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Hunting A Psychopath: The East Area Rapist / Original Night Stalker Investigation
JUNE 16, 2016 - At a press conference today in Sacramento, the FBI and local law enforcement agencies announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the East Area Rapist/killer along with a nationwide multimedia campaign to once again bring the case to the public’s attention. Hunting A Psychopath chronicles the on-going search for the identity of the serial rapist and murderer known both as the East Area Rapist and Original Night Stalker. The author first lays the ground work for how the investigation was conducted. Then using what reports are still available, plus some personal insights, he examines each assault in the order they occurred. Gradually the methods used by the EAR/ONS in first searching out his victims, then stalking them, come to light. The EAR/ONS first surfaced in June,1976,in Sacramento, CA. He was last heard from in May, 1986,in Irvine, CA, where he brutally murdered an eighteen year old woman. In between those years he stayed busy, assaulting fifty-three people, and murdering twelve more, while spreading a blanket of fear across central CA and parts of Southern CA. It has been over thirty-years now,and still he has not been brought to justice. Although there have been other unsolved crimes of this same nature and of even greater magnitude, this series seems to have had a lasting impact on the public -- enough so that a virtual army of private citizens are pursuing this investigation on their own. When time permits, there are full time police officers who also work this investigation. By examining the information from each assault, it gradually becomes clear just how meticulous the EAR/ONS was. Every detail, from selecting a victim, to the actual assault, appear to have been carefully planned and orchestrated. The EAR/ONS was as devoted to committing sexual assaults and murders as anyone devoted to their own profession. In a distorted way, he was a professional rapist / murderer, and quite probably a certifiable psychopath. Perhaps this continuing interest is because those wanting to involve themselves in the investigation know it can still be brought to a satisfactory conclusion.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 15, 2014
70 people are currently reading
312 people want to read
About the author
Richard Shelby
8 books5 followersThe author, a native of central California, arrived in Sacramento in the fall of 1962 for the purpose of attending CSUS. Graduating from CSUS in June 1966, he soon joined the ranks of the Sacramento Sheriff's Department. Like most deputies he served in the jail, patrol and detective divisions. He retired as a Lieutenant in the Detective Division.
Today he and his bride (since 1962) live in the Sierra Mountains
Today he and his bride (since 1962) live in the Sierra Mountains
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 24, 2016
Oh my god, this investigator is a TOTAL TOOL and its no wonder that this maniac ran rampant. Shelby makes sexist jokes at the victims expense, refers to the rapist's member as his "slick wick" and generally comes across as a total ahole. He also seems shocked that he was pulled from the case or that his coworkers all think he's an idiot. However, he is one of the few people involved in the case that has written things down for readers so I had to give him 2 stars for that.
November 16, 2015
I don't think there was one page without a typo or grammatical error. the author starts the book by saying he's not a writer, just a retired cop who wants to put the facts out there in case anyone can identify the EAR. I should've listened to him. There is no style or flow or suspense to the book, just a list of crime scene descriptions and interviews.
July 2, 2017
I have already followed this writer to the depths of hell. His journey I do not recommend.
Want to read
August 24, 2019I was reading
which is about the unsolved serialrapes and killings done by the so called East Area Rapist
When I realized I had in my posession another book about this case,also unread,and because I did not love that book I decided to begin reading this book and I liked it better.
That being said I am just not a fan of unsolved cases.I hate that a coward nasty creep like this has gotten away with hurting so many people. The writing is good.
So now I am reading two books about this creep who got away.sigh
(No he did not!!!)
source image: https://defrostingcoldcases.com/arres...
which is about the unsolved serialrapes and killings done by the so called East Area Rapist
When I realized I had in my posession another book about this case,also unread,and because I did not love that book I decided to begin reading this book and I liked it better.
That being said I am just not a fan of unsolved cases.I hate that a coward nasty creep like this has gotten away with hurting so many people. The writing is good.
So now I am reading two books about this creep who got away.sigh
(No he did not!!!)
source image: https://defrostingcoldcases.com/arres...
July 10, 2017
Prior to reading this I thought it would be difficult-- even impossible--to make the EAR/ONS case less riveting; however, Richard Shelby's Hunting a Psychopath is a painful journey. I've read everything written on this case, so believe me when I say it's the book, not the topic. As other reviewers have stated, it's chock full of errors. Not only that, but Shelby's ego dominates every page. He states the case as a detective would, crime by crime, fact by fact, yet he can't help but make subjective comments frequently and petty, testosterone-filled claims.
This book makes it very clear why this case was never solved: ineptitude and self- concern definitely don't create a perfect backdrop for crime solving.
This book makes it very clear why this case was never solved: ineptitude and self- concern definitely don't create a perfect backdrop for crime solving.
