During the 1970s, California was plagued by a series of heinous murders targeting young men.  Among the most infamous were the acts of serial killers such as William Bonin, dubbed the “Freeway Killer,” who was responsible for the deaths of at least 21 young men and boys from 1979 to 1980. These incidents contributed to a wider trend of serial murders in California throughout that period, profoundly affecting the state’s history and prompting considerable reforms in law enforcement methods.