themselves Afraid. It insinuated it had been written by a friend of the East Area Rapist. It included very specific information about particular crimes that police knew to be correct,

which had never been made public. Which is why they didn't release the full details of the letter. By holding this information back, they would be able to corroborate certain details if a suspect arose. The letter appeared to be written by someone with knowledge of who the East Area Rapist was, or it may have been written by the rapist himself. Either way, the details within assured police it was legitimate, and a message was sent back to the letter writer via the press the next day. The article in the Sacramento Bee was placed directly underneath the leading story of the day, which was the death of Elvis Presley. The article was titled, Clue to Rapist at Last. In it, press spokesman for the

county sheriff's department, Bill Miller, said that the letter instructed detectives to indicate to the local media if they wanted more information. So that's exactly what they were doing. Miller, quote, we want to speak to a fray. We've been given information, possibly valuable information, Miller confirmed that the information could only be known by someone familiar with details of the case that are not generally known to the public. The letter gave no clue as to the identity of the suspect, but it appeared the letter writer knew the suspect. Miller confirmed the letter writer would be guaranteed an amenity if they called in. Nothing further has ever been released from police about this letter, but some speculate it was the East Area Rapist who wrote it. After all, why would the letter writer ask for such a public announcement if they really were afraid?

By the beginning of September 77, there had still been no further attacks. It had now been over three months. Did he take a summer vacation? Was he transferred as part of his job? If he was in the military, was he posted elsewhere? Police could only speculate. One important thing to note is that there had been unprecedented heat on the ground in Sacramento over that summer. The year's patrols and civilian groups were becoming more vocal in the press. There were police everywhere, and there was still talk of police trying to get a helicopter to use in their patrols. But towards the end of those three months without an attack, things started to wind back. The civilian groups got less vocal and dwindled. Police patrols slowed down, and there were no

longer full-time stakeouts. People started to wonder if it was finally all over. One hour south of Sacramento, in the city of Stockton, was an upper middle-class neighborhood, Lincoln Village West. If you looked at it without knowing where it was, it would fit right into East Sacramento. Just off the Interstate 5 was Portage Circle, a circular street leading off a large park. It had a levee right by it, which led right under the I-5 and onto a maze of other escape routes. This neighbourhood in Stockton had been having trouble with prowlers for a few weeks. There was an unusual amount of dogs barking, people heard banging on their fences in the night, and there were footprints in yards that

left homeowners confused. A couple saw him in wandering around the neighborhood. When he realized they were watching him, he began to jog. Only he wasn't wearing any sort of jogging gear. He seemed very out of place. That same night, a light blue or green two-door Datsun or Toyota was seen driving slowly down Portage Circle. A woman saw a white station wagon two days in a row circling slowly around and around. She described the driver as white male, 20 to 27 years of age, with brown hair over his ears and a rough, ruddy complexion. Another woman was on the phone when she heard someone trying to open her back door.

Her husband wasn't home, so in a panic she crawled along the floor into her bedroom and got her handgun, but whoever tried to get in was unsuccessful. A few people on the street received a strange phone call, but it wasn't a hang-up call. When they answered, the person on the other end said, Go to hell hell babe. There were quite a few new residents in the street and two houses had for sale signs in their front yards. A couple who owned a local store were asleep when the sliding door that led to their bedroom from the patio opened. The east area rapist had a bag with him. The couple clearly recognised it as a doctor's bag.

When he dropped the bag to the floor, it sounded like there were cans inside. From that moment on, events unfolded like previous East Area Rapist attacks. The whisper, the flashlight, the threats to kill everyone, the same ritual of tying and retying, using shoelaces from the house again, and putting plates on the husband's back. This time he told them he had seen the woman in the store they owned, and he just had to have her. He also said he only lived a few blocks away, and he needed things for his apartment. Towels, soap, utensils, televisions. But then that changed to just wanting food and money. There were two children asleep down the

hall. When he dragged the woman from her bed, she asked for her robe as she was naked. He draped it over her, showing a hint of thoughtfulness that instilled a glimmer of hope in the couple. She noticed that he had a very strong and unappealing body odor, which she found hard to pinpoint. His low, hoarse whisper seemed put on and his voice raised to a high pitch at times. He draped a blanket over a living room lamp to dim the light. In between raping the survivor he went outside and ate, this time peanut butter and he drank Pepsi. The survivor thought he may have used a fake penis at some stage. She thought this because she noticed that his penis was extremely small, but at some stages of the assault it seemed like

it was a different person entirely. He was standing in the hallway with his mask still on, naked from the waist down, when quietly out of one of the bedrooms tiptoed the couple's six-year-old daughter. She was going to the bathroom. She saw the East Area Rapist and he told her he was playing games with her parents. He asked if she wanted to help. Half asleep, she ignored him and kept walking to the bathroom. Then she went back to bed. She hardly remembered much of the man, but later she was hypnotised and gave a very detailed description. White adult male. No pants or underwear. Purple short-sleeved shirt with a pocket and a zipper instead of buttons. Black knit gloves. Brown ski mask.

A waist belt that had a gun holster on the left side and a sword hung from the right side. A belt buckle with two revolvers imprinted on it, their barrels crossed over each other. A metal branded wristwatch which was on his right wrist. A tattoo, similar to the Schlitz Malt Lickerd Bull on his left forearm. This bull was black with white horns. A large black ring on his right hand. with white horns. A large black ring on his right hand. Both the survivor and her husband heard him exit a door, but only knew he had left when they heard a car engine start up outside. They thought it sounded like a Volkswagen. They were able to phone the police because he had not

cut their phone line, something he only ever seemed to do when his escape was further away. something he only ever seemed to do when his escape was further away. Stockton Police arrived at the scene at 4am. Between the house and the I-5, there is a large park. The levee leads you from the I-5 straight to the park, which their street, Portage Circle, fed into. The perfect location to prowl while having your car parked far away. But then, as he sometimes liked to do on the night of the attack,

he parked much closer. A knife not belonging to the house was found at the foot of the couple's bed. All that was missing from the house was $5, wedding and engagement rings, a tie pin, cufflinks, and a men's onyx ring, possibly the ring their daughter saw during her hypnosis. $7 that was in the husband's wallet wasn't taken. There were shoe prints found outside, but this time they weren't

