‘Trash Bag’ Killer Charged Again (Press, 17 February 1978)
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Summary: ‘Trash Bag’ Killer Charged Again (Press, 17 February 1978)
On 17 February 1978, Patrick Kearney, a convicted murderer already serving a life sentence for the killings of three young men in Riverside County, California, faced 17 additional murder charges brought by the Los Angeles County District Attorney. Kearney, a 38-year-old former aerospace worker, had already confessed to murdering 32 young men and disposing of their remains in plastic rubbish bags across various southern California counties. With the new charges, Kearney now faces a total of 20 murder counts. The latest complaints detail the murders of 17 individuals, including boys aged 5 to 28, whose bodies were discovered in multiple counties, including Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, and Imperial. The murders reportedly occurred between September 1968 and April 1977, with discoveries of the bodies taking place from February 1973 until July 7, 1977. Kearney had previously pleaded guilty to three murders in Riverside County on 21 December 1977, which resulted in his life imprisonment. He is currently incarcerated at Chino Prison. During court proceedings, Kearney mentioned that his killings were partly inspired by a notorious record of murders by a homosexual group in Houston, Texas, in 1973, and he had kept a scrapbook of related news articles. The victims, often described as teenage drifters and young men, were primarily shot in the head, and dismembered body parts were discovered in plastic bags placed along highways throughout southern California. Kearney is expected to be arraigned on the new charges in the upcoming week. Although he expressed remorse for his actions, stating, “It is nothing to be proud of,” he acknowledged the need to take responsibility for his crimes. His sentence allows for the possibility of parole in seven years, although Superior Court Judge John Hews indicated that it is highly likely he will spend the remainder of his life in prison. Kearney, along with his partner David Douglas Hill, aged 35, surrendered to authorities in Riverside County when they were identified as suspects. However, a grand jury declined to indict Hill due to insufficient evidence.
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