John Fredrick Kilpatrick, a 15-year-old boy from Los Angeles County, California, was born on February 24, 1964. On December 12, 1979, he tragically became one of the victims of William Bonin, a notorious serial killer known as 'The Freeway Killer.' Bonin was convicted of the rape, torture, and murder of 14 boys and young men between 1968 and 1980. He was executed by lethal injection at San Quentin State Prison in 1996.
On the day of his death, John Kilpatrick left his home in Long Beach
and encountered Bonin, who offered him money for sexual services. After engaging in mutual oral sex, Kilpatrick was bound and raped by Bonin. The 15-year-old boy was then transported to his parents' house, where he was flagellated with string and ultimately strangled to death with it. His body was discarded near Rialto and discovered on December 13, 1979.
Due to his troubled background, which caused him to disappear for days at a time, Kilpatrick's mother hesitated to report his disappearance. His friends also mistakenly reported seeing him at the mall, leading to a delay in reporting him missing until February 1980. As a result, John Kilpatrick remained known as a John Doe until August 5, 1980.
John Fredrick Kilpatrick was buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, Los Angeles County, California. His tragic death remains a somber reminder of the heinous crimes committed by William Bonin, who was portrayed by prosecutors as 'the most arch-evil person who ever existed'.
