Viewers have been left horrified© Netflix

A disturbing true crime series has left Netflix audiences with their “blood boiling.” Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, which originally premiered in 2021, documents the chase for a nighttime killer behind a string of apparently disconnected murders and sexual assaults in Los Angeles during the 1980s.

The limited series follows young detective Gil Carrillo and homicide investigator Frank Salerno as they work frantically to solve the case. It focuses on the victims of Richard Ramirez, an American serial killer, sex offender, and burglar.

Between April 1984 and August 1985, he murdered at least 15 people during various home invasions, gaining him the nickname The Night Stalker as his crimes took place after dark.

Ramirez was convicted and given a death sentence in 1989 and passed away while on death row in 2013, reports Wales Online. He was found guilty on 13 counts of murder, five attempted murders, eleven sexual assaults, and fourteen burglaries after appearing to dodge justice for years.

Richard Ramirez© Getty Images

Decades following his crimes, which affected entire neighborhoods and left hundreds of residents terrified, the case against Ramirez was adapted for screens in Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer.

The synopsis hints: “Detectives identify their suspect and a manhunt begins – but it’s the public that rises up to stop the Night Stalker’s deadly reign of terror”, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Viewers have dubbed it one of Netflix’s most unsettling true crime docuseries, with one individual sharing on Reddit: “The Night Stalker one about Richard Ramirez. That guy is so creepy. And his absolute callousness made my blood boil.”

Another viewer expressed: “I had such a visceral reaction when I watched the documentary. I almost had to turn it off. What he put his victims through is so sickening.”

Another person noted: “Night Stalker was one that genuinely rattled me. The scene where one of the cops describes how he found out who Ramirez finally is was so cinematic.”

One viewer described it as “utterly riveting”, whilst another remarked: “As a true crime enthusiast I’ve watched a lot of true crime documentaries and this one blew me away.

The miniseries is available to watch on Netflix© Netflix

One of the main concerns in these types of series is that you don’t idealize the murderer or minimalist the victims, and they did an amazing job of talking about the victims. You hear from the families and what this case was really about.”

Another viewer called it “a chilling story that needed to be told,” observing: “Netflix is suddenly becoming the place to go for true crime documentaries, and Night Stalker was just another great entry into their library.”

They added: “This Netflix Original is not for the faint of heart, like many true crime stories it is one that needs to be told, so the victims and survivors not be forgotten, and the gore is used for the audience to understand what this serial killer was capable of.”

Yet another audience member characterized it as “one of the best true crime documentaries ever made,” whilst it was also branded a “must watch” by one viewer, who commented: “The series is well made and informative.

“To say that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it would probably be a bit bizarre bearing in mind the content of the documentaries, however, I do think it is a must watch.

“Netflix does it again,” another lauded, whilst someone else noted: “This is tremendous four part documentary series, it tells the story of one of America’s most notorious and sadistic serial killers.

A man in a brown jacket© Netflix

“You see the case from the point of view of The Detectives, the victims, and finally the killer himself. I thought this was a terrific series, it was gripping, it was gritty, it was done in a way that was meant to shock, and meant to show you just what a beast Ramirez was.”

Another viewer agreed: “Really well made documentary. The last episode I was sitting on the edge of my couch. An absolute must watch.”

A third commented: “I liked this one a lot. I’ve been crushing a lot of true crime lately (most all on Netflix) and it was nice to see one that showed good investigative work and some true detectives who did a good job and worked together with other units to catch this guy.”

Director Tiller Russell previously spoke about the disturbing case becoming a Netflix docuseries, telling Decider: “For me, as the crime guy, I spend all my time immersed in these crime stories.

“That’s my world, that’s what I do, and obviously this was an iconic and notorious story that was out there. The name, the headline, the kind of top-line legacy to it. So I was aware of it, but it’s always driven by character.”

He added: “Some of the most moving and compelling were those victims and survivors. But at every step of the way it was these riveting characters whose lives – but for the story – would have been completely anonymized and unrelated to each other, but for the deprivation of this killer who was killing and slaying his way across the city. It ended up connecting these dots that otherwise never would have had any interaction with one other.”