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Crime House has the perfect new show for spooky season Twisted Tales. Hosted by Heidi Wong, each episode of Twisted Tales is perfect for late night scares and daytime frights, revealing the disturbing real life events that inspired the world's most terrifying blockbusters and the ones too twisted to make it to screen. Twisted Tales is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. Listen wherever you get your podcasts new episodes out every Monday.
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This is Crime House.
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A best friend is more than just a companion. They celebrate our wins, offer us emotional support, and give us a sense of belonging. They know our deepest secret secrets and are there to catch us when we fall. But not all friendships are positive. Sometimes that close connection can bring out the worst in us. It can become toxic and in some cases, criminal. That was the case for Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris in the 1970s. Their jailhouse kinship morphed into something deadly. Bonded by an appetite for torture and sadism, Lawrence and Roy left prison ready to unleash their darkest fantasies upon the world together. The human mind is powerful. It shapes how we think, feel, love and hate. But sometimes it drives people to commit the unthinkable. This is Killer Minds, a Crime House Original. Hello, I'm Vanessa Richardson.
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And I'm Dr. Tristan Engels. Every Monday and Thursday, we uncover the darkest minds in history. Analyzing what makes a killer Crime House.
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Is made possible by you. Please rate, review and follow Killer Minds to enhance your listening experience. With ad free early access to each two part series and bonus content. Subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. A Warning. This episode contains graphic descriptions of physical and sexual violence. Listener discretion is advised. Today we'll begin a deep dive into the crimes of Lawrence Biddicker and Roy Norris, two of the most brutal serial killers of all time. Over a five month period in 1979, Lawrence and Roy captured, tormented and killed five girls in Southern California. The pair used common household tools to torture and murder victims, which earned them the nickname the Toolbox Killers.
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As Vanessa goes through the story, I'll be talking about things like the reasons some serial killers choose to work in teams, how divides can form between them, and what kinds of mistakes or shakeups can occur as a result of those rifts.
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And as always, we'll be asking the question, what makes a killer?
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This episode is brought to you by Netflix. Everyone is telling her she dreamt it, but in the woman in cabin 10, Lo Blacklock is determined to uncover the truth in the gripping new thriller coming to Netflix October 10th. Keira Knightley plays a journalist aboard a luxury yacht who witnesses a crime she can't unsee. Adapted from Ruth Ware's best selling novel, directed by Simon Stone. Watch the woman in Cabin 10 only on Netflix on October 10th.
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From an early age, Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris each dealt with hardship and cruelty. Lawrence was born on September 20, 1940 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to parents who did not want him. They put Lawrence up for adoption as an infant and even though a couple quickly took him in, they didn't seem to show a lot of warmth or emotion as Lawrence grew up. Lawrence also had a hard time making friends since his adoptive father's job caused them to move around the country a lot. And although he was a smart kid with an IQ of 138, Lawrence didn't like going to school. So in 1957, when Lawrence was 17 years old, he dropped out and tried to find a job. But without a degree, he found it hard to earn an honest living. So he turned to petty crime. Lawrence tried to make a little cash through small time robberies, but that only landed him in trouble with the law. Lawrence earned three convictions between August of 1959 and December of 1960. Something about his demeanor must have raised a red flag with the authorities because in 1961, while Lawrence was in prison, the 21 year old was given a psychiatric evaluation and the results revealed some shock, shocking things about him. The doctor described Lawrence as paranoid, manipulative and said that he had a quote, great deal of pent up hostility. He diagnosed Lawrence as borderline psychotic.
- [05:49]
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So back in 1961, mental health practitioners used the term borderline as more of a catch all category. It was a way of saying this person doesn't fully meet criteria for something, in this case psychosis, but something is clearly wrong. So borderline psychotic meant that he wasn't actively delusional or hallucinating, but he did show serious disturbances in his thinking, his ability to regulate emotions and how he perceived reality. So in other words, they believed he was teetering on the line, AKA borderline. Between what doctors then called neurosis, things like anxiety or depression, and full blown psychosis such as schizophrenia. It's important to be clear, this was before borderline personality disorder even existed as a formal diagnosis. So borderline psychotic back then, or the use of borderline as a term was not the same thing as what we mean today by borderline personality disorder. That being said, if we're looking at Lawrence today, we wouldn't use the phrase borderline psychotic anymore. Instead, we'd carefully describe whether he had psychotic features, a personality disorder, or even both. And we talk about the severity and the context. In his case, his traits seem to line up with antisocial personality disorder, like how you said he's manipulative, he's hostile, he lacks empathy, chronic rule breaking, possibly with some paranoid features, rather than a true psychotic disorder.
