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Born in United States · Nationality American — Crime / criminal cases / serial murders

Randy Kraft

Violent crime and serial killers

Documented profile covering 26 controversies, including “2000–2001: convictions and death sentence upheld on appeal” and “1989: sixteen murder convictions, death penalty and additional sentences”.

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Profile No. 2502 · Updated on 12 October 2026

26Documented controversies

3Sources

1 followed by a conviction

§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology

I. Documented controversies

Case · 17 documented stages

2000–2001: convictions and death sentence upheld on appeal

Conviction

01

10 August 2000–5 March 2001

2000–2001: convictions and death sentence upheld on appeal

Conviction

The California Supreme Court unanimously upheld the entire judgment in 2000; the United States Supreme Court subsequently declined to hear the case in 2001.

Sources · 2

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability
[2]
U.S. Supreme Court docket / case recordKraft v. California — certiorari deniedCourt recordHigh reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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03

January 1983

Murder of Eric Herbert Church: first-degree conviction

Conviction

Kraft was found guilty of murdering Eric Church, found strangled near the 605; photographs, clothing and a razor were linked to the case.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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04

11–12 February 1983

Murder of Geoffrey Alan Nelson: first-degree conviction

Conviction

Kraft was found guilty of murdering and committing mayhem against Geoffrey Nelson, who was found strangled and mutilated after disappearing with Rodger DeVaul.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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05

11–13 February 1983

Murder of Rodger James DeVaul Jr.: first-degree conviction

Conviction

Kraft was found guilty of murdering Rodger DeVaul, who was found asphyxiated in the mountains; compromising photographs of DeVaul were recovered from Kraft's car.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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06

13–14 May 1983

Murder of Terry Lee Gambrel: first-degree conviction

Conviction

Kraft was arrested for drink-driving with the body of Marine Terry Gambrel in the passenger seat; the autopsy found ligature strangulation, and Kraft was convicted of murder.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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12

August–September 1980

Murder of Robert Wyatt Loggins Jr.: first-degree conviction

Conviction

Kraft was found guilty of murdering Marine Robert Loggins, who was found bound inside a plastic bag; photographs of Loggins were found in Kraft's home and car.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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15

16 June 1979

Murder of Donald Harold Crisel: first-degree conviction

Conviction

Kraft was found guilty of murdering Marine Donald Crisel, found near a motorway slip road with a drug overdose and ligature marks.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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16

April 1978

Murder of Scott Michael Hughes: first-degree conviction

Conviction

Kraft was found guilty of murdering Marine Scott Hughes, found strangled near a motorway; fibres from his clothing were consistent with carpets linked to Kraft's home.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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17

10–11 June 1978

Murder of Roland Gerald Young: first-degree conviction

Conviction

Kraft was found guilty of murdering Roland Young, who was found after his release from custody with fatal injuries and mutilation.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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18

18–19 June 1978

Murder of Richard Allen Keith: first-degree conviction

Conviction

Kraft was found guilty of murdering Marine Richard Keith, found strangled after leaving his girlfriend's home on foot.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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19

6 July 1978

Murder of Keith Arthur Klingbeil: first-degree conviction

Conviction

Kraft was found guilty of murdering Keith Klingbeil, found on Interstate 5; the autopsy identified an acetaminophen overdose with strangulation as a contributing factor.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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20

17–18 November 1978

Murder of Michael Joseph Inderbieten: first-degree conviction

Conviction

Kraft was found guilty of murdering and sodomising Michael Inderbieten, found near motorways 405/605 after a night out at a club.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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21

31 December 1975–3 January 1976

Murder of Mark Howard Hall: first-degree conviction

Conviction

Kraft was found guilty of murdering Mark Hall; Kraft's fingerprints were found on glass fragments at the scene.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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22

March–October 1975

Murder of Keith Daven Crotwell: first-degree conviction

Conviction

Kraft was found guilty of murdering Keith Crotwell, last seen in Kraft's car after taking pills and whose remains were discovered in 1975.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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23

April 1973

Murder of Huntington Beach John Doe: first-degree conviction

Conviction

The jury found Kraft guilty of murdering a young man who remained unidentified at trial, found in Huntington Beach with signs of suffocation, ligatures and mutilation.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

Add to this entry

24

July 1973

Murder of Ronald Gene Wiebe: first-degree conviction

Conviction

Kraft was found guilty of murdering Ronald Wiebe, who was found strangled near a motorway slip road after leaving the family home.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

Add to this entry

25

December 1972

Murder of Edward Daniel Moore: first-degree conviction

Conviction

The jury found Kraft guilty of the first-degree murder of Moore, a Marine found strangled near a motorway slip road.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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02

May–August 1989

1989: sixteen murder convictions, death penalty and additional sentences

Conviction — against a third party

Protagonist not prosecuted — these proceedings are not counted in their formal charges or convictions.

