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[switch clicks]

[voice playing on record]

These tapes, they were meant
to be confidential.

They were never meant to
be released.

[voice playing on record]

Knowing that these
tapes exist,

I'm totally flabbergasted.

I can't even believe it.

I can't even believe it.

[voice playing on record]

I've covered many many murder
stories in my

forty eight year career
on television.

And what happened on
these murders,

and how these poor
young victims died,

turned my stomach.

[voice playing on record]

It came a point where,

it was almost like you picked
up the newspaper

and it would be
another murder.

[voice playing on record]

This guy had to be stopped.
And so, as a citizen,

I did what I had to do.

I did what I had to do.

[waves splashing]

Well back in the '70s,

there was a feeling at that
time that

people wanted to be free.

Hitchhiking was very popular.

Hitchhiking was very popular.

The young people, specially
the men, would hitchhike.

It was very perfectly safe.

My name is Ronald E Bowers.
Back in 1979,

I was a senior prosecutor for
the Los Angeles County

District Attorney's Office.

Marcus Grabs was a west German
exchange student.

He'd come to
the United States.

He'd come to
the United States.

Didn't have a lot of money,
so he was hitchhiking.

Marcus Grabs came to
Newport Beach.

He spent the day or two there,

but then he wanted to go
up the coast

and see more of California.

So he had his backpack
all packed,

and he walked over to the
Pacific Coast Highway...

[voices playing on record]

[man 1 speaking]

[man 2 speaking]

[newscaster] Marcus
Grabs, seventeen, west Germany

was discovered stabbed to
death in the Tapis Park area,

north of Malibu.

Forensic tests have shown
that Grabs

Forensic tests have shown
that Grabs

had been sexually assaulted.

[camera shutter clicks]

[indistinct radio chatter]

[Ronald]
The police are wondering,
this seemed very strange.

In such a remote location,
a nude body of a young man.

In such a remote location,
a nude body of a young man.

But there were no clues.
There was nothing
at the crime scene

that tipped off
who could've done it.

[siren blaring]

The police, they needed to
find evidence.

But back in the '70s,

we didn't have all the
forensic technology

that we have today.

That was when they contacted
different homicide bureaus

asking them if there's any
similar sex crimes

they're investigating.
And they said, yes there was.

they're investigating.
And they said, yes there was.

There was a young man in
the San Fernando Valley

and he disappeared.

[Brenda]
I always remember
the '70s as

being the best time
of my life.

This is the house that Tommy
and I grew up in.

And back in the '70s,

there was a lot of kids
playing in the street here.

We used to play
baseball a lot.

We used to play
baseball a lot.

My name is Brenda Axtell,

and I lived in the
San Fernando Valley.

My brother Tommy was really,
always hustled to get money.

And one of the things,
he got a job

selling flowers on
the street corners.

It was probably about seven
o'clock in the evening.

My mother, she was acting
very strange,

My mother, she was acting
very strange,

and I said what's wrong,
and she said

"Tommy hasn't come home yet."

An hour went by,
another hour went by

and then I was talking to
my dad,

my dad was watching TV

and the 11 o'clock news
came on.

[newscaster] The nude body of
a young boy was was found off

Mulholland Highway today.

Stabbed multiple times,
and sexually mutilated.

Investigators say the body...

[Brenda]
I just remember my dad
flying out of the chair.

[Brenda]
I just remember my dad
flying out of the chair.

He called the
Sheriff's Department

and asked about it,

and they said why do you want
to know about this and he said

because I think it's my son.

It was him.

And he was pretty much
unrecognizable almost, so...

You can't even really
explain it.

The devastation it causes.

The devastation it causes.

[Ronald] In many cases,
homicide detectives

don't have all the pieces.

But, in this case,

one of the few things they had
to work on was

Marcus Grabs
and Tommy Lundgren were

found in the very same area.

And there was also the coroner
doing the autopsy,

noticed that each one of the
boys had been sodomized.

So, is there a connection?

[Dave]
In 1979, I was 29 years old.

And it had always been
my dream to become

a reporter at a big time
TV station.

a reporter at a big time
TV station.

My name is Dave Lopez.

I was the main street reporter
in Southern California

in the late '70s.

I covered, you know,
all kinds of stories.

Political stories,
crime obviously,

but, on this young man,

a 13 year old boy,
in the Valley...

People moved to the Valley to
get away from the crime,

so they felt safe.

And so to have someone
just disappear,

he's just a young
13 year old kid,

who wanted to make a few bucks
and uh,

you know, minding his
own business.

How preposterous is it,

that that person would become
a murder victim.

In that particular area,
obviously it becomes big news.

But it took a while before

the mainstream news media
became aware...

the mainstream news media
became aware...

"Hey, wait a minute.
We've got a real

heavy duty sexual predator
out there."

[newscaster] A body of an
unidentified male was found...

[continues indistinctly]

Five days after Marcus Grabs
body was found,

a third body was found in
San Bernardino County.

That had been there for
maybe a week.

It was Mark Shelton.

Homicide Sheriffs are
wondering what is going on.

So the San Bernardino County
Sheriff's Department

contact the Los Angeles County
Sheriff's Department

to see if there is

something that they might have
that's similar.

And they said, yes, there was.
There were some young men

who were nude, who were
sexually molested,

and they were found
in a remote location.

That began the sharing of
information between the

That began the sharing of
information between the

different homicide bureaus.

Because, was there
a serial killer on the loose?

[newscaster] A body found on
Monday was identified

as Donald Ray Hayden.

fifteen, of Hollywood.

He'd been stabbed to death and
sexually molested

before being left
in the dumpster

just north of the
Ventura Freeway.

The Hayden murder is already
being considered

the fourth body

the fourth body

in a series that includes
three other killings

over the past few months.

[radio buzzing]

I remember talking to
a couple of the

Orange county investigators.

I think I found out
after the fourth murder,

that there was some kind of
connection to this.

Only because of the way these
kids were being

brutally killed in almost
the same scenario.

The one thing that police had
in those days is, you know,

they kept stats.

So when this came along,
and you started having

So when this came along,
and you started having

an influx, an unbelievable
rise in these

vicious, horrendous murders,

they knew something was wrong.

I kept bugging these guys,
over and over again

about a connection.

