William Bonin

"If you want to kill somebody, you should make a plan and find a place to dump the body before you even pick a victim."

William George Bonin a.k.a. "The Freeway Killer" was an American serial killer, rapist, hebephile and ephebophile. Bonin also shares his nickname with two other killers, who were believed to be a single serial killer.

Background
Born in Willimantic, Connecticut and raised by a couple of alcoholics, Bonin was the second of three children. Due to the constant absence, Bonin and his brothers were frequently left with his grandfather, a convicted child molester. They were also neglected by their parents and fed by neighbors. Bonin was eventually sent to an orphanage and stayed there until he was nine-years old. A year later, he was arrested for the first time for stealing licence plates and other crimes, he was then sent to a juvenile detention center. As a teenager, Bonin began to molest children. He graduated from high school in 1965, he became engaged to marry and later joined the U.S. Air Force. He served in the Vietnam War as an aerial gunner, earning a Good Conduct Medal in the process. While at war, he risked his life to save another airman but also raped two soldiers at gunpoint. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Air Force in October, 1968 and returned to Connecticut to live with his mother but eventually moved to California. A month later, he kidnapped and sexually assaulted a youth and did the same to four more youths. He was arrested the year later and convicted for kidnapping and sexual assault. He was then sentenced to the Atascadero State Hospital but was eventually sent to a prison. He was released in May 1974 and sixteen months later, he was charged with the rape of fourteen-years old hitchhiker David McVicker at gunpoint and the attempted abduction of another teenager, he was arrested again and sentenced to between one and fifteen years at California Men's Facility. He was released on October 11, 1978 and moved to Downey, where he lived in an apartment complex, he eventually found work as a truck driver and began to date a girl. In Downey, he became acquainted with his neighborn, Everett Fraser and became an attendee at the parties Fraser held at his apartment, during one of these parties, he became acquainted with a factory worker and part-time magician named Vernon Butts and a Texas native named Gregory Matthews Miley.

Murders, Arrest and Execution
Bonin's first murder victim was thirteen-years old hitchhiker Thomas Glen Lundgren, who was last seen leaving his house before being abducted by both Bonin with the help of Vernon Butts. An obvious overkill was noticed during the autopsy: Lundgren was emasculated, bludgeoned, stabbed, had his throat slashed and was strangled to death, his body was then dumped in Agoura. Later, Bonin was arrested again for raping seventeen-years old boy but was released due to an administrative error. After his release, he was drove home by Everett Fraser, constantly saying that no one was going to testify against him again. Two months later, Bonin and Butts abducted seventeen-years old Mark Shelton, he was raped and entered in a fatal state of shock, which resulted in his death, his body was then dumped in San Bernardino County. A day later, they killed seventeen-years old hitchhiker Markus Crabs at his home, he was sodomized, beaten and stabbed to death, before being dumped alongside a Malibu freeway. Several days later, they abducted fifteen-years old Donald Ray Hyden, the boy was stabbed in his neck and even in his genitalia, his body was found in a dumpster near the Ventura Freeway. Two weeks later, Bonin and Butts abducted seventeen-years old David Murillo when he was cycling to a movie theater. He was lured to their van, and there, he was raped, bludgeoned and strangled to death, his body was dumped alongside Highway 101. Eight days later, they abducted eighteen-years old Robert Wirostek when he was cycling to his work, his body was found days later alongside the Interstate 10 Highway. On November 29, Bonin and Butts abducted an unidentified boy, he was beaten and strangled to death before being dumped in Kern County. A day later, Bonin abducted, raped and strangled seventeen-years old Frank Dennis Fox, his nude body was found two days later alongside a highway five miles east of San Diego. Ten days later, fifteen-years old John Kilpatrick was abducted and his body dumped in Rialto. On January 1, 1980, Bonin mutilated and strangled sixteen-years old Michael Francis McDonald, his body was not identified until March 24. On February 3, with the help of Gregory Miley, Bonin stole the wallet of fifteen-years old hitchhiker Charles Miranda before raping and strangling the boy to death with a tire iron, his body was dumped in an alleyway. Hours later, they abducted twelve-years old James Macabe while he waited for his bus to Disneyland. The boy was raped, beaten and strangled to death with his own T-shirt, his body was found days later alongside a dumpster in Walnut. On March 14, Bonin abducted eighteen-years old Ronald Gaitlin, he was beaten and sodomized with an ice pick before being strangled to death, his body was found a day later in Duarte. One week later, Bonin lured fourteen-years old Gleen Barker to his van, where he was raped, beaten and burned with a lit cigarette before being strangled to death. Hours later, Bonin abducted fifteen-years old Russell Rugh from a bus stop in Garden Grove, he was beaten and strangled to death. Both bodies were dumped in the Cleveland National Forest and found on March 23. Days later, Bonin offered a ride home to seventeen-years old William Ray Pugh and he accepted it. Minutes later, Bonin asked Pugh if he wanted to have sex, Pugh panicked and ignored him for several minutes before attempting to leave the van, he was grabbed by the collar and dragged to the passenger seat. Bonin then said how he enjoyed picking up hitchhikers and strangling them to death, making Pugh panick even more. Strangely enough, Pugh was driven to his home without being assaulted. Days later, now with the help of Pugh himself, Bonin lured fifteen-years old Harry Todd Turner to the van, and there, Turner was sodomized by Bonin and savagely beaten and bludgeoned by Pugh before being strangled with his own T-shirt, after killing him, they dumped his body in a Los Angeles alleyway. On April 10, Bonin abducted sixteen-years old Steven Wood and strangled him to death before dumping his body beside the Pacific Coast Highway. Hours later, he abducted and killed an eighteen-years old acquaintance of his named Lawrence Sharp, he was beaten and strangled to death, his body was found behind a Westminster gas station. Three weeks later, Bonin and Butts lured nineteen-years old supermarket employee Darin Kendrick to their van, and there, he was forced to drink hydrochloric acid and stabbed with an ice pick, his body was dumped near the Artesia Freeway. On May 19, Bonin abducted fourteen-years old Sean King and strangled him to death, his body was dumped in Yucaipa. Nine days later, Bonin invited nineteen-years old homeless drifter James Munro to his house, Bonin did not killed Munro, but offered him a chance of employement at the Montebello delivery firm. During the Freeway Killer investigation, a now-arrested William Pugh heard details about the case and said to a counselor that Bonin might be the killer, the counselor then reported this to the police, resulting in a interview with Pugh. With Bonin as the prime suspect, police investigated Bonin's past and found that he was arrested for sexually assaulting boys. As result, Detective John St. John ordered a surveillance team to monitor Bonin and his movements. On June 2, Bonin and Munro lured eighteen-years old Steven Jay Wells from a bus stop, Wells was raped, beaten and strangled to death with his own T-shirt, the body was dumped behind a Huntington Beach gas station. On June 11, the surveillance team noticed Bonin luring a fifteen-years old boy only identified as Harold T. The team followed Bonin to a parking lot, where they arrested him in the act of assaulting the boy. In custody, Bonin confessed to abducting, raping and killing 21 boys and young men, with Butts as his primary accomplice, despite his confession, police believe that he may have murdered even more people. Bonin also said that if he was still at large, he would still be killing people. Vernon Butts was arrested on July 25 and charged with four murders, Munro was later arrested on July 31 and charged with the murder of Steven Wells, Miley was also arrested and charged with the murder of Charles Miranda and James Macabe. They all agreed to testify against Bonin in order to avoid the death penalty. Bonin was executed on February 23, 1996 at age of 49 and the first person to be executed by lethal injection in the history of California. As with his accomplices, Vernon Butts hanged himself with a towel while awaiting trial on January 11, 1981. James Munro was sentenced to a term of 15 years to life for the second degree murder of Steven Wells and is currently incarcerated at Mule Creek State Prison. William Pugh was sentenced to a 6 year sentence for the voluntary manslaughter of Harry Todd Turner. Gregory Miley was sentenced to a term of 25 years to life for the murder of Charles Miranda and is currently incarcerated at the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison.

