Post by Sher on May 5, 2005 16:29:03 GMT -5
Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris were both habitual criminals when they first met in a California prison. The two sociopaths hit it off instantly and upon their releases, reunited and bought a van, nicknaming it "Murder Mac". Their intentions for the van were simple. They needed room to carry out their plans of kidnapping and murdering young girls.
Cindy Schaeffer, 16, was picked up in Redondo Beach on June 24, 1979. Bittaker and Norris drove her to an isolated spot in the mountains, raped her, and strangled her with a coat hanger. About two weeks later on July 8, snared Andrea Hall, 18, from the Pacific Coast Highway. She was raped and Bittaker killed her by stabbing her in the ear with an ice pick. The murderous duo then pulled of a double murder in September, strangling Jackie Gilliam, 15, and Jacqueline Lamp, 13, after two days of sexual torture. On October 31 they celebrated Halloween with what would be their final kill, abducting, torturing, and killing Shirley Ledford, 16, and leaving her body on the front lawn of a home in Sunland, California.
Unfortunately for Bittaker, his partner could not keep his mouth shut, telling a friend of their exploits in "Murder Mac". The man quickly went to police and Norris was arrested. He proved easy to crack and confessed, though he predictably laid most of the responsibility on Bittaker. Norris eventually proved more than helpful, leading authorities to the murder and dump sites striking a deal for a lesser prison term in exchange for his testimony against hisformer partner in crime. His help coupled with the testimony of a girl the pair inexplicably released and the fact that they had audio recording of Lamp's murder resulted in Bittaker being sentenced to death in 1981. Norris was sent sentenced to just 45-to-life. He is eligible for parole in 2010.
