David Allan Oliker, an 18-year-old male, tragically lost his life on February 10, 1973, in Santa Cruz, California. He was one of four teenage boys who fell victim to Herbert Mullin, a serial killer responsible for multiple murders in the area. Mullin encountered the group while they were camping in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. Claiming to be a park ranger, he ordered them to leave, citing environmental concerns. When they refused, he returned the next day and fatally shot them. Their bodies remained undiscovered for a week.
Mullin, a 25-year-old man with a history of mental illness and drug use, was arrested shortly after the killings. Authorities linked him to a series of murders in Santa Cruz County, describing him as a 'one-man crime wave.' He was charged with multiple homicides, including the deaths of David Allan Oliker and his companions. Investigators found weapons in Mullin's car that matched the ballistics of the bullets used in the killings. His arrest brought an end to a reign of terror that had gripped the community.
David Allan Oliker was born on July 26, 1954, in Los Angeles, California. He was the son of Philip Alexander Oliker and Sally Diane Deutchman. His tragic death, along with those of his fellow campers, was part of a larger pattern of violence that shook Santa Cruz in the early 1970s. Mullin was ultimately convicted and sentenced for his crimes, ensuring justice for his victims.