[newscaster] This is a channel
two special presentation.

The scene always
looks the same,

a young, white, thin male,
completely nude.

a young, white, thin male,
completely nude.

Signs of strangulation,
many with rope burns

around the ankles and wrists.

And the big question is,
who and how many people

are responsible
for these murders?

We're not formulating any
speculations beyond

this homicide now,

but neither are we
closing our minds

to the facts that there are

other cases here in
Los Angeles

and outside of
Los Angeles that

are so far unsolved homicides.

Investigators are
very reluctant

to answer that question.

to answer that question.

[Vonda] Knowing that these
tapes exist,

I'm mesmerized.

I'm about to listen to this
man's voice

that I have not heard for
40 years.

I'm Dr. Vonda Pelto,
Clinical Psychologist,

hired into the Los Angeles
County Men's Jail

where I saw William Bonin
on many occasions.

where I saw William Bonin
on many occasions.

[man 1 speaking]

[man 2 speaking]

The thing I'm most taken with

is, he could be talking about
the Dodger baseball game,

no affect, no remorse.

[switch clicks]

[man 1 speaking]

[man 2 speaking]

Clinicians rarely ever have
an opportunity

to really listen to someone
who is killed

without any kind of guilt.

without any kind of guilt.

[man 2 speaking]

It's unbelievable that this
was sitting somewhere

and never exposed to
the light.

[helicopter hovering]

[Wyatt]
By 1980, law enforcement
was concerned

that there was a serial killer
out there.

We can usually go back to once
we've identified the person

We can usually go back to once
we've identified the person

to where they were last seen
by someone...

It can create panic
on the public.

And so, I didn't want to be
a part of confirming

it was a serial killer.

Hello. My name is Wyatt Hart.

I was the press
information officer

for the Orange County
Sheriff's Department.

There are some similarities
to the cases, yes.

[Reporter] Enough to make you
think that it's the work

of the same person?

Yes, it could be.

[Wyatt] You have to be
very careful about
what you put out.

[Wyatt] You have to be
very careful about
what you put out.

It's very important that you
give them the information,

but it has to be filtered.

We can only assume that
that information that is
released to the press

is also released to the
persons involved
in these crimes,

which could hamper
our investigation.

We kept recommending
you know,

and putting out, you know,
that, don't hitchhike.

[newscaster] At Marina
Highschool in Huntington Beach

and at other high schools in
Orange County as well,

the word is out.

Two days ago,
in preparing this report,

a trip along Beach Boulevard,

a trip along Beach Boulevard,

and there were no hitchhikers.

Dave Lopez was a great help

to law enforcement from CBS
News, for example.

Wyatt Hart was this old,
wonderful, wonderful man.

Very kind. Very very patient.

And we worked together
on television.

I told the story of what the
hell was going on,

and he had required
the help of the media

to get attention to what
they were working on.

[reporter]
Flyers have been given
to students

[reporter]
Flyers have been given
to students

and the message is clear.

Don't hitchhike.

[reporter] You're tall,
you're thin,
you've got blonde hair.

That fits a lot of the people
that he has been killing.

Are you frightened?

Well, I can't hitchhike,
you know.

I used to hitchhike
just to go home.

But you can't really do that
no more.

[man]
The investigators were working

sixteen, 18 hours a day
just on this case.

And, as the time went on,
you know,
series of the killings

And, as the time went on,
you know,
series of the killings

just continues to build
and build and build.

[reporter] 17 year old
David Murillo was cycling
to a movie theatre.

His body was found near the...

[man]
Now we're in February of 1980.

[reporter]
18 year old Robert Wirostek

was hitchhiking to his job
at a grocery store.

[man] By this time
there had been 12 young boys

all viciously murdered
in a span of nine months.

[reporter]
...is that of 17 year old
Frank Dennis Fox...

It was a story
that had engulfed us,

and a story that I had
almost done daily reports on.

and a story that I had
almost done daily reports on.

[reporter]
...dumped by the sides
of freeways.

And is now being described
as the freeway killer.

[Dr. Vonda]
William Bonin was born in 1947

in a small town Willimantic,
Connecticut.

William Bonin
had an older brother
and a younger brother.

Both of his parents
were alcoholics.

When Bonin's father came home
from the war,

he was extremely violent.

And would take out
these fits of anger
on his wife and children.

A lot of the men came home
from the war damaged.

This had a real affect
on the family.

He took up gambling
and excessive drinking.

The mother, in order
to with the husband's
abusive behavior,

The mother, in order
to with the husband's
abusive behavior,

she would drink excessively.

The kids were almost always
dirty and hungry.

When Bonin was young,
he always dreamt
of running way.

But he told me he didn't have
any place to run to.

[Dave] Back in 1980,
you didn't feel safe

knowing that there was someone
out there

that was doing these things
especially as we were getting

more information leaked to us
about just exactly
what was happening.

I mean, we knew
that this freeway killer

loved to torture his victims.

In one victim, an ice pick

was shoved into his ear almost
three and a half inches.

was shoved into his ear almost
three and a half inches.

Things that you wouldn't even
dream of comprehending
what was happening.

There was another in here,
just a 12 year old little guy.

He was on his way
to Disneyland.

You have to wonder,

but then you have to
think back at what
the times were like.

Who today would let
a 12 year old boy

go to Disneyland by taking
the bus by himself?

You wouldn't do it.

Back then,
it wasn't that unusual.

McCabe was beaten,
he was strangled
with his own shirt.

His neck was crushed
with a jack handle.

He left his body
next to a dumpster
in the city of Walnut.

[Ronald Bowers]
By 1980, there was many
different things

that were going through
the detectives minds.

One of the things
that did come up,

they were all
sexually assaulted.

So could this mean
he's connected
to homosexual activity?

[Don Kilhefner] In the '70s,
it was a difficult time
being gay in California.

Harvey Milk, one of the first
openly gay politicians

was assassinated in his office
in City Hall in San Francisco.

I am Don Kilhefner,

and I am the co-founder
of something in Los Angeles

and I am the co-founder
of something in Los Angeles

called the Gay Community
Services Center.

[Kilhefner]
What you have to remember
there was a law in California

that a man could be arrested

for just touching another man.

The church defined us
as evil people.

And it affected
the entire community.

