New Netflix Series to Explore Richard Ramirez, Serial Killer the "Night Stalker"

As they have with many types of entertainment, Netflix has become a go-to destination for true [...]

By Patrick Cavanaugh

As they have with many types of entertainment, Netflix has become a go-to destination for true crime enthusiasts, with a new documentary series set to chronicle the horrifying crimes of Richard Ramirez, a.k.a. the "Night Stalker," per Dread Central. The new four-part series, Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, will chronicle not only the heinous crimes he committed, but will also explore how the figure was ultimately apprehended. The killer's crimes unfolded in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas in the mid-'80s, with Ramirez ultimately dying due to complications from B-cell lymphoma in 2013 while on death row. The new series is set to debut on Netflix on January 13, 2021.

The new series is described, "In the sweltering summer of 1985, a record-breaking heatwave hit Los Angeles, along with a series of murders and sexual assaults that at first seemed disconnected. The victims were men, women, and children. They ranged in age from six to 82. They came from different neighborhoods, racial backgrounds, and socioeconomic levels. Never before in criminal history had a single killer been responsible for such a grisly array of crimes. Racing against the clock to stop this nocturnal monster were a young detective named Gil Carrillo from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the legendary homicide investigator Frank Salerno. As they worked tirelessly to solve the case, the media hounded their tracks, and panic gripped California."

"Told through harrowing first-person interviews, gripping archival footage and spectacular original photography, this four-part series represents the definitive telling of this iconic L.A. real-life horror story, painting a portrait of how it felt to live in fear at a time when absolutely anyone could be the Night Stalker's next victim."

While Netflix initially delivered subscribers a variety of original movies and TV shows in its early years, 2015 saw the streaming service deliver audiences the first season of the true-crime series Making a Murderer, chronicling the trial of Steven Avery for the murder of Teresa Halbach. The intriguing series captured the attention of many viewers, leading towards the development of a number of other true-crime projects, including The Keepers, The Staircase, and this year's Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness. Though other series have chronicled more recent and unsolved investigations, the new series focusing on the Night Stalker will surely still draw plenty of attention to the tragic killings.

Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer debuts on Netflix on January 13, 2021.

Will you be checking out the new series? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!

Header photo courtesy of Bettmann/Getty Images

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