26 Facts About Patrick Kearney

Patrick Wayne Kearney was born on September 24,1939, as the oldest of three sons and was raised in a reasonably stable family of middle-class background.

Patrick Kearney returned to California following a brief marriage that ended in divorce and eventually worked as an engineer for Hughes Aircraft.

Patrick Kearney mostly sought out partners in San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico, where he used his fluency in Spanish and keen interest in Latin American culture as a basis to connect with potential partners.

Patrick Kearney claimed to have killed his first victim, a hitchhiker he picked up and murdered in Orange, California, around 1962.

Patrick Kearney claimed several more victims, mostly transients, before moving to Redondo Beach, near Los Angeles, in 1967 with a man named David Hill, who became his lover.

Patrick Kearney was a necrophile and was generally consistent in the manner in which he murdered his victims and disposed of their remains.

Patrick Kearney was not sadistic and did not inflict pain on his victims as the other two "Freeway Killers" did, preferring quickness and efficiency.

Patrick Kearney confessed to having committed his first murder in the spring of 1962.

Patrick Kearney had convinced the male to take a ride on his motorcycle with him to a secluded area outside of Indio, California.

The first murder that Patrick Kearney confessed to and was convicted of occurred "sometime around Christmas" of 1968, while he was living in Culver City, approximately one year after he and David Hill had taken residence together.

Patrick Kearney extracted the bullet from the victim's head to ensure the murder would not be traced to him.

Patrick Kearney then buried the dismembered body behind his garage.

Patrick Kearney did not kill for over a year following this murder, primarily out of fear that law enforcement would inquire about the disappearance of George.

In some cases, Patrick Kearney disposed of the bodies in the desert, where they could be consumed by carrion-eating animals.

Sometimes, Patrick Kearney would beat his victims after they were dead; he perceived beating his dead victims as a cathartic exercise and a means by which he could effectively vent suppressed anger and acquire a sense of power.

Patrick Kearney's body was discovered in Riverside County on October 12,1974.

On June 16,1976, Patrick Kearney killed Michael Craig McGhee, 13, of Redondo Beach.

Patrick Kearney claimed to have picked up McGhee, who was hitchhiking from Inglewood Avenue near Lennox to Torrance.

Patrick Kearney claimed to have perceived McGhee as a potential threat and shot him without warning after McGhee openly boasted of his criminal exploits and inquired about the presence and location of burglar alarms in Patrick Kearney's home.

The victim who ultimately led to Patrick Kearney's arrest was John Otis LaMay, 17, whom he killed on Sunday, March 13,1977.

Patrick Kearney later dismembered the corpse and dumped the remains in the desert.

Patrick Kearney resigned from his job, and the two fled to El Paso, Texas.

Patrick Kearney surrendered at the Riverside County Sheriff's Office on July 1,1977, along with Hill.

Patrick Kearney made a full confession, initially admitting to a total of 28 murders and subsequently to seven more.

Patrick Kearney was charged with twenty-one counts of murder and, as agreed, pleaded guilty.

Police are certain that Patrick Kearney was responsible for the other seven murders he had admitted to, but lacked the physical evidence to charge him.