zigzag pattern. The East Area Rapist had new shoes, Converse All-Stars. Following this attack, the family had constant troubles with their phone line. They were alerted to the problem when Stockton Police had to leave them a note, because after repeated attempts to call, they couldn't get through. When calls did get through, there was lots of clicking noises, and sometimes the call would disconnect and reconnect halfway through. It seemed like someone was messing with the phone. Police put a trap on their phone, but from then on, the problem stopped. Police now focused their attention on Stockton. The Sacramento Sheriff's Department sent two

detectives down to Stockton to assist. The next day, the local Home Depot sold out of deadbolts. Sacramento and Stockton police theorized that Stockton was the new hunting ground. Sacramento and Stockton police theorized that Stockton was the new hunting ground. The East Area Rapist was migrating south, but while they were putting plans in place to prepare for more attacks, the East Area Rapist headed back north. The 1st of October saw his return to East Sacramento. These next attacks would show all the hallmarks seen before. The flashlight, the tying and untying, the whisper through clenched teeth, the ransacking, the eating, but there were some slight changes. He targeted some new areas, just slightly afield from his usual hunting grounds, and some would not appear as tactical as others.

Attack 24 occurred on October 1st, 1977. He attacked a 17-year-old hotel maid and her 21-year-old boyfriend in the boyfriend's home in La Riviera. This location was between the eight attacks in the Rancho Cordova del Deo Carmichael Cluster and the two attacks in Glenbrook, near the Watt Avenue Bridge and the Power Pylon Corridor. two attacks in Glenbrook, near the Watt Avenue Bridge and the Power Pylon Corridor. It was one block from the Lincoln Highway, and between this house and the American River was a large park. In this attack, the woman noticed the East Area Rapist had terrible breath and terrible body odor. He was armed with a.357 revolver. The boyfriend's pitbull didn't get aggressive towards the rapist, and it was thought the dog may have met him before. The boyfriend kept a loaded shotgun against the wall next to his bed, but he never got a chance to reach for it. It turned out, even if he did get a chance to reach for it, he wouldn't have found it.

It had been moved. It was found underneath the sofa, unloaded, but the shells had been lined up neatly underneath their bed. In order to do this, the East Area Rapist had to have been in the house earlier. The biggest difference in this case was both the survivor and her boyfriend heard a car honking outside. A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. They believed that the rapist was in the kitchen when this happened. Then the car honked again before someone started tapping on a front window. They heard muffled voices, one of them sounding like a woman. They still believed that the rapist was in the house while this was happening,

but shortly after, he left. Attack 25, October 21st, 1977. The East Area Rapist moved further north than he had before. The neighbourhood of Foothill Farms in Antelope was north of Carmichael and west of Citrus Heights, just over the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. This house was right off the highway exit, and in between the house and the exit was a large park. McClellan Air Force Base was close by as well. A married couple and their 10-year-old daughter lived in the house. The East Area Rapist was back to his

old habits, with neighbours reporting various sightings of prowlers and prank calls in the three weeks leading up to the attack, coinciding with the fact that the previous attack was three weeks earlier. The thing about these latest prank calls were that they didn't cease a week or two before like others had. These calls continued right up to the day of the attack. In the week prior, the family had twice returned home to find doors open. On the first occasion, it was their garage door. The second occasion, it was their sliding internal door from the kitchen to the garage. During the attack itself, the survivor noted that the East Area Rapist seemed to act very gentle towards her,

in between outbursts of threats to kill her. She was adamant that he was circumcised, which had been a point of debate for detectives up until that point. When he went to the kitchen to eat, the survivor said she heard him sobbing. After returning to rape her, he began sobbing again and walked away. Although she felt he was at times putting on an act with his whispering voice, she did believe that the sobbing was genuine. She also believed that his stutter was genuine when he said the following in his angry whisper. My buddy is in the car waiting, tell the pigs I will be back New Year's Eve.

He stuttered on the letter P when he said pigs. Like most children before, their 10-year-old daughter stayed asleep and was not disturbed. Attack 26 came just 8 days later, October 29th. He struck in the same neighbourhood of Sacramento as Attack 14, bordering Carmichael and just north of Arden Arcade. Attacks 26 and 14 still appear isolated in comparison to other clusters. Location-wise, this was not close to the river, levees or highways. A nearby open field was about the only thing it had in common with other locations. The husband was a car salesman who had just come home from hospital a few days after surgery. They had only moved to their home two weeks before. Their house was the only one on the

street not under construction. Within two days of getting their phone installed with a new number, they started receiving hang-up calls. Their ordeal began at 1.45am when the husband awoke to the East Area Rapist tapping on the bottom of his foot with a gun. They felt he seemed nervous and scared at first, but became much more confident after they were both tied up. They both described his voice as very feminine. He said all he wanted was money and food for his van. The woman offered to write him a cheque, to which he said, shut your fucking mouth. He told them he knew they had a gun in their nightstand, which was true, except later it was found at the foot of their bed.

The couple had been out earlier that night. While they were out, the East Area Rapist was inside their home, moving the gun. It had been unloaded and the ammunition was found in the neighbor's backyard. That neighbor was a police officer. After raping the survivor, he went to the kitchen for food, as he usually did, but this time he started sobbing again. The survivor believed it was genuine. While sobbing, he said, I'm sorry mummy. Mummy, please help me. I don't want to do this mummy, someone please help me. The husband also heard the East Area Rapist crying and at one point hyperventilating.

The survivor thought she heard a duffel bag being zipped open and shut. He was wearing corduroy pants and was back wearing his three stripe blue tennis shoes, which by now had been identified as Adidas shoes. Whitney Avenue was a main road one block south of this house. When the police dog tracked the East Area Rapist, it stopped at the curb along that street in front of two houses, one of which was vacant and for sale. At 4.45 that morning, which coincides with the time the Rapist fled the house, a resident on Whitney Avenue was preparing to go to work. He saw a man walk very slowly past his house.

