Night Stalker Quotes

“Mercedes took Richard to the hospital. He was examined perfunctorily and Mercedes was told he was an epileptic and was experiencing grand mal seizures. There was nothing to worry about—he’d “grow out of it.” He was not given any medication, nor was Mercedes asked to bring him back. At home, Ruth began noticing that her baby brother was having long staring spells in which he would just sit still and look at something—a wall, a table, the floor—for five, ten, fifteen minutes without speaking or moving. He was having petite mal seizures, but no one realized it then, and Richard wasn’t diagnosed or treated. Richard had one to two dozen of these petite mal attacks every month until he entered his early teens, when they, as well as the less frequent grand mal seizures, lessened and eventually stopped altogether. According to Dr. Ronald Geshwind, a certain number of people who suffer from temporal lobe epilepsy have altered sexuality and hyper-religious feelings, are hypergraphic (have a compulsion to write), and are excessively aggressive. Van Gogh, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Dostoevsky, and Lewis Carroll all suffered from temporal lobe epilepsy. Years later, after all the trouble, Richard would be diagnosed as having temporal lobe epilepsy.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“With books he could leave his cell and go wherever the story went.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“That first year in L.A., Richard became addicted to cocaine. It was 1978, and coke was the “in” drug, selling for $100 per gram. This was prior to the Colombian cartels applying modern corporate techniques to the importation and distribution of cocaine in the States, which brought the price of a gram down to thirty-five dollars by the mid-eighties.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“That night she again slept in the back of her brother’s car, hidden under her raincoat, afraid of the rats, of the police, and of men who got their kicks from hurting women. Ruth knew it was a cruel world filled with people who were capable of terrible things.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“Several of the Ramirez women would bring phallic-shaped vegetables with them on their visits and would sexually excite themselves with the vegetables while Ramirez watched.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“As always, the Stalker found out who was in the house. When he realized it was just Max and Lela, he entered their bedroom, turned on the lights, walked straight to their bed, kicked it, and said, “Rise and shine, motherfuckers!”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“Jerry Burke was just back from Portland and had very interesting news to report on the Avia Aerobic Shoe: only 1354 pairs had been made, and only six of those had found their way to the West Coast and been sold in L.A. Of those six pairs, only one was an 11 1/2. It was the only such shoe in L.A., and somehow the killer had found it.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“Usually, Salerno said, serial killers stick to the same type of victim. If their man had assaulted the two elderly women, he would be a new breed of killer: one whose victims could be anyone. His range, therefore, had absolutely no limit.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“Earlier he had put a sticker on the rear bumper of the car that read, “America, love it or leave it,” knowing most cops were patriotic and less likely to pull over a driver who so openly proclaimed his love of country.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“He believed in his heart the more heinous and vicious his assaults, the more Satan would be pleased and thus afford him his fiery blessings.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“He was certain that Satan, archenemy of Christ, of all things good, was traveling with him, and that Satan would protect him so long as he stayed evil in his heart and showed no mercy.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“I have an objection. I think that is fucked up!”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“What makes serial murder cases so difficult to solve is the fact that the killer and the victim are strangers. You’ve got two ships passing in the night and for no good reason, one blows the other out of the water.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“Hän uskoi sisimmässään, että mitä hirvittävämpiä ja pahempia hänen hyökkäyksensä olivat, sitä tyytyväisempi saatana olisi ja soisi hänelle tulisen siunauksensa.”
― Philip Carlo, Night Stalker – Richard Ramirezin elämä ja rikokset