February 25, 2021
Hunting a psychopath:
I've followed this case since 2002 when the East area rapist had his DNA linked to the Original night stalker murders. I watched the first few documentaries on the case. All when they first aired on TV. I was into the Original night stalker case long before the rise of true crime and the new nickname given to him "The golden state killer" and of course I like other purest refuse to call him that. Of course I was also into true crime since I was in 3rd grade, only to a lesser extent. In 3rd or 4th grade I was talking about a local murder case and that was when I first realized that true crime wasn't socially acceptable as it is today. The first real serial killer case that I took notice of was from watching news reports and special reports about Michael Ross on TV. As another true crime purest said "I'm thinking 'holy sh*t, you know.' All of a sudden true crime is really hot. In the interview I kind of pretended to look at my watch and go 'well it took you about 30 years, you finally arrived. You finally caught up. Now all of a sudden it's okay but back when I was doing it I was an @ssh*le because I was 'GLORIFYING" serial killers and now 30 years after Ted Bundy's death you gotta condescend to your own audience 'girls, stop talking about how handsome Ted Bundy was." and of course I am just as disgusted and p*ssed off as he is about it.
In fact, I miss the days of when I was in a close knit forum with other true crime purest and there was no "stop calling Ted Bundy hot", there was no shaming, there was no "sugar coat the case for me please", there was no fake virtue signaling "oh this really should be about the victims." "oh what about the victims?" "I don't care about Ted Bundy. I'm only interested in Ted Bundy's victims."
even though all your true crime stuff is centered with Ted Bundy facts and images of Ted Bundy. Instead it was open and honest and straight up "these are the facts. This is what I dug up and I am sharing this with the community. Let's have a honest open discussion." there was no political correctness, no fake crying, nothing other then true crime purity. I didn't see anyone make comments like "oh I didn't like that book/documentary. It didn't sugar coat the crimes. It was too graphic and gory." etc. I my self was regarded as a valueable respected member and everyone was open and honest. Not backstabbing and venomous. Everyone was upfront. Basically I miss the days before POSERS came along. Which reminds me of an anthropologist complaining about the "CSI effect".
"It's getting harder and harder to get into the progams and the students [posers] get into the programs are students who are here because 'forensics is cool'. Not because it's science. So that's really trying for those of us who are truly interested in forensics especially before the rise of CSI."
I am also angry that it's also socially acceptable now because it's lost it's edge. Basically I think true crime is getting neutered. Now we got to call the mass shooter "The shooter" and so forth. We got idiot media profitting off true crime and trying to CONTROL how their audience thinks and feels "stop calling Ted Bundy hot" SCREW YOU!!!!!!!!! YOU DON'T GET TO DICTATE HOW I THINK!!!! STOP TRYING TO CONTROL ME AND EVERYONE ELSE!!!!!!
I am always glad to read modern true crime books and they open with "screw 'no notoriety'." including books by criminal sociologist who teach college courses on crime.
Quote by a criminal sociologist who has studied serial/mass killing for decades -
"Examining the killer's motives for these vicious murders can hopefully lead to better understanding about why they occur. Focusing on the horrendous consequences of victims will do little to explain the causes of such violence." Yeah, Anderson Cooper your "I think history shouldn't remember the killer but remember your son." does us no real service and Soviet Russia's "no notoriety" taken to it's logical extent [zero notoriety of any kind. Zero ink in the media] proved that. Soviet Russia was FLOODED with serial killers and all "no notoriety" did was keep everyone IGNORANT and created serial killers with a higher body count. I DESPISE this false dichotomy. As I always ask "WHY NOT BOTH?!" I enjoy both. I want both.
Glad to see there are still authors and professors and experts who haven't had their nuts cut off. It reminds me of a favorite vampire movie of mine that is all about true crime. The nightflier.
"Just because you don't have the balls doesn't mean you get to cut mine off!" talking about having a corpse photo being cut from his article.
"You want my inside view of 'Inside view"? Okay, I'll give it to ya and it has nothing to do with any f**king philosophy either. Inside view is an illistration of the insane. It's a diary of the mentally deranged and dangerously sick. I'm talkin about kindergarden teachers setting fire to their students because they think these five years are secretly plotting their execution. Satanic biker cult slaughtering hitch hikers just for the hell of it. But here is the fun part. After talking to these crazy people all day, every single day. Some of their stories can get to you. Creep in like some f**king cancer and pretty soon all this sh*t starts to make perfect sense." talking about a former journalist who couldn't handle the reality of true crime. Telling the replacement "you won't last."
"I have no intention of killing you. After all, we are brothers in blood. This sad world would be even sadder place without the likes of you." The vampire telling the true crime reporter he won't harm him because he appreciates his true crime reporting. In a previous scene the reporter finds his magazines in the vampire's resting place.
Of course that movie was made in the 90s when true crime was very popular and highly profitable but still more underground and niche. It was the time of killers or would be killers or sexual perverts being put on trading cards. Another 90's satire and commentary is another favorite, Serial mom.
