The Freeway Killer Saga - Part 2 William Bonin

​In Part 2 of our Freeway Killer Saga, we track the terrifying escalation of William Bonin.

We explore how a catastrophic failure by a state hospital and a backlogged court system allowed him to transform a pale green Ford Econoline van into a mobile, soundproof slaughterhouse.

But Bonin wasn't hunting alone. We dive into the dark psychology of the drifters and occultists he recruited to help overpower his victims and detail the poetic justice of how those exact accomplices ultimately sent him to the execution chamber.

​Known Victims of William Bonin

​William Bonin was convicted of 14 murders in Los Angeles County and 4 in Orange County, though he is suspected of claiming the lives of at least 21 young men and boys in a span of just 13 months.

Below is the comprehensive list of his known victims. We speak their names to ensure they are remembered as more than just statistics in this tragic era.

• ​Thomas Lundgren (13) - May 28, 1979
• ​Mark Shelton (16) - August 4, 1979
• ​Marcus Grabs (17) - August 5, 1979
• ​Donald Hyden (15) - August 27, 1979
• ​David Murillo (17) - September 9, 1979
• ​Dennis Frank Fox (17) - November 2, 1979
• ​Charles Miranda (14) - February 3, 1980
• ​James Macabepe (12) - February 3, 1980
• ​Glenn Barker (14) - March 21, 1980
• ​Steven Wood (16) - April 10, 1980
• ​Darin Lee Kendrick (19) - April 29, 1980
• ​John King (15)
• ​Richard K. Bledsoe (14)
• ​Michael W. McDonald (16)
• ​William Rayper (19)
• ​Harry Byers (15)
• ​Steven Wells (16)
• ​Russell Rugh (15)
• ​Ronald Gatlin (18)
• ​Lawrence "Larry" Jones (14)
• ​Sean King (14)
​

Sources & Research

• ​State of California v. William George Bonin: Official court transcripts, plea bargain documentation for accomplices (Pugh, Munro, Miley), and execution records from San Quentin State Prison.
• ​Without Sanctuaries: The William Bonin Story – Case files and chronological tracking of the 1979-1980 murder spree.
• ​Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) & Hollywood Division Archives: Incident reports detailing the June 1980 arrest in the alleyway and the subsequent confessions of Vernon Butts.
• ​California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR): Records detailing the historic February 1996 lethal injection of William Bonin.
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