Modus Operandi
Bonin's victims were young male hitchhikers, schoolboys and male prostitutes. They were either enticed or forced into his camper van and when inside, they were bound hand and foot with handcuffs, wire or cord. They were then raped, tortured and killed by a variety of ways, mostly by strangulation. After killing them, their bodies were dumped alongside freeways in southern California. He was also assisted by Vernon Butts, James Munro, William Pugh and Gregory Miley in a minimum of twelve murders.

Known Victims

 * Unspecified dates: Several children
 * Unspecified dates during the Vietnam War: Two unnamed soldiers
 * November, 1968: Unnamed youth
 * Unspecified dates from 1968 to 1969: Four youths
 * 1975:
 * August: David McVicker, 14
 * Unspecified date: Unnamed boy
 * 1979:
 * May 28: Thomas Glen Lundgren, 13
 * Summer of 1979: Unnamed man, 17
 * August 4: Mark Shelton, 17
 * August 5: Markus Crabs, 17
 * August 27: Donald Ray Hyden, 15
 * September 9: David Murillo, 17
 * September 17: Robert Wirostek, 18
 * November 29: John Doe, 19
 * November 30: Frank Dennis Fox, 17
 * December 10: John Kilpatrick, 15
 * 1980
 * January 1: Michael Francis McDonald, 16
 * February 3: Charles Miranda and James Macabe
 * Charles Miranda, 15
 * James Macabe, 12
 * March 14: Ronald Gatlin, 18
 * March 21: Glenn Barker and Russell Rugh
 * Glenn Barker, 14
 * Rusell Rugh, 15
 * March 24: Harry Todd Turner, 15
 * April 10: Steven Wood and Lawrence Sharp
 * Steven Wood, 16
 * Lawrence Sharp, 18
 * April 29: Darin Kendrick, 19
 * May 19: Sean King, 14
 * June 2: Steven Jay Wells
 * June 11: Harold T., 15

On Criminal Minds
Bonin is similiar to serial killer Ben Bradstone. Both were ephebophilic serial killers who targeted high-risk victims, such as prostitutes, as well as other victims; abducted, raped, and tortured their victims (one of whom was forced to ingest acid); and killed their victims stabbing them (though that was only one of Bonin's killing methods) in areas of their body such as their genitals and neck.

Bonin is also similiar to budding serial killer Hugh Rollins. Both Both were hebephilic killers who were put in orphanages as children; were registered sex offenders; abducted, raped, and strangled their victims (though that was only one of Bonin's killing methods); and killed their victims to ensure that they would never be arrested again.