"There she is, Henrietta Lee Lucas, Joan Wayne Gacy. A new face in the deck of serial killer trading cards."
It sickens me that I've been seeing idiot comments online of posers complaining about how the new Night stalker docu short series is "too graphic" "too gory" and complaining about the interviews with the cops. "why doesn't the documentary bash the cops?!" for trivial f***ing bullsh*t. Why is the documentary not sugar coating and lying to me about the crimes and the investigation?! Complaining that they interviewed a cop admitting to police brutality and not just condemning the officer.....THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED!!!!! THAT IS REALITY! WHAT THE F**K ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! You also realize that this is a viable police detective in the case, right?! So you want to ALIENATE the detectives when trying to tell a true crime story? REALLY?! Again this "get woke, go broke" these people have no basic common sense. If you want to have the investigators talk to you, don't act like a total f***ing @ssh*le to them!!!!! Don't condescend to your own f***ing audience!!!!! Gamergate "gamers are worse then Isis TERRORISTS!" well, don't be shocked that gamers aren't gonna buy your f***ing games anymore!!!!!!
As I've said, I am a true crime purist and I hate this sugar coating for a broader audience. That is why Gary King a true crime author bashed for his gory detailed books said about "guilt ridden authors" ie fake virtue signaling authors like Dave Cullen called it a cop out. "oh I am just leaving out the gory details to spare the victim's families." the victim's families already know the gory details!!!! Gary points out that these authors who refuse to admit they do it for the $$$ sugar coat the crimes so it can sell to a broader audience. To paint a false narrative that will sell!! Gary King is another true crime purest that I respect and another reason why I respect him is because he will admit and has admitted "I do it for the money." he doesn't LIE to his audience. I, like other true crime purest take pride in looking at true crime with pure eyes. Standing and looking at all it's brutality, misery, and going "this is a depressing side of reality.' and as the true crime purest I quoted said "appreciating the crime."
Anyway. All that said. I got this book in early 2019 a year after DeAngelo was caught. It was a book I had wanted for several years. It is my 5th book about the case, but the 3rd I've read.
It is very detailed and written by one of the many investigators. The second book that I own [Sudden terror] that was actually written by one of the original investigators. I hated I'll be gone in the dark and I wouldn't be surprised if the overwhelming majority of those giving it positive reviews only enjoy it because of the author, NOT because the case is so fascinating in so many ways, and the overwhelming majority barely know anything about the case to begin with. In fact that book was probably their introduction and what a terrible introduction. At least their introduction out of one or two recent documentaries. This book by Shelby gives new details I had not known about, even with all the recent documentaries I've seen. Such as the fact that he most probably brought a pack of Coors beers to his crimes. A few other new facts the book details; the brutal murder of a dog 2 years before [DeAngelo apparently hated dogs. The slaughter of dogs was a common theme with EAR which is often overlooked. He shot and killed a dog named Pops, brutally beat many others, and literally gutted one dog and left it for the owner to find with the garden hose spraying on the ground. Like Richard Rimarez's pedophilia which is often ignored and denied I think it's important for people to know this about DeAngelo.] and an attack with a pugil stick on an elderly man. Among many other new facts about the case and new facts about some of the individual attacks. For many years I couldn't help but compare DeAngelo to another serial killer; Israel Keyes. In a TV show about unsolved cases the profiler calls DeAngelo "The smartest serial killer I've ever seen." and he said Israel Keyes was easily one of the smartest serial killers ever. In many documentaries about Keyes they point out the uniqueness of his "murder kits" which he buried years prior to the murders.
One profiler said "Most offenders who use kill kits keep them in the trunks of their cars. Or somewhere near by where they can access them readily. This guy was so sophisticated criminally that he kept them spread through out the country and he memorized where he hid each one of them."
DeAngelo would not only break into the house prior to attacking, to set the scene up, but one couple searched their house after suspecting he was setting them up and found pretied knots under their couch cushion. Not only did he do that, but he stalked them for days, weeks, and he left a "rape kit" and probably "kill kits" close by the attack area, hidden. We know this because as Shelby points out in his book, several neighbors ended up finding these kits. So DeAngelo was hiding the kits on other people's property. That was totally new to me. The rapes/crimes aren't as detailed as they are in the first book about the case. Which is a bit of a disappointment, but Shelby as I already stated gives some extra context and additional facts of the crimes. Shelby even talked about meeting up with the investigators on the Visalia case and of course he wasn't convinced it was him. Once he was caught he admitted it was him.
