The Case of Christopher and Virginia Petersen

On August 6, 1985, Richard Ramirez broke into the Northridge home of Christopher and Virginia Petersen. Christopher, 38, was shot and seriously wounded, while Virginia, 27, was beaten and sexually assaulted. Both survived the attack, providing investigators with important information about the offender during the final weeks of the Night Stalker investigation.

Christopher and Virginia Petersen lived in Northridge, in the San Fernando Valley. Their attack occurred during the final weeks of Richard Ramirez's 1985 crime spree. By August, investigators had linked a growing number of murders and assaults across Southern California to the same offender, and public anxiety was increasing. Ramirez entered the Petersen residence during the early morning hours of August 6, 1985, attacking the couple while they were asleep.

Ramirez entered the home and attacked Christopher Petersen. Christopher was shot in the head with a .25-caliber handgun and suffered serious injuries but survived. Virginia was beaten and sexually assaulted during the attack. Ramirez searched the home for valuables before leaving. The crime scene produced physical evidence that investigators could compare with evidence from other Night Stalker attacks, helping establish the connection between the Petersen attack and the broader series.

The Petersen attack occurred only two days before Los Angeles County Sheriff Sherman Block publicly confirmed that investigators believed a serial killer was responsible for the growing series of Southern California attacks. The survival of both victims provided investigators with additional information about the offender and his methods. The investigation was already operating across multiple jurisdictions, with detectives comparing fingerprints, ballistic evidence, footwear impressions and witness descriptions from different crime scenes. After Ramirez's arrest on August 31, investigators connected him to the Petersen attack as part of the wider Night Stalker prosecution. The case was subsequently included among the numerous violent offenses presented during Ramirez's trial.

Richard Ramirez was convicted in 1989 of numerous offenses arising from his 1984–1985 crime spree, including attempted murders and sexual assaults involving surviving victims. The Petersen attack was among the cases used against him. Christopher and Virginia Petersen survived their injuries. Ramirez was sentenced to death after being convicted of 13 murders and numerous other violent offenses. He remained on California's death row until his death from complications of B-cell lymphoma at San Quentin State Prison on June 7, 2013.

The Petersen attack occurred at a particularly important point in the investigation, only days before authorities publicly confirmed that the crimes were being committed by a serial killer. The fact that both victims survived also provided investigators with valuable information during the final stage of the search for Ramirez.