The case for the East Area Rapist and Original Night Stalker has its fair share of misconceptions. One common falsehood relates to the items the perpetrator would steal. More often than not you will see people — particularly with an online venue — say he didn’t take items that are worth much value. Moreover, people believe he didn’t take paper cash but would rather have coins instead. While all of that is technically true to some extent, there are many incidents where he took items that are expensive, especially for the era at the time. Here is a list of all the stolen items we’re aware of (excellently compiled by ProBoards user, EchoMint). I will be providing a list of vehicles associated with each attack and a backstory and context with intriguing details if the situation is in need of it.

Quick Side Note and Disclaimer: The majority of researchers, whether online sleuths or investigators from the police, believe the East Area Rapist had a vehicle or some means of transportation other than a bicycle. This is a logical conclusion based on the evidence and extreme traveling. However, for the sake of facts, we do not know if the perpetrator actually used or owned a vehicle. We cannot pin him to one particular car possibly driven by him. What we do know, however, is that there were many suspicious vehicles in attack locations. Since this blog post is about the stolen items at each attack, I’m including possible vehicles that were reported simply because, depending on the items taken, a vehicle would more than likely be needed to haul them away. Perhaps this list and method can narrow things down.

Attack #1 in Rancho Cordova on June 18, 1976 – A few packs of Winston cigarettes, $10.00 in cash, and approximately four silver dollars.

Vehicle: Dark medium-sized American vehicle.

Attack #5 in Citrus Heights on October 5, 1976 – Earrings, a diamond ring, a bracelet, and other various jewelry, and a piggy bank belonging to her son.

Vehicle: 1952 Green Chevy Vega.

Attack #6 in Rancho Cordova on October 9, 1976 – Three earrings from different sets and a couple of rings that the victim was wearing. This occurred on El Segundo Dr. In 1973, the family was living one block away on Dawes St. Their home was burglarized by an unknown individual on March 7, 1973. It could be a coincidence or it could mean the East Area Rapist was active longer than we originally thought.

Vehicle: Unknown.

Attack #7 in Rancho Cordova on October 18, 1976 – Wedding rings and other jewelry. In 1991, this victim was called by the East Area Rapist; fifteen-years later even after she changed her address and phone number. This was also the woman who tried easing the torment by complimenting her offender during the assault.

Vehicle: Unknown vehicle spotted in a field with its headlights on behind the victim’s home. Another vehicle was a Lincoln Continental which has been ruled out.

Attack #8 in Rancho Cordova on October 18, 1976 – A pair of car keys. In this assault, the East Area Rapist attacked the victim as she pulled into her driveway and opened the door. Subsequently, he led her to behind the house near a canal. When he left, he took her keys and took her vehicle containing her dog and drove it a few blocks away before abandoning the car.

Vehicle: Unknown.

Attack #9 in Citrus Heights on November 10, 1976 – A six-inch paring knife with a serrated edge. During this month, law enforcement lifted the blackout for making the crimes public. Community meetings were conducted to warn families about the situation and provided information on how to protect themselves.

Vehicle: Unknown.

Attack #11 in Sacramento on January 18, 1977 – Paper money, a digital clock, a pair of keys, an assortment of jewelry, and a cut-out photograph of the victim. This was the very first (confirmed) attack in Sacramento.

Vehicle: Blue Sedan.

Attack #15 in Rancho Cordova on March 18, 1977 – Two rings, the teenager’s driver’s license, and her sister’s school identification. Out of all of the attacks committed by the perpetrator, this was the only assault where the victim managed to see the suspect’s face because he was wearing an open-faced mask.

Vehicle: White Chevy station wagon with brown trimming and a yellow pickup truck.

Attack #17 in Carmichael on April 15, 1977 – Marijuana, a half gram of cocaine, and a pill bottle containing two beans. When this attack occurred, the following afternoon the police discovered the pill bottle with two beans behind the next-door neighbor’s yard.

Vehicle: Unknown.

Attack #20 in Citrus Heights on May 14, 1977 – Paper money along with Canadian coins, and various rings.

Vehicle: Unknown black vehicle and a van.

Attack #21 in Carmichael on May 17, 1977 – Money and jewelry. The occupants of this residence belonged to the male individual who berated Richard Shelby and Carol Daly on the second evening of the town hall meeting being held. He stated that if this happened in Italy, his birthplace, this case would already be solved. He also mentioned that no man would sit idly by and rape his wife. Seven months later, his family was targeted.