An Orange County jury found Kraft guilty of sixteen first-degree murders, as well as related sodomy and mayhem charges; the death penalty was imposed for eleven murders and sentences of 25 years to life for the other five.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Accused
Role of the person profiled: Protagonist not prosecuted

Sources · 2

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability
[2]
Los Angeles TimesKraft Sentenced to Die for 16 MurdersPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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07

24 November 1982

Sentencing phase: uncharged murder of Brian Whitcher

Protagonist not prosecuted

Protagonist not prosecuted — these proceedings are not counted in their formal charges or convictions.

At sentencing, the prosecution presented Brian Whitcher's murder in Oregon as attributable to Kraft; a distinctive item of Whitcher's clothing was found in Kraft's garage.

Attribution: Directly implicated
Role of the person profiled: Protagonist not prosecuted

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

Add to this entry

08

December 1982

Sentencing phase: uncharged murder of Anthony Silveira

Protagonist not prosecuted

Protagonist not prosecuted — these proceedings are not counted in their formal charges or convictions.

At sentencing, the prosecution presented Anthony Silveira's murder as attributable to Kraft; the victim's jacket was seen near locations associated with his business travels and found close to his hotel room.

Attribution: Directly implicated
Role of the person profiled: Protagonist not prosecuted

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

Add to this entry

09

7–9 December 1982

Sentencing phase: uncharged murders of Dennis Alt and Christopher Schoenborn

Protagonist not prosecuted

Protagonist not prosecuted — these proceedings are not counted in their formal charges or convictions.

At sentencing, the prosecution presented the double murder of Dennis Alt and Christopher Schoenborn in Grand Rapids as attributable to Kraft; the victims' keys and personal belongings were found in his hotel room or home.

Attribution: Directly implicated
Role of the person profiled: Protagonist not prosecuted

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

Add to this entry

10

8–9 December 1982

Sentencing phase: uncharged murder of Lance Taggs

Protagonist not prosecuted

Protagonist not prosecuted — these proceedings are not counted in their formal charges or convictions.

At sentencing, the prosecution presented Lance Taggs's murder in Oregon as attributable to Kraft; his bag and nunchaku were found in Kraft's home.

Attribution: Directly implicated
Role of the person profiled: Protagonist not prosecuted

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

Add to this entry

11

10 April 1981

Sentencing phase: uncharged murder of Michael Cluck

Protagonist not prosecuted

Protagonist not prosecuted — these proceedings are not counted in their formal charges or convictions.

At sentencing, the prosecution presented Michael Cluck's murder in Oregon as a killing committed by Kraft; Cluck's shaving kit was found in Kraft's home.

Attribution: Directly implicated
Role of the person profiled: Protagonist not prosecuted

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

Add to this entry

13

17 July 1980

Sentencing phase: uncharged murder of Michael O'Fallon

Protagonist not prosecuted

Protagonist not prosecuted — these proceedings are not counted in their formal charges or convictions.

At sentencing, the prosecution presented Michael O'Fallon's murder in Oregon as an uncharged killing attributed to Kraft, notably on the basis of his business travels, the 'death list' and the victim's camera found at his home.

Attribution: Directly implicated
Role of the person profiled: Protagonist not prosecuted

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

Add to this entry

14

18 July 1980

Sentencing phase: uncharged murder of Oregon John Doe

Protagonist not prosecuted

Protagonist not prosecuted — these proceedings are not counted in their formal charges or convictions.

At sentencing, the prosecution attributed to Kraft the murder of an unidentified man found strangled near Interstate 5 in Oregon, linked to a 'death list' entry.

Attribution: Directly implicated
Role of the person profiled: Protagonist not prosecuted

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

Add to this entry

26

March 1970

1970: allegation of sexual assault on 13-year-old boy presented at sentencing

No legal proceedings

During the sentencing phase, a witness stated that Kraft, after taking him into his home when he was 13, had given him drugs and alcohol and then sexually assaulted him.

Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 1

[1]
Supreme Court of California / Stanford Law SchoolPeople v. Kraft, 23 Cal.4th 978Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

Add to this entry

II. Constellation of documented links

No documented link with another published profile for now.

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

III. Has something changed?

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