Shelby was the investigator that looked into rumors about the case and where they originally came from. He's also the first investigator to have connected the first few rapes and assaults to each other. I learned a lot of new things about how DeAngelo went about his crimes. Details that were left out of the first book Sudden terror or simply glossed over. Sudden terror has gotten a lot of hate due to some non PC statements and judgements and possible slander of a victim. It's still a good book about the case. Shelby said he wasn't writing this book to be entertaining and it shows. At the same time it provides more context and more understanding to the case. Could of been written so much better. I enjoyed it more then I'll be gone in the dark. That book is still the worse in terms of books I've read about this case. I don't see why Shelby didn't want to include a detailed description of the attacks. Maybe he assumed the reader had also read Sudden terror. The book ends with Shelby providing sketches and a few sketches are shown through out pages in the book. This book also provides more detail in terms of the shooting of Katie and Brian Maggiorie. I like others always assumed DeAngelo was constantly on the hunt for the next victim but would be stalking multiple possible victims at the same time. One potential victim would lead to a totally different victim. Shelby and others of course believe the same thing. Shelby also provides more details and the construction and house for sale aspect of the crimes which gave another new aspect to how he went about committing the crimes. Lots of new facts, so worth a read even if it's a little dry and dated. I tried to look at the eyewitness accounts knowing it was DeAngelo and in some instances, it must of been him, and others...might of been him? Might of not been him? I really wanted to love this book since Joseph DeAngelo has become my number one favorite serial killer case [Ed Kemper was my number one for a long time] but it wasn't good enough to be rated higher. Still glad I read it and enjoyed all the new details/facts.
I've followed this case since 2002 when the East area rapist had his DNA linked to the Original night stalker murders. I watched the first few documentaries on the case. All when they first aired on TV. I was into the Original night stalker case long before the rise of true crime and the new nickname given to him "The golden state killer" and of course I like other purest refuse to call him that. Of course I was also into true crime since I was in 3rd grade, only to a lesser extent. In 3rd or 4th grade I was talking about a local murder case and that was when I first realized that true crime wasn't socially acceptable as it is today. The first real serial killer case that I took notice of was from watching news reports and special reports about Michael Ross on TV. As another true crime purest said "I'm thinking 'holy sh*t, you know.' All of a sudden true crime is really hot. In the interview I kind of pretended to look at my watch and go 'well it took you about 30 years, you finally arrived. You finally caught up. Now all of a sudden it's okay but back when I was doing it I was an @ssh*le because I was 'GLORIFYING" serial killers and now 30 years after Ted Bundy's death you gotta condescend to your own audience 'girls, stop talking about how handsome Ted Bundy was." and of course I am just as disgusted and p*ssed off as he is about it.
In fact, I miss the days of when I was in a close knit forum with other true crime purest and there was no "stop calling Ted Bundy hot", there was no shaming, there was no "sugar coat the case for me please", there was no fake virtue signaling "oh this really should be about the victims." "oh what about the victims?" "I don't care about Ted Bundy. I'm only interested in Ted Bundy's victims."
even though all your true crime stuff is centered with Ted Bundy facts and images of Ted Bundy. Instead it was open and honest and straight up "these are the facts. This is what I dug up and I am sharing this with the community. Let's have a honest open discussion." there was no political correctness, no fake crying, nothing other then true crime purity. I didn't see anyone make comments like "oh I didn't like that book/documentary. It didn't sugar coat the crimes. It was too graphic and gory." etc. I my self was regarded as a valueable respected member and everyone was open and honest. Not backstabbing and venomous. Everyone was upfront. Basically I miss the days before POSERS came along. Which reminds me of an anthropologist complaining about the "CSI effect".
"It's getting harder and harder to get into the progams and the students [posers] get into the programs are students who are here because 'forensics is cool'. Not because it's science. So that's really trying for those of us who are truly interested in forensics especially before the rise of CSI."
I am also angry that it's also socially acceptable now because it's lost it's edge. Basically I think true crime is getting neutered. Now we got to call the mass shooter "The shooter" and so forth. We got idiot media profitting off true crime and trying to CONTROL how their audience thinks and feels "stop calling Ted Bundy hot" SCREW YOU!!!!!!!!! YOU DON'T GET TO DICTATE HOW I THINK!!!! STOP TRYING TO CONTROL ME AND EVERYONE ELSE!!!!!!
I am always glad to read modern true crime books and they open with "screw 'no notoriety'." including books by criminal sociologist who teach college courses on crime.
Quote by a criminal sociologist who has studied serial/mass killing for decades -
"Examining the killer's motives for these vicious murders can hopefully lead to better understanding about why they occur. Focusing on the horrendous consequences of victims will do little to explain the causes of such violence." Yeah, Anderson Cooper your "I think history shouldn't remember the killer but remember your son." does us no real service and Soviet Russia's "no notoriety" taken to it's logical extent [zero notoriety of any kind. Zero ink in the media] proved that. Soviet Russia was FLOODED with serial killers and all "no notoriety" did was keep everyone IGNORANT and created serial killers with a higher body count. I DESPISE this false dichotomy. As I always ask "WHY NOT BOTH?!" I enjoy both. I want both.
Glad to see there are still authors and professors and experts who haven't had their nuts cut off. It reminds me of a favorite vampire movie of mine that is all about true crime. The nightflier.
