Doodler

Last updated
The Doodler
The Doodler.jpg
1975 police sketch of the suspect
Born
Unknown
Other namesThe Black Doodler
Details
Victims6–16+ dead, 3 survived
Span of crimes
January 1974 September 1975
CountryUnited States
State California

The Doodler is an unidentified serial killer believed responsible for between six and sixteen murders [1] [2] and three assaults of men in San Francisco, California, United States, between January 1974 and September 1975. [3] The nickname was given due to the perpetrator's habit of sketching his victims prior to stabbing them to death. [4] The perpetrator met his victims at gay nightclubs, bars and restaurants. [3] [5]

Contents

The suspect was described as a black man between 19 and 25 years of age. He was about six feet tall with a slender build. [6] [3] Several victims were stabbed in the front and back of their bodies in similar locations. [7] All of the victims were white males. [6] Police theorized that the victims had all died after meeting with the suspect near the locations where their bodies were recovered. [8]

Murders

An age progression depicting what the Doodler may have looked like in 2018 at the estimated age of 63 or 69. Doodler age progression.jpg
An age progression depicting what the Doodler may have looked like in 2018 at the estimated age of 63 or 69.

Investigation

Letter from the SFPD's Legal Division detailing that the case is still active, and therefore they are unable to release any information. Doodler Public Records Request.png
Letter from the SFPD's Legal Division detailing that the case is still active, and therefore they are unable to release any information.

Police questioned a young man as a murder suspect in the case, but could not proceed with criminal charges because the three surviving victims did not want to "out" themselves by testifying against him in court. [1] [3] [18] Among the stabbing survivors were a "well-known entertainer" and a diplomat. [19] [20] The suspect cooperated with police during his interview but he never admitted guilt for the murders and attacks. [3] Officers stated that they strongly believed that the man in question was responsible for the crimes, but he was never tried or convicted because of the survivors' refusals to appear in court. [11] [20] To date, the suspect has not been named publicly or apprehended; very little information is available to the public about the crimes. [3] [21] [20]

The case is open and ongoing in the San Francisco Police Department. [22] Recent successes using DNA technology developed in the decades since the crimes have led police to re-examine evidence in the case. [23] [24] In February 2019, police offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the killer and released a revised sketch showing what he could look like four decades later. [25] They later announced they would consider forensic genetic genealogy, which identified a suspect in the Golden State Killer murders. [6]

Aftermath

At the time, activist Harvey Milk publicly expressed empathy for the victims who refused to speak with police, stating, "I understand their position. I respect the pressure society has put on them." Milk elaborated that the three men likely feared damaging relationships with family and in the workforce, citing that he believed "20% to 25%" of the 85,000 gay men in San Francisco were closeted about their sexualities. [20]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Dowd, Katie (April 29, 2018). "10 Bay Area cold cases that remain unsolved". San Francisco Chronicle . Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  2. Mojadad, Ida (April 26, 2018). "Meet the Californian Serial Killers Who Haven't Been Caught...Yet - April 26, 2018". SF Weekly . Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Newton, Michael (2009). The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Crimes. Infobase. p. 111. ISBN   9781438119144 . Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  4. Mojadad, Ida (June 21, 2018). "'Doodler' Back in Limelight Despite No Updates to Case". SF Weekly . Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 Robinson, Eugene (November 13, 1975). "One-Killer Theory In 6 S.F. Murders". San Francisco Chronicle . Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 Miller, Ryan W. (February 6, 2019). "'The Doodler' killed 5 gay men in 1970s San Francisco. Police just released new info on him". USA Today . Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  7. "The Sado Murder Horror". The San Francisco Chronicle . January 19, 1976.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Green, Elon (December 11, 2014). "The Untold Story of the Doodler Murders". The Awl. Archived from the original on January 11, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  9. Barba, Michael (February 16, 2019). "SF police release new sketch of suspected Doodler serial killer". The San Francisco Examiner.
  10. 1 2 Watt, Nick (June 21, 2018). "After more than 40 years, police say they have a suspect in cold case". CNN. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  11. 1 2 3 Calhoun, Bob (October 8, 2015). "Yesterday's Crimes: The Serial Killer Who Stalked Gay Men in the Castro". SF Weekly. Foundation. Archived from the original on January 11, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  12. "Entertainer stabbed to death in GG Park". The San Francisco Examiner. June 25, 1974. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  13. "Police are asking for Help...". The San Francisco Sentinel. July 18, 1974. Police are asking for help in the identification of this 25-year-old man that was found on Ocean Beach on July 7.
  14. Fagan, Kevin (March 23, 2021). "One Man's American Dream Ends in his Bloody Death". San Francisco Chronicle.
  15. Dowd, Katie (January 27, 2022.) "Probable sixth victim of Doodler serial killer announced by San Francisco police." SF Gate.(Retrieved January 27, 2022.)
  16. "Body of stab victim found at Ocean Beach". The San Francisco Examiner. May 12, 1975. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  17. "Murder Unsolved". The San Francisco Sentinel. May 22, 1975.
  18. Time-Life The Most Notorious Serial Killers. Time Inc., Books. 2017. ISBN   978-1683300281.
  19. "The Mystery Witness in S.F. Gay Murders". San Francisco Chronicle. July 9, 1977. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Staff (July 8, 1977). "Murder suspect free because gays silent". Associated Press.
  21. Vronsky, Peter (2004). Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters. New York: Penguin. p. 16. ISBN   9780425196403 . Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  22. "'Doodler killer' cold case has renewed interest". ABC13 Houston. June 25, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  23. Dowd, Katie (June 21, 2018). "Who was San Francisco's Doodler killer, and why wasn't he caught?". SFGate. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  24. Fagan, Kevin; Sernoffsky, Evan (May 5, 2018). "DNA research in Golden State Killer case spurs hope in unsolved killings". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 13, 2018. We're still putting together all the various pieces in the Doodler case to see where it's at.
  25. "San Francisco police post reward for serial killer dubbed the..." Reuters. February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2019.