Randy Steven Kraft The Scorecard Killer “If anyone deserved the death penalty, he had it coming.” –Judge Donald A. McCartin

BACKGROUND born in Long Beach, CA in 1945 spent most of life in Orange County, CA had an IQ of 129, considered brilliant and intellectual went to Claremont Men’s College joined Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1963 identified Republican campaigned for Barry Goldwater

BACKGROUND 1964: spending time in gay bar, open about his homosexuality suffered from stomach pains and migraines; took Valium for pain first offense: approaching a police officer in 1966, let off with warning stationed at Edwards Air Force Base in 1969, discharged for “medical reasons” (homosexuality) successful computer programmer

CRIMEDATEVICTIM strangled, a sock was stuffed in his rectumDec. 26, 1972Edward Daniel Moore sodomized and castratedApril 9, 1973Kevin Clark Bailey strangledJuly 28, 1973Ronnie Daven Wiebe killed and decapitatedJuly 30, 1975Keith Daven Crotwell mutilated with cigarette lighterJan. 3, 1976Mark Howard Hall castrated and strangledFeb. 12, 1978Geoffery Alan Nelson sodomized and strangledFeb. 12, 1978Roger James DeVaul strangled, castratedApril 16, 1978Scott Michael Hughes strangledJune 19, 1978Richard Allen Keith burned by cigarette lighter, strangulation and drug poisoning July 8, 1978Keith Arthur Klingbiel sodomized, castrated, suffocatedNov. 18, 1978Michael Joseph Inderbieten burned, alcohol and drug poisoningJune 19, 1979Donnie Harold Crisel acute intoxicationSept. 3, 1980Robert Wyatt Loggins strangledJan. 27, 1983Eric Herbert Church

MOST RECENT CRIME May 14, 1983 Police stop Kraft at 1am for driving intoxicated; Find Terry Lee Gambrel in his trunk- strangled with his own belt

PUNISHMENT Found Guilty on all terms. Convicted of first degree murder, sodomy and torture. He was sentenced to death and is currently serving sentence at San Quention Prison on Death Row.

First Degree murder: Murder was deliberate and premeditated; there was intent to kill Sodomy: Sexual intercourse between two of the same sex; Homosexual Relationships

CULTURAL REFERENCES Angel of Darkness By Dennis McDougal A biography of Randy Kraft and his twisted murder spree

LABELING THEORY Kraft fits the labeling theory, as he interacts as a deviant with members of society deemed “normal” and “powerful”. Randy Steven Kraft was homosexual and was therefore deviant in society, as people were supposed to have relationships with others from the opposite sex. When Kraft joined the military at Edwards Air Force base, he was considered different because of his homosexuality. Because of this, a powerful person, in his case a psychiatrist, labeled him as deviant and discharged him from the military base for “medical reasons”. The psychiatrist was powerful enough to impose his own standards upon society and specifically Kraft. Kraft additionally meets the consequences of labeling in his alikeness to secondary deviance. After Kraft was discharged from the military base for being homosexual, he accepted his life as deviant from others. He began to meet up with other men who also were homosexual, and spent a lot of time in gay bars. This acceptance of his label later contributed to his crimes. Kraft went on to murder sixteen men, the majority of whom were homosexual as well. Additionally, he committed many sexual acts on these men before killing them and was publicly known to torture his victims. Kraft also utilized the neutralization technique of denial of responsibility by never admitting to his crimes or that he was guilty by any means. Kraft fits the mold for the deviant within the labeling theory.