FREEWAY KILLERS - Patrick Kearney, William Bonin and Randy Kraft

NOTE! All of my fancy fonts are missing. That's why it looks kinda unpleasant to look at. Ugh.

A true crime presentation about the "Freeway Killers". They did not worked together, yet they shared the same nickname for some time. These three serial killers operated in the same area, killing the same type of victims. In this presentation I will overlay their troubled childhoods, crimes, modus operandi and their arrest & trial.

1. FREEWAY KILLERS

2. Patrick Kearney, William Bonin, and Randy Kraft are connected as part of a group often referred to as the " Freeway Killers ." Each of these serial killers operated independently in California during the 1970s and 1980s , primarily targeting young men and boys , and dumping their bodies along highways or freeways . While these three men did not work together , the similarities in their methods and the overlap in their timelines and locations led to them being associated with the same moniker. Teletext Style Workshop >> tv.ORF P.100.1 WHO ARE „FREEWAY KILLERS“?

3. >> tv.ORF P.200 Features of the topic Patrick Kearney

4. Theory lesson >> tv.ORF P.100.3 Born on September 24, 1939 in California. Bullied, often fantasized about killing his bullies (understandable). Him and his parents moved a lot. He was isolating himself. He did well in school and later in life he joined the U.S. Air Force, where he was trained as an engineer. His colleagues described him as quiet and introverted . Early Life

5. Theory lesson >> tv.ORF P.100.3 Kearney's victims were typically young men or teenage boys . M any o f them were hitchhikers or runaways . Kearney confessed to 28 murders , although only 21 were linked to him. Modus Operandi : Kearney would usually lure his victims into his vehicle , where he would shoot them in the head with a .22 caliber pistol. He would then take the bodies to his home, where he would sexually assault them post-mortem , dismember them, and dispose of the remains in industrial trash bags . These bags were often discarded along freeways or remote locations, leading to the nickname Trash Bag Killer . Crimes and MO

6. Theory lesson >> tv.ORF P.100.3 Kearney was arrested in July 1977 after being linked to the murder of John LaMay (17) who disappeared after leaving his home to meet Kearney . Kearney and his partner, David Hill, fled after the police investigation started closing in on them . T hey eventually surrendered to the police . Kearney confessed to 28 murders and was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole . Arrest

7. Theory lesson >> tv.ORF P.100.3 H e was fluent in Spanish . S ometimes he would beat the dead bodies . Kearney is currently serving his sentence in a California prison, having avoided the death penalty by cooperating fully with law enforcement and pleading guilty to the charges. Kearney‘s partner David Hill was investigated, but authorities did not find sufficient evidence to implicate him in Kearney's criminal activities. He was never charged with any crimes related to Kearney's murders. Fun Facts!

8. >> tv.ORF P.200 Features of the topic William Bonin

9. Theory lesson >> tv.ORF P.100.3 Born on January 8, 1947 in Connecticut, USA. Both parents were alcoholics. Mother was domineering and had severe mood swings. Father was a violent man who abused his wife and children. Bonin was sexually abused from an early age. His education was unstable, as he was frequently in and out various institutions. Bonin molested boys from his neighborhood, and this antisocial behaviour continued during his military service. Early Life

10. Theory lesson >> tv.ORF P.100.3 Bonin murdered at least 21 young boys and men between the ages 12 and 19 . Modus Operandi : Bonin would pick up his victims while they were hitchhiking . He would lure them into his van , where he would tie them up (or handcuff), assault, torture, rape and strangle them to death . After killing them, Bonin would dispose of their bodies along various freeways, which led to his nickname, The Freeway Killer . In 1969, he was comitted to a mental institution after he was caught assaulting a 16-year-old boy. There he was diagnosed with various disorders, including sexual sadism and antisocial personality disorder . He was released in 1971. He continued to commit increasingly violent crimes. Crimes and MO

11. Theory lesson >> tv.ORF P.100.3 Crimes and MO Vernon Butts A factory worker and part-time magician who shared Bonin's interest in sadism and torture . Butts actively participated in at least nine of the murders with Bonin. He would help Bonin abduct young male victims, restrain them, and sometimes even join in the torture and killin g. Butts was arrested along with Bonin. Before he could stand trial, Butts committed suicide in jail in 1981. Gregory Miley He was introduced to Bonin by Vernon Butts. Miley participated in the abduction, rape, and murder of at least two victims . He helped restrain the victims and was involved in their sexual assault. Miley was arrested and later testified against Bonin in exchange for a reduced sentence. He received a life sentence without the possibility of parole . Bonin did not always act alone. He had several accomplices over the years, including Vernon Butts, Gregory Miley and James Munro.

