What did Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris do?
Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris were American serial killers who kidnapped, tortured and murdered 5 teenage girls in Southern California in 1979. The murders took place over a 5-month period, and they became known in the media as ”The Toolbox killers” because the items they used to torture their victims with were items normally found in a household toolbox. They would use sledgehammers, ice picks, and pliers to inflict excruciating pain on their unfortunate victims before killing them.
The killer duo actually met in prison, and upon release from incarceration, they teamed up to carry out these horrific murders. The brutal crimes started in June 1979 when Bittaker and Norris would pick up female hitchhikers and kill them.
On November 20, 1979, Norris was arrested by police for a parole violation. The same day, Bittaker was arrested for a rape. Police had collected a large amount of evidence that pointed towards the duo being involved in the murders, and Norris confessed under interrogation, though he attempted to portray Bittaker as being more involved in the murders than himself.
Norris then agreed to take law enforcement to the San Gabriel Mountains to search for the bodies of their victims. Norris was able to point detectives to the area where he and Bittaker disposed of the bodies.
What happened during the trial?
On the 18th of March 1980, Norris pleaded guilty to 4 counts of first-degree murder, 1 count of second-degree murder, 2 counts of rape and 1 count of robbery. He also agreed to testify against Bittaker. In return for this, prosecutors agreed to not seek the death penalty or life without parole.
On the 7th May 1980, Norris was sentenced to 45 years to life imprisonment, with the possibility of parole in 2010. Bittaker was found guilty of 5 counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death.
Where are the Toolbox Killers now?
- Lawrence Bittaker died of natural causes while on death row at San Quentin State Prison in December 2019.
- Roy Norris died of natural causes at the California Medical Facility in February 2020.
The Devil and the Death Penalty was a documentary film released in 2012 that focuses on the murders Bittaker and Norris committed but also discusses issues relating to the death penalty appeals process in California.
The Toolbox Killer is a documentary that was released on Peacock in 2021, which sees Lawrence Bittaker describe his brutal killing spree in his own words.
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