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Despite how severe this diagnosis was, it doesn't seem like Lawrence received any helpful treatment because after his release in 1974, he not only kept committing crimes, but escalated from robbery to cold hearted violence. By now, Lawrence was living in California. He went to a supermarket one day and tried to steal a steak by hiding it under his clothes. But one of the employees caught him. In response, Lawrence pulled out a knife and stabbed the employee in the chest. He was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and sent to the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo that same year. This is where Lawrence would later meet his twisted counterpart, Roy Norris. Roy was born on February 5, 1948, in Greely, Colorado, where, like Lawrence, he grew up in a home without much tlc. His parents weren't married when he was conceived, so they were forced to marry each other to avoid the stigma of having a child out of wedlock. And it wasn't an especially loving partnership. By the time Roy was born, his father was working long hours at a scrapyard, and at some point his mother developed a drug addiction. Roy was left by the wayside and ended up in and out of foster homes throughout his childhood. And these were rarely good environments either. He often went hungry and had to wear dirty, worn out clothes. It's also possible that Roy was abused by one of his foster families, but the events are unclear. What is clear though, is that Roy never had a good example to follow. One day in 1964, when Roy was 16, he said some sexually explicit things to a female relative. The incident escalated somehow and Roy ended up running away. Then he attempted to die by suicide. He was unsuccessful, and after he recovered, the police returned him to his biological parents. But if the authorities thought this would be a nurturing environment, they were sorely mistaken. Roy's parents berated him and told him they never Wanted kids in the first place. Their cruelty pushed Roy to drop out of high school and leave home in need of somewhere to go. 17 year old Roy joined the Navy in 1965. He served as an electrician until 1969 when he was deployed to Vietnam. He spent four months there. And while he never saw active combat, he did witness his fellow servicemen rape and torture Vietnamese women. Seeing this unspeakable behavior was a huge shock to Roy, and he started doing drugs to cope with the trauma. But it clearly didn't work because pretty soon he started attacking women too.
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From a clinical perspective, this fits with what we know about exposure, desensitization and moral disengagement. When someone is repeatedly exposed to violence, especially in a culture where it isn't being condemned, their sense of morality can fade. And when you add in substance use, which lowers inhibitions and pre existing antisocial traits, then escalation like this is likely to occur. It's important to stress this doesn't mean his environment caused his crimes. Many people experience trauma or witness violence and do not go on to harm others. But in someone like Roy, who likely had at the very least, attachment deficits and trauma from his own childhood, his environment now could have accelerated his escalation towards sexual aggression, as it may have normalized or even justified it in his mind. I've worked with veterans on parole who've described similar experiences. Many said that they grew up in violent environments, whether inside their own homes or within their communities, long before the military. And for some, the military was supposed to be an escape from that turmoil. But instead they found themselves in yet another violent environment. And often they spoke of witnessing violence not only combat related, but within their own ranks perpetrated on one another. And their stories were really shocking. And that kind of compounding exposure can lead to desensitization, mistrust and emotional detachment. And in some cases, it reinforces patterns of aggression as a default way of coping. And in Roy's case, that combination of childhood adversity, maladaptive coping, and exposure to normalized violence like that likely pushed him further along a path that he was already vulnerable.
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Vulnerable too, depending on what kind of drugs Roy was taking at that time. How do you think substance abuse might have impacted his ability to cope with seeing what the other men were doing to those women?
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Depressants like alcohol tend to numb emotional distress in the short term, but also lowers inhibitions and interferes with healthy coping. So rather than processing what he saw, alcohol likely allowed him to suppress it temporarily. But it doesn't change his circumstances or the distress it's causing him. Obviously, that's if he was using alcohol. Over time, that escapism can actually increase hostility and emotional volatility. Using stimulants like amphetamines can create heightened paranoia, irritability, and aggression. And that would have made him more on edge, more reactive, and less able to empathize. Whatever the substance he turned to, the pattern is often the same. Instead of helping him integrate or process the trauma of what he saw, Substances would have affected his ability to regulate himself, maintain empathy, or develop healthier coping skills. And equally concerning was that he turned to substances to cope to begin with. I've seen this very frequently in military settings, Paramilitary settings Like correctional officers and law enforcement officers, and even in incarcerated individuals. Witnessing violence and crime among your own ranks Puts you in a precarious position. If you report it, you can be subjected to retaliation, Whether that's social exclusion, Harassments, threats, or even direct violence. That kind of environment creates a culture of silence, where people learn quickly that speaking up is more dangerous and staying quiet. It also reinforces moral disengagement, because if you can't safely intervene and you can't safely report, you may feel forced or pressured to normalize it, ignore it, or even participate to protect yourself. And sadly, all of these responses happen more often than not.
