Last night, there was a new episode of THS Investigates that focused on the Original Night Stalker (so called because the killer's crimes predated those of Richard Ramierz, aka The Night Stalker). As you know, UM did a segment on the case in 2002. About a year or two earlier, DNA testing proved that the killer was also the East Area Rapist, who committed a series of rapes in the 1970s. He committed his first murder in 1979, and his last confirmed murder occurred in 1986.

After that, he seemed to have disappeared because there's no evidence that he has committed other crimes since 1986. This led to several different theories: he is deceased; he is in prison for another crime; he is incapacitated; or, he moved away.

If you missed the THS Investigates episode, don't despair. According to the E! schedule, it is scheduled to be rerun several times next week, plus this coming Saturday (May 9) at 6:00 pm (Eastern Time).

Here's the E! schedule for upcoming air dates for the episode on the Original Night Stalker.

http://www.eonline.com/on/shows/thsi/episodes/index.jsp

There was a theory a while back that Zodiac and NS may have been the same person.

The NS murders began right at the end of Zodiac's letter writing activity.

I personally don't believe in that theory. (neither do the zodiackiller.com people either)

But, I wonder if anyone's ever matched Zodiac's DNA profile to Night Stalkers.

I'm assuming it's probaby been done.

I got to see last night's airing of the show. It was very interesting, especially if you need a refresher on the case (as I always do with these things).

I saw this episode when it aired last night....very very creepy. Just the thought of someone waking you up in the middle of the night by shining a flashlight in your face :eek: I really hope they get him someday (if he's still alive, that is).

I caught the THS Investigates episode about EAR-ONS, though I'm familiar with the case, having first seen it on Cold Case Files years ago.

I just have to say, this THS show is truly the exemplar of how to do a true crime program properly, and I wish some of the other true crime shows would take stylistic cues from the THS show: First and foremost, the plenitude of historical footage (including interviews with citizens at the time conveying the community fear), photographs, composite sketches, and maps, is simply invaluable. These things bring us back to the time and place. Interviews with investigators and victims. Minimal, isolated use of reconstructions.

That is the way it should be done. 48 Hours and Dateline are among the better of the current true crime programs, I guess, but they seem obstinately stuck on very recent cases and ones adhering to the "marriage, infidelity, murder" paradigm. Blah. I couldn't care less, although I'm sure the housewife set is rapt.

Then there's Canadian-made, internationally-broadcast garbage like "Crime Stories" and, even worse, "Forensic Factor" (or F2:rolleyes:)(not to be confused with the great "Forensic Files", which I unfortunately don't get up here), both of which are almost worthless because they contain so little real material and can barely even be considered documentaries.

Anyway, rant over. I just wanted to chime in with how elated I was to see a true crime show done with the sobriety, comprehensiveness, and sense of purpose these serious topics deserve.

They mentioned that law enforcement recently released a poem sent to Sacramento (?) police by the EAR. I had never heard this before. When did this happen? Has anyone read a copy? I'm afraid to go onto the EAR/ONS website b/c of that scary picture :(

So I was watching Dateline last Friday on the case of Gary Hilton. I noticed his piercing blue eyes at one point, and one of his older pictures showed pretty beefy thighs/legs for a shorter man like him. Any idea where Gary Hilton was in the 1970s and 1980s? Because he seems like a potential fit for the Original Night Stalker. The Dateline segment said he was 61, but spoke almost nothing of what Hilton was up to prior to working on a film circa 1995. The only reference they made was that Hilton was a conman who posed as raising funds for charities from 1973-1993 when he actually just pocketed any contributions he received.