Richard Ramirez Crimes Case Study Paper Example

Thirty-five year ago, fingerprint technology caught Richard Ramirez (aka The Night Stalker). He wasn't caught by the police, it was civilians who saw him as he attempted to steal a vehicle. Her neighbors intervened when he attempted to pull a woman from her car. One of the neighbors recognized him from the picture in the newspapers and alerted others. This was the serial killer who made California afraid to sleep at night.

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Although the Night Stalker's capture was due to law enforcement's use of the media, Ramirez's identification was made using a different modern technique. Night Stalker was one of the first cases to utilize automated fingerprinting technology.

Television detectives can run fingerprints at crime scenes through an automated database to get results in seconds. However, the results may be a little inaccurate. The database will return "likely matches" and a trained fingerprint examiner has to compare them in order to find an actual match. The technology of today allows for quick searches of large numbers of fingerprints. We can also see if criminals have ever been fingerprinted or if they have the same fingerprint on file from another location.

This was a new technology in 1985. Before the advent of computers, examiners had to manually review fingerprint files by hand using ten-print cards. These cards were used for examining fingerprints that a criminal had rolled in ink. This took a lot of time and effort and was often not useful without a suspect. Some even admitted that fingerprints were often taken at the scene for public relations purposes, to make it appear they were solving the crime.

The systems were very expensive when computers were first used to solve the problem. This made it difficult for agencies with small budgets to purchase them. This is why the California Department of Justice used its brand new automated fingerprint indexing software to identify Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker. It proved that they work and was worth the expense.

What happened to a couple when a killer approached them?

One girl was shot to the head and killed, while her neighbor was struck at point-blank range but managed to survive.

How did this killer gain access to houses?

The killer broke into her home while she was loading groceries.

How did he kill the first victim?

Gunshot to the head.

What did the first victim find that would eventually prove to be useful in this case?

Fingerprint.

What did the victim's roommate say about the killer?

He was not easy to recognize, but he was "evil man".

Which evidence was found in the car?

Shoe.

How did the murderer get into a house without being seen?

This incident involved another sailor driver.

What does it mean to remove an eye for a psychotic?

It's like a trophy or a reminder that the criminal could do it.

What information could you find in the shoe print?

There could be trace evidence of sneakers that indicate the suspect's weight and age.

What was the meaning of the drawing on the victim and on his wall? What was it?

Pentagrams are a cult for Satan worship.

Which drugs were Richard exposed to during his youth?

Cocaine, alcohol, heroin

Who might Richard have been influenced by in his youth?

Cousin.

Richard witnessed his cousin's murder of his wife and began to see strange behaviors.

He started fantasizing about murder and rape, and this became more intrusive. He also stopped saying hello and began dealing with drug-using men. He quit school and moved to the suburbs.

Why was the charge of his first rape dropped?

He moved to California.

Why didn't he sign up for the cult instead?

It is likely that the man didn't want to be part of the cult because he was a unique worker and was committed to Satan.

For what reason was he arrested? What was his sentence?

The man was arrested for stealing a vehicle.

What is the story of the man who fixed his bike?

It was the tall, dark-haired, thin man.

Who did the print match when the print was processed through the automated database?

Although there were many fingerprints, one was identical to Richard Ramirez.

What number of murders did he face?

13 murders and 30 attempted killings.

Was that his sentence?

He is guilty for murder. He was sentenced to death in the gas chamber.