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It seems clear that Roy had no moral guidelines of his own. And while we don't know if he was ever caught attacking women, we do know that the same year he went to Vietnam, he was discharged from the navy for, quote, psychological reasons. Once he was out, his behavior didn't get any better. Between November of 1969 and May of 1970, Roy attacked and attempted to rape three different women. For the final incident, he was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to five years At a Tascadero state hospital in California. He was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, and eventually doctors diagnosed him as having a severe schizoid personality disorder and classified as a disordered sex offender.
- [14:15]
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Okay, so schizoid personality disorder Is an enduring pattern of behavior Where a person seems emotionally detached, withdrawn, and prefers to be alone. They often appear indifferent to social relationships, show very limited emotional expression, and don't seem to need close friendships or intimacy. Clinically, it's important to say this isn't the same as schizophrenia. I know it can be misleading with a name, but people with schizoid personality disorder are not necessarily psychotic. They're usually not hallucinating or delusional. Instead, said it's more about how they relate to others. They may come across as flat, distant, or cold, not because they're trying to be cruel, but because they're emotionally removed and genuinely more comfortable being isolated. It usually starts in early adulthood, and it's fairly stable over time. Some individuals can function well in jobs or settings where solitude is an advantage, but again, they often struggle with intimacy and connection. Now, in the context of Roy, this label likely reflected how he presented at the time. Detached, withdrawn, and emotionally blunted. But given the context and the era of this evaluation, we have to remember that diagnosis were sometimes used more to explain fitness for duty or unfit for service, rather than to provide accurate, nuanced treatment planning. So today, many clinicians might have looked more broadly at Roy's trauma, his antisocial traits, and substance use as contributing factors for his behaviors before diagnosing a personality disorder. Even in the context of potentially discharging someone from the military, what does it.
- [15:51]
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Mean for someone to be classified as a disordered sexual offender? Or, I guess, what did it mean back in 1970?
- [15:58]
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Sure. So this is a forensic and legal term that is used in California. I don't know about other states, and it's not a psychiatric diagnosis. Essentially, an offender is given that label legally if they have committed a sexual offense and after a psychiatric evaluation was determined that their mental health contributed to their offense and they are likely to reoffend. Back then, individuals labeled as a mentally disordered sexual offender were sent to state hospitals for treatment, and the idea was that psychiatric intervention could reduce their danger to society. Currently, this label no longer exists. I think it's because it was too broad. Instead, Today, California recognizes two main categories. Mentally disordered offenders, or MDOs, and sexually violent predators, which are SVPs. In my career, I've encountered both, especially MDOs. An MDO is someone with a severe mental illness who has been convicted of a serious violent crime. As they finish their prison sentence and approach parole, they undergo an MDO evaluation by a psychologist, and the purpose is to decide, can this person safely parole back into the community, or do they need continued treatment in a state hospital first? If they require more stabilization or they do continue to pose a risk, then hospital treatment becomes a condition of parole. This process is designed to reduce risk to the public while also addressing the person's ongoing psychiatric needs. Because once someone's completed their prison sentence, we cannot legally keep them incarcerated anymore. Now, SVP's are similar in concept, but with a few key differences. These are individuals with a history of sexually violent offenses and a diagnosable sexual disorder. Instead of parole related treatment. SVP's can be civilly committed to a state hospital after their prison term, and unlike MDOs, that hospitalization can be indefinite because of their high risk. Psychologists who conduct SVP evaluations in California must receive specialized training and certification through both the Department of State Hospitals and the California Sex Offender Management Board, which sets statewide standards for sex offender risk assessment and management.
- [18:10]
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Well, it was clear that Roy had a lot of things to work through, but he wouldn't be getting that help in an Institution. In 1975, the 27 year old was deemed rehabilitated and released on probation. Then, just a few months after his release, Roy attacked a young woman in Redondo Beach, California. He followed her on his motorcycle and offered her a ride. When she declined, he jumped off and used her own scarf to drag her off the road into some bushes before attacking her. Fortunately, the woman escaped and later identified Roy as her attacker. He was arrested and convicted of rape in 1976 and sent to the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo where Lawrence Biddaker was serving time. The two men were an unlikely pair, but soon they tapped into their shared evil and unleashed hell.
- [19:13]
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- [20:16]
A
In 1976, 28 year old Roy Norris was convicted of rape and sent to the California Men's Colony in san Luis Obispo. In 36 year old Lawrence Bittaker was already incarcerated there for assault with a deadly weapon. The two men ran in different circles, but about a year into Roy's sentence, he and Lawrence met in a jewelry making class. At first it didn't seem like they had much in common, even when it came to their crimes. Lawrence seemed to commit violence out of desperation, whereas Roy's brutality was more compulsive. They were also very different types of inmates. Lawrence kept to himself while Roy hung Out with motorcycle gangs and drug dealers.