[Kilhefner]
But there were many
who were involved

in fighting back at that time.

The first gay pride parade
in Los Angeles.

35,000 people turned out.

A new world was being created.

What you saw happening

were young gay men heading
towards those major cities.

They were leaving
their small town

They were leaving
their small town

with very very little
in the way of resources.

Here in Los Angeles
we had a major influx.

The gay community thrived
to the center.

We provided housing for them,
meals for them.

Here with these young men
who had no money,

and so their way
of getting around
was by hitchhiking.

Sometimes working
as prostitutes.

The freeway killer
exploited that.

Used that
to his nefarious ends.

[Freeway killer speaking]

When we found out
that the victims

of the freeway killer fitted
the profile

of a young gay man
that we were trying to help,

we were shocked, angry, sad.

At the community center,
we had signs out

of warning young gay people
to not be hitchhiking
because it was dangerous.

So we did what we could do
to warn people,

but not everybody was reached.

I remember Wyatt Hart

told us members of the media
that there was a connection.

They just weren't quite sure
of who it was.

They just weren't quite sure
of who it was.

[telephone ringing]

The taskforce
was working feverishly.

They were terrified
that the media
would put something out

a little too much
and that would then
either drive

the one person or the group
of people who ever doing this

underground or they go away
or they stop or they go
somewhere else.

They just did not wanted
to do anything that was going
to jeopardize this case.

Wyatt, he would tell us
a lot of things
off the record.

There was more to this
than what we can tell you.

[David Foster]
Mr. Bonin was polite
and articulate.

He was difficult
in the sense of having
a very great difficulty

either remembering his traumas
or be willing to talk
about them.

My name is David Foster.

I was the
clinical psychiatrist

in William Bonin's
appeals trial
with federal court.

There is an account of one
of his own school friends.

And if you don't mind,
I'd like to read that.

She says, "Billy Bonin
was in my sixth grade class.

One of his neighbors said
the boys would dig up potatoes
at night from their gardens

and eat them raw and unwashed
because they were so hungry.

He was smart but he didn't
talk much to the other kids.

Certain kids always made fun
of his ill-fitting clothes
and shoes.

Certain kids always made fun
of his ill-fitting clothes
and shoes.

They called him "Bugsy Bonin."

He never fought back,
but you could see the hurt
in his eyes.

Back then, I thought of him
as a gentle and very sad soul

who never tried
to harm anyone."

There was a tremendous
amount of data

that I had available to me
about what he had
been through.

that I had available to me
about what he had
been through.

My findings were William Bonin
was subjected at an early age

to severe physical abuse
by his father.

This created front lobe damage
in his brain.

And then he was also
extremely neglected
by his mother.

This had a profound effect
on his developing brain,

specifically the connections
in the right hemisphere

specifically the connections
in the right hemisphere

which impaired his ability
to connect socially
and emotionally.

All this creates
the devastation and tragedy
that we see,

not only with Mr. Bonin,
but also of course
for all of his victims.

[Dr. Vonda]
The mother finally comes
to the conclusion

[Dr. Vonda]
The mother finally comes
to the conclusion

that she really can't handle
these three kids.

So she sends
the two older boys,

Bonin and his brother Robert
to an orphanage.

At one point, a priest
in the orphanage

sexually molested Bonin.

And then later on,

And then later on,

he was placed in the boys
correctional home.

There, unfortunately,
he was again sexually abused
by an older boy.

What a horrible tragic thing
for this young child,

already being abused
in the orphanage,

and now being
in this boys home
and again abused.

What chance at life could this
little young boy have?

What chance at life could this
little young boy have?

We don't know
the precise combination

that makes up a serial killer.

We just know
that certain risk factors seem
to contribute to it.

Having a cold mother

who is incapable
of giving love.

Physical and sexual abuse.

And then frontal lobe damage.

By the age of ten,
Bonin already had
all of these.

When Bonin was 15,
the whole family moved

from Willimantic
to Downey, California.

Where Bonin changed from being
the victim to the perpetrator.

Where Bonin changed from being
the victim to the perpetrator.

[Wyatt]
Law enforcement was called,

I believe it was by a hiker.

Two young men bodies
were found just off
the Ortega Highway.

[Wyatt Hart] We had a swarm
of media personnel out there.

[reporter]
Just where they located the...

[reporter]
Just where they located the...

There is on these side
of the on-ramp.

Probably about,
one is about 15 feet down
the side,

the other is about 20 feet.

[reporter]
Any signs of strangulation?

We can't tell
any sort of cause of death
or anything.

We just can't tell yet.

[reporter] Lieutenant,
at this stage,

what's the process
that now begins?

what's the process
that now begins?

Well, we'll search
the surrounding areas for what
might be obvious clues.

[Hart] Investigators are never
surprised by what they find

and what people can do
to other people,

but to find two of them
out there,

it kind of put
a different perspective
on the investigation.

[reporter] And neither one
is fully clothed?

No. One is nude, the other one
is partially clothed.

That was when we realized
that something
is going on here.

Immediately we started
thinking, well, wait a minute.

Immediately we started
thinking, well, wait a minute.

We've got two.
It's pretty hard for one guy

to take on two at one time.

So, do we have
more people involved?

[reporter] Two teenage boys
found together in the
Cleveland National Forest

resemble a string
of other slaying across...

Further escalations
in the murders connected
to the so called...

Detectives are now
working feverishly
in their search...

There's been at least
17 murders
in less than a year.

[Ronald]
Bodies were discovered
in Ventura County.

[Ronald]
Bodies were discovered
in Ventura County.

And even up in Kern County.

We know there was one
from San Bernardino County.

And many of them
from LA County.

And eventually some
from Orange County.

They were long distance away,

so who could be moving around
from county to county
easily like this?

In 1980, my job was to pick up
and deliver trucks

around the California area.

Traveled up and down
highway 101,

several times working
with Bill Bonin.

I decided to do
this interview

and I thought
it would be beneficial

for the people to know
what actually happened.

I don't wanna conceal
my identity

because of guilt
by association.

When I first met him,
he seemed like
a very nice guy.

Uh, I even had him
at my house a couple
of times for coffee.

I had no recollection
that he was nothing
but a decent person.

On one occasion,
William Bonin and I

did a little trip
up to Northern California.

