A new Netflix documentary portrays the manhunt of a serial killer who terrorised California in the 1980s - but it was his poor dental hygiene which helped police eventually catch him.
Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer premiered on Netflix yesterday and focuses on the events that led to the eventual arrest of Richard Ramirez.
Between June 1984 and August 1985 the serial killer, who operated under the alias Night Stalker, carried out a series of violent crimes which at first seemed random and left many believing they were the work of multiple people.
He broke into homes and assaulted residents and in some cases kidnapped and molested children before letting them go.
Between June 1984 and August 1985, Richard Ramirez (pictured), who operated under the alias Night Stalker, carried out a series of violent crimes which at first seemed random and left many believing they were the work of multiple people
He broke into homes and assaulted residents and in some cases kidnapped and molested children before letting them go. What made Ramirez so difficult to catch was the apparent randomness of his crimes, with some adults having been raped and killed, while his victims were of all ages, genders and races
What made Ramirez so difficult to catch was the apparent randomness of his crimes, with some adults having been raped and killed, while his victims were of all ages, genders and races.
Additionally, the weapons Ramirez used varied between knives, guns and blunt objects.
The devil-worshipper killed 13 people during his killing spree and left many more injured.
It was thanks to the efforts of Gil Carrillo and Frank Salerno, detectives from Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, that Ramirez was eventually hunted down - working under the theory that all the different crimes had been committed by a single person.
One piece of evidence which played a major factor in Ramirez's guilty verdict was the serial killer's poor dental hygiene, with multiple witnesses mentioning his missing and rotted teeth.
It was thanks to the efforts of Gil Carrillo (pictured) and Frank Salerno, detectives from Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, that Ramirez was eventually hunted down
Gil Carrillo and Frank Salerno (pictured in 1985) were trying to catch Ramirez and operated uder the theory that all the different crimes had been committed by a single person
One witness, Ester Petschar, claims to have seen Ramirez buying an AC/DC hat in a thrift store, which was later found at one of the crime scenes.
She said after seeing him in the shop she then ran into him on the freeway and claimed he looked like a 'killer clown' because of his missing teeth.
Glen Creaso, another witness, who worked at Los Angeles Public Library remembers Ramirez's 'disgusting, rotted teeth'.
Ramirez's poor dental hygiene continued to play an important role in the case against him, as Carrillo and Salerno found a dentist's business card inside a stolen vehicle Ramirez had fled from after being stopped.
Two detectives were placed in the dentist's office to pick him up should he return for work, with an alarm later being installed for the dentist to alert the police of his presence.
One piece of evidence which played a major factor in Ramirez's guilty verdict was the serial killer's poor dental hygiene, with multiple witnesses mentioning his missing and rotted teeth
After Ramirez had been captured by police, three separate dentists gave testimony about his teeth which helped negate at least one of his alibis
However, on the day the police pulled their detectives from the office, the alarm malfunctioned and Ramirez was able to undergo surgery on his teeth.
After Ramirez had been captured by police, three separate dentists gave testimony about his teeth which helped negate at least one of his alibis.
Ramirez was eventually found guilty of 13 murders, five attempted murders, 11 sexual assaults and 14 burglaries and was sentences to death for his crimes.
At the time of his sentencing, Ramirez addressed the court to say he was 'beyond good and evil' and would be 'avenged,' adding, 'Lucifer dwells in us all.'
He died behind bars in 2013 of natural causes in San Quentin State Prison while awaiting execution in 2013 at the age of 53.
