The 1975 Attack and the 7-11 Incident
Jan 17, 2018 0:11:51 GMT
trabuco, intuitiva, and 4 more like this
Post by Nerdfather on Jan 17, 2018 0:11:51 GMT
When it comes to a case as expansive as the East Area Rapist, especially when it's unsolved, it's hard to keep track of the details of each crime and attack specifically. The details of events occurring before the sexual assault and or murder(s) are always open for debate - were the strange incidents happening days and weeks beforehand of the suspect in question or an entirely different person? That's one of the toughest questions. People say there is no such thing as coincidences but that's not accurate. The fact is, people are sometimes in the wrong place at the wrong time. With this post, I want to discuss a couple of interesting events that can be found in Richard Shelby's book, "Hunting a Psychopath," and elaborate further on the incidents. Some of these details could play a pivotal role in attempting to identify the suspect but may get lost in the shuffle because of the wide range of crimes committed within a ten-year timeframe.
Number 1 - Early Beginnings
In discussing the East Area Rapist case, theories range far and wide. One particular theory is the possibility that he was also the Visalia Ransacker who operated in 1974-1975. While the evidence is overwhelming, there are numerous reasons to suspect they aren't the same person. Regardless, the most common known date for the emergence of the East Area Rapist is on July 18, 1976, when he attacked a twenty-three-year-old insurance adjustor residing in Rancho Cordova, California.
However, there is a good chance he started as early as October 21, 1975, when an unknown assailant gained entry to a Rancho Cordova home through an unlocked garage door with three occupants inside; a mother and her two daughters, aged seven and eighteen. He was wearing military camouflaged apparel, a homemade ski mask and was brandishing a large buck knife.
While there, he cut towels into several strips and proceeded to wake up the oldest daughter, subsequently binding her and threatening to kill her if she screamed. Once she was restrained the perpetrator shifted his attention to the mother and followed the same routine, putting the two women in the same room together. The seven-year-old daughter was still asleep in her bedroom when the assailant had woken her up. He continued his pattern of fastening her but kept her in the bedroom away from her family.
Throughout the night the mother made several pleas with her attacker to leave her family unharmed but she was met with harsh whispers through clenched teeth ordering her to be quiet. Thereafter, he advanced on the mother and oldest daughter and sexually violating them both numerous times. He never assaulted the seven-year-old but he did relay sexual innuendos to her. Once he concluded his unlawful deeds he ransacked the home, stealing jewelry and an assortment of coins before fleeing the residence at 6:30 a.m.
When the authorities arrived at the scene and took the victims' statements, they described their aggressor to be in his early twenties and approximately 5'6 in height. Moreover, they claimed he could have been a black male but couldn't provide a definitive conclusion because of how dimly lit the home was during the assault.
For about a year this attack was considered to be apart of the East Area Rapists' timeline once he made his presence more apparent in the summer of 1976 and the media blackout being lifted that November. As a result, more victim testimonies started piling in and their descriptions of their attacker was that of a white male. In turn, the October 1975 attack was removed as having any connection to the East Area Rapist until a follow-up interview was conducted with the victims. They stated they were unaware of his ethnicity but he could have been a Caucasian male. Due to the unreliable testimony, the assault was never officially put back on the list as an attack by the notorious rapist, but the main consensus amongst those who investigated the attack is that he was their attacker.
---
Number 2 - Seven-Eleven
By December of 1977, the East Area Rapist had struck twenty-eight times in little over a year in Sacramento County. His latest attack occurred on December 2, 1977, in Foothill Farms. Aside from this, the perpetrator didn't attack any further until the following year on January 28, 1978, in Sacramento, California. Though he was inactive he didn't remain quiet -- creating fear into ordinary citizens and members of law enforcement through a barrage of taunting prank phone calls and letters.
With his already extensive crime spree, descriptions of the assailant had circulated and law enforcement held an ample amount of town meetings to tell the public to be on the lookout for a man appearing to be in his early twenties with a height between 5'8-510 with shaggy blond or light brown hair and an athletic build. The main source of this information was learned by the non-fatal shooting of Rodney Miller on February 16, 1977, in Sacramento, California on Ripon Ct, where a [composite sketch](https://imgur.com/a/7t1K5) was created of the suspect.
