Episode 15 The Doodler
In the late 1960s and well into the 1970s, the historic city of San Francisco, CA was overwhelmed by high profile crimes including the Zodiac murders, the Zebra killings, and the SLA/Patty Hurst crime spree. But one series of murders there in the mid 70s failed to grab the public's attention. From January, 1974 until September, 1975, an unknown killer, or killers, quietly targeted San Francisco's gay community. The series of murders was dubbed 'The Doodler' murders, because one potential suspect was an unidentified African-American male who used to sketch portraits of men in local gay bars, perhaps to gain their trust. Despite all attempts to ID this person, police were unsuccessful, but they did discover a strong suspect who remains unnamed publicly.
Murders attributed to the Doodler range from half a dozen to more than a dozen. Some possible victims however were said to be lucky enough to escape from the Doodler including a famous actor, and people from the political world.
The Doodler case officially remains unsolved. Join the Citizen Detective team as we explore the clues in this case.