Vehicle: Brown El Camino and brown Dodge Charger.

Attack #23 in Stockton on September 6, 1977 – Wedding and engagement rings, along with the male homeowner’s onyx ring, a pair of cufflinks, a tie pin, and five silver dollars.

Vehicle: White station wagon, an older small vehicle, and a Volkswagen.

In light of the recent information released to the public by the Sacramento County Sherrif’s Department on February 2, 2018, I’d like to present that information in the context of this assault and burglary. The East Area Rapist took a three-month break after his twenty-second attack on May 28, 1977. Nobody could figure out why, but the speculation went rampant. However, it’s possible he suffered a severe shoulder injury. According to detectives and nurses working at American River Hospital — now closed — in Carmichel, California, a man entered the hospital seeking treatment for a shoulder injury. It’s uncertain as to why the staff thought he could be the perpetrator police have been seeking, and they haven’t released details on his appearance, but they felt uncomfortable enough to notify law enforcement about the patient. By the time the police arrived, the man had fled. He was reported using an identification card that was stolen two years prior. The initials “BK” was used as a name to sign a form. The East Area Rapist went inactive until reemerging on September 6, 1977, in Stockton, California. Whether the injured patient was the notorious serial rapist is unknown.

Attack #26 in Sacramento on October 29, 1977 – Wedding rings.

Vehicle: 1963-1964 Ford Falcon.

Attack #28 in Foothill Farms on December 2, 1977 – A spare house key, two pictures of the victim, and a Royal portable electric typewriter. On the early morning hours of December 11, 1977, law enforcement, the Mayor, and a television studio received a typewritten poem titled “Excitement’s Crave.” It was discovered that the typewriter used was the same exact model stolen from the victim a week beforehand. Though it can’t be determined if the typewriter was the same one taken, the coincidences are staggering.

Vehicle: Beige station wagon and an old Chevy vehicle.

Attack #29 in Sacramento on January 28, 1978 – Paper cash, two earrings that were made out of dimes, and two photographs of the victim.

Vehicle: Unknown.

Attack #30 in Stockton on March 18, 1978 – Earrings, an assortment of rings, a photograph of the victim, along with her driver’s license, $13.00 in paper cash, and $150.00 dollars in quarters, dimes, and nickels in two jars.

Vehicle: Old faded van, orange flamed van, and a 1972 green Pinto.

Attack #32 in Modesto on June 5, 1978 – $1500.00. This was his first time attacking in this town.

Vehicle: A sports car with a loud exhaust.

Attack #34 in Modesto on June 23, 1978 – A .357 revolver and wedding bands. Prior to this attack, a cab driver picked up an individual at the United Airlines terminal. The unknown male asked to be taken to “Sylvan and Coffee.” When they were near the drop-off point, the man asked to be let out. When he did, he walked across a vacant field to a neighborhood that had many houses under construction. Hours later the soon-to-be victims of attack #34 were assaulted–they lived in this area. The cab driver described the man to be approximately 30-35 years old and roughly 5’8 – 5’9 in height. He had a medium body frame and light brown hair. He wore all dark clothing and had a suitcase with him.

Vehicle: Unknown.

Attack #35 in Davis on June 24, 1978 – 17 rolls of pennies. What’s compelling about this attack is how the perpetrator knew the victim’s nickname. This wasn’t a nickname that could have been learned inside of the victim’s residence. Additionally, a composite sketch was created of an individual who had been peeping into windows of homes near the victim two days after the attack on Shire Lane.

Vehicle: Unknown, but a bicycle was seen.

Attack #36 in Davis on July 6, 1978 – Postage stamps and $27.00 in cash.

Vehicle: Unknown.

Attack #37 in Concord on October 7, 1978 – Camera equipment, appliances, utensils, and Chinaware dishes, $4,000.00 of jewelry, and miscellaneous items. This particular burglary is compelling for a couple of reasons. The first being is that this was the first time the East Area Rapist attacked in this town (that we are aware of). Therefore, he possibly didn’t feel as comfortable here as he did in other towns he frequented. Moreover, this haul was quite substantial–more than he typically stole from homes. With those two things combined, along with the items that were taken, it suggests that the perpetrator had a getaway vehicle nearby. This was an offender who preferred traveling light and leaving quickly from crime scenes. Carrying Chinaware dishes, camera equipment, and other items is a difficult task due to the weight. If someone spotted him, he would more than likely have to run; abandoning the stolen goods or risk damaging them during the chase. Also, if he did have to run for a particular reason, the items would make a lot of noise rattling together. All of this logical deduction presents the likelihood of the suspect having a vehicle very close by.