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So that seems inconsistent with a pattern that you would find with someone diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder. I would expect to see him act more like Lawrence if that truly was the case.
- [21:08]
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Well, one day something went wrong between Roy and his friends, and a group of men attacked him. There's no telling how badly he could have been hurt if Lawrence hadn't stepped in to save him.
- [21:18]
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Him.
- [21:19]
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After that, the two were inseparable. It turned out they had a lot more in common than they thought, Especially when it came to violence. Roy told Lawrence that he felt a surge of power whenever he looked into the eyes of his terrified victims. That intrigued Lawrence. He'd never felt that kind of power, but he wanted to. Although he told Roy that if he ever sexually assaulted someone, he'd have to kill her to keep from getting caught.
- [21:47]
C
From a clinical perspective, this shows us a few things. First, Lawrence was already thinking in a calculating and instrumental way. He wasn't talking about sexual gratification or emotional impulse. He was talking about logistics. That could indicate psychopathic traits where violence is used strategically, almost like problem solving, rather than out of loss of control. Second, it reveals an important difference between the two men. Roy seemed motivated by the emotional high of power and control in the moment, Whereas Lawrence was organized. He focused on eliminating evidence and ensuring self protection. He was pragmatic, cold, but future oriented, and wanted to feel powerful. Together, those two styles were a very dangerous mix Because Roy brought the impulse of drive and Lawrence brought calculated strategy. And lastly, this illustrates what we often see in certain co offending dynamics. When two people with overlapping antisocial traits find each other, they can reinforce, enable and escalate each other's fantasies. Alone, Roy may have continued to attack and rape without necessarily escalating to serial killing. Similarly, alone, Lawrence may have stayed in the realm of fantasy, but together they created this feedback loop that led them down a very dangerous path.
- [23:06]
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So as far as we know, Lawrence had never really been convicted of a sexually motivated crime before. And the only time he really ever hurt someone seemed to be when he needed food. What do you make of his sudden interest in violent sexual crimes?
- [23:19]
C
Times, it's hard to tell, But I think this is a case of someone who may have had latent tendencies that met opportunity. It's possible that Lawrence had violent or deviate fantasies that we just didn't know about. Or he derived pleasure from watching the torture of another, Even if it was sexual in nature, which suggests sadistic tendencies. So while it seems sudden, what likely happened is this Lawrence already had antisocial, manipulative, and sadistic traits. And when he connected with Roy, who framed sexual assault as exciting and powerful, it resonated with Lawrence's need for that power and control. And the result was an escalation from possible fantasizing into planning.
- [24:03]
A
Eventually, Lawrence and Roy's conversations changed. They were no longer talking in hypotheticals. They started forming concrete plans. Once they were released from prison, they vowed to team up and attacked, rape, and kill seven girls between the ages of 13 and 19. Lawrence was paroled first in October of 1978. Now 38 years old, he moved to Burbank, California, and got a job as a machinist. To outside observers, it seemed like prison had truly reformed him. Lawrence earned a good living and brought food to unhoused people on multiple occasions. He got along with his neighbors and always lended them a helping hand. But it was all an act. In reality, Lawrence eagerly awaited Roy's release and the terror the two of them planned to unleash. By February of 1979, just a few months after Lawrence left prison, Roy was out, too. At 31 years old, he had no idea how to live on his own. So he moved in with his mom in redondo beach, about 30 miles from Burbank, and got a job as a. An electrician. That month, Roy and Lawrence met up and set their murderous plans in motion. First, they bought a silver windowless cargo van with a sliding passenger door, perfect for grabbing someone and throwing them in. Then they put a mattress, a cooler, and a toolbox in the back. That toolbox contained all sorts of instruments like a sledgehammer and locking pliers and for them to use on their victims. Roy and Lawrence nicknamed the van murder Mac. After that, they made a series of test runs where they would cruise the Southern California highways, picking up girls and letting them go. They did this to refine their techniques. What tone of voice would be effective, what facial expressions to have, and what kinds of snacks or drugs to offer. Then they found the perfect location. Location to park their van while they attacked their victims. It was a secluded fire road in the San Gabriel Mountains north of Los Angeles. The road even had a gate they could lock to make sure nobody interrupted them.
