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Richard Ramirez died while awaiting execution in 2013(Image: Getty Images)

A chilling true crime series has left Netflix viewers utterly aghast.

Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, which premiered in 2021, delves into the pursuit of a nocturnal predator responsible for a series of seemingly unrelated murders and sexual assaults in 1980s Los Angeles.

The mini-series shadows young detective Gil Carrillo and homicide investigator Frank Salerno as they race against time to crack the case.

The focus is on the victims of Richard Ramirez, an American serial killer, sex offender, and burglar. From April 1984 to August 1985, he committed at least 15 murders during various break-ins, earning him the moniker ‘The Night Stalker’ due to committing crimes under the cover of darkness.

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The miniseries is available to watch on Netflix(Image: Netflix)

Ramirez was found guilty and sentenced to death in 1989, but died whilst awaiting execution in 2013, reports Wales Online.

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He was convicted on 13 counts of murder, five attempted murders, eleven sexual assaults, and fourteen burglaries, having seemingly evaded justice for years.

Decades after his reign of terror that gripped entire neighbourhoods and left hundreds living in fear, the case against Ramirez was brought to life on screen in Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer.

The synopsis tantalisingly hints: “Detectives identify their suspect and a manhunt begins – but it’s the public that rises up to stop the Night Stalker’s deadly reign of terror.”

The Netflix true crime docuseries has been dubbed one of the most chilling by viewers, with one Reddit user commenting: “The Night Stalker one about Richard Ramirez. That guy is so creepy. And his absolute callousness made my blood boil.”

Another viewer shared their intense reaction: “I had such a visceral reaction when I watched the documentary. I almost had to turn it off. What he put his victims through is so sickening.”

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The harrowing true crime documentary left viewers’ “blood boiling”(Image: Netflix)

Someone else wrote: “Night Stalker was one that genuinely rattled me. The scene where one of the cops describes how he found out who Ramirez finally is was so cinematic.”

Another called it “utterly riveting”, while one viewer said: “As a true crime enthusiast I’ve watched a lot of true crime documentaries and this one blew me away. One of the main concerns in these types of series is that you don’t idealize the murderer or minimalist the victims, and they did an amazing job of talking about the victims. You hear from the families and what this case was really about.”

Someone else called it “a chilling story that needed to be told,” adding: “Netflix is suddenly becoming the place to go for true crime documentaries, and Night Stalker was just another great entry into their library.”

They went on: “This Netflix Original is not for the faint of heart, like many true crime stories it is one that needs to be told, so the victims and survivors not be forgotten, and the gore is used for the audience to understand what this serial killer was capable of.”

Yet another viewer called it “one of the best true crime documentaries ever made,” while it was elsewhere called a “must watch” by one viewer, who said: “The series is well made and informative. To say that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it would probably be a bit bizarre bearing in mind the content of the documentaries, however, I do think it is a must watch.”

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Viewers have been left horrified(Image: Netflix)

“Netflix does it again,” another hailed, while someone else said: “This is tremendous four part documentary series, it tells the story of one of America’s most notorious and sadistic serial killers. You see the case from the point of view of The Detectives, the victims, and finally the killer himself. I thought this was a terrific series, it was gripping, it was gritty, it was done in a way that was meant to shock, and meant to show you just what a beast Ramirez was.”

Another echoed: “Really well made documentary. The last episode I was sitting on the edge of my couch. An absolute must watch.”

Director Tiller Russell previously spoke about the chilling case turning into a Netflix docuseries, telling Decider: “For me, as the crime guy, I spend all my time immersed in these crime stories. That’s my world, that’s what I do, and obviously this was an iconic and notorious story that was out there. The name, the headline, the kind of top-line legacy to it. So I was aware of it, but it’s always driven by character.”

He added: “Some of the most moving and compelling were those victims and survivors. But at every step of the way it was these riveting characters whose lives – but for the story – would have been completely anonymized and unrelated to each other, but for the deprivation of this killer who was killing and slaying his way across the city. It ended up connecting these dots that otherwise never would have had any interaction with one other.”

Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer is available to watch on Netflix