I mentioned to him
that I heard that there
was another victim

of the Freeway Killer.

I've just referred to the fact

that I wish that they'd
catch the guy
that was doing this,

and Bill said to me, "Yeah,
I wish they catch him too."

When we were on our way back,

the vehicle I was driving,
uh, started to act up,

the vehicle I was driving,
uh, started to act up,

and, uh, we pulled off.

Bill suggested
that we leave him there

and I'd drive the vehicle
he was driving,

because we had farther
to go home than he had.

By the time I had gotten back
to City of Industry,

Bill Bonin had been there
for approximately ten minutes.

He had a young man
with him.

Light tint, he had
sandy color hair,

and, uh, he had
injured upper lip.

Then I left and, uh,
went home.

I didn't see Bill for,
probably, a couple
of weeks after that.

[reporter] The nude body
of a young man found
in a service station

might be another victim
of the so-called
Freeway Killer.

[detective] I feel that
there is a similarity,

[detective] I feel that
there is a similarity,

at least, generally,
in so much as,

uh, this fits the pattern
of young males, nude,

uh, clean looking,

dropped near a freeway area,
who have died
from strangulation.

Larry Sharp, it shook me up
pretty good.

[chuckles] Uh...

What's the chances
that I was working
with a freeway killer?

What's the chances
that I was working
with a freeway killer?

Little did I know
I was sitting next to him.

[reporter] Homicide detectives
believe the killer
has now claimed...

Target force across Southern
California is working
night and day.

They are rapidly expanding
investigation

before the death toll
rises any further.

[Ronald] Homicide detectives
couldn't keep up.

It put even more pressure
on the detectives,

you know,
"We gotta catch this guy."

[Ray] In the turn
of the 1980s,

South Gate California
was going through
a transition.

The city was changing,

General Motors
was closing down,

we had some notorious gangs

that were infiltrating
the junior highs
and the high schools.

My name is Ray Carvajal.

I was the youth pastor

at South Gate
Foursquare Church,

South Gate California

during the time
of the Freeway Killer.

during the time
of the Freeway Killer.

There were kids coming
in here and they're

asking for help.

Getting out of certain groups
is sometimes difficult

and sometimes
you have to walk away.

I wanted to give them
something that they
can rely on.

And that's the word of God.

Sean started coming
to the youth group.

He was 14 years old.

He was looking for a change.

It was just exciting to see

these kids become
part of your life.

these kids become
part of your life.

And you're trying
to impact them in a, uh,

in a positive way.

May of 1980 was a day
I will never forget.

Well, we're at the,
uh, location where,

uh, we ran into Sean.

We pulled right up here

and, uh,

I look to my right
as I'm getting ready to exit

and I said to my wife,
"That looks like Sean."

And she looked over
and she goes, "That is Sean."

So he continued walking
this way

and he came around the car.

I can still see
the blonde hair
and those big blue eyes.

He's like a kid that is
just starting off life.

We started talking about,
obviously, the transition
he's making.

The, uh, starting over
at a new junior high.

The, uh, starting over
at a new junior high.

I said, "I see you walking,
did your mom drop you off

at the corner
or something like that?"

He goes, "No, I take the bus,"
you know, "I live
at Firestone Boulevard."

I said, "Well, you...
you have a good day."

Little did I know that that
morning was going to be
the last time I saw Sean.

[detective speaking]

[Bonin speaking]

[detective speaking]

[Bonin speaking]

We got home from work
and, uh, I get a call
from Sean's mom.

And she goes,
"Sean has not arrived."

I said, "Hmm."

I took a drive
looking for Sean.

I remember calling
our youth president

and I said, "Hey,
can you get everybody to..."

Just start calling
all of... all the kids

and say, "Hey,
is Sean with you?"

And then we see
that breaking news...

[reporter] ... 14-year-old boy
has disappeared
in a suspected kidnapping.

He was last seen
at Firestone Boulevard.

He was last seen
at Firestone Boulevard.

And one of the kids,
kind of, looked back,

"Isn't that where Sean
takes the bus?"

And it's like,
all of a sudden,
we, kind of, knew.

[Bonin speaking]

[Ray] I mean,
where do you look?

Where are they headed?
Nothing. You have zero
to work on.

We heard of the Freeway Killer
through the news,

We heard of the Freeway Killer
through the news,

I said, "You know what,
they've been trying
to break this case,

all the indicators were there

and they have not been able
to break this case."

And the kids said,
"Let's just pray."

[Bonin speaking]

Uh...

[detective speaking]

[Bonin speaking]

There is nothing we can do.

[Dave] I interviewed
Sean King's mother
a number of times.

She's a very, very,
very sweet woman.

You met these people,
you met family members,

you met the brothers,

you met the sisters,
you met the moms,
you met the dads.

I mean, they were just
absolutely heart-broken.

And you felt so bad

'cause you felt so helpless
that you couldn't do anything.

More than once,
after I would be finished,
I would go home,

More than once,
after I would be finished,
I would go home,

you know, a lot of times
it'd be late at night

and my kids were growing up
at that time, they were small,

and, uh, I would just
look at them

and just, you know,
almost have a tear
come to my eye

knowing how lucky
and fortunate I am

that they're safe and sound.

You count your lucky stars
at a time like that.

Sean King's mother,

like so many other people
that I had interviewed,

they were... they just wanted
to know why.

[detective speaking]

[detective speaking]

[Bonin speaking]

[Dr. David] In spite
of the fact that
William Bonin's brain

did not develop normally,

and he did not have
the capacity

for normal affiliation
and empathy,

he still had this longing
for connection.

[Bonin speaking]

[detective speaking]

[Bonin speaking]

[Dr. David] If we got
into the details

of what happened
when he was growing up,

we would see what he did was
replicate the type of abuse.

He was bound by the older boys
in the juvenile system

who would rape and,
um, beat him.

He was strangled by them.

We form bonds under intense
emotional experience.

So he forms these
sadomasochistic bonds

by being bound
and choked and raped

by 12 to 19-year-olds.

Who are those he kills?

Twelve to 19-year-olds.

He needed someone who could

He needed someone who could

share his experience
and so he went about
trying to create

those who were victimized
like he was victimized.

