[232], One Friday evening in March 1980, Bonin offered 17-year-old William Ray Pugh a ride home as the pair left Fraser's residence. [159] In an apparent effort to avoid investigators connecting his crimes, Bonin often drove to various counties to discard his victims' bodies far from the site of their abduction. [78], On February 20, 1996, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a plea for clemency submitted by Bonin's attorneys on the grounds of inadequate legal representation at both his trials. King was strangled to death before his body was discarded in Live Oak Canyon, Yucaipa. interviews, reportage, and information never released to the public, The Grim Sleeper captures the long, bumpy road to justice in one of the most [11] Bonin's parents were both alcoholics; his father was a machinist, an ill-tempered war veteran[10] and gambling addict who was frequently physically abusive toward his wife in the presence of his children, and who is known to have occasionally beaten his sons during his wife's absence. Ten days after the murder of Fox, 15-year-old Long Beach youth John Fredrick Kilpatrick was offered money for sexual services after leaving his parents' home to socialize with friends. I don't like [raping] some limp piece of meat. The People, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. William George Bonin, Defendant and Appellant", "Executed Inmate Summary: William George Bonin", "William George Bonin: Petitioner-appellant, v. Arthur Calderon, As Warden of San Quentin State Prison (9th Cir. Robert Christopher Wirostek (18): Disappeared on September 17, 1979, and found on September 27, 1979, in Orange County; raped and strangled to death with ligature after being assaulted with a tire iron. [40], In 1957, Bonin was arrested for stealing metal tags from vehicle license plates;[17] he was placed in a juvenile detention center for these offenses and various other minor crimes. He was primarily raised by his grandfather given that his father was an alcoholic and had an absentee. "[200], Bonin is not known to have killed again until on or about November 1, 1979, when he and Butts abducted and murdered an unidentified young man with brown hair, whom Bonin claimed to be 5 ft 6 in tall, and eighteen years of age. [309], Bonin was cleared of the sodomy and murder of King because he had led police to the body of the victim in December 1980, with the agreement that his leading police to the body could not be used against him in court, and therefore the prosecutors had discussed King's disappearance at the trial, but not the discovery of his body. Bonin was ordered to return to court on January 7 for pretrial motions and the formal setting of a trial date. [22] They attended St. Mary's Catholic School where staff repeatedly made complaints of Bonin's aggression toward other students, absence from school, not paying attention in class, and an incident in which he rode his bike into a group of young girls. [141], On April 10, Bonin was discharged from parole following his March 4, 1980, release. He was haunted by nightmares on a nightly basis concerning the incident,[332] dropped out of high school and became dependent on drugs and alcohol. [360] According to several of these witnesses, Bonin's execution passed without complications, and he was heavily sedated throughout the latter stages of the procedure. This book holds the entire details of the evidence, trial, and execution of William Bonin, a serial killer of the 1970's and 80's in California. In eleven of these indictments, a felony-murder-robbery special circumstance was also alleged. [399], Pugh was sentenced to six years in prison for the voluntary manslaughter of Harry Turner on May 17, 1982. [223][219] Bonin then strangled Macabe to death with his own T-shirt before the pair discarded his corpse alongside a dumpster at a construction site in Walnut City. Classified Ads. [148] His nude body was discovered on September 12, 1979. Warden Arthur Calderon gave the order to begin the execution at 12:09 a.m. and Bonin was pronounced dead at 12:13 a.m. Bonin spent his last day visiting with friends. At Bonin's subsequent trial, Munro recalled Butts recommending they discard Wells near a gas station. Shortly thereafter, Bonin's girlfriend notified his boss of his arrest, adding that the arrest was in connection to the Freeway Killer case and causing Munro already apprehensive at Bonin's absence from work that day to become frantic. William Bonin is known to some as the 'Freeway Killer,' thought to have raped, tortured and murdered a minimum of twenty-one boys and young men before he was executed in 1996. Page 1 of 1 . As they had eaten the burgers at Bonin's home, Bonin laughed and mused: "Thanks, Steve, wherever you are"[118] before Munro had also joined in the laughter. [42][13] As such, the two frequently argued about his homosexual attraction. According to Bonin and Munro, upon learning Wells was bisexual, Bonin engaged in consensual relations with Wells in the rear of his van before persuading the youth to accompany him to his parents' house, where the two engaged in further sexual relations on Bonin's parents' bed. King's mother, Lavada Gifford, had first wrote to Bonin in 1989, having read of his becoming a, On one occasion, Bonin claimed Butts had suggested to him the two should embark on a spree of murder in order that Butts would incorporate aspects of these murders into his. [119][120] Born and raised in Norwalk, Butts was nine years old when his father died,[121] and reportedly hailed from a broken home. Infamous Serial Killers Robbie Ruinsburg. He