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American serial killer Randy Kraft, nicknamed as the Scorecard Killer, the Southern California Strangler, and the Freeway Killer, was found guilty of rape, torture, and murder of 16 young men from 1972 to 1983. He was captured in 1983 and was given a death sentence in 1989. He is currently on the death row at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center in Marin County, California.
Kraft's case will be explored in an upcoming episode of Butchers of L.A. The show is a new Sundance limited true crime docuseries that premiered last Thursday, June 26, 2025. Divided into three parts, the docuseries takes up the cases of the three American serial murderers who were infamously known as the “Freeway Killers.”
Who is Randy Kraft, and what happened to him?
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Born in 1945 in Long Beach, California, Randy Kraft was the youngest of 4 siblings and was doted on at home by his sisters and mother. He grew up in Orange County and attended Claremont Men's College before joining the Air Force. However, he was discharged from his position after he came out to his superiors about his s*xual preference and orientation.
After being discharged from his duty, Kraft returned to his hometown and started a gig as a bartender. According to the Los Angeles Times, his first known crime was luring a 13-year-old boy named Joseph Alvin Fancher into his home and drugging and beating him, and s*xually assaulting him.
Fancher had managed to escape, but he never pressed any charges. This happened in March 1970, and it was just the beginning of Kraft's crimes. According to ABC7 Chicago, while it is believed that Randy Kraft is responsible for the rape and murder of over 65 victims, he could only be convicted of 16 of these crimes.
As reported by the New York Post, Kraft was caught on May 14, 1983, after being pulled over by two Highway Patrol officers for driving rashly on Interstate 5. When the patrol officers tried to speak to the passenger in his car, they realised that the man was dead. This led the police to conduct a thorough search of Kraft's vehicle, and they discovered incriminating evidence against him inside his truck.
In an article reported by Longbeachize, it is stated that investigations and forensic analysis revealed that he was responsible for the r*pe and murder of several young men. This led to Randy Kraft's arrest, and his trial began on September 26, 1988. Later that year, on August 11, 1989, the jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to death on November 29, 1989, by Judge McCartin.
Kraft is now on death row at the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center.
What is Butchers of L.A. all about?
Butchers of L.A. is a Sundance limited series that premiered on SundanceTV and AMC+ last Thursday, June 26, 2025. It is a three-part docuseries that follows the stories of 3 serial killers, Patrick Kearney, William Bonin, and Randy Kraft, infamously known as the Freeway Killers.
The official synopsis of the docuseries is:
"From the early 1970s, gay men were being savagely murdered and their bodies carelessly discarded along Southern California’s highways. Initially, police suspected a single perpetrator, but the detectives’ investigation ultimately revealed that three killers were operating, independently of each other, in the same vicinity."
It further reads:
"With intertwined storylines and dramatic twists and turns throughout, Butchers of L.A. exposes three sadistic serial killers — Patrick Kearney, William Bonin, and Randy Kraft — and explains the truth behind these horrifying events."
The series has been directed by David Harvey and produced by Mariana Ríos Sánchez from Peninsula Television. New episodes of Butchers of L.A. release every Thursday on SundanceTV.
Butchers of L.A. will release Randy Kraft's story on July 10, 2025.