[detective speaking]

[Bonin speaking]

[detective speaking]

[Bonin speaking]

[Dr. David]
He exclusively states

what he enjoyed was not...
It wasn't about the sex.

what he enjoyed was not...
It wasn't about the sex.

It was about the feeling
of control,

about feeling of dominance.

The worst feeling
for a human being
is helplessness.

All of his life he's
just a helpless wave.

When it finally
explodes forward

and he has no right hemisphere
to evaluate,

terror,

rage,

despair.

It's inevitable.

There's nothing
that he could do to stop it.

[reporter] For Steven,
June 2nd started
like most days did

in the last three months
of his life.

He left this small
Downey apartment
where he lived alone

and he took a bus
to work in Los Angeles.

When last seen alive,

Steven was at this bus stop

shortly after 3 o'clock.

Sometime between 8:00 p.m.
and midnight,

that's when Steven
was strangled,

his nude body then dumped

and discovered shortly
before 1:00 a.m.

behind this dark,
deserted gas station
in Huntington Beach.

behind this dark,
deserted gas station
in Huntington Beach.

[reporter] These bodies
of young boys are now
being discovered...

On a murderous rampage
across Southern California

appears to be escalating.

[Ronald] Back in the '70s
and the '80s,
the homicide detectives

didn't have all the tools
available to them

as homicide detectives
do today.

We didn't have DNA,
the computers.

They had to be very creative.

They had to be very creative.

By 1980,

they were looking
for a break in the case.

They were using, uh,

pc tape, or scotch tape

and they would put it
on different parts
of the body of the victims

to see if they could detect
any type of hair,

any type of fiber.

And they noticed
on Steven Wood,

it was a green fiber,

and they compared it
up to other,

uh, fibers that were taken
off the other victims

uh, fibers that were taken
off the other victims

and it was the same.

[Wyatt] They took
all that in to the labs

and they came up
with a fiber

that was from a carpet

that was sold to vans,

and actually found
the type of carpet,

the manufacturer
of the carpet,

then they start looking
at where it was sold the most.

[Ronald] This was a big break.

[Ronald] This was a big break.

Now they knew there was,
uh, a scientific connection

between these cases.

But nothing was uncovered

to point a clue as to who
that suspect could be.

And then sometime later,

in the most bizarre way,
everything changed.

in the most bizarre way,
everything changed.

There was a young juvenile,

Billy Pugh was his name
and he was a car thief.

Stole one, he got caught.

[reporter] In the majority
of cases, the bodies had been
dumped near freeways.

So the suspect
investigators are looking for

So the suspect
investigators are looking for

has been dubbed
the Freeway Killer.

[Ronald] He was in custody,
waiting for his case
to come up,

and for some reason
he heard on the radio

somebody talking
about the Freeway Killer,

and the nude bodies,
and the remote locations,
and so forth.

Now, Billy Pugh didn't like
the fact that he got caught,

so he was willing
to make a deal.

So, he said to his counsellor,

"I think I know
who that could be."

"I think I know
who that could be."

The counsellor

took that information

and contacted
a police officer on the case,

Jigsaw John.

He came out the next day
and talked to Billy Pugh.

And that's when
Billy Pugh said,

"You know, I was
at a party one time and I...

I left the party,
I came outside

and a guy offered me a ride.

Then he started
kinda playing around with me,

touching me,
which I didn't like.

He started telling me
how he liked to kill people.

He liked to molest people.

Billy Pugh was kind of afraid.

He wanted to get away.

And when he got to his house,

the guy said to him,
"Okay, I'm gonna let you go

because people
saw us together."

Billy Pugh explains
to Jigsaw John that, uh,

his name was William Bonin.

As soon as Jigsaw John
finished the interview,

he went back down,
talked to the task force.

And he ran the name
"William Bonin"
through the rap sheet.

They couldn't believe
what they were reading.

They couldn't believe
what they were reading.

One offense after
another offense,

after another offense.

All of the sex crimes
that he had been convicted of.

The fact that he had been
sent to Atascadero,

the mental hospital
for California.

Then he was sent
to the state prison

because there wasn't anything
that they could do with him
after the whole situation.

Well, this was a big break
in the case.

[Dr. Vonda Pelto] When Bonin
was convicted in 1969,

he was convicted
of sexually abusing

four teenagers.

Would you bring
the patient in, please?

[Dr. Vonda Pelto] And so,
the court decided to have him,

uh, interviewed
by a psychiatrist

uh, interviewed
by a psychiatrist

who then put the label
of mentally disordered,
sexual offender.

Then he was sent off
to Atascadero

for hospitalization

to be cured
of these tendencies

with homosexuality
and raping young boys.

[narrator] Whilst in his cell,
a man's condition
should be checked often.

It's not unusual
for mentally disturbed people

to have moods that swing
from one extreme to the other.

to have moods that swing
from one extreme to the other.

[Dr. David Foster] At the time
that Bonin was there,

they would use, uh,
extremely aversive techniques.

Um, shocks, using
electro-convulsive therapy.

Not as treatment,
but as a way
of softening someone up.

They have this
ancient notion that

if you had
a homosexual orientation,

if you had
a homosexual orientation,

you could force someone
into a conversion
to heterosexuality.

[Don Kilhefner]
We tried to intervene
at Atascadero State Hospital

and bring some sanity
into that, um, arena.

There are record of gay men
as young as 14
being sent there.

They could do
whatever they wanted to there.

They could do
whatever they wanted to there.

Chemical emasculation.

A whole new mental illness
was created around us.

It wasn't only at Atascadero,
it was happening
all over the country.

[Dr. David Foster]
I think the understanding
of these things

was so primitive at that time.

The methods were so limited

that the efforts were more
damaging than helpful.

The tragedy of
what made Bonin who he is
is incalculable.

[Dr. Vonda Pelto] Ultimately,
he was in Atascadero

because the staff was saying
that he was not cured.

But the psychiatrist said
there's still hope for him.

So ultimately, Bonin,
after years of treatment
in Atascadero, imprisoned.

So ultimately, Bonin,
after years of treatment
in Atascadero, imprisoned.

He was released in late '78.

[Ronald E Bowers]
Well, what's interesting
about it was that

just six months or so later

was the genesis
of the freeway killer
serial killings.