remained unmoved upon receipt of this sentence, having earlier informed his attorney he fully expected to formally receive the death penalty. And like many monsters of old balance, his singular hunger was the innocent, more specifically, adolescent boys. [180][165], On August 9, 1979,[183] Bonin was again detained for molesting a 17-year-old boy in the coastal community of Dana Point. the creepiest facts about the freeway killer William Bonin. He then traded places with Butts, who orally copulated and beat Murillo before squeezing his genitals in frustration at the youth's lack of sexual excitement. [269][270], Hours prior to the implementation of police surveillance of Bonin on the evening of June 2, he, accompanied by Munro,[118] encountered 18-year-old print shop worker Steven Jay Wells standing at a bus stop on El Segundo Boulevard. "[385], McVicker, the youth who had survived the 1974 assault and partial strangulation at Bonin's hands[99] and who personally witnessed Bonin's execution, was traumatized by his ordeal for several years. Bonin immediately ceased his assault and apologized before reverting to casual conversation. [72][73] Bonin raped the minor as he plead for his life, knocking him unconscious during the assault. As these verdicts were read by the clerk of court, many relatives and friends of Bonin's victims wept openly. [111] Months later in April 1979, Bonin's parole supervision concluded. [372] Kearney subsequently confessed to the murders of 28 boys and young men; many of whose bodies he had discarded alongside freeways in southern California. [321], Bonin's first trial lasted until January 6, 1982. Consequently, Bonin is not known to have formed any long-standing or close friendships throughout his adolescence. "[102] As McVicker was leaving Bonin's vehicle, Bonin further remarked, "We'll meet again. [267] On June 1, Bonin took Munro roller-skating with his girlfriend before abruptly informing Munro that night that he wanted them both to abduct, sexually assault, and murder a teenage hitchhiker. . He had most recently been eligible for parole in October 2014, after previously agreeing to a three-year continuance of his most recent request for parole. [333] He was tried before Superior Court Judge Kenneth Lae. [n 7] In 1977, Bonin was subject to further psychiatric examination; the results of this evaluation indicated his sexual involvement with young boys related to his mother's micromanagement of his life. Willimantic Willimantic is a census-designated place, former city and borough. [71] Offering to take him home, the youth attempted to flee the vehicle in response to Bonin's repeated questions regarding homosexuality. 1995)", "Accused Freeway Killer William Bonin Vowed While He Was Away in Prison", "United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit: Department of Corrections, Respondents-appellees Argued and Submitted", "O.C. To support this contention, Bonin's defense attorneys summoned Dr. David Foster, an expert on the developmental effects of violence and abuse on children, to testify as to the conclusions of the psychological examinations he had conducted on Bonin. "[131], Bonin subsequently asked for advice as to where to dispose of the corpse. [118] To further support this contention, the prosecution also presented forensic experts who testified that the fibers discovered upon the bodies of all six victims in question were a precise match with the carpeting in Bonin's van. "[131] According to Munro, Butts who had been dressed in a Darth Vader costume[276] prodded the body before replying, "Oh, you got another one!" [52][34] He was also self-conscious of his facial features, and refused to smile in public due to his misaligned teeth. These included his attorney, chaplain, and a prospective biographer. "[166] Following media coverage of his murders, Bonin also enthusiastically mentioned his killings to fellow co-workers at Dependable Drive-Away, stating, "He did it again. Butts then held Kendrick's mouth open while Bonin poured chloral hydrate down his throat, causing Kendrick to sustain caustic chemical burns to his mouth, chin, stomach and chest. Origina Place of death San Quentin State Prison These items included various restraining devices including lengths of nylon cord, an assortment of knives, a tire iron, and household implements such as pliers and wire coat hangers. [153] Bonin himself later likened his homicidal urges to that of an addiction, emphasizing to neurologists his scarcely being able to wait for the onset of dusk to begin his cruising[31] and referencing his feelings of extreme restlessness and sexual frustration in the hours prior to his murders,[154] emphasizing that he had felt an intense sense of excitement as he drove in search of his victims. "[386][387] In the years following Bonin's execution, McVicker has actively campaigned to ensure that his accomplices, Miley and Munro, remain incarcerated. As he bit into his hamburger, Bonin reportedly looked up to the ceiling and stated, "Thanks, Steve," before repeating the statement as he looked down to the floor, adding, "Wherever you are." . Norris further elaborated that Bonin had followed a depressingly familiar routine in his murders of luring or forcing his victim into his van before overpowering and binding his victim. Bonin was pronounced dead at 12:13a.m.