True Crime: The State of Serial Killers, California
Liberty Hardy | October 15, 2019
If you ask someone what California is famous for...
...you might get responses like Hollywood, earthquakes, Silicon Valley, wildfires, and traffic. Here are two fun facts: California is the most populous state in the United States, and its agriculture industry has the highest output of any state in the country. Here is one un-fun fact: California has the most serial killers of any US state. Whether you’re a fan of diving deep into true crime or you’re just getting your toes wet, these are the California killers you absolutely need to know!
01. Evil Has a Name: The Untold Story of the Golden State Killer Investigation
Take one of the most notorious American serial killers in recent memory: the Golden State Killer. For four decades his identity was unknown, though he terrorized Northern California with a string of escalating home invasions and assaults. After Michelle McNamara's best selling account I'll Be Gone in the Dark brought wider recognition of the crimes, a shocking arrest was made in the case in 2018. The acclaimed Audible Original Evil Has a Name then brought together some of the major players in the case, from lead investigator Paul Holes to heartbreaking victim accounts, to create the definitive chronicle of the investigation and a fitting coda to McNamara's work.
02. Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders
You won’t find Charles Manson on a list of famous serial killers, since he only orchestrated the Tate-LaBianca murders. But he is California’s most notorious criminal—and certainly warrants a mention if you want to know about historic American criminals. For a definitive look at his crimes, check out Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi, the prosecuting attorney in the case. The audiobook features an updated afterword by Bugliosi (who originally wrote his account of a case that affected him personally in 1974) and the voice of acclaimed narrator Scott Brick. Hearing the story read with Brick’s modulated expressiveness lends Bugliosi’s words the perfect amount of gravitas.
03. Zodiac: The Shocking True Story of the Nation's Most Bizarre Mass Murderer
At the same time the Golden State Killer was operating in Northern California, another famous murderer was at work in the Bay Area. The Zodiac Killer not only carried out sadistic crimes, he also sent taunting letters to the police. But as you’ll hear in Zodiac: The Shocking True Story of the Nation’s Most Bizarre Mass Murderer by Robert Graysmith, this killer has never been identified. Audie Award-winning narrator Stefan Rudnicki has the perfect strong voice to read the important case information featured in the audiobook, including the killer’s letters and the police reports.
Liberty Hardy is a Book Riot senior contributing editor,
co-host of All the Books, and a Book of the Month judge.
co-host of All the Books, and a Book of the Month judge.
