263 - The Freeway Killer William Bonin and His Death Van

William Bonin is a little known serial killer who died via lethal injection in 1996 in San Quentin, after sitting on California's death row for over a decade. Surprising that he isn't more well known considering how shocking his crimes were. He was only active as a serial killer for a year, from May of 1979 to June of 1980, but he would be convicted of fourteen murders. And law enforcement was certain he killed at least another seven victims. All boys and young men. All bound, beaten, sodomized, and strangled. Bill, in his early 30s at the time of the murders, talked his victims into getting into his "death van," a Ford Econoline campervan he customized for rape and murder. He had the windows covered up in the back, and he removed the rear interior handles. And he stashed nylon cords to tie up his victims, plus knives and other torture devices. And he usually didn't work alone. He worked with not one - but four different accomplices during his murder spree. And he was one of three "Freeway Killers" active in the Los Angeles and Orange County area in the 1970s. It's another wild true crime tale on Timesuck today!  We donated $15,400 this month to the American Nurses Foundation Coronavirus Response Fund for Nurses. This Covid response fund provides mental health support, direct financial aid, education, evidence-based information, and overall advocacy for nurses. To learn more: https://www.nursingworld.org/foundation/programs/coronavirus-response-fund/ Watch the Suck on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Nqt_rfD5u7Q Merch  - https://badmagicmerch.com/   Discord! https://discord.gg/tqzH89v Want to join the Cult of the Curious private Facebook Group? Go directly to Facebook and search for "Cult of the Curious" in order to locate whatever current page hasn't been put in FB Jail :) For all merch related questions/problems: store@badmagicproductions.com (copy and paste) Please rate and subscribe on iTunes and elsewhere and follow the suck on social media!! @timesuckpodcast on IG and http://www.facebook.com/timesuckpodcast Wanna become a Space Lizard? We're over 10,000 strong! Click here: https://www.patreon.com/timesuckpodcast  Sign up through Patreon and for $5 a month you get to listen to the Secret Suck, which will drop Thursdays at Noon, PST. You'll also get 20% off of all regular Timesuck merch PLUS access to exclusive Space Lizard merch. You get to vote on two Monday topics each month via the app. And you get the download link for my new comedy album, Feel the Heat. Check the Patreon posts to find out how to download the new album and take advantage of other benefits. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.