"Just because you don't have the balls doesn't mean you get to cut mine off!" talking about having a corpse photo being cut from his article.
"You want my inside view of 'Inside view"? Okay, I'll give it to ya and it has nothing to do with any f**king philosophy either. Inside view is an illistration of the insane. It's a diary of the mentally deranged and dangerously sick. I'm talkin about kindergarden teachers setting fire to their students because they think these five years are secretly plotting their execution. Satanic biker cult slaughtering hitch hikers just for the hell of it. But here is the fun part. After talking to these crazy people all day, every single day. Some of their stories can get to you. Creep in like some f**king cancer and pretty soon all this sh*t starts to make perfect sense." talking about a former journalist who couldn't handle the reality of true crime. Telling the replacement "you won't last."
"I have no intention of killing you. After all, we are brothers in blood. This sad world would be even sadder place without the likes of you." The vampire telling the true crime reporter he won't harm him because he appreciates his true crime reporting. In a previous scene the reporter finds his magazines in the vampire's resting place.
Of course that movie was made in the 90s when true crime was very popular and highly profitable but still more underground and niche. It was the time of killers or would be killers or sexual perverts being put on trading cards. Another 90's satire and commentary is another favorite, Serial mom.
"There she is, Henrietta Lee Lucas, Joan Wayne Gacy. A new face in the deck of serial killer trading cards."
It sickens me that I've been seeing idiot comments online of posers complaining about how the new Night stalker docu short series is "too graphic" "too gory" and complaining about the interviews with the cops. "why doesn't the documentary bash the cops?!" for trivial f***ing bullsh*t. Why is the documentary not sugar coating and lying to me about the crimes and the investigation?! Complaining that they interviewed a cop admitting to police brutality and not just condemning the officer.....THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED!!!!! THAT IS REALITY! WHAT THE F**K ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! You also realize that this is a viable police detective in the case, right?! So you want to ALIENATE the detectives when trying to tell a true crime story? REALLY?! Again this "get woke, go broke" these people have no basic common sense. If you want to have the investigators talk to you, don't act like a total f***ing @ssh*le to them!!!!! Don't condescend to your own f***ing audience!!!!! Gamergate "gamers are worse then Isis TERRORISTS!" well, don't be shocked that gamers aren't gonna buy your f***ing games anymore!!!!!!
As I've said, I am a true crime purist and I hate this sugar coating for a broader audience. That is why Gary King a true crime author bashed for his gory detailed books said about "guilt ridden authors" ie fake virtue signaling authors like Dave Cullen called it a cop out. "oh I am just leaving out the gory details to spare the victim's families." the victim's families already know the gory details!!!! Gary points out that these authors who refuse to admit they do it for the $$$ sugar coat the crimes so it can sell to a broader audience. To paint a false narrative that will sell!! Gary King is another true crime purest that I respect and another reason why I respect him is because he will admit and has admitted "I do it for the money." he doesn't LIE to his audience. I, like other true crime purest take pride in looking at true crime with pure eyes. Standing and looking at all it's brutality, misery, and going "this is a depressing side of reality.' and as the true crime purest I quoted said "appreciating the crime."
Anyway. All that said. I got this book in early 2019 a year after DeAngelo was caught. It was a book I had wanted for several years. It is my 5th book about the case, but the 3rd I've read.
It is very detailed and written by one of the many investigators. The second book that I own [Sudden terror] that was actually written by one of the original investigators. I hated I'll be gone in the dark and I wouldn't be surprised if the overwhelming majority of those giving it positive reviews only enjoy it because of the author, NOT because the case is so fascinating in so many ways, and the overwhelming majority barely know anything about the case to begin with. In fact that book was probably their introduction and what a terrible introduction. At least their introduction out of one or two recent documentaries. This book by Shelby gives new details I had not known about, even with all the recent documentaries I've seen. Such as the fact that he most probably brought a pack of Coors beers to his crimes. A few other new facts the book details; the brutal murder of a dog 2 years before [DeAngelo apparently hated dogs. The slaughter of dogs was a common theme with EAR which is often overlooked. He shot and killed a dog named Pops, brutally beat many others, and literally gutted one dog and left it for the owner to find with the garden hose spraying on the ground. Like Richard Rimarez's pedophilia which is often ignored and denied I think it's important for people to know this about DeAngelo.] and an attack with a pugil stick on an elderly man. Among many other new facts about the case and new facts about some of the individual attacks. For many years I couldn't help but compare DeAngelo to another serial killer; Israel Keyes. In a TV show about unsolved cases the profiler calls DeAngelo "The smartest serial killer I've ever seen." and he said Israel Keyes was easily one of the smartest serial killers ever. In many documentaries about Keyes they point out the uniqueness of his "murder kits" which he buried years prior to the murders.
