A Review of ‘Richard Ramirez: The Night Stalker Tapes’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

RICHARD RAMIREZ: THE NIGHT STALKER TAPES -- "Making of a Monster" Episode 101 -- Pictured: Sketch of Richard Ramirez -- (Photo by: PEACOCK/NBC News Studios)

​There is quite the welcome trend happening with crime documentaries and docuseries right now. In that, a bevy of them are popping up about classic cases that have captivated people for decades on end. Not to beat a dead horse mind you, nor are they designed to freshen up the mythos. No instead what makes these so beneficial is the sheer fact that they are working to be definitive stories. The kind that brings old haunts to proper conclusions. All by exploring every single corner of a particular case, so that we fully understand what happened and why, and so that we also understand completely the monster that committed such acts. 
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Because knowledge really does give us what we need to put certain moments to rest, and that’s the goal. To finally close out stories that have been with us for far too long and have done so much harm, and well… it is Peacock that is leading the way in bringing forth such powerful documentaries. For all year long, they’ve been producing stories that leave no stone unturned and are diving deeply into those very details and they are offering closure. By looking at the end game of the cases in question and well, it just so happens that Peacock is now home to another definitive documentary about another dark chapter in America’s history, one that offers closure, in Richard Ramirez: The Night Stalker Tapes.

Which is, indeed, a story that takes us back to the summer of 1985. Wherein Richard Ramirez, aka ‘The Night Stalker’, terrorized all of California with his killing spree. Since he left a litany of victims in his wake in several parts of the state during that summer. Thankfully though, police finally exposed his true identity through an exhaustive search, and that in turn, led to his subsequent arrest and trial and his eventual death in prison. But those are the parts of the story we know, and it is what lie beneath that makes this such an incredible documentary. Since it takes the time to explore what made Richard into a killing machine, some of the crimes we did not know he was responsible for… and the impact his actions had upon so many lives.

Which comes forth via comprehensive interviews with people that called Richard a friend, a husband, and former fans of his as well. Along with interviews from police officials involved in the case and what we learn about his actions are powerful. In that, he damaged so many lives and left so much grief in his wake, which we don’t discuss. Not to mention, he played a massive part in the madness of the Satanic Panic of the 1980s and in some ways, his court theatrics set the stage for future chaos and division. But what matters most, is that he took lives, and left pain and suffering in his wake and we don’t talk about that enough, and we should. So that we can properly understand the impact of men like Richard and the horrors they commit to.

All of which brings forth, a powerful documentary. One that truly does explore the case in a manner that gives us a complete understanding of what his reign of terror looked like in the summer of ’85, but also showcases the humanity of the case, the damage incurred to Richard from a psychological standpoint that made him a monster and everything in between. For this is the definitive exploration of his life and his crimes and truly, you walk away from this one with a better understanding of a ghoulish serial killer that went to great lengths to exert power and enjoy fame, and you can explore this case, right now. For both episodes in this series are streaming on Peacock and we hope you do give it a look, to find closure at last from another painful case that opened America’s eyes to the evil that men do. 

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​Watch ‘Richard Ramirez: The Night Stalker Tapes’

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