'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Patrick Kearney, who is better known as the Trash Bag Killer and the Freeway Killer, was convicted of sexually assaulting and killing over 20 young men and boys in southern California from 1962 to 1977. Kearney's case will be explored in the first episode of the upcoming Sundance limited true crime docuseries titled Butchers of L.A., releasing on Thursday, June 26, 2025.
Patrick Kearney was found guilty of 21 murders in 1978, and he was sentenced to 21 consecutive life sentences. He was one of the three notorious serial killers who preyed on young men in southern California in the 1970s and 1980s. The other two serial killers are William Bonin and Randy Kraft, and their cases will also be explored in subsequent episodes of Butchers of L.A.
Who is Patrick Kearney, and what did he do?
Trending
What is meeting Lady Gaga like? Find out HERE
Patrick Kearney was born in East Los Angeles, California, on September 24, 1939. From a very young age, he was a victim of bullying. Kearney grew up to be an engineer for the Hughes Aircraft Company, and he was also a skilled gay pickup artist fluent in Spanish. When he moved to Redondo Beach, Kearney met David Hill and the two became romantically involved.
However, when they had arguments, Kearney would go on drives and pick up hitchhikers or men from gay bars. He would take these men to secluded spots, shoot them with a .22-caliber derringer, and then engage in acts of necrophilia with the bodies.
Kearney would then dispose of the bodies in canyons, landfills, and along highways in trash bags, from where he got his nickname, Trash Bag Killer. At other times, he would dump the bodies in the desert to be eaten by animals.
Kearney would methodically drain his victims' blood to eliminate odors and sometimes would even wash the dismembered body parts to remove traces of blood and eliminate fingerprint evidence.
What happened to Patrick Kearney?
Among Patrick Kearney's last known victims was John Otis LaMay, whom he killed on Sunday, March 13, 1977. When police began investigating his death, they discovered that LaMay was last seen with Kearney and his partner, Hill. However, by then, both had fled to El Paso, Texas, to evade the authorities. They were only arrested after their families convinced them to turn themselves in.
While Hill was released after it was confirmed that he had no involvement in the murders, Kearney himself confessed to a total of 35 murders. However, he was only charged with 21 counts of murder.
Kearney then pleaded guilty to avoid a death sentence. At the time of his conviction, he was 37 years old, and he is now serving his sentence at the California State Prison. All of Kearney's victims were males in the age range of five to 28.
However, Kearney's arrest did not stop the murders. It was then that the police realized that there was more than one "Freeway Killer" on the loose in California. This led to further investigations and the subsequent arrest of William Bonin and Randy Kraft. Their cases will also be explored in episodes 2 and 3 of Butchers of L.A.
Viewers can catch the details about Patrick Kearney this Thursday on AMC+ or SundanceTV.
