Doreen Lioy was an ordinary magazine editor until she married Richard Ramirez the Serial Killer on Oct 3, 1996, at San Quentin State Prison. It was a baffling mystery and the nation is still curious to know why a beautiful, ambitious, and career-oriented woman married a serial killer dubbed the Valley Intruder?
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Who Was Doreen Lioy?
She was born in Burbank, California in 1955. Although the records do not provide much information about her early life, she was an extraordinary student and pursued her career in journalism.
She had an beautiful personality with brown hair and an average height and extraordinaty talents. At the beginning of her profession, she joined many famous TV channels and soon, she became an editorial writer for Tiger Beat magazine in the late 1970s.
She used to prepare new celebrities and groom them to become famous stars of the future. Stamos, a well-known American actor, and producer commented that Doreen was a very “lonely woman”.
He appreciated Doreen and highlighted that she had a great role in his career. Later he showed his reaction to Doreen marrying the Night Stalker,
To be that lonely that this is the only man on the planet that she can find, I just thought, how horrible. This man is the personification of evil—just a monster.
Mind-Boggling Facts About Richard Ramirez
Richard Ramirez was an American criminal who caused concern across the nation from 1984 to 1989. He was born on February 29, 1960, in Texas, USA.
Ramirez had a challenging childhood where he witnessed conflict in his family. His nickname was ‘Richie,’ inspired by his older cousin Miguel Ramirez.
Miguel, a Vietnam veteran, shared stories from the war with Ramirez. Unfortunately, Miguel had a history of violence towards others.
These stories influenced Ramirez’s behavior. After a tragic incident involving Miguel, Ramirez moved from Texas to California at the age of 22.
In California, Ramirez’s criminal activities began. He associated with harmful practices and started committing crimes to support himself. Over a period of time, he was linked to various incidents.
Ramirez was involved in several crimes, which caused fear and concern across the nation. Some of these incidents remained unsolved for years.
His actions were concerning, and his methods were harmful to others. Authorities connected him to multiple crimes, which created anxiety among the public.
Despite the challenges faced by the community, efforts were made to address the situation and ensure safety.
The Night Stalker Finally Went Behind The Bars
Luckily, he was captured with the assistance of LPD’s fingerprint record and complete illustrations provided by one of his surviving victims.
On Aug 31, 1985, while he was returning from Arizona, some Hispanic women identified him and started shouting. In no time, a gaggle of furious individuals gathered and stabbed him until the police came and arrested him.
Doreen And Richard’s Unusual Love Story
He started getting even more fame after his arrest in 1985. After watching his interviews, Doreen noticed something special in this Devil. She began writing letters to him and very soon she accepted that she loves him unconditionally.
Surprisingly, Doreen was not the only woman who wrote letters to the Night Stalker. Doreen started meeting him and even supported his Satanism.
He’s kind, he’s funny, he’s charming, I think he’s a great person. He’s my best friend; he’s my buddy.
Said Doreen in an interview to CNN news.
She bluntly denied all of his crimes and even favored Ramirez’s stance in his interviews. She used to visit San Quentin State Prison four times a week and finally in 1988 she was proposed by his dream husband.
Christopher Goffard, a news reporter from Times stated that Lioy used to be the first visitor in the line. People used to demean her for his blind love and call her crazy, but she coarsely replied that
And I’m none of those things. I just believe in him completely. In my opinion, there was far more evidence to convict O.J. Simpson, and we all know how that turned out,
Upon questioning her repeatedly, she said,
Hometown girl makes bad.
Doreen Lioy Weds Richard Ramirez
Even after receiving so much criticism and anger from the public, she was dead set about marrying the Night Stalker. The cell in charge at San Quentin State Prison allowed them to get married.
On 3 Oct 1996, they tied the knot in a ceremony attended by the devilish killer’s brother, sister, niece, and lawyers. On the other hand, Lioy’s family completely disowned her.
In an interview done by an officer of San Francisco, her twin sister said that
It’s unfortunate for me that I’ve been linked with all of this. I was taken aback by the news. To be related by birth is fine… but I don’t want to be a part of this. It’s been a painful event for the family.
The wedding ceremony was arranged in the visitor’s room and the priest removed the quotation from the wall saying,
Until death do you part. He argued, that would not be suitable to say here, on the death row.
On their most awaited wedding day, the bride gifted a gold band to herself and a silver one to the groom clearly because the Satans do not wear gold.
Court’s Verdict
In 1988 Ramirez was charged with fourteen murders, eleven sexual assaults, and fourteen burglaries. The judge who announced the death sentence to the horrendous criminal Ramirez stated that his actions depicted “cruelty, callousness, and viciousness beyond any human understanding“. He neither repented of his crimes nor seemed to be ashamed.
After discovering all the petrifying murders committed by him, there was no punishment suitable for him other than a capital sentence.
On Nov 7, 1989, the jury announced his execution. After listening to the court’s verdict, he replied, “Big deal. Death always went with the territory. See you in Disneyland.”
However, he was never executed. Instead, he died of B-cell lymphoma, a type of blood cancer in 2013.
A spokesperson from San Quentin, Scott Robinson told the Daily Beast that they tried to contact his next of kin, but the dead body would be incinerated if no relative appeared. He also said that Ramirez was restricted from meeting anyone in 2010 and after that period he refused to meet anyone.
The End Of The Most Bizarre Relationship
Although Lioy bluntly supported her husband in all of his vicious acts, there was one thing she could not give up on children. She said,
I love children. I’ve never made any secret to him that I wanted five or six children. But that dream didn’t come true for me and I’ve just replaced it with a different dream. Which is, being with Richard.
Everything was going well between them until 2009 when it was discovered that Ramirez raped a nine-year-old girl in 1984. DNA reports revealed that Ramirez killed the girl after molesting her.
Maybe that was an eye-opener for Lioy and she could not digest this reality. Some people also say that Ramirez’s health problems resulted in the couple’s separation. Their relationship lasted for mere 7 years. However, the actual reason is still unknown to the public.
Where Is Doreen Lioy Now?
Lioy somewhere in her heart knew that their relationship is not normal. She said,
It’d be hard for me to understand if my best friend came to me and said, ‘You know this guy Timothy McVeigh, who just got convicted? I think he’s cute and I’m gonna write to him.’ She accepted that it’s eccentric.
Lioy and Ramirez did not see each other a few years before he died. But there is no divorce record found and according to his lawyer, they were still married till 2013.
The actual reason behind the separation of the couple is still not known because Doreen never gave any interview to the media nor did she appear in the public after 2019. But one thing is clear: there is a solid reason behind her sudden disappearance.
