It’s a hotel with a dark past. Over the years the Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles has harboured murderers and rapists. It’s been the scene of suicides and grisly killings, and holds the secrets to numerous strange and mysterious accidents.
The hotel’s terrifying history has led some to believe it’s inhabited by evil, and others, more practically, to reason that its position in one of the most dangerous corners of the United States means crime is an inevitability.
Two of the hotel’s most infamous residents include Richard Ramirez, known as the Night Stalker, and the Austrian serial killer, Jack Unterweger.
Ramirez lived on the hotel’s 14th floor, while he terrorised surrounding neighbourhoods in the mid-1980s.
Californians were terrified as the months rolled on and Ramirez, who often broke into his victims’ homes while they were sleeping, carried out his crime spree. He raped, murdered, and terrorised his prey with guns, knives and machetes.
Nobody was immune. His first victim was a 9-year-old girl, who he raped and beat before stabbing her to death. From there he targeted men and women. Age and race didn’t matter to the killer, and sometimes he attacked several people in one night.
Ramirez was only identified in August 1985 after a shocking 13 murders.
This story is from the November 1, 2021 edition of New Idea.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 1, 2021 edition of New Idea.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
PREP, SET & FORGET
LET THE SLOW COOKER DELIVER FLAVOURSOME MEALS WITH MINIMAL EFFORT!
Lady Louise - THE ULTIMATE WORKING ROYAL!
HELPING OUT FOAL-FILLS HER HEART
SKIPPING FOR JOY! Meet the next Bindi Irwin!
MAGGIE AND HER FAMILY ARE ON A MISSION TO SAVE THE KANGAROOS
In sickness & IN HEALTH
DAVID AND SHIRLEY MET IN A STRANGE TWIST OF FATE
Brad's romance rewind - NEW LOVE, SAME OLD MOVES!
ALL THIS IS LOOKING VERY, VERY FAMILIAR...
Margaret & David - SPARRING PARTNERS TILL THE END
THEY'LL ALWAYS BE TWO PEAS IN A POD
CALLUM HOLE 'IM THE NEW KING NEW OF TV'
HE'S STEPPED OUT OF CAMP AND INTO THE SPOTLIGHT
DR CHRIS VS JULIA - TV BATTLE LINES ARE DRAWN!
THE ANIMAL LOVER IS RETURNING TO FAMILIAR TERRITORY
Will the real Bert PLEASE STAND UP?
BROOKE, CAITLIN AND KARLI FELT SOMETHING WAS AMISS
MARY'S BRAVE CONFESSION 'BEING QUEEN IS OVERWHELMING!'
THE AUSSIE ROYAL ADMITS HER NEW ROLE IS TOUGH