Richard Ramirez's Rotting Teeth Were a Focal Point of His Trial — Details Explained
"He had hardly any teeth."
Published Dec. 10 2024, 8:11 p.m. ET
One of the more frightening aspects of serial killer Richard Ramirez's crimes was the fact that his victims were chosen at random. They appeared to have nothing in common, which means it was hard to predict where the man known as the Night Stalker might strike next. When it came to transgressions, Ramirez didn't have an allegiance to a particular sex, socioeconomic status, or race.
Police stumbled upon their first clue in March 1985 when they found a single footprint outside of the home belonging to Vincent and Maxine Zazzara. The type of shoe Ramirez wore, a men's Avia sneaker, ultimately convinced police that one person was committing these heinous acts.
The shoeprint appeared at multiple crime scenes. That wasn't the only thing that helped bring Ramirez down. He famously had very bad teeth, and they were part of his trial. Let's get into it.
Richard Ramirez's bad teeth were memorable, to say the least.
In Glynn Martin's book Satan’s Summer in the City of Angels: The Social Impact of The Night Stalker, several witnesses recalled just how bad Ramirez's teeth were. Almost every person who encountered him had something to say about his rotting mouth. Ester Petschar lived in Los Angeles and was shopping at a grocery store when Ramirez robbed it.
She saw him again while driving home. When Ramirez pulled up next to her, he smiled. "He had hardly any teeth," she said, which frightened her.
Detectives Gil Carrillo and Frank Salerno were the officers responsible for catching Ramirez. Carrillo was featured in the Netflix docuseries Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, where he told a story about another witness who was taken aback by Ramirez's dental issues. Glen Creaso was a librarian at a Los Angeles Public Library where Ramirez once dropped in. Creaso said Ramirez had "absolutely disgusting, rotted teeth" which were stained brown.
Having a bum set of teeth isn't a crime. However, if prosecuting attorneys are looking for something about a suspect that might stand out for surviving victims and witnesses alike, then horrible teeth and breath are a great start. The lawyers who prosecuted Ramirez agreed.
Richard Ramirez's alibi was disproven by a dentist appointment.
In April and June 1989, three dentists testified during Ramirez's trial, per the Los Angeles Times. In August, the jury asked to revisit their testimonies as they played an integral part in connecting Ramirez to the crimes. In particular, they were interested in the killer's alibi for three of the attacks. Ramirez's father said his son was in El Paso, Texas with him, but one of the dentists had records of Ramirez being treated at his office during that time.
The Los Angeles Times also reported that Dr. Peter Leung treated Ramirez under one of his many aliases: Richard Mena. Gerald Vale, director of dentistry at County-USC Medical Center, compared Ramirez's and Mena's X-rays and concluded that they were the same person.
Police initially reached out to Dr. Leung in June 1985 after they found his business card in Ramirez's car.
Authorities did not know he was the Night Stalker when they pulled Ramirez over while he was fleeing the scene of an attack on a child. Ramirez abandoned his car and ran, which led to a search of his vehicle. Detectives staked out Dr. Leung's office, hoping he would return for another appointment, but that never happened. Ramirez was arrested two months later.