As a result, a clerk who often worked the graveyard shift at 7-11 on 10721 Coloma Rd in Rancho Cordova, California, notified Sacramento County Sheriff's Department that a strange man matching the suspect's description often frequented the convenience store at approximately 2:00 a.m. He would typically arrive on a bicycle and be wearing a black jacket with the image of Vietnam embedded on the back and browse pornographic magazines.
The police took this lead very seriously and Sergeant Ted Daly, Carol Daly's husband, immediately assigned two police officers to the location for a stakeout, with direct orders to use an unmarked police vehicle and wear civilian clothing. They arrived at midnight; one officer was stationed in the car while the other was inside the store hiding in the stockroom.
Sadly, the investigation was fruitless due to incompetence. Rather than changing out of their police uniforms, the officer inside the store decided to only wear a casual t-shirt over their uniform. Additionally, he would often leave his post from the stockroom to browse the store and speak to the clerk. At 2:00 in the morning the clerk received a phone call. When he answered the caller said, Let me talk to the cop in the back. In an attempt to not botch the stakeout the clerk replied saying nobody was in the store accompanying him. The caller responded, Don't give me that *. Confused and not sure what to do next, he proceeded to give the telephone to the officer. As soon as he asked who he was speaking with, the anonymous caller began laughing and ended the call. Thereafter, the dubious individual was never reported coming to the store again.
Whether or not this was the work of the East Area Rapist or someone else entirely has never been established. There are many people who remain skeptical of this incident ever happening to begin with. One of the more infuriating aspects is the fact a composite sketch wasn't created, let alone a follow-up with law enforcement asking if any of the current sketches match the store visitor. Nevertheless, the location is intriguing. There were many apartment complexes nearby including Rancho Cordova Apartments and Gold Creek Apartments, along with a handful of churches. Considering the area, hours, and activity of the individual, it's believed by the original investigators to be the East Area Rapist, and this is just one of many failures that could have possibly led to his apprehension.
---
These two incidents are very compelling. If we assume this was the work of the East Area Rapist, it can create a different outlook on the case. It suggests that he was operating as a rapist much longer than what is commonly believed. What's even more fascinating to consider is the timeline. If there are any supporters of him being the Visalia Ransacker, it's worth noting this sexual assault occurred on October 21, 1975 -- during a brief stretch of inactivity with his last home invasion happening on September 22, 1975, and then resuming on October 24, 1975.
Overall, we may never know the full of extent of all the suspicious activity that happened during the reign of the East Area Rapist. All we can do is try and connect the puzzle pieces and hope it creates much-needed answers. Until then, we have to continue examining the information we have on hand and pray that it leads to something substantial. Answers can always be found in the most unexpected places.
Number 1 - Early Beginnings
In discussing the East Area Rapist case, theories range far and wide. One particular theory is the possibility that he was also the Visalia Ransacker who operated in 1974-1975. While the evidence is overwhelming, there are numerous reasons to suspect they aren't the same person. Regardless, the most common known date for the emergence of the East Area Rapist is on July 18, 1976, when he attacked a twenty-three-year-old insurance adjustor residing in Rancho Cordova, California.
However, there is a good chance he started as early as October 21, 1975, when an unknown assailant gained entry to a Rancho Cordova home through an unlocked garage door with three occupants inside; a mother and her two daughters, aged seven and eighteen. He was wearing military camouflaged apparel, a homemade ski mask and was brandishing a large buck knife.
While there, he cut towels into several strips and proceeded to wake up the oldest daughter, subsequently binding her and threatening to kill her if she screamed. Once she was restrained the perpetrator shifted his attention to the mother and followed the same routine, putting the two women in the same room together. The seven-year-old daughter was still asleep in her bedroom when the assailant had woken her up. He continued his pattern of fastening her but kept her in the bedroom away from her family.
Throughout the night the mother made several pleas with her attacker to leave her family unharmed but she was met with harsh whispers through clenched teeth ordering her to be quiet. Thereafter, he advanced on the mother and oldest daughter and sexually violating them both numerous times. He never assaulted the seven-year-old but he did relay sexual innuendos to her. Once he concluded his unlawful deeds he ransacked the home, stealing jewelry and an assortment of coins before fleeing the residence at 6:30 a.m.
When the authorities arrived at the scene and took the victims' statements, they described their aggressor to be in his early twenties and approximately 5'6 in height. Moreover, they claimed he could have been a black male but couldn't provide a definitive conclusion because of how dimly lit the home was during the assault.