They made eye contact and stared at each other. The resident got an uneasy feeling and kept watching the man as he continued up the road to a large tree. The resident felt the man was about to cross the road, so he looked away momentarily. When the resident looked back up, the man was gone. But there's no way he could have crossed the street, he didn't have enough time. The resident felt he was hiding behind the tree. When he got in his car, he drove by to see if he could see him, but he couldn't. The tree was too big.

The resident got a good look at him and he gave a description which became another composite sketch of the East Area Rapist. White male, 5 foot 8 to 6 feet tall, 20 to 25 years old, about 180 pounds, medium brown, neatly cut, collar-length hair, no facial hair. He wore a shirt with several brown stripes around the chest, He wore a shirt with several brown stripes around the chest, dark pants but no jacket. Sergeant Jim Bevins from the Sheriff's Department was canvassing that day and met with a shop owner further along Whitney Avenue. While looking out her window, she saw a man take a bike out of a trailer on the back of a dump truck. He was dressed in dark clothing and had a hood or mask over his head.

He got on the bike and rode away. When the East Area Rapists returned to Sacramento after his one attack in Stockton, he hit the La Riviera neighborhood between Rancho Cordova and Glenbrook. That's when he attacked the maid and her boyfriend, attack number 24. This was in the same cluster as attacks 11 and 18 in Glenbrook near the Power Pylon corridor and the south entrance to the Watt Avenue bridge. At the time, joggers could be found running along the American River levee at all hours of the day. It was a busy neighbourhood. Many residents had seen numerous prowlers and received hang-up calls in the time leading up. In fact, the whole year leading up had been busy with suspicious behaviour on and off. The East Area Rapist returned to this area

about 3am on November 10th 1977. He was watching a home on La Riviera Drive. The American River and its trails ran just behind it. A 56-year-old woman and her 13-year-old daughter were asleep in their beds. There was no man in the house. The East Area Rapist woke the mother with that blinding flashlight and bound her as he had always done. He told her that all he wanted was her money and no one would be harmed. The woman yelled at him, What do you want with me? I'm an old lady. He left her room and went down the hall to her 13-year-old daughter.

It's unclear if he was aware of the girl's age or not. He shook the girl awake. The girl recalled saying, leave me alone. Only when she opened her eyes did she realise the person trying to wake her was a man in a ski mask. He held a knife to her throat. This isn't a joke. He tried to turn her over to tie her wrists behind her back, but she pulled away and said no. Do what I say, I'm going to stab you with a knife. I'll slit your throat and watch you bleed to death. He also threatened to cut her ear off. The girl and her mother had read news articles about the East Area Rapist. They both knew exactly who was in their house and what he wanted. When he threatened the girl again, she said, I don't care. He left the girl's room and returned to her mother. He got the same type of response. When he walked back to the girl's room, he attempted to rape her, but he was unable. It was very rare for him to give up, but he did. He told her he was going to pack some groceries from their kitchen.

Before he left, he noticed the girl was cold, so he picked up a blanket from the floor and covered her with it. On the 2nd of December 1977, the East Area Rapist was busy on the phone. The first call was made to a police operator. The male caller said, I shall commit another rape. The operator felt the voice was from a man aged between 20 and 30 with no distinct accent. She felt he was reading from something or reciting words from a page. The call was not recorded nor was it able to be traced. The second call on December 2nd was made to the Sheriff's Department,

which was recorded. He did in fact strike again that night. It was attack 28, December 2nd, 77. It occurred about 11.30pm in Foothill Farms, in the vicinity of where Attack 25 took place just two weeks earlier, up over the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, just three miles from the McClellan Air Force Base. A woman and her two young children were asleep in the house. Her husband was an army lieutenant assigned as an advisor to the National Guard. He was away overnight. The woman had been receiving hang-up phone calls for a few weeks, but they had stopped a few days earlier. She awoke to the bright flashlight. She was tied up with shoelaces, blindfolded, and gagged. He threatened to harm the children, but didn't go

near them. She never saw him with any weapon. It seemed like he was intent on raping her that night but he didn't. There was a group of noisy kids outside and he seemed distracted by them. He had shown in the past that he didn't cope well with unexpected situations. When attack 25 occurred a few weeks earlier, just over one mile away, it coincided with the survivor from this attack, 28, returning home after being out with a friend. She found a door she had left unlocked, was now locked. When she looked around the house, her and her friend found a jar of pickles had been moved inside the fridge. She also discovered a photo of her was missing. Some members of law enforcement were doubtful that this attack was the work of the East Area Rapist and were treating this particular case as false.

The reason for this was that in the immediate lead up to this attack, there had been a number of false rape reports. All were followed up, and in each of these cases, the woman confessed she had made the whole thing up. Apart from wasting precious time, the police were now on high alert for more false reports. Unfortunately for this survivor, who was in fact telling the truth, she bore the brunt of what a few others had caused. It is now recognised as an East Area Rapist attack. There were the usual suspicious sightings of a prowler in the area leading up to this attack,

which weren't reported by neighbours until police came knocking afterwards. During the canvass, it was revealed that two women who lived together nearby returned home to find their power had been switched off. They'd only just moved into this home, and before they moved in, they were receiving prank calls at their old home. During one of the calls, a male voice whispered, You're next. you're next. A week later on December 9th 1977 the survivor from attack 21 received a call. Attack 21 was where the survivor and her husband had attended the school meeting.

The husband shouted and made a scene only to later become victims themselves of the east area rapist. The attack on them occurred seven months after the school meeting. Then seven months after the attack was when the survivor received this call. Despite the months that had passed, she knew the voice. He whispered, Merry Christmas. It's me again. The following night, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department operator received a call. I'm going to hit tonight. What avenue? The caller was identified as the same individual from the previous call to the operator, but there was no attack that night. The next day, December 11th, the Sacramento Bee received a poem.

The general consensus is that this was written by the East Area Rapist, although there are some who speculate it wasn't. It is titled Excitement's Crave. All those mortals surviving birth, upon facing maturity, take impetry of their worth to prevailing society. Choosing values becomes a task oneself must seek satisfaction the selected route will unmask character when plans take action accepting some work to perform at fixed pay but promise for more is a recognized social norm as is decorum seeking law. Achieving while others lifting should be cause for deserving fame. Leisure tempts excitement seeking. What's right and expected seems tame. Jesse James has been seen by all and a son of Sam has an author. Others now fill temptation's call.