And in his diary, he says,

"From now on,
there will not be any more
victims left alive."

[Dave Lopez] William Bonin
should have never been
released from prison.

This was definitely
a lost opportunity.

One of the victims was 12
for God's sake.

You're at the prime
of your life.
You're just beginning living.

And to let...
Have society let someone out
like a Bonin roam free,

not fair, it's not right,
and sure, it leaves me angry.

[reporter] Investigators
now believe the death toll
has reached 21 bodies.

[reporter] Investigators
now believe the death toll
has reached 21 bodies.

Putting the murderer in league
with America's most deadly
serial killers.

Homicide detectives say that
they're pursuing a number
of suspects in the case.

[Ronald E Bowers] After Jigsaw
John had gotten the
information from Billy Pugh,

this gave law enforcement
the opportunity to zero in.

But they had no evidence
on this William Bonin.

But they had no evidence
on this William Bonin.

The ball is now in the court
of the detectives

to figure out a way.
How are they going
to build a case?

They decided, "We gotta
catch him in the act."

On the ninth day,
William Bonin drives
to the Hollywood area.

The surveillance team
is trying to follow him.

He's driving up and down,
and he pick up a young man.

There's some type
of transaction
that takes place.

They drive
to an isolated area.

After a while,
the van starts shaking.

But at what stage
do the detectives get out
and go over there

and look inside
to see what's going on?

If they waited too long,
what could happen?

That victim could be
the next person killed.

That victim could be
the next person killed.

And immediately,
they could see that, uh,

this victim was tied up.
Was... I think,
was handcuffed.

They realized that
he was being
sexually molested.

This victim was 17 years old.

That meant that they could
arrest William Bonin

for committing
an insidious act
on a minor.

Now, if he had been an adult,
they most likely would not
have been able to arrest him.

There was kind of a green shag
carpeting in the back.

Uh, very similar
to the fibers that
they had found earlier.

But also
in the side of the van,

there was a cord,
pliers, a carjack.

There was a tire iron.

There was blood spatter
on the walls,

there was blood on the floor.

In the glove box, we found
newspaper clippings
of the freeway killer.

But also, there were
no handles on the door.

But also, there were
no handles on the door.

If you were a victim
in that van,

there was no way of escaping.

So, he's arrested.

Now they know they have him
off the street.

But they didn't arrest him
for being the freeway killer,

they arrested him for eluding
the city's conduct
on a minor.

they arrested him for eluding
the city's conduct
on a minor.

Now they had to see
if they could find
any concrete evidence

that they could tie him
to these serial killings.

They needed the smoking gun.

[reporter 1] Los Angeles
Police Department
said last night

they have arrested a man
in connection with

-the so called freeway killer.
-[reporter 2]
...very cautious right now.

[reporter 3]
So far, 33 year old
William Bonin...

[reporters talking
indistinctly]

[reporter 4] William Bonin
remains in custody

as investigators
process the evidence

obtained during
the search of his home.

Authorities from
various jurisdictions
are trying to see if...

[Dave Lopez] The night
that Bonin was arrested

put up the address
of his, uh...

the house.

Every station in town
was there.
Every reporter was there.

There must have been
20 to 30 detectives
just swarming.

It was a mad house.

It was a mad house.

This was the home
of his mother.

Through all of this bedlam,
I saw this woman.

Thought almost right away
that this was his mother.

And she was all by herself.

Obviously she was in shock.

And I felt sorry for her.

And I felt sorry for her.

You know, just sitting there
in all this commotion
all around her

and she looked like
the loneliest person
in the world.

I took note of it.
Said, "You know what,
I'm gonna come back."

The next morning, I showed up,
and to my surprise,
there was absolutely nobody.

I mean, nobody was
in front of that house.

She, uh, answered the door
and I introduced myself.

I told her who I... Who I am.
And would she like
to talk about her son.

About what she went through
last night.

And what she has
to say about it.
About... About him.

And to my shock, she agreed.

I spoke to his mother
in an exclusive interview,

and she freely talked
about her son
and about his tendencies.

I know he's a homosexual.

And they'd been trying
to cure him of it.

But, uh, he's not a murderer.

But, uh, he's not a murderer.

[Dave Lopez]
Does he talk to you openly

-about his homosexuality?
-Yes. He's very...

He's very frank with me.
He's very honest.

He would not lie to me.

The stories that
boys in the neighborhood
were saying yesterday

about how he's offer
other boys money,

how he'd always
want to be on the lookout
for hitchhikers.

Is that true?

I believe it is.

Does he ever explain to you
or tell you in detail

-what he does when he picks up
these boys?
-No.

-what he does when he picks up
these boys?
-No.

You were telling me earlier
that... That he has
admitted to you

that he put handcuffs
on some of those boys
he would pick up?

When he'd first come back
from Vietnam,

he was violent, yes.

Tell me a little more
about that, if you will.

Well, he...

In the courts,
when it was said

that he did that, he...

They put handcuffs on them
and...

He would put it on them and...

do his act
and then let them go.

He never hurt them.

What's it been like for you
the last couple of hours,

What's it been like for you
the last couple of hours,

the last...
The last day I guess

-since this...
-Horrible.

I never knew someone
could go through, like...

Something like this
without breaking down.

He's innocent. I know he is.

We'll prove it
some way or another.

[Ronald E Bowers] The police,
they knew they had
the right person.

But they needed
concrete evidence

in order to convict
William Bonin.

And so, they needed witnesses
to cooperate

and come forward
to provide information.

So, the next thing
that the task force does,

they start asking around.

"Who knows William Bonin?"

They go wherever
he has had contact.

Someone said, "Yeah, yeah.
You know, we've seen
William Bonin."

Someone said, "Yeah, yeah.
You know, we've seen
William Bonin."

He hangs out
with Vernon Butts.

-So, they find his address
and they go over to his house.
- [siren blaring]

Vernon Butts, he says,
"Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I know who William Bonin is."

"I sometimes drive his van."

But then he starts
talking about "We...
We would drive at night

and pick up hitchhikers."

Immediately,
that police officer thinks,

"Wow, we got something here."

Vernon Butts said
Bonin would get
in the back of the van

and they would
pull the curtain.

Vernon Butts could hear
different things going on.

Screaming. He could hear
sexual activity.