For about a year this attack was considered to be apart of the East Area Rapists' timeline once he made his presence more apparent in the summer of 1976 and the media blackout being lifted that November. As a result, more victim testimonies started piling in and their descriptions of their attacker was that of a white male. In turn, the October 1975 attack was removed as having any connection to the East Area Rapist until a follow-up interview was conducted with the victims. They stated they were unaware of his ethnicity but he could have been a Caucasian male. Due to the unreliable testimony, the assault was never officially put back on the list as an attack by the notorious rapist, but the main consensus amongst those who investigated the attack is that he was their attacker.
---
Number 2 - Seven-Eleven
By December of 1977, the East Area Rapist had struck twenty-eight times in little over a year in Sacramento County. His latest attack occurred on December 2, 1977, in Foothill Farms. Aside from this, the perpetrator didn't attack any further until the following year on January 28, 1978, in Sacramento, California. Though he was inactive he didn't remain quiet -- creating fear into ordinary citizens and members of law enforcement through a barrage of taunting prank phone calls and letters.
With his already extensive crime spree, descriptions of the assailant had circulated and law enforcement held an ample amount of town meetings to tell the public to be on the lookout for a man appearing to be in his early twenties with a height between 5'8-510 with shaggy blond or light brown hair and an athletic build. The main source of this information was learned by the non-fatal shooting of Rodney Miller on February 16, 1977, in Sacramento, California on Ripon Ct, where a [composite sketch](https://imgur.com/a/7t1K5) was created of the suspect.
As a result, a clerk who often worked the graveyard shift at 7-11 on 10721 Coloma Rd in Rancho Cordova, California, notified Sacramento County Sheriff's Department that a strange man matching the suspect's description often frequented the convenience store at approximately 2:00 a.m. He would typically arrive on a bicycle and be wearing a black jacket with the image of Vietnam embedded on the back and browse pornographic magazines.
The police took this lead very seriously and Sergeant Ted Daly, Carol Daly's husband, immediately assigned two police officers to the location for a stakeout, with direct orders to use an unmarked police vehicle and wear civilian clothing. They arrived at midnight; one officer was stationed in the car while the other was inside the store hiding in the stockroom.
Sadly, the investigation was fruitless due to incompetence. Rather than changing out of their police uniforms, the officer inside the store decided to only wear a casual t-shirt over their uniform. Additionally, he would often leave his post from the stockroom to browse the store and speak to the clerk. At 2:00 in the morning the clerk received a phone call. When he answered the caller said, Let me talk to the cop in the back. In an attempt to not botch the stakeout the clerk replied saying nobody was in the store accompanying him. The caller responded, Don't give me that *. Confused and not sure what to do next, he proceeded to give the telephone to the officer. As soon as he asked who he was speaking with, the anonymous caller began laughing and ended the call. Thereafter, the dubious individual was never reported coming to the store again.
Whether or not this was the work of the East Area Rapist or someone else entirely has never been established. There are many people who remain skeptical of this incident ever happening to begin with. One of the more infuriating aspects is the fact a composite sketch wasn't created, let alone a follow-up with law enforcement asking if any of the current sketches match the store visitor. Nevertheless, the location is intriguing. There were many apartment complexes nearby including Rancho Cordova Apartments and Gold Creek Apartments, along with a handful of churches. Considering the area, hours, and activity of the individual, it's believed by the original investigators to be the East Area Rapist, and this is just one of many failures that could have possibly led to his apprehension.
---
These two incidents are very compelling. If we assume this was the work of the East Area Rapist, it can create a different outlook on the case. It suggests that he was operating as a rapist much longer than what is commonly believed. What's even more fascinating to consider is the timeline. If there are any supporters of him being the Visalia Ransacker, it's worth noting this sexual assault occurred on October 21, 1975 -- during a brief stretch of inactivity with his last home invasion happening on September 22, 1975, and then resuming on October 24, 1975.
Overall, we may never know the full of extent of all the suspicious activity that happened during the reign of the East Area Rapist. All we can do is try and connect the puzzle pieces and hope it creates much-needed answers. Until then, we have to continue examining the information we have on hand and pray that it leads to something substantial. Answers can always be found in the most unexpected places.