Sacramento should make an offer. To make a movie of my life that will pay for my planned exile. Just now I'd like to add the wife of a mafia lord to my file. You're East Area Rapist and a deserving pest. See you in the press or on TV. As 1977 drew to a close, it was weighing heavily on all law enforcement that this predator had slipped through their fingers time and time again. Another opportunity may have been lost at the 7-Eleven store at 10-7-85 Coloma Road, Rancho Cordova. Detective Carol Daly's husband, Sergeant Ted Daly, was at the time in charge of the Selective Enforcement Detail, SED, which was the precursor of today's SWAT team. He was approached by a member of his SED team with some information that needed urgent attention. A night clerk at the 7-Eleven store on Coloma Road had reported that a suspicious customer matching the general description of the East Area Rapist

frequently visited the store. He normally went in around 2am and walked to the description of the East Area Rapist frequently visited the store. He normally went in around 2am and walked to the back of the store to look at the adult magazines. Sergeant Daly put two members of his team on the job straight away. The suspicious customer was known to always wear a black shiny jacket with a picture of Vietnam embroidered on the back, which was a common jacket of the time. The SED officers were supposed to dress entirely in civilian clothes and stay unseen, so as not to tip their suspicious customer off. One officer parked outside out of the way, while the other stayed in the back utility room of the 7-Eleven. But the officer in the utility room wasn't entirely in civilian clothes. He had uniform on underneath, which was visible.

Plus, he didn't stay out of sight in the utility room. He kept walking in and out. Late that night, the 7-Eleven store phone rang. The clerk answered, and the male caller said, let me talk to the cops in the back. Clerk, there aren't any officers out the back. The clerk turned to the officer who was now beside him and handed him the phone. The officer said, There was a chuckle at the other end, before the line went dead. The suspicious customer reported by the clerk was never seen inside the store again after that. As 1977 came to a close the East Area Rapist had been operating for 18 months, 28 attacks in total. The police from the Sacramento Sheriff's Department, the Sacramento City Police and the Stockton Police were no closer

to catching him. He had threatened to kill his next victims during the attacks of both 20 and 21, but there had been seven attacks since then, five resulting in rape, and two failed rape attempts, with no attempt made to kill anyone. Was he really prepared to kill, or was it merely a threat, a further attempt to instill the greatest amount of fear he possibly could? By Christmas time, two college students had started selling t-shirts with the East Area Rapist composite drawing on the front and the words, Help us find him before he finds you. They were widely criticized for making money from the crimes,

but they argued they were just trying to help find the rapist. Sergeant Ted Daly, who had been in charge of the stakeout at the 7-Eleven store, lived in Rancho Cordova with Carol Daly. As most officers did at the time, he patrolled the area every chance he got. Early in the morning before sunrise, he was stopped at an intersection when he saw a car moving suspiciously slowly. It was a white two-door Datsun which had been primed for painting. This was not the first time suspicious vehicles thought to be linked to the East Area Rapist had been described as being primed, so Ted Daly was on high alert. When he looked closer, it had very dim headlights and no license plate. The Datsun turned into a street then picked up

speed. By the time Daly got to where he thought it should be, it had completely disappeared. There was a theory that the East Area Rapist lived in the Rancho Cordova area. It was where his first attack was. He hit the area four times within his first ten attacks and had hit there again since. This sighting by Ted Daly and the suspicious man visiting the 7-11 in Rancho Cordova strengthened this opinion. At the end of 1977, the Sheriff's Department enlisted the help of a professional investigation consultant. Hugh S. Penn compiled a six-page report on how the investigation might best be conducted. This analysis of the report is taken directly from Detective Shelby's book, Hunting a Psychopath. Hugh S. Penn's report stated that because of the broad MO, it minimized the

chance of accurate observations, as when witness reports varied so much, it was difficult to subtract the significant from the insignificant details. Errors of observations arise from a variety of causes. These could be personal viewpoints, memory, or even confusion in a high-stress situation. The report said that following up every tiny lead in the East Area Rapist investigation, as had been done up to this point, would be time-wasting and possibly fruitless. It proposed a new methodology, one which starts with the end event, the attack on the victim, and works backwards from there. The key feature of this approach being the formulation of a hypothesis which could then be tested and either confirmed or discredited. After an in-depth

analysis of this proposed new methodology and a recommendation on best practice to work backwards from the crime itself, the report goes on to analyse the odds of what times and places the East Area Rapist would strike, based on averages. It concluded the following. The East Area Rapist is most likely to strike on a Friday or Saturday between the hours of 2.40am and 4.30am. The geographical distribution of East Area Rapist attacks shows some puzzling factors, but others which may be of tactical value. Since Rancho Cordova was the scene of his first attack, it may be the prototype of his subsequent attacks. Analysis shows a tendency to return at roughly regular intervals at the outset, and then at longer periods after that.

Incidents not within main clusters may represent the beginning of new clusters of attacks. The average time span between attacks in these major groupings is about two months. However, there is little interval regularity within groups. About the best that can be said is that the first incident in a new area is generally followed by another in two months or less. The report also mentioned that the East Area Rapist seemed to have an extensive wardrobe of informal clothing and a wide assortment of knives, handguns and flashlights, but it's unknown if he owned all of these items or if he just acquired them. The report then moved on to an analysis of the East Area Rapist's MO.

The first few cases seemed to have been conducted on an individual somewhat opportunistic basis. His attacks were confined to cases of young girls he had apparently determined to be in defenceless situations. Later he refined his technique and began to attack married couples. He seemingly finds a neighbourhood to his liking in which there is a home for sale or under construction. These homes may be studied for such features as floor plans, locations, types of windows, door locks, etc. Preferably there should be an open field, school grounds, levee or concrete lined ditch at the rear of the development to reduce the chances of him being seen. He next spends some time prowling and or burglarising the neighbourhood, perhaps picking out a suitable

victim, studying her and her family's habits and further familiarising himself with the interior of the house or houses he intends to break into. In this intelligence gathering activity, he studies several residences so that he may operate in the neighbourhood at a later date, with a minimum of reconnaissance. The report also made mention of the numerous sightings of a Volkswagen in and around East Area Rapist crime scenes. A VW had been seen in a variety of very slightly different colours which could be put down to the different lighting at the time. It had been described as dark green, grey or silver blue.