12. Theory lesson >> tv.ORF P.100.3 Crimes and MO James Munro He was a teenager from Michigan who met Bonin after running away from home. He was his roomate. Munro was involved in at least one murder with Bonin ( Steven Wells ) i n 1980. Munro’s participation was more out of a sense of loyalty and fear of Bonin rather than sadistic pleasure. Munro was arrested after Bonin's capture and he agreed to testify against Bonin. He was sentenced to life in prison . Vernon Butts Gregory Miley James Munro William Bonin

13. Bonin seemed obsessed with the case. He made daily trips to Orange County to buy newspapers. He would also tell people, " this guy is giving good gays like us a bad name ." Theory lesson >> tv.ORF P.100.7

14. Theory lesson >> tv.ORF P.100.3 Bonin was caught on June 11, 1980 . His arrest was the result of a massive investigation by the LAPD and the Orange County Sheriff‘s Department. They caught him raping a 17-year-old boy in his van . I nside Bonin's van, investigators discovered numerous artifacts which proved his culpability in the Freeway Killer murders. These included various restraining devices , knives , and a tire iron . Bonin was physically linked to many of the murders by blood and semen stains . He was later convicted for 14 of the murders, although he was strongly suspected of many more . Bonin was sentenced to death in 1982 . Arrest

15. Theory lesson >> tv.ORF P.100.3 After spending over 14 years on death row, William Bonin was executed by lethal injection at San Quentin State prison on February 21, 1996 . Hi s only major regret in life was that he had not pursued his teenage passion of bowling long enough to turn professional. His last meal : two large pizzas, three pints of ice cream and three six-packs of Coca-Cola . Bonin was pronounced dead at 12:13 a.m. He was 49 years old . Bonin's execution passed without complications, and he was heavily sedated throughout the latter stages of the procedure. Execution

16. >> tv.ORF P.200 Features of the topic Randy Kraft

17. Theory lesson >> tv.ORF P.100.3 Born on March 19, 1945 in Long Beach, California . Kraft was an only child of Harold and Opal Kraft. His father was an aircraft factory worker and mother was a homemaker. His parents were strict but loving . Kraft was intelligent and performed well academically . He studied economics on Claremont Men‘s College in California and planned to attend law school . He was active in political activities, conservative. During his college years, Kraft discovered he was a homosexual . He changed his conservative views to liberal in 1967. Early Life

18. Theory lesson >> tv.ORF P.100.3 While Kraft was in the USA Air Force, he told his parents he was gay. After his coming out he began to distance himself from his family. He was discharged from army when he announced his sexuality to superiors. His first sexual assault happened in 1970 when Kraft encountered a 13-year-old boy on the streets and invited him back into his apartment. There the 13-year-old boy was drugged , beaten , and repeatedly raped . The boy ran away when Kraft went to work (he worked as a bartender). The victim informed police in hospital. No charges were filed because the boy took the pills „voluntarily“ and the officers searched Kraft‘s apartment without a warrant. Crimes and MO

19. Theory lesson >> tv.ORF P.100.3 He is confirmed to have killed at least 16 young men , the number could be high as 67 . Modus Operandi : Kraft often picked up hitchhikers or lured victims with promises of drinks or drugs. He would typically drug his victims , then subject them to severe torture , rape , and ultimately murder . The method of killing varied but included strangulation , asphyxiation , and bludgeoning . Many of the victims were burned with a car cigarette lighter, usually around the genitals , chest , and face , and several were found with extensive blunt force trauma to the face and head . In several instances, foreign objects were found inserted into the victims' rectums , while other victims had suffered emasculation , or mutilation and dismemberment. Crimes and MO

20. Theory lesson >> tv.ORF P.100.3 An FBI profile of the killer was read to investigators, describing the individual as a methodical , organized lust killer of above-average intelligence who exhibited an indifference to the "interests and welfare of society “. Kraft ended his first relationship in 1976 and started to date 19-year-old baker named Jeff Seelig . In 1977 Patrick Kearney was caught. His MO was different from Kraft – Randy Kraft haven‘t used a gun . Kraft would dispose of the bodies along freeways , often dumping them in remote areas. Many of his victims were found having objects inserted into their bodies or parts of their anatomy mutilated. Crimes and MO

21. Theory lesson >> tv.ORF P.100.3 Randy Kraft was arrested on May 14, 1983 . California Highway Patrol officers pulled him over for erratic driving . In his car, they discovered the body of a young man who was strangled and tied up . The search of Kraft‘s car revealed a trove of evidence linking him to other murders, including photographs of the victims , and a „ score card “. The list contained a cryptic notes or nicknames for the victims . The names included: Angel, Diabetic, Portland, Oil, England, etc. Arrest

22. Theory lesson >> tv.ORF P.100.3 Kraft's trial began on September 26, 1988 in Orange County, California. Over 1,000 exhibits were introduced as evidence . These exhibits included physical evidence such as bloodstains , hair and fiber evidence , fingerprints , photographs of victims which depicted the men either dead, drugged, or asleep . The defense p ointed out that investigators had initially believed several of the 16 victims to have been killed by one of two other serial killers, Patrick Kearney and William Bonin . The trial lasted a total of thirteen months . On May 12, 1989 , Kraft was found guilty of sixteen counts of murder , one count of sodomy, and one count of emasculation. Trial

23. Theory lesson >> tv.ORF P.100.3 Aftermath Kraft in 2007 As of 2024, Kraft remains on death row at San Quentin State Prison . He continues to deny responsibility for any of the homicides he was either convicted of or suspected of committing .

24. CONNECTION BETWEEN KILLERS Practical exercise P.400.6 >> tv.ORF NAME YEAR PLACE MODUS OPERANDI Patrick Kearney 1962-1977 Los Angeles County, California Lure into vehicles, shoot them, necrophilia. William Bonin 1968-1980 Orange County + LA County, California Lure into van, handcuffed, rape, torture. Randy Kraft 1972-1983 Orange County, California Picked up hitchhickers, severe torture, rape.