[359] He was 49 at the time of his execution. William George Bonin, a.k.a. [69][12] Upon returning home, Bonin discovered that his fiance who by this stage had given birth to their son[2] had left him to marry another man. Miranda said he had about six dollars, after which Bonin told Miley to take Miranda's wallet;[217] then Bonin beat, bound, and gagged Miranda. Six officers from three of the jurisdictions in which the "Freeway Killer" had most regularly either abducted or deposited the bodies of his victims formed a task force dedicated to the apprehension of the suspect or suspects who, as one of the officers upon this assembled task force later recalled, was striking at an average rate of once every two weeks in the spring of 1980. Bonin became known as the "Freeway Killer", as well as the Freeway Strangler,[8] due to the fact that the majority of his victims' bodies were discovered alongside numerous freeways in southern California. The day after Bonin's arrest, Munro fled to his native Michigan, where he was arrested on July 31. Bonin would later claim to have carried "like a 186 [to] 190 average," noting his slightly above average rates as a youth were attained without receiving any professional tutoring. [100] Bonin then forced oral copulation on McVicker[73] before raping him as he simultaneously strangled him with his T-shirt and a tire iron in the front seat of his car. [244][245] Prior to disposing of Wood's body, Bonin allegedly drove to a scheduled job interview before eating pizza as he awaited the onset of dusk to safely discard the corpse. None of Bonin's relatives chose to witness his execution, although the event was witnessed by several relatives of his victims, many of whom wept and embraced when his death was officially confirmed. [302], Four days after his formal plea before Judge Leetham, Butts committed suicide by hanging himself with a towel in his cell. [241], Bonin then ordered Pugh to "beat him (Turner) up." Ashamed of his sexual attraction to younger children and male teachers, Bonin isolated himself from others to whom he struggled to relate. [242] His nude, hogtied and extensively beaten body was discarded in a Long Beach alleyway beside a dumpster, with his head resting against a nearby bench[243] close to the Pacific Coast Highway. Downey truck driver William Bonin, dubbed the Freeway Strangler or the Freeway Killer, murdered at least 21 boys and men between 1979 and 1980. Bonin growled and squeezed Jones' genitals before disclosing his sexual motive and parking behind a closed shopping center. serial murderers are the most When Butts made an accidental wrong turn, the youth became frantic, causing Bonin to extensively beat and bind the victim before torturing his genitals and sodomizing him. Munro also later testified that Butts had actively dissuaded Bonin from discarding Wells' body in the nearby canyons due to the late hour, and general police presence caused by recent media coverage. [31] Lacking motivation and frequently borrowing money from his parents, Bonin joined the military with his mother's encouragement in December 1966. David McVicker had also contacted authorities by this time to report his suspicions Bonin may be the Freeway Killer. He was released again in 1978. [31][89] These professionals also noted the psychological and emotional implications of Bonin's unhealthy relationship with his domineering mother, upon whom he remained emotionally dependent in spite of her low opinion of him,[49] and who maintained her son was essentially "worthless as a human being". Decided: June 28, 1995", "Crime History: Two More Fall Victim to L.A.'s Freeway Killer", "Bonin Accomplice Wants Freedom or Death, Not the Truth", "Twice-paroled Sex Offender Charged in Fourteen of Forty 'Freeway Killer' Murders", "Two Suspects Charged in Freeway Murders", "Freeway Killer: Third Man Held for Murder", "L. A. [381], Four months following Bonin's arrest, Bonin's 61-year-old father died of cirrhosis of the liver on October 11, 1980. I jumped down on him the same way, killing the guy. William George Bonin (January 8, 1947 - February 23, 1996) was an American serial killer and twice-paroled sex offender, also known as the Freeway Killer, [1] who committed the rape, torture and murder of a minimum of 21 boys and young men in a series of killings in 1979 and 1980 in southern California. Bonin's ashes were later scattered over the Pacific Ocean. His fully clothed body was found alongside Highway 71 in the outskirts of Chino,[212][186][213] although his body was not identified until March 24. In one article published in the San Francisco Chronicle three days prior to Bonin's execution, editor Robert Morse opined: Bonin was abused as a child. The Freeway Killer: The Socking True Story of Serial Killer William Bonin America: home of the free, land of the brave. During his time in Vietnam, he raped two fellow soldiers at gun point. [232] He was bound, beaten and strangled to death after an estimated eight hours of captivity[234] before his body was discarded alongside that of Barker in Cleveland National Forest, close to the Ortega Highway. Contemporary records reveal Bonin fainted "dead away for ten minutes" from stress related to acknowledging his sexual orientation during his first interview at the Atascadero hospital. Seven of the 14 victims killed by "Freeway Killer" William George Bonin during 1979 and 1980: #1--James Michael McCabe; #2--Marcus Grabs; #3--Donald Hyden; #4--David Murillo; #10--Charles Miranda; #11--James Michael McCabe; #12--Ronald Gatlin. [223], To subdue the child, Bonin began repeatedly punching him in the stomach, mouth, and leg. He would then repeatedly rape his captive between and throughout instances of torture, before finally reaching the "climax of the orgy" by killing his victim. 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