SERIAL KILLER: The Doodler

The gist

The "Doodler" murdered at least six men in San Francisco between 1974 and 1975, with three additional survivors of his attacks. A composite sketch, survivors' identifications, and a psychiatrist's confirmation of the suspect's confession should have led to an arrest, but the victims' refusal to cooperate—driven by fear of being outed in an era of police harassment and entrapment of gay men—allowed the killer to evade justice. The case went cold for decades until 2018, when detectives reopened it with DNA testing and renewed public appeals.

Key takeaways

• At least 9 confirmed victims: Five deceased (Gerald Kavanaugh, Jay Stevens, Klaus Christmann, Frederick Capin, Harald Goldberg) and three survivors, plus a likely ninth victim, Warren Andrews, beaten rather than stabbed
• Systemic homophobia hindered investigation: SFPD worked homicides by shift rather than assigning dedicated investigators; cases were "hot-potatoed" between officers. Police also posed as gay men to entrap people and beat gay crime victims
• Survivors refused cooperation from fear: The diplomat, a European diplomat, agreed to sit with a sketch artist only after investigators promised complete anonymity—he'd pick the suspect out of a lineup but wouldn't testify. Other survivors similarly refused involvement
• Psychiatrist's confession: A doctor at Highland Hospital confirmed the suspect confessed to murders during therapy sessions for his inability to accept his sexual orientation, but records were lost or protected
• Suspect identified but not prosecuted: Detectives brought him in for questioning in January 1976; he denied involvement but admitted struggling with sexual identity. An anonymous woman provided his name, address, age, and license plate after recognizing the composite sketch
• Current investigation status: As of 2021, DNA testing remains inconclusive; the suspect, now an out gay man living in the East Bay, denies involvement. A $250,000 reward is active
• Ripple effects extended beyond victims: The trauma triggered Jay Stevens' sister's psychotic break; three months later, she killed their mother and nearly killed their other sister Melissa

Notable quotes

• "He said he's reformed. He said he'd had problems with his sexual identity since he was 13...his sessions with the psychiatrist had cured him." — Guilford on the suspect's denial
• "I just want my uncle to be remembered for the good he did and not to be remembered for the circumstances under which he was killed." — Frederick Capin's niece

Worth a full listen?

Listen to the full episode if you want detailed accounts of individual victims' lives and the detectives' investigative breakthroughs, or if you're interested in how institutional homophobia and victim trauma intersect in cold cases.