He drove hundreds of miles in his off hours to find victims, most of them larger and stronger than himself. He relied on drugs, not force, to gain control.
A Pattern of Targeting
Randy Steven Kraft killed young men across California, Oregon, and Michigan over roughly a decade beginning in the early 1970s, primarily targeting gay men from bars and hitchhikers. Investigators found he frequently drugged victims, many of whom were physically larger than himself, using diazepam dissolved in alcohol before assaulting and killing them.
The Scale of the Case
Kraft was formally convicted of 16 murders, though investigators have suspected his true victim count may be considerably higher, with some estimates reaching into the dozens. We are not detailing the specific nature of the assaults or mutilations found during autopsies of his victims; they are documented extensively elsewhere in case anyone specifically wants that level of detail, but we don't think reproducing it here serves any purpose beyond what's needed to understand the scope of the case.
The Arrest
Kraft was arrested in May 1983 after California Highway Patrol officers stopped him for erratic driving and found a deceased young Marine in the passenger seat of his car. A subsequent search of his vehicle and home turned up a coded list connected to dozens of his victims, along with photographs linking him to numerous crime scenes.
Trial and Sentencing
Kraft was convicted on 16 counts of murder in 1989 and sentenced to death. He has remained on California's death row since his conviction, with the state's ongoing moratorium on executions meaning his sentence has not been carried out.
FAQ
How many people did Randy Kraft kill?
He was convicted of 16 murders, though investigators believe the actual number may be significantly higher.
How was Randy Kraft caught?
He was stopped by California Highway Patrol for erratic driving in 1983 and found with a deceased victim in his car.
Is Randy Kraft still alive?
As of the available information, he remains on death row in California; California currently has a moratorium on carrying out executions.