The report concluded that although the East Area Rapist had access to other vehicles, this VW may have been his personal car. The investigation took its toll on everyone involved. Survivors struggled to move on with their lives in fear that the East Area Rapist would return. Detective Carol Daly was instrumental in facilitating group counselling for survivors. Many in law enforcement felt the strain of the pressure they were under to catch him. While reflecting on these times, Carol Daly said, quote, I remember when I was so burnt out on working here, supporting victims, etc. The powers

to be thought going back to homicide would just be more trauma for me. I told them I could handle death, but continuous support of the victims, with no answers for them, was draining. Detective Shelby was still off the investigation, but often linked back in to help where he could, especially if new recruits were on the case. On January 2nd, 1978, a call was received by the survivor of the East Area Rapist's first attack, which occurred back on June 18th, 1976, in Rancho Cordova. The survivor of attack one still had a trap recording device fitted to her phone. She answered to hear the following voice. There are theories he was referring to himself here and that his name may actually be Ray, but there are some who wonder if he was in fact

referring to the officer who headed up the East Area Rapist Task Force, Lieutenant Ray Roots. The survivor from Attack 1 received several hang-up and prank phone calls over the next few hours, before getting this. I'm going to kill you. I'm gonna kill you. I'm gonna go off in my X-ray. I'm gonna go on a bird. Fucking whore. Four days later, January 6th, 1978, a counselling service in Stockton received a phone call from someone claiming to be the East

Area Rapist. There is no audio available, but this is the transcript. Can you help me? What's the problem? I have a problem. I need help because I don't want to do this anymore. Do what? Well, I guess I can tell you guys. You're not tracing the call, are you? No, we aren't tracing any calls. I am the Eastside Rapist, and I feel the urge coming on to do this again. I don't want to do it, but then I'd do it. Is there anyone there that can help me? I don't want to hurt these women or their husbands anymore.

Are you tracing this call? We are not tracing this call. Do you want a counsellor? No. I've been to counselling all my life. I was in Stockton State Hospital. I shouldn't tell you that. I guess I can trust you guys. Are you tracing this call? No, we aren't tracing the call. I believe you are tracing the call. The line then went dead. Two weeks later, on the 20th of January, the survivor from Attack 18 was in bed with her husband when the phone rang at 5.30am. The survivor was still half asleep when she picked up the phone.

She heard someone oohing and aahing. She passed the phone to her husband, who heard the phone. She heard someone oohing and aahing. She passed the phone to her husband who heard the following, I have not struck in a while but you will be my next victim. I'm going to fuck you in the butt. See you soon. This survivor's phone had not been fitted with a trap. It had been nearly two months since the East Area Rapist had struck, but law enforcement knew it was only a matter of time. The first attack in 1978 was attack number 29. It occurred on January 28th on College View Way, Carmichael, near the American River College. Two sisters aged 14 and 15 had enjoyed a day out of town skiing. Their parents had gone out but were

due home before midnight. The American River College was just two blocks away and there was a track and field sports oval at their end of it. Their mother was a teacher at Sacramento City College. The survivor from attack number 18 who had just received the early morning phone call threat a week earlier was a student at the same college at the time of her attack nine months earlier. The teenage girls went to bed in separate rooms about 11pm. A thud woke the older sister. When she got up to investigate, she heard a sinister whisper at her bedroom door. Get all your money or I'll kill you. The East Area Rapist had changed it up from his stealth-like entrances. This time, he'd kicked in their front door. The 15-year-old girl gave him $60. Then he said, go wake up your sister. Don't make any noise and don't look at me.

His physical description and manner did not differ from previous attacks. After binding them both, he shoved one sister to the floor. Don't talk or move or I'll cut your throat and slip away in the fog. He raped both girls, ransacking the house in between. At one point he started sobbing and said, I don't want to do this anymore. She's making me do it. The survivor's parents arrived home just 15 minutes after the East Area rapist had left. In the weeks leading up to this attack, someone had broken into the family's garage and stolen tools. Both survivors had also been receiving prank calls from a strange man

asking for their mother. The elder survivor was missing two earrings from her jewellery box. The earrings were made from two dimes with holes drilled in them. There were also two photographs of the younger survivor missing. About 9.15pm on February 2nd 1978, a young married couple were out walking their dog in Rancho Cordova. There was a routine walk for them and their dog, who was named Thumper. They had moved to the area just six months earlier. 21-year-old Brian Maggiore was in the Air Force. He had recently been stationed in Alaska. While he was away, his wife Katie, who was 20, remained behind in Fresno, almost 200 miles south of Sacramento. When Brian was transferred to Maydher Air Force Base,

he and Katie moved to Rancho Cordova. Brian was soon getting transferred to Germany. Katie had told friends about prank calls she received while living in Fresno. She also said she felt like she was being stalked. During one prank call, the male caller told her that he had raped two women and she would be next. The following is the account of what happened during their walk, based on various witness statements, as described by Detective Richard Shelby in his book, Hunting a Psychopath. The main witness, a 10-year-old boy, watched from a second-story window as the incident unfolded in his backyard. watched from a second story window as the incident unfolded in his backyard. Brian and Katie were apparently out for an evening stroll when their small white dog ran off.

