Randy Kraft: Clever Computer Cover-up

Randy Kraft grew up in a quiet California town in the 1950's and he was a bright student. He graduated from college with a bachelor's degree in economics in 1968. After coming out to his family in 1969, he lived a relatively open gay life and initially worked as a bartender in a gay bar. He later found a job working with computers and found that his job required some travel throughout California and Oregon.



In 1971, bodies of young men were found along the sides of the highways along the west coast. They had been brutally tortured, raped, and mutilated prior to their death. Most were missing their shoes & some had been burned with a cigarette lighter from a car.

Kraft was nearly arrested in 1975 when his car registration was linked to a victim whose head had been found near a marina. Various polaroid photos of unidentified men who appeared to be asleep or unconscious were found in his car. Randy was questioned in the murder of the victim found but without further evidence, police were forced to release him. Even with circumstantial evidence and a strong link to a victim, Kraft managed to get away.



In 1983, Kraft was finally arrested and charged with 16 homicides between 1972 and 1983. He was convicted on all counts & received the death sentence in 1989. Kraft was able to literally get away with murder for approximately 12 years under the guise of a quiet, computer geek.