Patrick Kearney (born 1940) is an American serial killer who preyed on young men in California during the 1970s. He is sometimes referred to as The Freeway Killer, a nickname he shares with two other separate serial killers, William Bonin and Randy Steven Kraft. 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... Serial killers are individuals who have a history of multiple slayings of victims who were usually unknown to them beforehand. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... William Bonin (January 8, 1947 – February 23, 1996) was an American serial killer, also known as the Freeway Killer, a nickname he shares with two other serial killers. ... Randy Steven Kraft (born March 19, 1945) is a Californian serial killer convicted of 16 murders and suspected of at least 51 others. ...

He was the youngest of three sons and was raised in a reasonably stable family, at least in comparison to those of many other serial killers. His early life was not without some trauma, however; a thin and sickly child, he became a target for bullies at school. In his teens, he became withdrawn and fantasized about killing people. Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event. ... See fantasy for an account of the literary genre involving the development of common or popular fantasies. ...

Originally from Texas, Kearney moved to California after a brief marriage ended in divorce, and eventually worked as an engineer for Hughes Aircraft. He claimed to have killed his first victim around 1965, a hitch-hiker he picked up and murdered in Orange, California. He claimed several more victims before moving to Redondo Beach, Los Angeles, in 1967 with a younger man named David Hill, who became his lover. Official language(s) See: Languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 268,581 sq mi (695,622 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the ending of a marriage before the death of either spouse, which can be contrasted with an annulment, which is a declaration that a marriage is void, though the effects of marriage may be recognized in such unions, such as spousal support, child custody... Look up engineer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Hughes logo adopted after his death Hughes developed the AIM-120 AMRAAM, one of the worlds most advanced air-to-air missiles Hughes Aircraft Company was a major defense/aerospace company founded by Howard Hughes. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Hitchhiker in Luxembourg, 1977 Hitchhiking (also called lifting, thumbing or hitching, Thumb up a ride) is a form of transport, in which the traveller tries to get a lift (ride) from another traveller, usually a car or truck driver or occasionally even a motorcycle driver. ... Motto: A Slice of Old Town Charm Nickname: Plaza City Map Political Statistics Founded 1869 Incorporated April 6, 1888 County Orange County, California Borough {{{borough}}} Parrish {{{parrish}}} Mayor Mark Murphy Geographic Statistics Area  - Total  - Water 27. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Redondo Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ...

The pair would frequently argue, and Kearney would go out for long drives on his own. It was then that he would pick up young male hitch-hikers or young men from gay bars and kill them. He was primarily a necrophile, shooting his victims without warning then taking the bodies off to dismember and mutilate. Eventually, Kearney would dump the victim along the freeway or in the desert, usually wrapped in garbage bags. A gay bar is a drinking establishment which caters primarily to a gay or lesbian clientele. ... Necrophilia, although commonly thought to be only done by humans, does in fact also occur in nature. ... Dismemberment is the act of cutting, tearing, pulling, wrenching or otherwise removing, the limbs of the condemned, causing prolonged, painful death. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Disfigurement. ...

Kearney's final victim was a young man named John LaMay, whom he killed on March 13, 1977. LaMay came to Kearney's house looking for Hill, who wasn't home, and Kearney invited him to watch television. Without provocation, Kearney then shot LaMay in the back of the head and later dumped the remains in the desert. They were found on May 18. Because LaMay had told someone he was going to see Hill, police soon turned up at Kearney and Hill's home and questioned them. Although they co-operated, the two fled as soon as the detectives left. After a few weeks on the run, they gave themselves up on July 1. For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ...

Hill, 34 years old at the time, was eventually cleared of any involvement in his partner's crimes and was released.

Kearney, on the other hand, made a full confession to his crimes, admitting to a total of twenty-eight murders. In order to avoid the death penalty, he agreed to plead guilty. Kearney was charged with 21 counts of murder, and as agreed, he pleaded guilty and was given twenty-one life sentences. Police are certain that Kearney was responsible for the other seven murders he had admitted, but they did not have the physical evidence to charge him, and furthermore, they were satisfied that he would be in prison for the rest of his life. Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the State as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offenses. ... Life imprisonment is a term used for a particular kind of sentence of imprisonment. ...

References

Angel of Darkness (1992) Dennis McDougal, Warner Books ISBN 0-7088-5342-0