In January 1987, transients in Los Angeles were falling prey to yet another random slayer -- the fifth to prey on homeless men within a decade. Like his predecessors in the latter 1970s, this stalker favored knives, which he employed with speed and deadly skill. His victims were selected from among the drifters in Koreatown and its immediate vicinity, invariably cut down from behind. According to police, the killer struck "with such force that it's almost instant death. He's vicious and he's fast." The first known victim was Christopher Forsblade, age 40, found dead on January 6. Eight days later, the slasher killed Isaac Davis at high noon, rebounding with the murder of 55-year-old John Coble less than three hours later. A "John Doe" victim in his early forties, unidentified, was slain on January 16, but the killer missed his mark the next day, leaving Almond Lord alive. Another near-miss, with 58-year-old James Lyons, marred the stalker's record on January 20, but he struck back with a vengeance that afternoon, claiming his second "John Doe" in a downtown alley. This time, there were witnesses, and they pursued the killer for five blocks, finally hailing a patrol car. Cornered by police, the suspect dropped his knife, submitting to arrest without resistance. A drifter from Michigan, 26-year-old Joseph Danks confessed to the series of stabbings after his knife blade was matched to the wounds of his victims.