On September 9, 1979, 17-year-old David Murillo, a white male, was cycling to a movie theater in La Mirada, California, when he was abducted by William Bonin and his accomplice, Vernon Butts. Bonin, infamously known as the 'Freeway Killer,' and Butts forcibly restrained David, subjecting him to sexual assault and severe physical abuse. The assailants bludgeoned David with a tire iron and strangled him using a ligature. Three days later, his nude body was discovered along a Ventura Highway off-ramp, bearing the brutal signs of his ordeal.
The murder of David Murillo was part of a series of heinous crimes committed by Bonin and his various accomplices between 1979 and 1980. Bonin, along with associates such as Vernon Butts, Gregory Miley, James Munro, and William Pugh, orchestrated the abduction, sexual assault, and murder of at least 14 young males across Southern California. Their victims, ranging in age from 12 to 19, were often lured into Bonin's van, where they endured horrific abuse before being murdered. The bodies were typically discarded near freeways, leading to Bonin's moniker as the 'Freeway Killer.'
Following their crime spree, law enforcement intensified efforts to apprehend the perpetrators. The breakthrough came when William Pugh, one of Bonin's accomplices, was arrested on unrelated charges and disclosed information about Bonin's activities. This led to Bonin being placed under surveillance. On June 11, 1980, police caught Bonin in the act of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy in his van, leading to his immediate arrest. Subsequent investigations unveiled incriminating evidence, including ligatures and newspaper clippings about the murders, solidifying the case against him.
In the aftermath, Bonin was tried and convicted for multiple counts of murder. He received death sentences in both Los Angeles and Orange Counties for his crimes. His primary accomplices faced varied fates: Vernon Butts committed suicide while in jail; Gregory Miley was convicted and later killed in prison; James Munro received a sentence of 15 years to life; and William Pugh served a reduced sentence after cooperating with authorities. Bonin was executed by lethal injection on February 23, 1996, marking the end of a grim chapter in California's criminal history.