Vehicle: Dark colored Falcon with a loud exhaust, a white van, an aqua-green van, Volkswagen, and a green Chevy Fleetside pickup truck.

Attack #38 in Concord on October 13, 1978 – A television cable.

Vehicle: Unknown.

Attack #41 in San Jose on December 2, 1978 – A gold nugget wedding ring, a General Electric digital clock radio, $70.00 in paper cash, and a 6-pack of Coors beer.

Vehicle: Unknown.

Attack #42 in Danville on December 9, 1978 – The victim’s driver’s license, a ring, and an antique stickpin and two pendants. This is the assault where the police and their bloodhounds followed the perpetrator’s scent to railroad tracks nearby, which ultimately led them to an area nearby where they believe the suspect parked his vehicle. There were three notebook pages found that is commonly referred to as “The Homework Pages.”

Vehicle: Dark colored van.

Attack #43 in Sacramento on March 20, 1979 – $3,000.00 worth of jewelry.

Vehicle: Unknown.

Attack #44 in Fremont on April 5, 1979 – $1,600.00.

Vehicle: Unknown.

Attack #45 in Walnut Creek on June 2, 1979 – A nightgown and an address book. The perpetrator had broken into the home prior to the assault when the occupants were away. The address book contained various residences that the teenage resident often babysat. The perpetrator would taunt her by prank phone calling homes she was looking after at the time, along with her own residence.

Vehicle: Maroon El Camino and a stolen bicycle.

Attack #47 in Walnut Creek on June 15, 1979 – The victim’s hairbrush.

Vehicle: Unknown.

We are now entering the East Area Rapists’ “Original Night Stalker” phase when he transitioned south to commit crimes.

Attack #1 in Goleta on October 1, 1979 – $13.00.

Attack #2 in Goleta on December 30, 1979 – A fur coat, a Minolta camera, a large buck knife, and the victim’s medical bag. It was this attack where the perpetrator turned into a serial killer, murdering both Robert Offerman and Debra Manning. Moreover, he ate the family’s leftover Christmas turkey.

Vehicle: White mid-1970’s Pontiac Sedan.

Attack #3 in Ventura on March 13, 1980 – Jewelry.

Attack #5 in Irvine on February 5, 1981 – Jewelry, an answering machine tape, a crystal ball with a wooden base, and a “cannonball” lamp. Those two items weigh approximately nine pounds each. During the crime scene investigation, law enforcement also found a television near a fence.

As for stolen items per town, here is a compilation of how active he was:

Rancho Cordova – 4x

Citrus Heights – 2x

Carmichael – 3x

Sacramento – 2x

Foothill Farms – 1x

Modesto – 2x

Davis – 2x

Concord – 2x

San Jose – 1x

Danville – 1x

Fremont – 1x

Walnut Creek – 3x

Goleta – 2x

Ventura – 1x

Irvine – 1x

Closing Thoughts

There have been many other stolen items more than likely committed by the offender. On several occasions, he would break into homes that he never returned later to assault the occupants. Throughout these various break-ins, a plethora of items stolen were items such as personal identification (and social security number cards), coins, jewelry, electronics, and a wide array of class rings from the coast guard and competitive wrestling, along with a vintage 1920 ring.

This list of stolen items could one day be beneficial. If the East Area Rapist took these items for a trophy collection — and not pawning or selling them to street dealers — there is a possibility he has these items right in plain sight or stored away in a secret location (storage shed, safe). It’s worth remembering and to always be on the lookout; the items could be placed in an online ad through Craigslist or other various means such as eBay and Facebook yard sales.

Furthermore, if the perpetrator ever settled down with a girlfriend and or wife, he could have given away some of the jewelry to a significant other. Sadly, the options are endless, but one thing that is interesting is that jewelry isn’t something people toss away. These are items that hold sentimental value and are sometimes passed down as heirlooms across family members.

Ultimately, the one thing that everyone should be asked is to simply be aware of your surroundings and always keep your eyes out for these items. You never know what you might stumble across.