California in the 1970s was renowned for its laid-back, carefree vibe, a haven for surfers and hippies – it also served as a hunting ground for a serial killer.

Herbert Mullin, with his soft-spoken demeanour and mild manners, seemed to fit right in. Yet beneath the friendly facade lurked a man plagued by violent delusions, utterly convinced of his righteous mission.

Born in 1947, Mullin’s troubles started long before his murderous rampage. The death of a close friend in a car accident during his teenage years deeply affected him, leading him to create a home shrine in his friend’s memory.

Those around him observed a shift in his behaviour as he became increasingly reclusive, paranoid, and disconnected from reality.

By his early twenties, Mullin was experiencing hallucinations and auditory disturbances, leading doctors to diagnose him with paranoid schizophrenia. He developed an obsession with earthquakes, believing that California was living on borrowed time, reports <a href=”https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/twisted-serial-killers-horrifying-explanation-36420311″ rel=”Follow” target=”_self”>the Mirror</a>.

In his distorted mind, natural disasters were not random occurrences but divine punishments in response to overpopulation. Mullin was convinced he had been chosen to address this issue – by taking lives.

Unlike many serial killers, Mullin did not target a specific type of victim. His victims were random and unrelated, ranging from elderly citizens to young individuals, travellers, a Catholic priest, and even an old acquaintance.

The fact that he was active in Santa Cruz at the same time as another unconnected murderer, Edmund Kemper, made it challenging for authorities to track him down. He employed various methods of killing – shooting, stabbing, or bludgeoning – often without any warning.

His first victim was a drifter whom he lured in October 1972 under the pretence of helping fix his car in return for a ride. The unsuspecting man was beaten to death with a baseball bat.

Among his other victims was a hitchhiking woman, who he stabbed to death in his car before disembowelling her in a bizarre search for signs of environmental pollution. He also shot four teenage boys in the head after they disregarded his orders to cease camping in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.

At one point, Mullin sought out an old friend who had introduced him to cannabis, blaming him for his life’s downward spiral. After shooting him and his wife, he went on to murder a mother and her two young children – aged just four and nine – using the same method.

In some instances, witnesses reported he appeared perfectly calm, even friendly, moments before committing these horrific crimes. Following each murder, Mullin convinced himself that he had postponed the next earthquake.

When nothing occurred, it only reinforced his conviction that his “sacrifices” were proving effective. Disturbingly, Mullin occasionally spoke candidly about taking lives, but his incoherent admissions were brushed off as the ramblings of a troubled vagrant rather than the confessions of an active killer.

As terror took hold, residents began locking their doors, arming themselves and becoming wary of outsiders. The community’s laid-back, bohemian atmosphere had vanished.

Finally, in February 1973, the killing spree reached its conclusion when Mullin gunned down 72 year old pensioner Fred Perez in a local park during daylight hours. A neighbouring resident noted down his registration number, and police swiftly apprehended him.

Following his arrest and interrogation, Mullin made no attempt to deny his crimes. He spoke openly, matter-of-factly detailing his motives for the killings.

During the trial, psychiatrists presented a chilling portrait of an individual controlled by delusions – including telepathic commands from his father to murder – so overwhelming they completely suppressed any moral compass.

The jury dismissed the insanity defence, and Mullin was convicted of multiple homicides and given a life sentence. Even whilst incarcerated, he maintained his version of events and displayed minimal regret for his actions.

He passed away from natural causes at the California Health Care Facility in August 2022, at the age of 75.