- [26:15]
C
The level of rehearsal they are doing reflects just how calloused and detached from empathy they were. People seem to have absolutely no value to them. Also, choosing their kill location is an example of calculated control. From a clinical perspective, this kind of planning and rehearsal is a hallmark of organized offenders, which is interesting because Roy, if he was operating on his own is not an organized offender. He's more impulsive and compulsive, whereas Lawrence is more patient, methodical, very good at being a chameleon, as you described. And so this highlights again the unnerving synergy between them. And I have to circle back to the number seven. This is truly chilling and a bit unusual. I can think of only a handful of serial killers that were this severe and methodical planning, especially the number of people that they want to kill. And Israel Keys is at the top of the list of this kind of premeditation.
- [27:12]
A
How might that tie back to their specific plan of killing seven girls between the ages of 13 and 19?
- [27:18]
C
Yeah, again that number. I find it so interesting that they decided on a specific number of victims and specific ages, but the age is less. So why a specific number? Why put a cap on it? That is unusual. It makes me wonder if they were superstitious or ritualistic. Did they have a specific belief system making the number seven symbolic? Given the age gap 13 to 19, that could mean that they wanted to target one person for each year in that range. So for example, they wanted to target a 13 year old, that's one, then a 14 year old, that's two, and a 15 year old, so on until they get to 19, that's seven people. If that's the case, which I believe has been speculated, then that would explain at least in some part why they were so meticulous in their planning and their test runs. They needed to ensure they got the right age to check off their list. And with that comes honing social skills like you mentioned, perfecting strategies to elicit information, ensuring they have the right snacks for people within that age group, how they're going to lure victims and more. Whatever the reason, it's criminal goal setting and the age range they are targeting is particularly vulnerable. Especially back then when many young people were hitchhiking.
- [28:33]
A
After months of careful planning, Lawrence and Roy were finally ready to put their plan into action. And just as summer started, they found their first victim. On June 24, 1979. The two men spent the day drinking in Redondo beach, close to where Roy lived. That's where they spotted spotted Lucinda Lynn Shafer, a blonde blue eyed 16 year old walking on the side of the road. She was going to her grandmother's house from a church meeting. Lawrence and Roy hopped into their van and pulled up beside Lucinda. They offered her a ride and a joint, but she refused. So Roy just jumped out of the van and grabbed her. He threw Lucinda into the back seat. And turned the radio up on full blast to drown out her screaming. Then he taped her arms, legs and mouth while Lawrence drove to their spot in the San Gabriel Mountains. At first, everything was going according to their plan. After raping Lucinda, it was time to kill her. But the reality of it was harder than the fantasy they'd imagined. While Lawrence and Roy gave differing versions of what happened next, we do know that they argued over whether or not not they were actually going to kill Lucinda. Eventually, they agreed to do it. Roy tried to strangle her, but he couldn't handle looking at her. He had such a hard time facing his own actions, he stopped and vomited. Lawrence didn't have a problem with it, though. At first he tried to strangle Lucinda with his bare hands. But even though she was so much smaller than him, he was too weak to maintain his grand grip. So he pulled some things from the toolbox, including a wire hanger, to do the job. Soon, Lawrence and Roy had officially claimed their first victim.
- [30:22]
C
So this seems contradictory to Roy's initial assertion that he enjoys looking in the eyes of his victims during his acts because of the power it gave him. He said this to Lawrence when they were in prison, but now that is the very thing that he allegedly couldn't tolerate. It makes you wonder if what he said initially to Lawrence was to boost his ego or for reputation purposes in prison. Regardless, it really speaks to the difference between him and Lawrence. Roy's violence historically centered on sexual domination and control. For him, the violence was about the experience of power in the moment, not necessarily about killing his victim. But Lawrence, on the other hand, had already made it clear in their pact. He's quite rigid in his thinking. He said if they assaulted someone, that person couldn't be left alive. So his violence was more instrumental and calculated. Murder for him was not just an expression of power. It was a way to control outcomes or remove witnesses or even maintain dominance over the situation. Clinically, this once again illustrates how co offenders can complement each other's pathology. Roy provided the compulsive sexual drive, the lure and the assault, whereas Lawrence supplied the cold logic and willingness to, quote, finish the act. It's also worth noting that there is a substantial age gap between them and that may factor in as well. Lawrence being older, colder, his personality and worldview were deeply entrenched by then. Lawrence's maturity or experience, rather with his antisocial thinking, could have contributed to why he was colder. He may have also felt he had to lead by example, or he was mentoring Roy in some distorted way.