Chasing after it, they entered a backyard where it is possible they surprised a prowler. The assumed prowler, armed with a handgun, gave chase to Brian and Katie. This is where the 10-year-old witness comes in. A strong wind had previously knocked down a section of fence in his backyard. As the young witness watched, he saw Brian and Katie run through that damaged section of fence into his backyard. Immediately behind them was a gun-wielding man. Brian made it as far as the patio before being shot to death by the man with the gun. Having just taken one life, the man turned his attention to Katie, who was running for her life. As she ran, he fired, shot after shot, each one missing her,

but striking the house. He caught up with her at the gate. His view blocked by a bush, the young witness heard a single gunshot, then saw a small amount of rising smoke. Apparently Katie's body may have been blocking the gate, leaving the killer no other option but to climb over, which he did. As the killer cleared the fence, a curious next-door neighbor was stepping out of his garage. The two came face to face. Probably the only reason this witness was not shot was because the killer was out of ammunition, having just expanded it all on Katie. The killer first ran down one block, then switched to another direction. He changed directions two or three times. A few blocks from the murder scene, a woman was doing yard work when she saw a man walking rapidly in her direction. He was staying close to shrubbery near the front of her

neighbours as he crossed their yards. When a car approached, he jumped behind a tree, pressing himself as flat as he could against it. There he remained until the car had passed, then continued on his way. Shielding his face with his jacket collar, he remarked to the woman as he crossed her yard, guess I must be trespassing. He was wearing a World War II era bomber jacket with the 320th Bomb Group insignia patch. A typical procedure of law enforcement when a major crime occurs is to cordon off the area as quickly as possible. Usually it is accomplished by strategically positioning squad cars to block all ingress egress. Patrol officer Pad Patty Butler was assigned to replace another patrol officer who

had to leave his position in this grid. As she arrived at her post, sharp-eyed Butler spotted a folded $5 bill lying near a curb. Officer Butler radioed the officer she was replacing and asked if he had noticed anything in that exact spot. This other officer had written down a description of a black over orange Fiat Roadster with license plate number CA010CNB that was parked at the spot where she found the money. Although there is no information as to what came of the investigation into this car, when the plates were run through the system years later, it was found that the car was compacted and sent to the smelter in 1995.

This incident was immediately handled by the Homicide Division who released nothing to anyone inside the task force. After all, this was a homicide, not a rape committed by the East Area Rapist. All the public knew was that a young couple were gunned down as they walked their dog. Shoelaces already formed and knotted into a loose loop, had been found at the crime scene. Thumper was found cowering in a neighbor's yard. When composite sketches were released in the press following the murder, it stated that police were looking for two suspects. This is because the two sketches made up from different witnesses looked different. They were similar, but the age was different, leading to confusion and the thought there were two suspects. What this did was deflect away from the fact that

everything about this killer resembled the East Area Rapist. There was no indication whatsoever as to the reason why the murders occurred, but the logical thought is that the couple running after their dog into the boy's backyard interrupted someone about to break into the house. His parents were asleep but the boy was standing at the window because he heard noises prior to the shooting. It's plausible that the killer was unexpectedly seen by Brian and Katie right at the moment he was about to break in, leading to the killer shooting them because they had seen his face. When the neighbour coming from his garage saw the killer fleeing, he didn't have a mask on. Possibly, he hadn't yet put his mask on when Brian and Katie approached the yard. There is other information to suggest a connection to a drug ring operating at Mather Air Force Base at the time, and that a hit may have been taken out

on Brian and Katie. As Brian was in the military, it became a federal investigation. In 2015, the FBI sent out a press release confirming they were still actively looking into the link between this double murder and the East Area Rapist. We will refer to it as Attack 30, and you will see it on the map. On March 16th 1978, one month after Brian and Katie were murdered, another survivor received a telephone call. The male caller said to her, I need someone to talk to while I masturbate. Would you be interested? The line then went dead. Two days after this phone call, March 18th 1978, the East Area Rapist returned to Stockton to

commit attack number 31. The house on Meadow Avenue was only two and a half miles away from the previous Stockton attack, six months earlier, just across Highway 99. Behind the houses on Meadow Avenue was a wooded area which led to Five Mile Creek. Over the creek were two schools. which led to Five Mile Creek. Over the creek were two schools. On New Year's Day, 78, a lawyer and his girlfriend returned home to find their door locks had been damaged. After this, they received phone calls for days where a male caller kept asking for someone they didn't know. The call stopped a few days later, so they didn't think any more of it. Then, a little while after the call stopped, they heard a banging noise outside, like someone had just kicked the side of their metal air conditioner. Their neighbours had also

been receiving hang-up calls, and some had seen a prowler. It wouldn't be until later that police learnt eight different people on the street had accounts of prowling activity. One saw the prowler in a faded VW van. In isolation, none of these sightings were enough to make anyone call the police. But when all the sightings were put together, it told the familiar story of the East Area Rapist. On March 16th, 1978, the lawyer and his girlfriend noticed that the internal door from the garage to the house no longer locked properly. It was like it had been tampered with. They were busy and didn't have time to fix it. Just after 1am on March 18th, they awoke to a flashlight shining in their eyes. The East Area Rapist had quietly let himself in through the

unlocked door. Things played out like previous attacks. He got the woman to tie the man up first and he said he just wanted food and money so he could live a little longer. When he walked into the kitchen area looking for the couple's wallets they heard him tearing towels. He then returned with plates to put on the man's back then forced the woman out of the bedroom. In between raping the survivor he stopped to ransack the kitchen and the fridge. He drank two bottles of beer. Despite constantly telling his victims he needed food and money, he rarely took money and he rarely ate more than a few things. Why he stopped to eat was a hard question to answer for detectives. Some questioned whether he had a physical condition or a psychological need to eat. Or maybe he felt the need to eat

as some sort of sexual motivation. The ransacking and the eating itself possibly giving him sexual gratification. It was widely believed that his main motivation, the thing which really drove him, was the planning and the control element of his attacks. During this attack, he found the survivor's nylon pantyhose in a drawer. He tied a knot in one leg and pushed a hole through the crotch. It wasn't the first time he had done this either. After one of the times he raped the survivor, he walked to the other side of the room. He started to sob and talk to himself, blaming mummy. Before he left, he stole the survivor's driver's license and $13 in cash. He took $150 in quarters,

dimes and nickels that were in two jars, as well as earrings, rings, a watch and a high school picture of the survivor. After he was gone, they heard the recognisable sound of a VW starting up. A VW was also heard leaving the location of the previous attack that occurred in Stockton. that occurred in Stockton. It had been almost a year since the East Area Rapist committed that single, isolated attack in South Sacramento, attack number 22, near the dentist's office. It was at the time considered that the East Area Rapist felt the huge police presence in East Sacramento, and he committed an attack in the south to get away from the heat. But there was another theory that it was a message to the dentist who donated to the reward fund and headed one of the civilian patrol groups. Either way, South Sacramento had been spared