Constantly, Buss is
downplaying his involvement.

But the detectives realized,
"Wow. You know,
he's confessing."

But the detectives realized,
"Wow. You know,
he's confessing."

This was a big break
in the case.

And so, detectives arrested
Vernon Butts.

He was essential
for the prosecution.

And we were willing
to make a deal with him.

That if he would testify,
well, against William Bonin,

we would not go
for the death penalty.

And he did it.

He gave some names.
He said, "You better check
these people out."

And they couldn't believe
what was uncovered.

And they couldn't believe
what was uncovered.

[Ronald E Bowers]
William Bonin, when, uh,
committing his crimes,

he had all these accomplices.

He was smart in a way
of knowing how to use people.

Manipulate people.

And that's why he would
pick on people
who weren't that bright.

Vernon Butts
was the main accomplice
who would do the driving.

He testified that also
there was a Munroe.

He was homeless. He helped him
at the very end do a killing.

He was homeless. He helped him
at the very end do a killing.

Greg Miley, he was one
that could be talked into it.

Did it a few times for him.

But the one
that was most surprising,

was Billy Pugh.

Billy Pugh was the one
that blew the whistle.

These young men
would help him out in

picking up hitchhikers,
driving the van,

so that he could molest
the victim in the back
of the van.

Very strange
for a serial killer
to use another person.

Very strange
for a serial killer
to use another person.

When you have somebody else,
another accomplice,

that means that person
could be a witness
against you.

I met all of his recruits,
and they were all
very dependent, passive,

homosexual young boys,
who were not very bright.

One of them had an IQ of 56,
and normal is 100.

Bonin took these boys in
and made them his lovers,

and then asked them to kill.

He corrupted them
and made them victims also.

When we prosecuted the case,
we filed 14 murders
against William Bonin.

When we prosecuted the case,
we filed 14 murders
against William Bonin.

The District Attorney's
office,

in order to make a decision
on whether they should seek
the death penalty,

they needed to hear
from the defense,
as to any mitigating evidence.

How remorseful you are,
or whether you really did it
or not.

So, they gave the defendant,
William Bonin, an opportunity
to say whatever they wanted.

It was on the understanding
that it would not be used
against him in a court of law.

It was on the understanding
that it would not be used
against him in a court of law.

So, that's where
these tapes come from.

[detective speaking]

[Bernie speaking]

[Bonin speaking]

I think we can safely,
with William Bonin, that no,
he was not an innocent person.

No, he could not
be rehabilitated.

Uh, so there could be
a strong argument

that he was deserving
of the death penalty.

[Bonin speaking]

Once we had made the decision
to go for the death penalty,

we were never gonna use
those tapes in any way,
shape or form.

They were meant
to be confidential,

and they were never to be,
uh, told to the public.

and they were never to be,
uh, told to the public.

Vernon Butts was a man
with many problems,

but he was essential
for the prosecution

because he was
the main accomplice.

Butts became distraught

about being pressured
into testifying against Bonin.

And he loved Bonin.

So, he hung himself
in the jail.

So, he hung himself
in the jail.

[Bernie]
This was a severe blow
to the prosecution.

We needed Butts' testimony.

How is William Bonin
gonna be prosecuted now?

As a result of that, we had
to re-evaluate the case,

we had to dismiss
some of the murders,

because we knew
we couldn't prove them
without his testimony.

because we knew
we couldn't prove them
without his testimony.

That was when we brought in
these other accomplices.

We had to use them,
but it was very difficult.

Because of limited IQ,
they're terrible witnesses
in court.

And so, the case
could go down the drain.

[Dave] Bonin had an attorney
by name of Earl Hansen.

[Dave] Bonin had an attorney
by name of Earl Hansen.

I remember, one time,
waiting to get an interview
with Earl,

and he says to me,
pulls me aside and says,

"Dave,
I gotta tell you something.

Uh, saw the interview you did
with Bonin's mother.
My client saw it.

And he was very happy
with the way you treated
his mother.

Here's my card.
Take this card." And he wrote
something on the back.

It says on the back,
"Permission to talk to Bonin."

What happened back in 1980
would never happen today.

What happened back in 1980
would never happen today.

There is no way in the world
that a reporter
on a major case like this

would get permission
from anyone

to get to the jail
and talk to the defendant.

So, here I am.

I go in and I show the card.

The guard says,
"Okay, fine, go here."

In comes Bonin.

I though,
"Wow, this is incredible."

I though,
"Wow, this is incredible."

And I was surprised
by his size.
He wasn't all that big.

But there was something
about him that terrified me.

We just started
a casual conversation.

He said to me,
"I wanna thank you
for being kind to my mom."

I didn't even ask him
if he committed
these crimes or not.

I wanted to tread very,
very lightly.

Then the third meeting.

Walked in, said, "Hi."

Walked in, said, "Hi."

And he says, "Are you ready?"

I go, "For what?"

He says, "I'm gonna
tell you something."

And he proceeded to tell me,
hook, line and sinker,
the murders.

He told me
that he had killed 21.

I'm in shock,
listening to this guy describe
how they picked up one kid,

and they put an ice pick
on the side of his head.

and they put an ice pick
on the side of his head.

One of his accomplices, Butts,
went crazy and stabbed
another guy 70 times.

He told me about some other
kid who squealed and cried
and was easy to kill.

And he tells me that,
you know, he enjoyed it.

Once he started,
he couldn't stop.

I didn't take any notes,
because I knew if I had,
he would've stopped talking.

And then he proceeded
to tell me

that he wanted to avoid
the death penalty
at all costs.

that he wanted to avoid
the death penalty
at all costs.

And that he wanted me
to see if that could be done.

And I said, "I don't have
any power to do that."

So, [chuckles] I walked
out of there stunned.

I didn't know
what the hell to do.

And now, I'm stuck.

What in the world
am I gonna do with this?

I got this blockbuster story.

I knew that once
I put this on air,
if I ever put it on the air,

that police would swarm on me
like I was one
of the suspects.

that police would swarm on me
like I was one
of the suspects.

And on June 29th of 1981,
I went on CBS 2,

and I had told the story
of how I got the confession
and what he had said.

[man on TV]
This is a Channel 2
special presentation.