“Publisher's Note Richard Ramirez died on June 7, 2013 from complications related to lymphoma. He was 53 years old and had been on death row for 23 years.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“Carlo: Give you a sense of well-being. Do you think young children, young teenagers, actually, should be kept away from music like that? Ramirez: No, because I believe that a person that ... a person that is destined or inclined to be evil will be evil with or without music. Music I don’t believe has a part in anything. Carlo: Even young, impressionable minds? Ramirez: Yes, yes ... because I believe that it is the environment that will determine who a child will grow up to be.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“Carlo: Do you feel that evil can be reincarnated? Ramirez: I hope so. [laughs]”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“Ramirez: There is no protection against a mass murderer, if you will. A mass murderer will come onto the scene—whether it be a post office, supermarket, restaurant—and open fire. Unless the bullets miss you, you will become a statistic. A serial killer, if he’s looking for certain type of women, certain type of victims, and you happen to match his preference ... it is possible that you could get away. You could even help in apprehending him, but it is said serial killers are very intelligent, otherwise they would not— Carlo: They would not be able to commit crimes over a long period of time. Ramirez: Exactly. What constitutes a serial killer right now is four murders or more, according to the FBI. Four murders is not that many but that’s what categorizes a serial killer. I suppose to avoid being a victim is— Carlo:—Being aware of the environment, being aware what’s around you? Ramirez:—Taking precautions, locking your doors, having your keys ready when you open doors ... being on guard. Carlo: Your keys ready when? Ramirez: When you open doors. Carlo: Look over your shoulder? Ramirez: Yes. Of course, one cannot live one’s life like that in today’s society, always aware. Especially if you haven’t already been the victim of a crime. When you are the victim of a crime, a violent crime such as an assault or mugging, then throughout your life that will be at the back of your mind. Those types of people are more aware than those who have never been a victim of any type of crime. But, sure, a serial killer takes opportunities, in the victims being in the right place at the right time. He takes advantage of that.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“Ramirez: Yes. Serial killers and most killers in general have a dead conscience. Carlo: When you say a dead conscience that means they don’t respond— Ramirez: No morals, no scruples, no conscience. They are ... uh ... they sometimes ... some of them don’t even care if they live or die themselves and they are just the walking dead.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“Carlo: The phenomenon of serial killers—is it a sexual thing, too, Richard? Is sex part of the crimes? Ramirez: Sex? For some serial killers, sure. For some it is the very act of killing another human being that is ... that ... uh ... that is sexual to them. It’s a bloodlust, I guess you can say.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“Carlo: Yeah. You were seen in court once with a Pentagram inside your hand and you held it up and showed it to the press and the audience. Why did you do that? Did you feel that it would protect you, or were you just making a statement that you were in alliance with the Devil? Ramirez: Yes, it was a statement that I was in alliance with ... the evil that is inherent in human nature. And ... that was who I was.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“The ceremony took place at 11 A.M. Mr. L. Weister, a civil servant would perform the ceremony. He was a tall robust man with a big, healthy red face and thick gray hair. Doreen was very nervous. Richard wanted to get the whole thing over with and get back to his cell. An author and one of Richard’s attorneys joined the wedding party. In front of an Alpine mural one of the inmates had painted, the ceremony took place. It was short and sweet—they did not say “until death do us part.” They exchanged vows, wedding rings, and it was over in two minutes. Richard gave Doreen a peck on the lips.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“She drove to San Francisco for them and picked out two simple wedding bands, hers gold and Richard’s platinum. When later asked why Richard told Doreen not to buy a gold ring for him, he said, “Because Satanists don’t wear gold.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“According to the California Penal Code, prisoners have the legal right to marry. The prison approved Richard’s marriage, and his and Doreen’s names were added to the list of ten inmates marrying that day, three from death row. It was quickly pointed out to a curious journalist by San Quentin’s public relations department that prisoners on death row do not have the right to conjugal visits.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“Marriages on death row occur every four months, and Richard promised her he would tell the prison to put him down for it. The next time they’d be able to wed, he said, was October 3rd.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“Richard had taken the Bimbo off his visiting list and had told Doreen that if he was moved to East block he would marry her. Since the first time she’d seen Richard on TV being taken away from the angry mob on Hubbard Street, she had wanted to marry him, to fight his battles, to be known as Mrs. Richard Ramirez.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“Thursday, June 27th of 1996, Richard Ramirez was moved out of the adjustment center to San Quentin’s East block, “Death Row,” where he would be allowed regular “contact visits” with his family and friends—the first since he’d been arrested.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“When Richard was asked recently how to avoid becoming the victim of a serial murderer, he said, “You can’t. Once they are focused on you, have you where you are vulnerable, you’re all theirs. Dahmer used to invite you home for a drink, and the next thing you knew, he’s eating you. Same thing with John Gacy: he’d put on his clown face, do a couple of tricks, and suddenly he had you handcuffed and in his control. What people can do is not trust someone you don’t know and to always be aware of what’s going on around you. When you drop your guard—that’s when a serial killer moves.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“In early 1995, when Richard was coming back to San Quentin from court appearances on the Pan matter in San Francisco, the prison’s metal detector went off. The guards searched him thoroughly and couldn’t find any contraband, yet the metal detector still sounded when they passed him through it again. Officials put him in front of an X-ray machine and discovered he had a handcuff key and a hypodermic needle in a little vial hidden in his anal cavity, a very common practice in jails around the world known as “keister-ing.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez

“Gere Russell, out of San Diego, is Richard’s appeals lawyer.”
― Philip Carlo, The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez