Who were the victims of Randy Kraft? Details about the Butchers of L.A. subject, explored

Randy Kraft is an American serial murderer who is infamously known by several nicknames, including Scorecard Killer, the Southern California Strangler, and the Freeway Killer. According to the Los Angeles Times, Kraft was convicted of the r*pe, torture, and murder of around 16 young men and boys between 1972 and 1983.

He was convicted in May 1989 and is currently on the death row at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center in Marin County, California. Randy Kraft's story will be covered in the new Sundance limited true crime docuseries titled Butchers of L.A., which premiered this Thursday, June 26, 2025, with the case of Patrick Kearney.

The three-part docuseries is a horrifying retelling of the cases of the three notorious serial killers of California, who were known as the “Freeway Killers.” The series will feature Randy Kraft's case in its final episode, which will release on July 10, 2025.

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Who is Randy Kraft? All about his victims

Randy Kraft was born in Long Beach, California, on March 19, 1945. As a child, he was doted on by his 3 older sisters and mother. He later attended Claremont Men's College and was also enrolled in the Reserve Officers Training Corps.

Randy Kraft joined the United States Air Force after college, where he rose to the rank of Airman First Class and supervisor-manager. It was then that he came out to his family regarding his s*xual orientation and preference. While his family was initially disapproving, eventually they accepted him.

However, when he came out at his workplace, he was granted a general discharge after only 13 months of service. After that, Kraft moved back into his parents' home and started working as a bartender.

According to a report by Longbeachize, Randy's first known victim was a 13-year-old boy named Joseph Alvin Fancher, whom he met at Huntington Beach in March 1970. He invited the boy to stay with him as he had run away from home, and when he followed Kraft to his apartment, he was drugged, beaten, and s*xually assaulted. Luckily, Fancher managed to escape, but no charges were filed.

As per a report by The New York Post, this was only the beginning of Kraft's crimes. From 1972 to 1983, it was believed that he was involved in the assault and murder of over 60 young men and boys in California, Oregon, and Michigan. However, he was convicted of only 16 of these murders.

The list of Randy Kraft's victims, as per randykraft.com, is as follows:

• Edward Daniel Moore (20) December 24, 1972
• Kevin Bailey (17) April 9, 1973
• Ronnie Wiebe (20) July 28, 1973
• Keith Crotwell (18) March 29, 1975
• Mark Hall (22) January 1, 1976
• Scott Hughes (18) April 16, 1978
• Roland Young (23) June 11, 1978
• Richard Keith (20) June 19, 1978
• Keith Klingbeil (23) July 6, 1978
• Michael Inderbieten (21) November 18, 1978
• Donald Crisel (20) June 16, 1979
• Robert Loggins (19) August 23, 1980
• Eric Church (21) January 27, 1983
• Rodger DeVaul (20) February 12, 1983
• Geoffrey Nelson (18) February 12, 1983
• Terry Lee Gambrel (25) May 14, 1983

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How was Randy Kraft caught?

According to the Los Angeles Times, Kraft was only caught in 1983 after he was randomly stopped on suspicion of drunk driving. The police discovered a corpse in the passenger seat, which led to his capture. His trial began on September 26, 1988, and a year later, on August 11, 1989, the jury found him guilty.

As per an article by SFGATE, on November 29, 1989, Judge McCartin sentenced him to death, which was upheld by the California Supreme Court on August 9, 2000. Today, Kraft remains on death row at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center and still maintains his innocence.

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Catch the case of Randy Kraft on Butchers of L.A.

Edited by Sriparna Barui