One profiler said "Most offenders who use kill kits keep them in the trunks of their cars. Or somewhere near by where they can access them readily. This guy was so sophisticated criminally that he kept them spread through out the country and he memorized where he hid each one of them."
DeAngelo would not only break into the house prior to attacking, to set the scene up, but one couple searched their house after suspecting he was setting them up and found pretied knots under their couch cushion. Not only did he do that, but he stalked them for days, weeks, and he left a "rape kit" and probably "kill kits" close by the attack area, hidden. We know this because as Shelby points out in his book, several neighbors ended up finding these kits. So DeAngelo was hiding the kits on other people's property. That was totally new to me. The rapes/crimes aren't as detailed as they are in the first book about the case. Which is a bit of a disappointment, but Shelby as I already stated gives some extra context and additional facts of the crimes. Shelby even talked about meeting up with the investigators on the Visalia case and of course he wasn't convinced it was him. Once he was caught he admitted it was him.
Shelby was the investigator that looked into rumors about the case and where they originally came from. He's also the first investigator to have connected the first few rapes and assaults to each other. I learned a lot of new things about how DeAngelo went about his crimes. Details that were left out of the first book Sudden terror or simply glossed over. Sudden terror has gotten a lot of hate due to some non PC statements and judgements and possible slander of a victim. It's still a good book about the case. Shelby said he wasn't writing this book to be entertaining and it shows. At the same time it provides more context and more understanding to the case. Could of been written so much better. I enjoyed it more then I'll be gone in the dark. That book is still the worse in terms of books I've read about this case. I don't see why Shelby didn't want to include a detailed description of the attacks. Maybe he assumed the reader had also read Sudden terror. The book ends with Shelby providing sketches and a few sketches are shown through out pages in the book. This book also provides more detail in terms of the shooting of Katie and Brian Maggiorie. I like others always assumed DeAngelo was constantly on the hunt for the next victim but would be stalking multiple possible victims at the same time. One potential victim would lead to a totally different victim. Shelby and others of course believe the same thing. Shelby also provides more details and the construction and house for sale aspect of the crimes which gave another new aspect to how he went about committing the crimes. Lots of new facts, so worth a read even if it's a little dry and dated. I tried to look at the eyewitness accounts knowing it was DeAngelo and in some instances, it must of been him, and others...might of been him? Might of not been him? I really wanted to love this book since Joseph DeAngelo has become my number one favorite serial killer case [Ed Kemper was my number one for a long time] but it wasn't good enough to be rated higher. Still glad I read it and enjoyed all the new details/facts.
August 11, 2016
PUBLISHING INFO:Booklocker, 9/2014
GENRE: Nonfiction/True Crime
SETTING: California, 1970's-1980's
MY GRADE: A
Richard was a detective on this case from the start and tells of his experience with the EAR's victims and suspects. I learned of a few men who were suspects at the time of the crimes, such as Art Pinkton, William Boren, 'Jamison', and so on. Some were cleared by DNA in the 2000's. There were chapters at the end, each dedicated to a few other suspects and I enjoyed learning about them.
Not too much info was given for each of the rapes, likely because that had been covered in a previous EAR book. I'd have liked to have read interviews with some of the victims. A couple of them have been interviewed for EAR documentaries.
It's still unknown to this day who the EAR is and still unknown if he's dead or alive. Police do have his DNA and I have no doubt that he'll be identified before too long.
Mr. Shelby's written a great, informative book on this case. Anyone who's interested in the EAR should be thrilled to read this.
TELEVISION SHOWS ON THIS CRIMINAL
Original Unsolved Mysteries broadcast, youtu.be/iz9sRmks61M?t=18m50s
Cold Case Files (part 1 is missing), www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TfaY6FwXx8
Cold Case Files, www.aetv.com/shows/cold-case-files/se...
MSNBC Investigates 'Deadly Behavior', www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHDSucWloN4
E! THS (True Hollywood Story) Investigates, youtu.be/9BzzUj6GXGU?t=2s
I.D.'s Dark Minds 'Original Night Stalker', youtu.be/9ZkPwIEhgDY?t=1s
WEB SITES
Wikipedia- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_Night_...
ear-ons.com/
jjmcgr.googlepages.com/home
thequesterfiles.com/the_night_predato...
www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/entry/3513...
Here's an excellent article Michelle McNamara (she's married to Patton Oswalt) did on EAR for L.A. Magazine.
PLEASE JOIN THE DISCUSSION FORUM FOR THIS CASE! http://earonsgsk.proboards.com/
Here's an article Michelle McNamara did on EAR for L.A. Magazine.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 28, 2018
Ok, so I get that Richard Shelby was an investigator and not a writer. But he should have hired a better copy editor. There were misspellings, wrong names, sentences that didn't make sense, and much more. The chapter title for one of the Goleta murders has the wrong last name!
