SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A new $50,000 reward and national campaign has been announced to identify a man known as the "Original Night Stalker."
Between 1976 and 1986, he committed 12 homicides, about 45 rapes, and multiple home burglaries in California. All of the crimes have been linked by DNA or details of the crimes. His victims ranged from 13 to 41 years old.
Burglaries and rapes began in the Sacramento area during the summer of 1976.
"During these crimes, the subject would ransack the homes of his victims and take small items such as coins, jewelry, and identification," the FBI statement says. "These cases include the homes of families, couples, and single women; burglaries in a neighborhood tended to precede clusters of sexual assaults."
These crimes continued primarily in the East Bay Area of Northern California, and then by October 1979 his activity escalated into rapes, homicides and attempted homicides along the California Coast. His crimes apparently stopped for a while in July 1981, until he raped and murdered an 18-year-old Irvine woman in 1986, according to the FBI.
The suspect is between 60 and 75 years old now, and is described as a white man, about 5-foot-10, with blond or light brown hair and an athletic build.
"He may have had an interest or training in military or law enforcement techniques, as he was familiar and proficient with firearms," reads the FBI statement released Wednesday. "People who know the subject may not believe him capable of such crimes. He may not have exhibited violent tendencies or have a criminal history."
The FBI and other law enforcement agencies launched a digital media campaign that includes a webpage, digital billboards across the country, and social media outreach on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
Law enforcement officials are asking members of the public to consider whether they lived near any of the crime scenes and remember someone who matches the suspect's physical description
Another question the FBI asked: Have you discovered a hidden collection of items among the belongings of a friend or family member, notably coins and jewelry, that match the items described on the FBI webpage about the burglaries?
He has been dubbed the East Area Rapist, the Original Night Stalker, the Diamond Knot Killer, and the Golden State Killer. Anyone with information about him is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip here: tips.fbi.gov.
