Patrick Wayne Kearney

Serial Killer

Patrick Wayne Kearney: The "Trash Bag Killer"

Early Life and Background

Patrick Wayne Kearney was born on September 24, 1939, in Los Angeles, California. He became one of the most prolific serial killers in American history and was associated with a wave of murders committed across Southern California during the 1960s and 1970s. Kearney confessed to killing 32 people, although authorities prosecuted him for 21 murders. Because several of his claimed victims were never identified or located, the complete number of people he killed remains uncertain. Kearney was an intelligent and technically skilled man who worked as an electronics engineer. People who encountered him in ordinary circumstances often described him as quiet, polite and unremarkable. This outwardly harmless appearance allowed him to travel throughout Southern California without attracting much suspicion. He frequently drove long distances through Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego and Imperial counties, areas that later became central to the investigation of his crimes.

Selection of Victims

Kearney generally targeted boys and young men, including teenagers, hitchhikers, runaways, military personnel and men he encountered in bars or along Southern California roads. Some victims accepted rides from him, while others were invited into his home. Several were vulnerable because they were traveling alone or had limited contact with relatives who could immediately report them missing. Kearney usually killed his victims quickly, often by shooting them in the head without warning. He later admitted that the suddenness of the attacks gave him a sense of control. He transported bodies away from the original crime scenes and frequently dismembered them so that the remains would be easier to conceal. He placed body parts in plastic garbage bags or other containers and abandoned them beside highways, in canyons, near desert roads and in isolated areas. The repeated discovery of remains wrapped in trash bags led newspapers and investigators to call him the "Trash Bag Killer." He has also been grouped with several unrelated Southern California murderers under the broader label "Freeway Killer," although Kearney acted independently. ...

Confirmed Victims: (18)

John Demchik Age: (13), Date of Death: 1971-06-26

Patrick Kearney - Wikipedia