Gerald Parker

Serial Killer

Gerald Parker: The "Bedroom Basher" Murders

Overview

Gerald Parker is an American serial killer and serial rapist responsible for a series of violent home-invasion attacks in Orange County, California. Between December 1978 and October 1979, Parker entered the apartments of women in Anaheim, Costa Mesa and Tustin, attacked them with blunt objects and sexually assaulted them. Five women were murdered, while a sixth woman survived with catastrophic injuries. Her full-term unborn daughter died because of the attack. The crimes became associated with the names "Bedroom Basher" and "Bludgeon Killer" because Parker usually attacked women inside their bedrooms and repeatedly struck them in the head with pieces of lumber, a mallet or another heavy object. The murders remained unsolved for approximately 17 years. Parker was finally identified through DNA testing in 1996, while he was already imprisoned for unrelated offenses.

Background

Parker was born in 1955. During the period of the murders, he was serving as a staff sergeant in the United States Marine Corps and was stationed in Orange County. His military position allowed him to appear disciplined and respectable, while privately he was committing burglaries, rapes and murders in residential neighborhoods. Parker often drove through apartment complexes at night searching for women who appeared to be alone. He watched residences through windows, waited for roommates or husbands to leave and then entered through an unlocked door or an accessible window. In several attacks, he carried a piece of wood or obtained a blunt object near the residence. Once inside, Parker approached his victims while they were sleeping or unaware of his presence. He struck them with enough force to fracture their skulls and cause severe brain injuries. He then sexually assaulted the unconscious or dying women before leaving the residences. He generally did not steal property, later admitting that sexual violence rather than robbery was his primary purpose. ...

Confirmed Victims: (6)

Sandra Kay Fry Age: (17), Date of Death: 1978-12-01

Gerald Parker - Wikipedia