- [32:05]
A
Well, now that they'd claimed their first victim, Lawrence and Roy had to figure out what to do with Lucinda's body. They decided to throw her into a canyon, which probably wasn't easy, considering neither of them was very strong. But they managed somehow, and Lawrence assured Roy that wild animals would destroy her remains. With no evidence left behind afterward, they went back to their normal lives. For two weeks, neither man saw any news reports about a missing girl or any remains found in the San Gabriel Mountains. They had successfully gotten away with murder, so they decided to do it again. On July 8, 1979, Lawrence and Roy got into their van and went out searching for their next victim. They cruised the Pacific Coast Highway, a stretch of scenic road that runs for over 650 miles along the California coastline. At some point, they spotted 18 year old Andrea Joy hall, who was hitchhiking on the side of the road. She was pretty and alone, so the two men agreed to pick her up. But before they could approach her, another car stopped and she hopped in. Lawrence and Roy were furious. But instead of hunting down a different girl, they followed the car to Redondo beach, where Andrea got out. At that moment, they thought Andrea might be more at ease if she saw one man and the van instead of two. So Roy hid in the back seat. Then Lawrence pulled up beside Andrea and offered her something cold to drink. It was a hot day, and Andrea had been bouncing from one car to the next all day. She was tired and thirsty, so she accepted. But just as she reached out to take a can of soda from Lawrence, Roy jumped out of the van and grabbed her. Andrea kicked, kicked and screamed, but Roy quickly pulled her into the van and tied her up. Then they drove to their spot in the San Gabriel Mountains and began assaulting her. But in the middle of their attack, the two men saw the flash of headlights in the distance. They panicked, stopped what they were doing and drove further out into the mountains. Once they were alone again, Lawrence and Roy proceeded to torture Andrea. This time psychologically. They forced her to take nude photographs before begging for her life. At some point, Roy needed a break. Maybe he was feeling sick over what he was doing, just like he had with Lucinda. So he decided to go for a liquor run. While he was gone, Lawrence killed Andrea and threw her body from a nearby cliff. When Roy returned from the store, he found Lawrence by himself on the hill, holding the Polaroids they'd taken of Andrea.
- [34:54]
C
It's hard to say with certainty what caused Roy to become overwhelmed, but the fact that he chose to take a break and go to the liquor store actually mirrors historical patterns of him. Specifically when he was in the military watching servicemen do the same to Vietnamese women. He froze, he didn't intervene, and he turned to substances. It's possible that this triggered some past trauma for him. But that doesn't mean he suddenly has compassion. It means his brain may have been in a threat response man mode. Possibly. Lawrence, on the other hand, that's entirely different. He didn't experience the same psychological or physiological barriers. This could have marked a turning point, since he was, in a way, asserting autonomy and dominance within the partnership. Or it solidified their roles. Roy being the compulsive aggressor who drove the sexual assault and Lawrence cementing himself as the, quote, enforcer, the person to ensure the finalization of the process and then conceal the evidence. And. But in my opinion, it highlights a very possible power differential that's taking place now.
- [35:56]
A
What does it say about Lawrence that he was just standing there holding the Polaroids when Roy came back?
- [36:02]
C
It certainly shows his emotional detachment and callousness. He's seemingly calm. He's got no signs of panic. Not a sign of remorse in sight or even urgency. He wasn't even worried that Roy wouldn't return for him, presuming that he took their van on the liquor run. This indicates a level of confidence and dominance in their so called partnership. But the Polaroids, those could be an indication of his need for control and perhaps even serve as trophies. Polaroids like this taken during an act like this are more than pictures. They were souvenirs that could allow him to relive the event. And maybe he was even doing that in the moment while he waited for Roy to come back. This is characteristic of someone with sadistic tendencies.
- [36:47]
A
Well, we don't know how Roy reacted, but this seemed to be the first sign of a rift forming between him and Laura Lawrence. It was the second time Lawrence had killed a victim when Roy might not have been fully on board. And maybe that didn't sit right with either of them because they didn't see each other again for two months. But when Lawrence and Roy did reunite, they took their biggest risk yet.
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G
Get somebody out here.
- [39:02]
B
Follow and rate Unexplained Encounters on Spotify and Apple podcasts or go to eeriecast.com.
