Crimes & Victims:
Between December 1972 and June 1980 at least 44 young men and boys become victims of at least one unidentified “Freeway Killer” in seven Southern California counties.
Eleven of those victims killed prior to 1976 are known or suspected homosexuals, so the killer might be gay himself. In most of the cases the modus operandi included strangulation, stabbing with knives or ice picks and sadistic torture.
While authorities suspect several killers, 21 of the victims seem to be the work of the same murderer.
The arrest of “Scorecard Killer” Randy Kraft in 1983 solves 16 of the crimes.

May 28, 1979: Thomas LUNDGREN (14) is abducted from Reseda and found the same day near Malibu.
August 4, 1979: Mark SHELTON (17) is reported missing from Westminster, his corpse recovered one week later at Cajon Pass.
August 5, 1979: Marcus GRABS (17) is kidnapped in Newport Beach, his corpse found at Agoura August 6.
August 27, 1979: Donald HYDEN (15) vanishes from Hollywood, his corpse found the same day in Agoura.
September 7, 1979: David MURILLO (17) disappears from La Mirada, his body found in Ventura on September 12.
September 27, 1979: Robert WIROSTEK is found dead near Interstate 10 between Banning and Palm Springs waiting for identification 11 months later only.
November 30, 1979: A “John Doe” victim discovered in Kern County.
December 1, 1979: Frank FOX (18) murdered at Long Beach.
December 13, 1979: Body of another unidentified victim, aged 15-20 found.
January 1, 1980: Michael McDONALD (16) abducted from Ontario, found dead January 3 in San Bernardino County.
February 3, 1980: Charles MIRANDA (14) disappears from Los Angeles, his body found in Hollywood the same day.
February 5, 1980: James McCABE (12) is kidnapped in Huntington Beach, his corpse discovered February 8 in Garden Grove.
March 14, 1980: Ronald GATLIN (18) disappears from Van Nuys, found dead March 15 in Duarte.
March 21, 1980: Russell Duane RUGH is missing from Huntington Beach, his corpse found March 22 at the Lower San Juan Campground.
March 22. 1980: Glen Norman BARKER (14) found dead alongside with the body of Russell PUGH.
March 25, 1980: Harry Todd TURNER (15) found slain in Los Angeles.
April 10, 1980: Steven WOOD (16) abducted from Bellflower, Lawrence Eugene SHARP (18) missed hours later from Long Beach. WOOD´s body found April 11 at Long Beach, SHARP´s remains discovered May 18 in Westminster.
April 29, 1980: Daren KENDRICK (19) missing from Stanton, his corpse found on May 10 with traces of knockout drops.
May 19, 1980: Sean KING (14) vanishing from South Gate. No trace will be found ever.
June 2, 1980: Stephen WELLS (18) is kidnapped in Los Angeles, his body discovered June 3 at Huntington Beach.

Discovery & Verdict:
June 10, 1980: William Ray PUGH (18) started confessing “inside” knowledge of the serial killings. He accuses William George BONIN (32), a Vietnam veteran and truck driver being the killer. BONIN already has adequate court records, as in 1969 convictions in Torrance on kiddnapping, sodomy, child molestation and forcible oral sex in four separate attacks between November 1968 and January 1969. BONIN was then diagnosed a mentally disordered sex offender, locked away to Atascadero State Hospital until May 1974. Psychiatrists found BONIN being “no longer dangerous”. In 1976 he was back in jail for kidnapping and raping a 14 year old boy, being paroled October 1978.
June 11, 1980: BONIN is caught while sodomizing a young man in his van and held on 250,000 US$ bail.

July 25, 1980: Vernon BUTTS (22) is arrested as accomplice in six of the “freeway murders”.

July 25 - 29, 1980: BONIN is charged with 14 counts of murder, three counts of robbery and starts naming more accomplices.

July 31, 1980: James Michael MUNRO (19) is arrested in Michigan for the murder of Stephen WELLS.

August 22, 1980: Gregory M. MILEY is arrested in Texas for murdering Charles MIRANDA and James McCABE, plus two counts of robbery and one count of sodomy.

October 29, 1980: Vernon BUTTS is charged with the murders of Mark SHELTON, Robert WIROSTEK and Darin Lee KENDRICK plus 17 felony counts including conspiracy, kidnapping, robbery, sodomy, oral sex and sex perversion. Gregory M. MILEY is charged with another Orange County murder and seven related felony counts.

December 8, 1980: Dutch immigrant Eric Marten WIJNAENDTS (20) is charged with complicity in the murder of Harry TURNER.
BONIN´s accomplices start pleading guilty on various felony charges, receiving life sentences in exchange for their testimony against BONIN.

January 11, 1981: Vernon BUTTS succeeds in his 5th suicide attempt, hanging himself in his cell.

November 4, 1981: BONIN stands trial on 16 counts of murder, 25 related counts of robbery and sexual assault. Gregory M. MILEY and James MUNRO testify how BONIN after his arrest had urged them to “start going around grabbing anyone off the streets and killing them” to convince authorities that the “Freeway Killer” is still at large.
In a television interview BONIN admits participation in 21 murders - “I could not stop killing”.

January 5, 1982: Jurors convict BONIN on 14 counts of murder and ten counts of robbery. The deaths of Thomas LUNDGREN and Sean KING have been ruled out.
Two weeks later BONIN is sentenced to death.
Gregory M. MILEY is sentenced to a 25-to-life term for 1st Degree murder.
MUNRO receives a 15-to-life sentence for his second-degree murder plea. He was eligible for parole in 2000, but the parents of Steven WELLS have made it a point to make sure he serves the maximum.

February 23, 1996: After years of appeals William BONIN is executed by lethal injection for the killings of Glenn Norman BARKER, Frank FOX, Ronald GATLIN, Marcus GRABS, Donald HYDEN, Darin Lee KENDRICK, James McCABE, Charles MIRANDA, David MURILLO, Russell Duane RUGH, Lawrence Eugene SHARP, Harry Todd TURNER, Stephen WELLS, Steven WOOD.