Herbert Mullin carried out a series of murders across California in 1972 and 1973 that left thirteen people dead and raised lasting questions about mental illness and public safety.
Mullin’s actions occurred during a time of heightened anxiety in the state following the Manson murders and amid growing concern over serial violence. His case stands out for the rapid pace of the killings and the unusual rationale he later provided to investigators. The crimes involved victims of varied ages and backgrounds, with several attacks taking place in or near Santa Cruz, a region already unsettled by other violent incidents.
Early life offered few obvious signs of the path ahead. Born in 1947 in Salinas, Mullin grew up in a stable household and showed early promise in school and sports. By his late teens, however, he began to experience auditory hallucinations and withdrew from friends and family. These episodes intensified after the death of a close friend in a car accident, which Mullin interpreted through an increasingly distorted lens.
Background
Mullin’s mental health deteriorated further in the late 1960s. He dropped out of college, experimented with drugs, and cycled through short-term jobs. Family members noticed erratic behaviour and urged treatment, yet Mullin resisted consistent care. By 1971 he had been briefly hospitalised but was released without long-term supervision.
Contemporary records show he held a belief that his own actions could influence natural disasters. This conviction, rooted in schizophrenia, shaped the crimes that followed.
The Crimes
The first killing occurred on 13 October 1972 when Mullin stabbed a homeless man in Santa Cruz. Over the next four months he struck repeatedly, targeting individuals in remote areas or their homes. Victims included hikers, a priest, and several young women whose deaths contributed to the “coed killer” label that later attached to the case.
Each attack followed a similar pattern of sudden violence, often with a knife or blunt object. Mullin later told police he selected victims at random after hearing voices that warned of impending earthquakes unless sacrifices were made. The pace of the murders accelerated in early 1973, with four killings in a single day in February.
Investigation
Santa Cruz authorities initially treated the deaths as isolated incidents. Overlapping details gradually emerged, including witness sightings of a young man in a distinctive vehicle near several scenes. Detectives compiled a timeline linking the attacks through forensic evidence such as tyre tracks and blood patterns.
The breakthrough came after Mullin murdered an acquaintance and his family in their home. Neighbours reported suspicious activity, prompting officers to trace the vehicle. Mullin was arrested on 13 February 1973 following a routine traffic stop that revealed incriminating items in the car.
Capture and Trial
During interrogation Mullin confessed to all thirteen murders and provided detailed accounts of each. He showed no remorse, insisting the killings had prevented greater catastrophe. Psychiatric evaluations confirmed paranoid schizophrenia, yet prosecutors argued he remained legally responsible.
The 1973 trial lasted several weeks. The jury rejected the insanity defence and convicted Mullin on multiple counts of first-degree murder. He received a sentence of life imprisonment without parole.
Psychological Profile
Expert testimony at trial and later reviews highlighted Mullin’s fixed delusions about earthquakes and personal responsibility. He displayed organised thinking in some areas while holding rigidly to his sacrificial beliefs. Prison records note continued hallucinations but also periods of relative stability under medication.
Analyses of the case have emphasised failures in the mental health system of the era, including brief hospitalisations followed by release without adequate follow-up.
Legacy
Mullin’s crimes contributed to public debate over the balance between civil liberties and involuntary treatment for severe mental illness. Santa Cruz residents still reference the period as one of collective unease. The case appears in criminology studies examining the intersection of psychosis and homicide.
No appeals have altered the original conviction. Mullin remains incarcerated in California.
Conclusion
The Herbert Mullin case illustrates how untreated severe mental illness can intersect with lethal outcomes. Thorough investigation and courtroom examination established the facts without diminishing the human cost to the victims and their families.
Bibliography
Bugliosi, V. and Gentry, C. (1974) Helter Skelter. New York: W.W. Norton.
Douglas, J. and Olshaker, M. (1995) Mindhunter. New York: Scribner.
Ressler, R. and Shachtman, T. (1992) Whoever Fights Monsters. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Santa Cruz County Superior Court (1973) People v. Mullin trial transcripts. Santa Cruz: Court Records.
Schechter, H. (2003) The Serial Killer Files. New York: Ballantine Books.
Vronsky, P. (2004) Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters. New York: Berkley Books.
Wilson, C. and Seaman, D. (1990) The Serial Killers. London: W.H. Allen.
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