I am at the men's jail

and this is the scene
that Mr. Bonin has seen
at least three times.

This is the booking area
of the jail.

[Dave] It was like a bomb
had gone off.

[Dave] It was like a bomb
had gone off.

I knew that the police wanted
all the explicit details

of the conversations
that Bonin and I had.

And then, the trial begins.

I was under a lot of pressure
to testify.

Prosecution, detectives,
certain police chiefs,

investigators,
private investigators,

families of the victims.

families of the victims.

I was a reporter,
I had a credibility,

and I certainly was
a whole lot better witness

than the knuckleheads
that were with Bonin.

We will indeed prove
in this courtroom
that he is The Freeway Killer,

as he has bragged
to number of witnesses.

But, as a journalist,
you need sources,

and you've gotta be able
to have someone who can
give you vital information

know that you are going
to protect them.

You have heard
about the principle
among the journalists

You have heard
about the principle
among the journalists

that a reporter must protect
a confidential source.

[Dave] And so,
what the California
shield law does,

is it prevents anyone
from law enforcement
to go in and force you

to reveal or say what
you have not reported yet.

They are not allowed
to go into your private notes,

or your personal files
or anything like that.

So, in other words,
there are things
that they may want to know

that weren't publicized.

that weren't publicized.

If I had given that up,
I will have been run out
of the business.

It is our gospel.
You don't break it.

You know, there have
been reporters
that have gone to jail,

rather than give up
their source.

Uh, even if they're
court ordered.

I would've encouraged him
to do it,

but it was a big no-no
for him, amongst his peers.

[man on TV] Prosecution
has called parents
and friends to testify.

[man on TV] Prosecution
has called parents
and friends to testify.

[man] You talked to him
on that day. Did you ever see
or hear from your son again?

No.

[Dave] The trial goes on.
Bonin had pleaded not guilty.

And the one thing
that really haunted me
was the grieving mothers.

Do you recognize that
as being the body of your son?

Yes, sir.

[Dave] I just had
a lot of soul searching.

My dad made
a very famous quote to me.

He said, "That's what you get
for trying to make a deal
with the devil.

You shouldn't have ever
got yourself put
in this predicament."

You shouldn't have ever
got yourself put
in this predicament."

I did, so what was I gonna do?

[Dave] I went to a couple
of very prominent people

that I worked with
in the business,

and there was one man
named Bill Stall,
and he said to me,

"I know your predicament,

but you gotta
remember something,

we are citizens first
and journalists second.

[female reporter]
Nine weeks into the trial
of William Bonin,

the man accused
in the so-called

Freeway Murders
of 21 young men,

a surprise witness
came forward,

a surprise witness
came forward,

claiming he could no longer
live with his conscience.

Television reporter Dave Lopez
revealed Bonin confessed
to him nearly a year ago.

He says, "I killed them all
except one."

[man] Are those words
Mr. Bonin said?

Those are his exact words.
"I killed them all
except one."

I asked him point blank.
I said, "Bill,

if you were still out
on the street, what would you
be doing right now?"

He says
he'll still be killing.

"Couldn't stop killing,"
he said.

"It got easier
with each victim we did."

[Dave] I answered
every question and went into
detail of what he told me.

[Dave] I answered
every question and went into
detail of what he told me.

I testified as a citizen,
because I firmly believe

that when the question
comes up, are we journalists
or citizens first,

we are citizens first.

The public has a right
to know. The jury
has a right to know.

Every mother and father
whoever loved a child
have the right to know.

[Dave] I got some criticism.

A lot of people thought
I did the wrong thing,
that were in my business.

In no way, gentlemen,
do I feel that I have,
in any way,

embarrassed the profession
or embarrassed myself.

embarrassed the profession
or embarrassed myself.

He took an awful lot of heat
from a lot of his peers.

But I supported him
100 percent.

Most of the citizens out there
appreciated he was
very involved

in getting this maniac
off the streets.

He was law enforcement's hero,
I'll guarantee you.

Pursuant to
penal code section 190.3
of the state of California,

do determine the penalty
shall be death.

Well, he was convicted
of ten first degree murders
out of Los Angeles County.

William George Bonin
has demonstrated
a total disregard

for the sanctity
of human right

and the dignity
of a civilized society.

William George Bonin
shall be put to death.

He'll be administered
lethal gas

He'll be administered
lethal gas

within the walls
of the state prison
of San Quentin, California.

[Dave] The families,
I know they were very happy.

There were tears of joy
from a lot of them.

I'm thankful
that it's over with
and we had a super jury

and the verdict was...
He earned it. He earned it.

In Los Angeles, William Bonin
has been convicted
of ten murders.

He was convicted
for the homosexual
torture murders

He was convicted
for the homosexual
torture murders

of ten young men and boys.

Today, the so-called
Freeway Killer was sentenced
to death in the gas chamber.

[Ronald] Greg Miley,
he got 25 years to life.

He was killed
in custody in 2016.

James Munro,
he got 15 to life.
He is still in custody.

And Billy Pugh,
he got six years
and is now out.

And Billy Pugh,
he got six years
and is now out.

Two years later,
they were able to convict
William Bonin

of four murders
in Orange County.

The Orange County jury
also agreed
on the death penalty.

He was permanently sent up
to San Quentin,
placed on death row,

where he remained
for 14 years.

[Ronald] Bonin's guilt
is beyond dispute.

His case has been argued
and examined from every angle.

The whole process
has consumed more years

than Bonin has allowed
some of his victims to live.

[Dave] I still see
those faces.

It's still haunting at times.

But, um, I'm glad I was able
to do my part as a citizen,

and I, uh,
I hold my head high.

and I, uh,
I hold my head high.

For certain crimes,
justice demands
the ultimate punishment.

William Bonin
will never kill again.

Clemency is denied.

[Dr. David] It makes me feel
compassion for him,

and sadness and outrage

and sadness and outrage

that over and over and over,

there were opportunities
to intervene
in this child's life.

And then we have
the tragic loss
of all he killed.

I think as a society,
we need to understand
what made Bonin who he is,

I think as a society,
we need to understand
what made Bonin who he is,

so that we can take both
policy actions
and individual actions

to help prevent
these kinds of tragedies
from happening again.

[man] Okay, roll of the tape
ends here at 2040 hours.