of further attacks since attack 22. It was also in South Sacramento where the graffiti was found in the gas station bathroom. The graffiti that read, this is a fucked part of town, next month I start here, East Area Rapist. The graffiti was six to seven miles away from the attack location, far enough that the relevance of it didn't influence the investigation. Also no one had any idea if it was even the East Area Rapist who wrote it. But this next attack would occur much closer to where the graffiti was found one mile west of the i-5 exit where the gas station graffiti was seen a woman had last-minute plans and arranged for her 15 year old babysitter to mind her daughter the babysitter arrived at 9 pm to look after the woman's daughter the woman also had older

daughters but they ended up going to friends houses the woman's daughter. The woman also had older daughters, but they ended up going to friends' houses. The babysitter's mother was a teacher at Sacramento City College. The mother of the survivors in Attack 29 was also a teacher at Sacramento City College, and the survivor of Attack 18 was a student there. The babysitter had been receiving prank calls for the last few months at her house. On one occasion, the male caller said, Let me sell you out. By the end of March, the caller was phoning the babysitter's sister and saying, I've fucked your sister.

She babysat often, but never received any of the calls anywhere but at home. About 9.30pm, after the little girl she was babysitting had gone to bed, the neighbour's dog started barking. While watching TV, the babysitter suddenly heard two loud bangs. It was the East Area Rapist kicking in the door. He ran towards her with an ice pick. He didn't have a gun that she saw. Don't move or I'll kill you. Don't talk or say anything. He spoke in his usual angry whisper through clenched teeth. He forced her to the floor and pulled her hands behind her back. As he bound her wrists, she begged him not to wake the sleeping girl. He threw a blanket on her head and said, don't move or I'll stab you with my ice pick. Then he told her he was just going to take money and leave.

He rummaged around the kitchen, then returned to move her to another room, where he left her again to rummage further. He did this twice before returning to attempt to rape her, but he didn't succeed. Then he told her he had wanted to rape her for the longest time, giving the impression he had been stalking her. The phone call certainly indicated he had been, but what was odd about this attack is that the survivor was only there because of a last minute babysitting request. Then the phone started ringing. The east area rapist let it ring out, but then it started ringing again. This time he forced the survivor over to the phone and ordered her to answer. He picked up the receiver and held it up to her.

When the survivor said hello, the rapist immediately hung up the phone. The phone rang for a third time. The East Area Rapist became angry and walked the survivor outside onto the patio. He made another attempt to rape her. It was then that headlights pulled into the driveway. It was the survivor's father. He had driven to the house urgently when the owner of the house rang him in a panic saying the survivor wasn't answering the phone. The survivor's father yelled out. The survivor cried for help and the east area rapist was gone.

survivor cried for help, and the East Area Rapist was gone. During the investigation, it was discovered that a few nights earlier, the homeowner found a man fitting the East Area Rapist's description standing on her patio. So it appeared as though he was stalking both the babysitter and the homeowner. Neighbors of the homeowner also had issues with a prowler leading up to the attack. The Sacramento River Trail was within minutes walk of the house. Just after the attack, a woman fishing in the river saw a man jogging along the levee. He fit the East Area Rapist description, with the one difference to most other descriptions being that he had a moustache. Detectives discovered the babysitter had also been to a medical appointment at Kaiser Medical

Center two or three weeks prior. That's the pharmacy where the couple from attack number 16 in Orangevale worked, and it's also in very close proximity to where the envelope of cut-out female license pictures was found on Arden Way. From the beginning of June to the beginning of July 1978, the East Area Rapist went on the move. He had tested the waters in Stockton, and this time he went further south, to the city of Modesto, about 24 miles south of Stockton. It was here that he began a month-long back-and-forth cluster between Modesto and the college town of Davis, which is 15 miles east of Sacramento.

In 1978, Modesto had a population of around 100,000 people, and was at the time a growing city due to its rich agricultural land and the packaged food industry. Like Sacramento, Modesto was growing rapidly with large-scale housing developments, and it's where the East Area Rapist would commit attack number 33. and it's where the East Area Rapist would commit attack number 33. A couple who owned their own dry cleaning business in Modesto had been receiving prank calls for three weeks. Sometimes the caller would hang up, but at times he made obscene suggestions and statements like, I want to come on your lap. After three in the morning on June 5th 1978, they started to stir to a methodical tap, tap, tap on their bedroom door.

But it was the bright flashlight that shone in their eyes that fully woke them. Then they saw the knife. He went through his usual steps of tying them up, threatening them and stacking dishes on them. Only this time he told the husband, I'm going to rape your wife. The husband heard the cocking of a gun, but he didn't see it. The East Area Rapist was angry at the husband, and it was almost like the rape was a way to get at the husband. The survivor said she smelt beer on him. They both detected a hint of a Mexican accent, but weren't too sure if it was real or not, and it was difficult

to hear through his clenched whisper. After he raped the survivor, he walked around sobbing and was breathing heavily. He left their sleeping children alone. For the first time, the East Area rapist stole a considerable amount of money, $1,500 that the couple had stashed away in a money bag as they were about to use it for their business. The Sacramento County Sheriff's Task Force traveled to Modesto immediately to assist the investigation. In 1978, just over 35,000 people lived in the college town of Davis, which was 15 miles west of Sacramento and about 88 miles north of the previous attack in Modesto, roughly a 90-minute drive. It was now June 7th, two days after the Modesto attack. The East Area Rapist headed north to Davis, where he would commit attack number 34. A 22-year-old University of California Davis

student was home alone. It was 3.30am and she was asleep when a hand clamped down hard on her mouth in the dark. A clenched angry whisper is all she heard. Cooperate and you won't be hurt. He said he just wanted money and food and he would not harm her. He was wearing light brown corduroy pants with a zipped fly and his dark blue shirt was inside out. He was wearing tennis shoes and had a nylon stocking over his head, but it looked like he had a ski mask on underneath it. The survivor could see he had a moustache. He was armed with a screwdriver and a metal nail file, which he held at her throat.