- [39:12]
A
In July of 1979, after 39 year old Lawrence Bittaker and 31 year old Roy Norris claimed their second victim, Andrea Joy hall, the two men laid low for a couple of months. It's possible they'd realize just how different they were after Lawrence decided to kill Andrea while Roy wasn't there. But if that's true, it didn't take long for Lawrence and Roy to realize that they would never find another friendship like theirs. And on the evening of September 3, 1979, they went on the hunt again. They drove to Hermosa beach, just a couple miles from where they'd kidnapped Andrea. It wasn't long before they spotted two young hitchhikers, 15 year old Jackie Doris Gilliam and 13 year old Jacqueline Leah Camp, waiting at a bus stop. Lawrence and Roy pulled up to the girls in their van and offered a ride. The girls were relieved to get to their destination faster than they would on the bus, so they jumped into the back seat. The men offered them marijuana, which they accepted. They were all smoking and having a quiet drive drive until the girls realized the van abruptly changed direction from where they were supposed to be going, and soon they veered off the highway toward the San Gabriel Mountains. Jacqueline said something, but the men ignored her. Scared, she yanked open the van door and tried to jump out, but Roy picked up a bag of lead weights and hit her in the head, knocking her out. Then he began tying Jackie up. But halfway through, Jacqueline woke up and leapt out of the van. Lawrence pulled the van over to the side of the road so that he and Roy could chase her. They managed to grab Jacqueline and drag her back into the van where they bound and beat both girls. Finally, they brought them to the remote fire road in the mountains where they continued to torture them. But this time they didn't kill the girls right away way. Instead, Lawrence and Roy kept their victims in the van for two days while they took turns beating and sexually assaulting them. During this time, Lawrence showed yet another side to his depravity. He not only took lewd photographs of Jacqueline, but he also forced Jackie to role play, pretending to be his cousin. After two days of captivity and severe torture, Lawrence and Roy decided it was finally time time to kill the girls. But they argued about how it should be done. Roy wanted to be merciful and kill Jackie quickly since she hadn't given them any trouble. But Lawrence wanted to make it as painful as possible. He said they should use an ice pick. In the end, Lawrence won. And once Jackie was dead, both men then killed Jacqueline with a sledgehammer. It was the first time that Roy had actively participated in a murder with Lawrence. When they were done, they threw the girls bodies over an embankment.
- [42:15]
C
The fact that Lawrence's preference won out says a lot about their partnership. Again, at this stage, his willingness to insist on more sadistic methods reinforced his authority. And Roy's willingness to defer to him shows just how much control Lawrence held in their relationship by that point. Clinically, this illustrates again how co offender pairs can evolve over time. And their antisocial and psychopathic traits and sadistic tendencies are at the core core of why they are doing what they're doing and why they are doing it together. But there appears to be other relational dynamics here. And I don't believe it's simply a matter of like clinical codependency. Roy is impulsive and Lawrence helps him contain that. When we consider Roy's early childhood abandonment, attachment, history, military history, and those subsequent experiences, a pattern of defaulting to a stronger, more confident and commanding individual or officer does emerge. It makes for a strong and mutually reinforcing criminal partnership.
- [43:17]
A
What do you make of the fact that Roy decided to actively participate in a murder with Lawrence?
- [43:22]
C
So I think that's significant for several reasons. Part of it comes down to desensitization. Repeated exposure to violence can numb someone over time. There's also the natural escalation of fantasies and of course the influence and pressure that comes from having a co offender. I think all of those factors played a role, but the strongest factor here, I think, is probably the power dynamics between them. By conforming and actively participating in a murder, Roy could reclaim status within the partnership. It could have been his way of proving he was capable, maintaining Lawrence trust and protecting his role in the duo. Because if he lost his place in this partnership, he would lose the access to the gratification that it brought him. And on the other side of that, if Lawrence lost Roy, he'd lose the sense of power and dominance he got from leading them pair. Roy likely recognized that he was the weaker link, the one holding them back potentially, and that stepping up to participate in murder was necessary to keep the partnership intact.
- [44:25]
A
Jacqueline and Jackie's deaths marked a turning point for Roy and Lawrence in terms of their M.O. they were both getting more confident and depraved. But pretty soon, someone would get the best of them. On September 30, 1979, Lawrence and Roy were cruising around Manhattan Beach. A few miles from their usual kidnapping location. They pulled up alongside a teenage girl named Shirley Sanders. Shirley was visiting her father from Oregon, and on that day, she was taking a walk alone, enjoying the warm weather. Lawrence and Roy offered her a ride, which she politely turned down. That didn't deter them. They followed Shirley until they were all out of sight. And that's when one of the men hopped out, attacking her with pepper spray before dragging Shirley into their vet van. Rather than drive to their usual spot first, they immediately took turns sexually assaulting her. They also didn't tie her up like they had with past victims. And when they did start driving towards the mountains, Shirley yanked the passenger door open and jumped out of the van. Lawrence and Roy didn't have a chance to stop her. Shirley ran as fast and as far as she could. The men stopped driving and looked at for her, but they couldn't find her. Eventually, they gave up and went home.
