Overview
- Police arrested Kearney in 1977 after tracing the killing of 17-year-old John LaMay to him.
- Upon arrest, he reportedly confessed to as many as 35 murders, though authorities secured convictions in 21 cases.
- Victims included hitchhikers, sex workers, men met in bars, and at least one child, with most shot in the head.
- He dismembered victims and left remains in trash bags along highways, leading to the “Trash Bag Killer” and “Freeway Killer” nicknames.
- A psychiatrist reportedly assessed his IQ at 180, and he is serving a life sentence at California’s Mule Creek State Prison.