He was not carrying a gun. He only ever seemed to produce a gun when there was a man present. As he finished tying her as tight as he could, she screamed loudly and kicked and thrashed about. He held the nail file to her eye and she received a small cut. He shoved underwear into her mouth to gag her. She then kicked him in the thigh. The East Area Rapist didn't like it when people put up a fight. He started punching her in the face and told her she would never see her friends again. He rolled her onto her stomach and as she tried to lift her head up, he shoved it to the floor and broke her nose. The survivor felt his thumbs at one point

during their struggle as he took his gloves off. The skin on his thumbs had calluses and was rough. He also had very short fingernails. He raped the survivor, then left. Two weeks later, the East Area Rapist was back south in Modesto to commit attack number 35. It was June 23rd, 1978. He was just around the corner from his previous attack in Modesto. The houses in the area were either recently constructed or were still under construction. A couple who both worked at the Modesto City Hospital had only been living in their new home for two months. At 1.30am, the East Area Rapist pried open a sliding glass door. He woke the couple up by shining a torch in their eyes. He was wearing a t-shirt and tennis shoes and was carrying a bag with a zipper.

This time he had a gun. He knew the man was home. He also armed himself with a knife from their kitchen. His whispers seemed forced and the couple detected a hint of a Mexican accent, but it sounded fake. The actions of the East Area Rapist played out the same as previous attacks. He stole the husband's.357 Magnum from the nightstand and to the couple's wedding rings. A cab driver came forward with information after this attack. The night of the attack, he picked up a man at the airport at the United Airlines terminal. The man asked to go to an address and when they arrived, the location was just an empty

lot. The man said good enough. He got out and walked in the direction of the attack. The couple's house was just past the empty lot. He was carrying a plaid cloth bag with a zipper. Just over 24 hours later, the East Area Rapist was back north in Davis to commit attack number 36. Just like the first attack in Modesto, the East Area Rapist headed back north to Davis to commit another attack soon after. The first time it was two days later. This time it was only one. At 3.15am June 24th, a married couple and their two small children were asleep in their two-story home. It wasn't the first time the East Area Rapist had struck a two-story home, but it wasn't typical for him. He preferred single-story locations. He appeared at their bedroom door, whispering

angrily through clenched teeth. He was carrying a.357 revolver and an ice pick. He followed his usual routine. The differences in this attack being that the survivor described the East Area Rapist's manner as gentle, and he referred to her by her nickname. When he called previous survivors by name, it was often thought he got it from mail in the house, but there was nothing in this survivor's house with her nickname written on it. He puffed and panted loudly as he ransacked the house One of the children woke up and walked out of their room The east area rapist pushed the child into the bathroom He closed the door and rested a cup and saucer against it

Telling the child not to touch the door He returned to the survivor and warned her That kid better stay in the bathroom or I'm going to push this ice pick into your back He better stay in the bathroom I'll kill every person push this ice pick into your back. You better stay in the bathroom. I'll kill every person in this house. I'll shoot all your fucking heads off. All I want is food and money. She described him as having big thighs and a penis with a small circumcised head. The other thing she noticed was his bottom was hairy and his breath smelled bad. It had a sour type smell. The Davis police quickly used a dog to track the East Area Rapist. It tracked him to the University Airport. There is no information

as to what happened from there or what lines of inquiry were made at the airport, but it adds further weight to the information from the cab driver on the night of attack 35. A neighbor found a jacket in her yard which she turned over to the police. Detective Shelby quote, it was made of a heavy suede material waist length and dark blue. The collar and cuffs were knit and had two gold colored stripes. This jacket was identified as a golden bear brand model 300 or 303 made in California. It was only stocked by three stores, one in Sacramento and two in San Francisco. It was on the market for a year or two before being discontinued due to poor sales. Sales records for Bluebeards, the Sacramento store that carried that model jacket, had been

destroyed in a fire. The store owner and a salesman did not remember ever selling one. fire. The store owner and a salesman did not remember ever selling one. In San Francisco, hard-on leather and a leather forever, the other two stores that carried that style of jacket were unable to help. The San Francisco stores also carried S&M merchandise in their store windows. The Davis PD detective did an excellent job of running down all possible leads on that jacket, but in the end, it was a dead end. The next attack also occurred in Davis, Attack 37, on July 6th, 1978. The 32-year-old survivor studied at Sacramento State College. She lived alone with her son. At nearly 3 in the morning, the survivor woke to the East

Area Rapist in her bedroom. He acted the same as previous attacks. There was no man, so no gun. He didn't force her from her room, nor did he wake her son. It would be the first time the East Area Rapist would be described as smelling heavily of cigarettes. While he was ransacking the house, he left a size 9 footprint with a zigzag pattern on a tile next to the kitchen sink. Further matching footprints were found outside. During the rape, he had trouble climaxing, which wasn't unusual. He became so frustrated that he put his head down on the pillow next to the survivor and started sobbing. He said, I hate you. I hate you. I hate you, Bonnie.

This was the last Davis would see of the East Area Rapist, and he didn't return to Modesto either. It's unclear whether the sobbings were an indication of his mental and emotional state, or whether it was just a red herring to throw off the police. Davis went into an unprecedented frenzy. A town meeting was held and the mayor was quoted as saying, the level of paranoia is getting phenomenal. This is just raw fear. Coincidentally, the day the mayor spoke in Davis, the.357 Magnum stolen from Attack 35 in Modesto was found along a canal in Modesto, right near the house. The area

had been searched previously and no gun was found, leading some to wonder if the East Area Rapist had returned after the search to dump the gun. It could possibly have just been missed in the first search though. The Sacramento Bee reported, quote, Davis police are as stumped as the Sacramento police, Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies, Stockton police, and Modesto police in trying to identify the East Area Rapist, who has terrorized women and girls in those communities in the past two years. The Davis Chief of Police was quoted, he has a pretty warped personality, but he's also pretty shrewd. Every murderer or rapist makes a mistake, but this guy hasn't made a mistake yet. Detectives are convinced he does select his hits ahead of time.

He knows where he's going when he comes into town. No one knew where or when he would strike again, and no police agency was any closer to catching him than the day he started. And there was still more to come. To be continued next week.