- [45:46]
C
This is a deviation from their typical MO and there are a few psychological reasons that could explain this. By this stage, they had successfully abducted, tortured, and killed multiple victims without being caught. They likely began to feel untouchable. It also speaks to impulsivity creeping into a previously organized pattern. In serial offender trajectories, the riddler ritualized planning of early crimes can fade as the offenders become more focused on immediate gratification or become overconfident. The fantasy begins to demand a quicker payoff. And another factor here is fatigue and familiarity within the partnership. Once their violent pattern was established, their ritual may have felt less Necessary to them because they trusted that the other would fall into step naturally. And that false sense of security can make offenders careless. And the result, of course, was catastrophic for them because Shirley escaped. Thankfully, deviating from their established MO Showed that their violence was also vulnerable to arrogance, impulsivity, and sloppiness.
- [46:50]
A
Why do you think they just gave up and stopped looking for her?
- [46:54]
C
It could be simple self preservation. If they can't find her, it's possible she was able to flag down someone else and was on her way to alert the authorities. So giving up would have been practical. They also are dealing with the realization that they lost control. And for Lawrence especially, control was central to his psychology. He planned, and he was very rigid in his plans. So once Shirley was out of their grasp, the script of that plan had been broken. So rather than scramble chaotically to fix it, they retreated. Almost as if they didn't know how to operate without their plan in place.
- [47:31]
A
If either man blamed the other, they didn't show it. If anything, the experience brought them closer together. Roy Norris and Lawrence Bittaker were terrified that Shirley would lead the police to them. She could recognize their van and had seen both their faces. Lawrence, in particular, was so worried, he moved into a different apartment. And he was right to be cautious, because after her escape, Shirley did report the incident to the police. But she didn't know either man's name and she couldn't remember the van's license plate. So there wasn't enough information for them to go on. After a few weeks, Lawrence and Roy started to feel more better. By early October 1979, Roy was certain they wouldn't get caught. So certain that he bragged about their crimes to another old prison buddy, A man named Jimmy Dalton. Jimmy thought the stories were too crazy to be true. But he had no idea just how much worse Roy and Lawrence would get. On Halloween night, 1979, they drove over 30 miles northeast of the San Gabriel Mountains into a suburban subdivision. There, they pulled up to a gas station and spotted 16 year old Shirley Lynette Ledford, who went by the name Lynette, standing outside. She was trying to hitchhike home from a Halloween party. Lawrence and Roy offered her a ride. Lynette recognized Lawrence. He was a frequent customer at the McDonald's where she worked. It's not clear if he also recognized her, but either way, she felt clean, comfortable, and accepted the ride. After all, she was eager to get back home so late at night.
- [49:13]
C
Trust played a critical role in Lynette's decision to get into that van. If she recognized Lawrence from her job at McDonald's, that means he wasn't a total stranger to her. We psychologists call this the familiarity heuristic. Essentially, that is the concept that we're more likely to trust people who feel familiar, even if we've never had a meaningful relationship with them. It's possible that Lynette's familiarity with Lawrence, however indirect, lowered her guard. But from Lawrence's side, the recognition may not have mattered at all. If he didn't realize who she was, then what looks like a connection to Lynette was actually just a coincidence that he could exploit. And the danger here is that trust didn't have to be mutual for him. It only mattered that she trusted him just enough.
- [49:59]
A
But Lynette wasn't completely trusting of the men. They offered her marijuana and she turned it down. After that, Lawrence pulled the van onto a secluded road and that's when Lynette knew something was wrong. Before she could do anything, Roy threatened her with a knife, then tied her up. Then Lawrence parked the van and climbed into the back. Before doing anything, he set up a tape recorder. What he didn't know is that as soon as he hit record, he hammered the final hole haunting nail into his own coffin. Thanks so much for listening. Come back next time as we conclude our deep dive into the crimes of Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris Keller McCarthy.
- [50:56]
C
Minds as a Crime House Original Powered by Pave Studios Here at Crime House, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on Instagram at Crime House. And don't forget to rate, review and follow Killer Minds wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback truly makes a difference and.
- [51:16]
A
To enhance your listening experience, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get get every episode of Killer Minds ad free along with early access to each thrilling two part series and exciting Crime House bonus content. Killer Minds is hosted by me, Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Tristan Engels and is a Crime House original. Powered by Pave Studios this episode was brought to life by the Killer Minds team. Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro, Alex Benedon, Lori Marinelli, Natalie Pertzovsky, Sarah Camp, Kate Murdoch, Sarah Batchelor, Haniya Saeed and Kerry Murphy. Thank you for listening. Twisted Tales with Heidi Wong is perfect for spooky season. Dive into the real events behind the world's most terrifying blockbuster, busters and beyond. Twisted Tales is a Crime House original. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes out every Monday.