The Night Stalker

It’s May 30, 1985, in Burbank, California. Spring is turning to summer, and the wide streets in the San Fernando Valley are lined with their signature palm trees. A 42 year old woman named Carol Kyle is at home with her 11 year old son. She doesn’t know yet that there is a man in her neighbourhood, driving a stolen car.  At some stage during the night, in the shadow of darkness, this man enters her home. At gunpoint, he binds Carol’s son with handcuffs and ransacks their house, demanding she tell him where her most valuable items are hidden.  Once he has collected a number of valuable goods, he rapes Carol, ordering her not to look at him while shouting threats at her. She complies.  When he is finished with Carol, he retrieves the little boy and binds him to her mother with handcuffs.  Then, he flees the scene.  Both Carol and her son survive this attack.  They are lucky.  So far that year, the Night Stalker as he will come to be known, has killed six innocent civilians. The year before, he killed two others. The youngest being a nine year old girl.  He is in the midst of one of the most destructive murder crime sprees in American history. But he isn’t like your text book serial killer. He is a serial rapist, kidnapper, pedophile and burglar, murdering some victims while letting others go.  For those who survive, they will never forget his face. It is the face of a monster.    CREDITS Guest: Detective Gil Carillo Host: Jessie Stephens Audio Producer: Ian Camilleri Producer: Gia Moylan   CONTACT US Tell us what you think of the show via email at [email protected]   Join our closed Facebook community to discuss this episode. Just search True Crime Conversations on Facebook or follow this link https://bit.ly/tcc-group  If any of the contents in this episode have cause distress know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.