The San Diego serial murders were a series of murders of women that, according to the official investigation's version, occurred between and within San Diego , California, and the surrounding area. At least 28 victims were sex workers and were known to use drugs, with four remaining unidentified. The murders caused public outcry that led to the local police department organizing a specialized task force that requested the public's assistance through a nationally televised broadcast.
Initially thought to be committed by a single serial killer , most of the murders are now believed to be committed by different perpetrators, including several confirmed and suspected serial killers that are unrelated to one another.
The victims were primarily women aged 19 to 45 who led a marginalized lifestyle, engaged in prostitution or suffered from drug addiction.
A number of bodies were found in trash cans located on El Cajon Boulevard or sidewalks of other streets. Twenty two of the victims were strangled after being brutally beaten; two were shot; two were stabbed and two others were beaten to death.
Five of the victims had taken a large dose of drugs prior to their death, and in at least two cases, the perpetrators put rocks and gravel in the victim's mouth. The cause of death of thirteen women could not be determined during forensic examination, as their bodies were too decomposed. Most of the murders were not linked together until October - until then, they were thought to be committed by different killers. Seven of the murdered victims were African-American; seven were Hispanic; one victim was Asian; and 28 were white.
