Victim was a friend of the homeowner. This was her first visit to his house. She had only known him 6 months. Relationship was platonic. She had come to visit that night because she wanted to discuss a business matter. She arrived around 10:30 p.m. She brought her two small dogs along.

     Victim had a very uneasy sense the whole evening. She had let her dogs out into the backyard and they had barked repeatedly and acted as if someone was in the shadows further out. Dogs did not go far from the back door. Victim had a sense, off and on, the whole time that they were being watched.

     They discussed her matter, and watched TV together.

     At 12:15 a.m. she departed. Homeowner/friend walked her out the front door. Driveway is immediately right of the front door. Dogs rushed ahead and turned right. Their hair stood up. They started barking.

     Suddenly a man, wearing a ski mask, rushed them, gun in hand.

     The events that followed were of the typical pattern The EAR had already laid down. He ordered them back into the home. If they refused he said he would “blow their brains out.” Inside, in the living room, he ordered them to lie down on their stomachs. He then tossed some shoelaces to victim and ordered her to tie up the man (homeowner). He repeatedly threatened he would kill her if she did not obey him.  While tying the homeowner she also tried to keep her dogs quiet. Assailant was repeatedly threatening to kill them if she didn’t. After this, he ordered victim to take her dogs to the bedroom. He followed. They then returned. He ordered her on her stomach and bound her wrists tightly. He then left, went to the kitchen, got dishes and placed them on their backs. He had instilled such fear in the victim that he would kill her if she even looked at him that she kept her eyes tightly shut to the extent that she couldn’t tell if he had turned the lights off or not.

     Assailant went through his routine. He said he wanted their money and then he would leave. The man (homeowner) said he would oblige anything he wanted, but the assailant only put a knife to his neck and growled at him to “Shut up!”

     Assailant picked up victim by the arm and took her back to the bedroom. He put a knife to her throat and told her not to move. Trembling, she kept her eyes pinched shut. She felt him unbutton her blouse and then cut her brassier with his knife. Now he blindfolded her. As in other cases, she heard him lubricating himself with lotion.

     He raped her. He ransacked about the house. He raped her three times. He also orally sodomized her.

     “You better swear to God you didn’t see a van down the street.” He repeated this 3 times and made her repeat it.

     “I swear,” she sobbed.

     He threatened her that she was not to make a sound while he was eating and drinking or he would kill her. She then heard him go to the kitchen. He started rummaging. He opened and closed the refrigerator.

     The house was soon silent. 

Investigation

     Upon arrival, investigators noted the telltale marks of The EAR— dishes on the floor in the dining room. Kitchen drawers were left open. The phone cord had been cut. Black, blue, and white shoelaces cut and scattered about. All had been used by the assailant to tie the victims.  None, however, belonged to the household.

   Examination of the victim’s clothes uncovered 2 semen stains. Laboratory analysis discovered a very interesting clue. The test confirmed that the attacker was a non-secretor— a phenomenon which limited The EAR to 20% of the population.

     A simple explanation of this would be to state that antigens of the ABO blood type groups are found in other bodily substances, such as saliva, bone, teeth, semen, etc. Testing such substances left at a crime scene, such as in this case semen or saliva, will tell investigators what blood type the perpetrator has. About 80% of the population secretes these antigens. However, about 20% do not. These 20% are called the non-secretors. The EAR was a non-secretor.

     Relationship between the victim and homeowner was purely platonic. She had known him only six months. This was her first visit to the house. During the time she spent with him, she discussed a job interview. They watched a variety of television shows including a basketball game.

     (Miscellaneous): Victim had an uneasy sense while driving to her friend’s house. To some extent it could be considered a premonition. In addition, there was the behavior of her dogs. Although let out into the backyard, they wouldn’t proceed far into it. They also wouldn’t stop barking. She had a feeling that someone was out in the backyard somewhere. After they returned inside the family room, victim still felt as if they were being watched.

Description

Victim described the assailant has 5'8" tall.  He was skinny to medium build. His ski mask was beige, knitted. It had holes for the eyes, nose and mouth. He wore light brown leather driving gloves with tiny air holes. His jacket was a dark blue navy. He wore a brown pullover sweater underneath.

   He spoke in an angry whisper with teeth clenched. Victim believed this was also done in order to disguise the assailant’s voice. Assailant’s penis was about 5 inches long but no thicker in circumference than a quarter. He acted very frustrated, and couldn’t maintain arousal.

Geography

Winterbrook Way is one block over from the previous Orangevale attack (16), and close to the main road into the community, which in turn led to the thoroughfare of Madison and Main (or to Hazel and highway 50).

House

The house was a single story, detached middle class home, like in all the previous attacks except No. 18.

Analysis

Obviously this was not a planned attack, since the East Area Rapist could not possibly have known that the victim would be present that night. The fact he came prepared with several pairs of shoelaces, gun, and knife, however, indicates that he was going to attack a couple somewhere nearby and they were not home. He could not have been stalking this house, since the owner was a single male. Thus this home was somewhere along a line to and from the intended victim’s house.

     Premonitions are always controversial, for they imply that future events are fixed and this frequently upsets people and their belief in free will. Many people have had a sense of “evil” nearby. Most of us have seen some animals and their keen senses in action, as it seems displayed here as well. But the victim sensed something was wrong before she was even near the house. This eliminates the concept of a “6th sense” and the theories that some people are more sensitive to danger nearby. It opens the door on clairvoyance or coincidence, both of which are beyond the scope of this study.

     The behavior of the dogs, though, does indicate they sensed something. EAR was not in the backyard. He was either along the fence on the outside or waiting in the darkness of a neighbor’s yard. 

     This is the 4th occasion in which the East Area Rapist took advantage of an opportunity to rape a victim. The first time was Victim 4 in Crestview, for he certainly must have been stalking the canal there and then opted to rape the victim at an advantageous moment. The 2nd case was Victim 8 in Rancho Cordova. The 3rd was Victim 11 in La Riviera. In none of these cases was the identity of the actual intended victim uncovered.

   We know from his previous Orangevale attack that EAR has stalked this particular part of the community extensively. He had attacked on Richdale Way, which is just one street over from Winterbrook Way. This would be his last known attack here. He would not return despite the extensive prowling.

     The problem with trying to assess the EAR’s actions of that night is that from all appearances he seemed to be moving toward an attack and was not merely stalking the neighborhood in advance. However, one thing is obvious. All of his opportunistic strikes occurred early. Victim 4 was at 11:30 p.m.; Victim 8 at 11.p.m. Victim 11 at likewise at 11 p.m. This case at 12:15 a.m.

     Yet again a power station is nearby, this one at the corner of Main and Twin Lakes. This would be vividly clear in the Haskell Avenue Incident.

Night Predator
Files on the East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker