Early Life and Mental Descent

Herbert William Mullin's life began in Salinas, California, on April 18, 1947. His father was regarded as stern but not abusive, and the family relocated to San Francisco just before Herbert turned five. At school, Mullin was well-liked, even voted "Most Likely to Succeed" by his classmates at San Lorenzo Valley High School. However, beneath this promising exterior lurked the early signs of a paranoid schizophrenic disorder. This mental illness would eventually engulf him.

The death of his close friend, Dean Richardson, in a car accident shortly after graduation in 1965 shattered Mullin. In his grief, he constructed shrines to Richardson and became obsessed with reincarnation. This fascination with life and death would foreshadow the dark path he would later tread. His mental health deteriorated further as he cycled through various mental institutions, diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, exacerbated by his use of LSD and cannabis. By his mid-twenties, Mullin had already been committed to five mental hospitals, yet he was often discharged as being no harm to himself or others.

Pathway to Murder

By 1972, Mullin was back living with his parents in the Santa Cruz Mountains. He became fixated on his birthday, which coincided with the anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Convinced that the Vietnam War had provided necessary blood sacrifices to prevent earthquakes, he believed that with the war ending, he must kill to avert disaster. He claimed his father telepathically ordered him to kill.

On October 13, 1972, Mullin initiated his killing spree. Pretending to have car trouble, he lured 55-year-old Lawrence "Whitey" White, a vagrant, to his car and bludgeoned him to death with a baseball bat. Mullin dragged White's body into the woods, where it was discovered the next day. Mullin later asserted that White resembled Jonah from the Bible and had telepathically urged him to commit the murder.

Mullin's next victim was Mary Margaret Guilfoyle, a Cabrillo College student. He offered her a ride on October 24, 1972, then stabbed her while driving. He later mutilated her corpse, seeking evidence to support his delusions about pollution. Her body was found months later in February 1973.

On November 2, 1972, Mullin entered St. Mary's Catholic Church in Los Gatos, intending to confess his sins. Instead, he claimed Father Henri Tomei volunteered to be his next sacrifice, and Mullin brutally murdered him in the confessional.

A Deadly Continuation

Mullin then attempted to join the Marine Corps, hoping to continue his supposed mission legally, but was rejected for refusing to sign his criminal record. By January 1973, he had stopped using drugs, blaming them for his life's misfortunes. He sought out Jim Gianera, a former high school friend who had introduced him to cannabis. On January 25, 1973, Mullin confronted Gianera at his Santa Cruz home, accusing him of ruining his life. Unsatisfied with Gianera's responses, Mullin shot him, then murdered his wife, Joan. He also killed Kathleen "Kathy" Francis and her two young sons, whom he encountered while searching for Gianera.

Less than a month later, on February 10, 1973, Mullin encountered four teenage boys camping illegally in a Santa Cruz state park. Claiming to be a park ranger, he told them to leave. The next day, he returned and shot them all in the head. Mullin's final victim was Fred Abbie Perez, a 72-year-old retired prizefighter. On February 13, 1973, Mullin shot Perez in his garden, witnessed by a neighbor who reported Mullin's license plate to the police. Mullin was arrested shortly after, with the murder weapon beside him.

Trial and Imprisonment

The Santa Cruz County District Attorney charged Mullin with ten murders, and his trial commenced on July 30, 1973. Mullin confessed to the crimes, so the trial focused on his sanity. Prosecutor Chris Cottle argued that Mullin's premeditation and attempt to cover his tracks proved his sanity, while Mullin's defense claimed his delusions drove him to kill. On August 19, 1973, Mullin was found guilty of first-degree murder for the premeditated killings of Jim Gianera and Kathy Francis, and second-degree murder for the other eight impulsive killings. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Mullin was also charged by the Santa Clara County District Attorney for Father Tomei's murder. Initially pleading insanity, he eventually pled guilty to second-degree murder on December 11, 1973. He spent his life in prison, consistently denied parole.

Interactions with Edmund Kemper

While incarcerated, Mullin encountered Edmund Kemper, another serial killer active in the same area. The two shared adjoining cells, and Kemper, known for his own horrific crimes, criticized Mullin for killing without reason. Kemper, who used behavior modification techniques to control Mullin's singing in jail, described Mullin as a "kindred spirit" due to their shared experiences of institutionalization.

Death and Legacy

Herbert Mullin died of natural causes on August 18, 2022, at the California Health Care Facility, aged 75. His story remains a chilling account of how untreated mental illness, delusions, and substance abuse can converge into a deadly force.