No Humans Involved - a true crime case that will make you angry.
A series of disturbing murders began in San Diego in the summer of 1985. Perhaps series is the wrong choice of words, series suggests a connection between the crimes in the form of a common perpetrator or perpetrators but that was not what was happening here. Rather the connection between the victims was branded by law enforcement and media as being their lifestyle choice, namely, the fact that the murdered women were engaging in behaviour that was deemed by society as dangerous or immoral. It did not take long before this violent crime spree was labelled as “the prostitute murders”, even though less than half of the victims were sex workers.
The term NHI began to circulate within the police community in relation to the murders and was quickly picked up on by community activist and the press. No Humans Involved. A phrase commonly used by police officers in the 1980’s in Los Angeles and San Diego (although presumably not limited to those regions) to categorize crimes against sex workers, drug addicts, ethnic minorities and gang killings. Referring to these murders as NHI is a startling reflection of how law enforcement considered these women, as less than human, disposable to society.
From 1985 to 1992 a total of 44 women were brutally slain across San Diego, many of whom were strangled, beaten, stripped of their clothes and sexually assaulted. They died violent and terrifying deaths. And yet, a large proportion of society seemed to view this as no more than an occupational hazard, a tragedy yes, but one brought about by poor life choices. It is an unfortunate attitude that prevails today and is specifically felt towards cases involving sexual violence when the victim’s behaviour is deemed to put her at risk of attack. The San Diego victims’ choices of clothing were identified as a potential factor of them being targeted: shorts, dresses, tank tops, skirts. The average high temperature in San Diego during the summer months is 76°F (24°C), it is unfathomable to suggest that wearing shorts in this weather is inappropriate behaviour, but that is precisely what was said.
In the years since these crimes took place many of them have been solved, several people have been arrested, tried, and convicted. Some of the women have received a small measure of justice for their lives being callously cut short while others have not. Some remain unidentified, nameless. It was frequently suggested at the time that a serial killer was responsible, a deranged lone psychopath, prowling the streets for his prey. A frightening thought that remained a possibility within the imagination of San Diego citizens for years to come. However, it transpired that something far more insidious was taking place, there was no singular monster but rather there were many. Multiple killers, acting alone and committing horrifying acts of brutality on complete strangers for their own gratification. An epidemic of violence in this bustling Californian city.
So where do these cases stand now? It is difficult to find very much information regarding the majority of the 44 victims originally connected based on the circumstances of their deaths. The Los Angeles Times has been a good source for updates on trials and convictions over the years but most of these stories and the women at the centre of them are largely forgotten about now. This series of blogs will look at each case in more detail, examining what went wrong in the investigations and, more importantly, what went wrong in society.
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