The Sinister Saga of Charles Ng

Introduction

In the shadowy annals of crime, few names evoke as much horror as Charles Ng, a Hong Kong-born serial killer who now languishes on death row in the United States. His gruesome partnership with Leonard Lake led to a series of heinous acts that claimed the lives of between eleven and twenty-five people. Their reign of terror unfolded from 1983 to 1985 in the secluded confines of Lake's cabin in Calaveras County, California, a mere 60 miles from Sacramento.

Early Life

Born Ng Chi-tat on December 24, 1960, in British Hong Kong, Charles Ng was the youngest of three children. His father, a wealthy executive, subjected him to harsh discipline, leaving lasting scars. A troubled teenager, Ng was expelled from several schools and arrested for shoplifting at 15. In a desperate attempt to reform him, his father sent him to Bentham Grammar School in North Yorkshire, England. Yet, Ng's penchant for theft led to another expulsion, and he returned to Hong Kong, his future uncertain.

In 1978, Ng ventured to the United States on a student visa, enrolling at the College of Notre Dame in Belmont, California, to study biology. However, he dropped out after one semester, soon embroiled in a hit-and-run incident. To evade prosecution, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, marking the beginning of a tumultuous chapter in his life.

U.S. Marine Corps and Criminal Activities

Ng joined the Marines in October 1979, allegedly with the help of a recruiting sergeant and falsified documents claiming his birthplace as Bloomington, Indiana. His military stint was short-lived; he was arrested for stealing automatic weapons from the Kaneohe Bay base armory. Ng escaped custody in 1980, fleeing to Northern California, where he met Leonard Lake.

In 1982, federal authorities raided the mobile home Ng shared with Lake in Ukiah, uncovering a cache of illegal weapons and explosives. While Lake was released on bond and vanished, Ng was captured, returned to Marine custody, and pleaded guilty to theft and desertion. He served eighteen months at Fort Leavenworth before being dishonorably discharged in 1984.

The Murders Begin

Upon his release, Ng reunited with Lake at the Wilseyville cabin. Lake, recently divorced from Claralyn Balazs, had transformed the cabin into a nightmarish "dungeon." Before Ng's arrival, Lake had already murdered his brother Donald and his best man, Charles Gunnar, whose remains would be discovered in 1992.

Ng and Lake embarked on a horrific spree, kidnapping and murdering men, women, and children. The men and infants were killed immediately, while women were subjected to prolonged enslavement, rape, and torture before being murdered. One such attack occurred in July 1984, when Ng broke into the apartment of San Francisco DJ Don Giulietti, shooting him and his roommate, Richard Carrazza. Giulietti perished, but Carrazza survived and later identified Ng as the assailant.

The duo's atrocities might have continued unabated if not for Ng's compulsive theft. On June 2, 1985, Ng stole a $75 vise from the South City Lumber Store in South San Francisco. When confronted, he fled, leaving behind a trail that led police to Lake.

The Collapse

Lake's arrest revealed a tangled web of deceit and murder. The Honda Prelude they used was linked to multiple missing persons cases. When police arrested Lake, he confessed to his and Ng's true identities before committing suicide by cyanide.

The investigation that followed uncovered chilling evidence of their crimes. At the Wilseyville cabin, detectives discovered video equipment belonging to the vanished Dubs family and several vehicles belonging to other missing persons. A search of a cinder-block bunker revealed a sinister collection of tools, handcuffs, women's clothing, and a small, windowless cell.

Nearby, investigators found over 45 pounds of human bone fragments, corresponding to at least eleven bodies. A hand-drawn "treasure map" led them to buried buckets containing victims' IDs and Lake's journals, suggesting up to 25 victims. Video tapes showed Ng taunting and torturing victims, solidifying his role in the gruesome acts.

The Flight and Capture

After the lumber store incident, Ng fled to Canada, living in Calgary until his arrest on July 6, 1985, for shooting a security guard during a shoplifting attempt. Convicted of multiple charges, he served four and a half years in prison while fighting extradition to the U.S. on the grounds that Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms prohibited extradition for capital crimes. However, in 1991, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled against him, and Ng was swiftly deported to California.

The Trial

In Calaveras County, Ng faced twelve counts of first-degree murder. A change of venue to Orange County preceded a series of legal maneuvers by Ng, including lawsuits against his conditions in prison and numerous dismissals of his attorneys. His trial was delayed until October 1998.

Ng's defense portrayed him as a mere observer, manipulated by Lake. Despite video evidence of his participation in the crimes, Ng argued that his father's abuse and his dependency on Lake should mitigate his punishment. Several character witnesses testified on his behalf, including family and former Marines.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the jury found Ng guilty, and he was sentenced to death. Today, Charles Ng remains on death row at California Medical Facility, a chilling reminder of the depths of human depravity and the enduring quest for justice.

Sources

All information has been preserved from the original Wikipedia article on Charles Ng.