While it was interesting to read an investigator's view, some of this made me want to finish the book as quickly as possible. Certain terms used really turned me off; "slick wick" being the worst. I was able to look past his misogyny and blame placement. Police departments are very political, so I don't think as others have stated that he was always the problem when he had issues with other detectives and higher ups. It's just the way departments were and are run that cause these issues.
I would have rather heard Carol Daly's side being a female detective at a time when the field was male driven.
While it was interesting to read an investigator's view, some of this made me want to finish the book as quickly as possible. Certain terms used really turned me off; "slick wick" being the worst. I was able to look past his misogyny and blame placement. Police departments are very political, so I don't think as others have stated that he was always the problem when he had issues with other detectives and higher ups. It's just the way departments were and are run that cause these issues.
I would have rather heard Carol Daly's side being a female detective at a time when the field was male driven.
May 31, 2018
Lots of brief case summaries, but lacks cohesive narrative
No narrative thread. Rife with misspellings and usage mistakes. Petulant on occasion about outsider status following retirement. Worth the price, though—even now that the probable EAR has been arrested—for the case summaries, particularly the geographical details, since the author is understandably very familiar with Sacramento County geography.
No narrative thread. Rife with misspellings and usage mistakes. Petulant on occasion about outsider status following retirement. Worth the price, though—even now that the probable EAR has been arrested—for the case summaries, particularly the geographical details, since the author is understandably very familiar with Sacramento County geography.
September 28, 2017
I've always liked true crime, especially when it involves unsolved cases. Add the air of real mystery to a crime or series of crimes, and I'm hooked. So when I discovered the East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker (EARONS) story last year, I couldn't read enough about this long-running and frightening series of crimes that took place throughout much of California from the early 70s through the middle 80s. I can't believe this case hasn't received more press. It has to be the spookiest, most mysterious unsolved case in North American history, featuring a true sadistic psychopath who started as the Visalia Ransacker robbing homes, then turned into the East Area Rapist who assauled women and couples in their homes for years, and then turned into the Original Night Stalker serial killer. He vanished after one last murder in 1986, and all of his crimes remain unsolved.
Sadly enough, there are no good books about EARONS. This one, written by of the detectives who worked on the case during the 1970s rapes, suffers from terrible writing and editing. There are some great details here, and some keen observations on the investigation from a cop who was right there trying to catch this guy, but it all falls about due to such amateurish writing along with editing that missed tons of grammatical and spelling errors. Some of it also seems to have been written in forced cop slang, including a lot of tough talk about EARONS and really childish stuff about the size of the rapist's penis (this was a common observation by his victims). I get it, and I'd like to make fun of a monster like this, too, because his crimes are so frightening that EARONS otherwise comes off as something of a real-life boogie man. But writing about the rapist's "slick little wick" or whatever over and over again is not the way to accomplish this.
Anyhow, I still have to recommend Hunting A Psychopath because it's pretty much the only book out there on the EARONS case. And even with all of its flaws, it still comes off more authentic than the lone competition, Larry Crompton's Sudden Terror, which suffers from a lot of fictionalized retellings of the investigation with made-up cops that are composites of those who actually worked on the case. Sudden Terror reads a lot better than Hunting A Psychopath, but it's hard to take any of it seriously because of this fictional approach.
I'm looking forward to finally reading Michelle MacNamara's I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer when it's published next year. She's the wife of actor Patton Oswalt who sadly died way too young last year while in the middle of this project, which basically became her life's work.
Sadly enough, there are no good books about EARONS. This one, written by of the detectives who worked on the case during the 1970s rapes, suffers from terrible writing and editing. There are some great details here, and some keen observations on the investigation from a cop who was right there trying to catch this guy, but it all falls about due to such amateurish writing along with editing that missed tons of grammatical and spelling errors. Some of it also seems to have been written in forced cop slang, including a lot of tough talk about EARONS and really childish stuff about the size of the rapist's penis (this was a common observation by his victims). I get it, and I'd like to make fun of a monster like this, too, because his crimes are so frightening that EARONS otherwise comes off as something of a real-life boogie man. But writing about the rapist's "slick little wick" or whatever over and over again is not the way to accomplish this.
Anyhow, I still have to recommend Hunting A Psychopath because it's pretty much the only book out there on the EARONS case. And even with all of its flaws, it still comes off more authentic than the lone competition, Larry Crompton's Sudden Terror, which suffers from a lot of fictionalized retellings of the investigation with made-up cops that are composites of those who actually worked on the case. Sudden Terror reads a lot better than Hunting A Psychopath, but it's hard to take any of it seriously because of this fictional approach.
I'm looking forward to finally reading Michelle MacNamara's I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer when it's published next year. She's the wife of actor Patton Oswalt who sadly died way too young last year while in the middle of this project, which basically became her life's work.
May 29, 2017
A Great Compilation
I enjoyed this book. It may not be to everyone's taste because the delivery seems dry. However, I was interested in getting the cases, timelines, and facts sorted out and this book did that for me.
