How Did Richard Ramirez Die? Here’s Why the Night Stalker's Demise Didn't Happen on Death Row 12 Years Ago

Richard Ramirez — a.k.a. nan Night Stalker — terrorized Los Angeles pinch his twisted crimes successful nan 1980s.

From April 1984 to August 1985, Ramirez killed astatine slightest 13 people, sneaking into their homes successful nan mediate of nan nighttime done unfastened windows and unlocked doors, per CBS News. But his way of panic didn’t extremity there: Ramirez besides robbed, raped and hit galore others, utilizing a wide assortment of weapons (including handguns, knives and moreover a tyre iron) to inflict his brutality, according to CBS. The randomness of his attacks and methods near authorities perplexed — and allowed Ramirez to flight seizure for much than a year.

However, nan Texas-born murderer was eventually caught connected Aug. 31, 1985, arsenic he attempted to bargain a car successful East L.A. An angry mob of citizens — who recognized him from media sum arsenic nan Night Stalker — surrounded him, beating him pinch a alloy rod until constabulary arrived.

It would return different 4 years for Ramirez to beryllium brought to proceedings for his crimes. But connected Sept. 20, 1989, nan man known arsenic nan Night Stalker was recovered blameworthy of each 43 counts — including 13 counts of murder, 5 attempted murders, 11 intersexual assaults and 14 burglaries. Ramirez was fixed a full of 13 decease sentences, and was sentenced to beryllium executed by state chamber, The New York Times reported. Ramirez died successful June 2013 astatine 53 years old, according to nan Los Angeles Times.

“He ne'er showed immoderate remorse for what he had done,” Frank Salerno, 1 of nan detectives who helped seizure Ramirez, said successful nan 2017 Reelz docuseries Murder Made Me Famous. “He was axenic evil.”

So really did Richard Ramirez die? From nan Night Stalker’s last days to his continued notoriety, here’s everything to cognize astir his decease down bars.

How did Richard Ramirez die?

Ramirez died while awaiting execution for nan drawstring of horrific crimes he committed successful California betwixt 1984 and 1985. Initially, California corrections officials stated that Ramirez died of earthy causes, per nan Los Angeles Times. However, a coroner’s study released 10 days aft his decease revealed that he had died owed to complications from humor cancer.

According to nan Marin County coroner’s office, Ramirez had B-cell lymphoma — a communal shape of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It was not clear erstwhile Ramirez had been diagnosed pinch crab aliases whether he had been receiving curen for it.

Additionally, Ramirez had different important conditions astatine nan clip of his death, including “chronic constituent maltreatment and chronic hepatitis C viral infection.” The supplier maltreatment occurred anterior to Ramirez’s imprisonment (more than 2 decades earlier) and was apt nan origin of his hepatitis C infection, nan Marin County adjunct main lawman coroner told USA Today.

“It's apt thing that he has been dealing pinch for years,” nan coroner said astir Ramirez’s hepatitis C infection, per USA Today. “It’s sidesplitting your liver.”

Shortly aft his seizure and arrest, a friend of Ramirez's named Donna Myers confirmed that Ramirez had started to usage cocaine nan twelvemonth prior, dissolving it successful h2o and shooting it up. (Hepatitis C is often dispersed by nan usage of intravenous drugs, per USA Today.)

“He had trim marks, you know, tracks, moving crossed his near arm,” Myers told PEOPLE astir Ramirez’s extended supplier abuse. “He collapsed disconnected a needle successful his limb 1 day... he sewage truthful hooked connected cocaine he conscionable sewage wigged out.”

When did Richard Ramirez die?

Ramirez died astatine 9:10 a.m. connected June 7, 2013, according to nan Los Angeles Times.

Where did Richard Ramirez die?

Ramirez died astatine Marin General Hospital successful Greenbrae, Calif., according to nan Los Angeles Times.

He had been admitted to nan infirmary earlier successful nan week from San Quentin State Prison, wherever he had been connected decease statement since receiving his condemnation successful 1989.

How aged was Richard Ramirez erstwhile he died?

Ramirez, who was calved connected Feb. 29, 1960, was 53 years aged erstwhile he died.

What were Richard Ramirez’s past words?

While Ramirez’s last words earlier his decease are unknown, his statements astatine his sentencing made it clear that he did not fearfulness dying.

When nan assemblage recommended nan decease punishment connected 19 different counts astatine his October 1989 trial, Ramirez appeared unbothered.

“Big deal,” he told reporters, per nan Los Angeles Times. “Death comes pinch nan territory. See you successful Disneyland.”

At his sentencing 1 period later, successful November 1989, Ramirez delivered a chilling speech to nan packed courtroom — which included members of his family, victims who survived his attacks and relatives of those he killed.

“You don’t understand me. You are not expected to. You are not tin of it. I americium beyond your experience,” Ramirez said, according to nan Los Angeles Times.

He continued, “I americium beyond bully and evil. I will beryllium avenged. Lucifer dwells successful america all. That’s it.”

What was nan nationalist guidance to Richard Ramirez’s death?

Emotions surrounding Ramirez’s decease were mixed. Some expressed alleviation complete nan extremity of nan serial killer’s life, while others felt disappointed that he did not look nan execution by state enclosure that he was sentenced to.

Law enforcement officials viewed nan decease of nan notorious serial slayer arsenic nan closing of “a acheronian section successful nan history of Los Angeles,” NBC Los Angeles reported.

Though Ramirez was ne'er executed, Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Alan Yochelson expressed to nan Los Angeles Times that “some measurement of justness has been achieved,” since nan notorious slayer lived retired nan past two-plus decades of his life down bars.

Many of Ramirez’s surviving victims and relatives of those he killed, however, felt that nan slayer known arsenic nan Night Stalker did not merit to unrecorded arsenic agelong arsenic he did.

“It’s astir time,” Bill Carns, 1 of nan past group attacked by Ramirez, told nan Los Angeles Times. “He should person been put to decease an atrocious agelong clip ago.”

Reyna Pinon, nan woman of 1 of nan men who helped seizure Ramirez, echoed a akin sentiment: “To me, he had a amended decease than each those group whose lives he took,” she said.

Doreen Lioy, a freelance mag editor who Ramirez joined successful 1996 while successful prison, declined to remark to reporters pursuing Ramirez’s death. However, Ramirez’s relatives successful El Paso, Texas, released a connection asking for privacy.

“We are mourning nan nonaccomplishment of our boy and brother, Richard Ramirez,” nan family told nan El Paso Times. “The world judged him, whether reasonably aliases unfairly, it nary longer matters. He is now earlier nan existent judge, nan judge that sees and knows each things. We inquire that you respect our sorrow and grief.”

How person Richard Ramirez’s crimes been portrayed successful nan media?

Ramirez’s estimation arsenic 1 of nan most notorious serial killers successful history has lived connected since his 2013 decease — particularly successful nan L.A. area. Signs of nan panic nan Night Stalker inflicted connected confederate Californians successful nan 1980s still stay intact today.

“Everybody kept their windows open and he was crawling successful windows,” Tiller Russell, who directed nan 2021 Netflix docuseries Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, told PEOPLE. “So to this time successful L.A., erstwhile you thrust around, that’s why location are bars connected nan windows.”

The haunting representation of Ramirez has besides been kept live done popular civilization references, pinch his life and crimes inspiring songs, tv shows, films and documentaries. Since Ramirez’s death, nan 2016 movie The Night Stalker, nan 2024 movie MaXXXine, episodes of American Horror Story and aggregate documentaries and docuseries person each told his sadistic story.