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Patrick Kearney, known as the Trash Bag Killer, was a serial killer who murdered at least 21 young men and boys in Southern California between 1962 and 1977. His crimes, marked by necrophilia and dismemberment, terrorized the region, targeting hitchhikers and gay bar patrons.
Butchers of L.A., a three-part true crime docu-series, explores Patrick Kearney’s case in episode 1, Trash Bags, premiering Thursday, June 26, 2025, at 10 PM ET/PT on SundanceTV, Sundance Now, and AMC+.
Directed by David Harvey and produced by Peninsula Television’s Mariana Rios Sanchez, with Jonathan Ford as executive producer, the episode details Patrick Kearney’s methods and capture through interviews and archival footage. Streamable on-demand via Sundance Now and AMC+, it reveals how police uncovered his identity as one of three Freeway Killers.
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5 key details of Patrick Kearney’s crimes
1) Use of trash bags for disposal
As reported by The New York Times, Kearney disposed of victims’ dismembered remains in plastic trash bags, often left in wilderness areas or near highways, earning him the Trash Bag Killer nickname. From 1967 to 1977, he scattered body parts to hinder identification.
For example, John Otis LaMay’s remains were found in a trash bag on March 18, 1977, in a wilderness area 50 miles east of his Riverside home. This disposal method delayed police detection until LaMay’s parents’ tip linked the bags to Kearney, revealing a pattern across Southern California.
2) Necrophilia with the victims’ bodies
As reported by The New York Times, Kearney engaged in necrophilia, sexually assaulting victims’ bodies after death. After shooting them, usually in the head with a gun, he took the corpses to secluded areas for these acts before dismembering them. His 1977 confessions confirmed this with victims such as John Otis LaMay, killed in March 1977.
Targeting men from gay bars or highways, Kearney’s necrophilic acts revealed a disturbing psychological pattern, complicating forensic efforts due to the condition of the remains.
3) Targeting vulnerable young men
As reported by Radford University, Kearney preyed on vulnerable young men and boys, often hitchhikers or gay bar patrons in Redondo Beach. Victims included Merle Chance, 8, abducted April 6, 1977, and Kenneth E. Buchanan, 17, killed in April 1976. Using charisma and Spanish fluency, Kearney lured transients or those seeking companionship.
His ability to blend into these communities delayed suspicion, as many victims, like Michael Craig McGhee, 20, killed in 1975, were reported missing late, prolonging his spree.
4) Shooting method while driving
Kearney developed a methodical killing technique, shooting victims in the temple with a gun using his right hand while steering with his left. By 1974, this allowed discreet murders, as with Kenneth Buchanan in April 1976.
He monitored vehicle speed to avoid attention, often leaving bodies upright in the passenger seat before disposal. This precision, refined over the years, enabled Kearney to kill without immediate detection, extending his 15-year killing spree.
5) Childhood trauma and violent fantasies of Patrick Kearney
Born in 1939 in East Los Angeles, Patrick Kearney was bullied for his frail build, fostering violent fantasies by adolescence. These fantasies, detailed in his confessions, led him to target victims resembling his bullies, such as Michael McGhee, killed in 1975, as reported by Radford University.
His early trauma, including killing pigs at 13 as taught by his father, shaped his sadistic behavior. This psychological foundation, revealed post-arrest, drove his murders, escalating over 15 years into a prolific killing spree.
Stay tuned for more news and updates.