The author sticks to the facts and only speculates based on the known facts and does not go into rabbit-hole theories.
Since the case on EAR/ONS is still open, he cannot provide names of suspects and POI. He was also sensitive in not revealing identities of surviving victims because of the nature of the crimes.
I do recommend it to anyone looking for a comprehensive study of the case because it is well-organized and provides a compendium of the cases.
I am looking forward to the publication of the book begun and nearly completed by Michelle McNamara
I enjoyed this book. It may not be to everyone's taste because the delivery seems dry. However, I was interested in getting the cases, timelines, and facts sorted out and this book did that for me.
The author sticks to the facts and only speculates based on the known facts and does not go into rabbit-hole theories.
Since the case on EAR/ONS is still open, he cannot provide names of suspects and POI. He was also sensitive in not revealing identities of surviving victims because of the nature of the crimes.
I do recommend it to anyone looking for a comprehensive study of the case because it is well-organized and provides a compendium of the cases.
I am looking forward to the publication of the book begun and nearly completed by Michelle McNamara
January 15, 2019
A pretty good book if you are interested in true crime / unsolved case type books. Dude is definitely not an author though. Worth a read if that kind of thing is your thing, but don't expect too much.
March 17, 2018
Excellent EAR / ONS
This book is a good rundown of the East Area Rapist aka The Golden State Killer aka The Original Night Stalker .This book is written by a Policeman involved in many of the original cases and has a lot of insight into the crimes.
This book is a good rundown of the East Area Rapist aka The Golden State Killer aka The Original Night Stalker .This book is written by a Policeman involved in many of the original cases and has a lot of insight into the crimes.
May 11, 2018
True Crime
Another book about the EAR-ONS. Again, the recent books about this offender are all alike. He was caught in April 2018 by comparing DNA. It will be interesting to see if he answers the questions about this investigation.
Another book about the EAR-ONS. Again, the recent books about this offender are all alike. He was caught in April 2018 by comparing DNA. It will be interesting to see if he answers the questions about this investigation.
July 6, 2023
Interesting read
I enjoyed hearing right from the investigator. There is so much information! A giant puzzle. I would love to read a follow up now that the psychopath has been caught. How did his family not know what he was up to? Maybe they did!
I enjoyed hearing right from the investigator. There is so much information! A giant puzzle. I would love to read a follow up now that the psychopath has been caught. How did his family not know what he was up to? Maybe they did!
November 13, 2018
Factual account
Factual account of a serial rapist. It's told in a detailed account and not in a story form. It can get dry at times.
Factual account of a serial rapist. It's told in a detailed account and not in a story form. It can get dry at times.
July 17, 2015
Spooky. Well written
A retired policeman involved in the hunt for a serial rapist-killer is the author. He doesn't embellish, just gives the facts. It's very effectively pieced together. Not sure why it's so scary, but it is.
The rapist-killer might actually be two or three people. The crimes extended over years and a wide swath of California. That's what makes it so spooky. This guy easily broke into umpteen regular homes. No one was safe.
There are a couple comments about bad Kindle formatting and typos. My ebook had none of that--they must have fixed the problem.
A retired policeman involved in the hunt for a serial rapist-killer is the author. He doesn't embellish, just gives the facts. It's very effectively pieced together. Not sure why it's so scary, but it is.
The rapist-killer might actually be two or three people. The crimes extended over years and a wide swath of California. That's what makes it so spooky. This guy easily broke into umpteen regular homes. No one was safe.
There are a couple comments about bad Kindle formatting and typos. My ebook had none of that--they must have fixed the problem.
September 29, 2020
One of my top 5 fav books. Richard did a magnificent job of putting all the details from police reports and this should be a future blueprint for cold case unsolved books. He gave us all the info you would need to try to solve this yourself. I read this before the killer was caught. A rare awesome job by a detective turned auther. Thanks RS
June 8, 2017
Probably the best book written on EARONS.
Great read.... Shelby is probably the most knowledgeable figure on the EAR-ONS subject, I hope they catch the sick SOB someday soon
Great read.... Shelby is probably the most knowledgeable figure on the EAR-ONS subject, I hope they catch the sick SOB someday soon
April 26, 2017
Motivation To Nail The Criminal Is A 5-Star; Oddly An Unsolved In An Age Of DNA; But The Actual Written Materials Lacks As A Book!
Read
May 8, 2018From a literary perspective, it's no work of art. It's riddled with spelling/grammar/punctuation errors, there's very little flow or consistency, and it can be a bit dry. That said, I'd still consider it a must-read for anyone interested in EARONS/GSK. Shelby presents a first hand account of investigative techniques used on the case at the time and how the police departments worked and interacted with one another. Readers might also enjoy the casual, conversational tone of the book as well- it's like having an older uncle or grandfather recount his days as a detective tracking one of the most prolific serial rapist/murderers in California.
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