My Take
William Bonin is one of those cases that haunts you not because of mystery, but because of sheer scale and brazenness. Known as the Freeway Killer, he operated across southern California's highways in the late 1970s, preying on young men and boys, and the fact that he had at least one accomplice in several of the killings makes the whole thing even more chilling — this wasn't a lone, isolated predator but something almost social in its horror. He confessed to 21 murders but was convicted of 14, and the gap between those numbers is its own kind of tragedy. What sticks with me is the contrast: a Good Conduct Medal from the military, then decades later a death sentence carried out in 1996. His case had a real impact on how California handled serial killer investigations and remains a grim landmark in true-crime history.
Overview
William George Bonin (January 8, 1947 – February 23, 1996), also called the Freeway Killer and the Freeway Strangler, was an American serial killer and sex offender. Bonin attacked numerous boys and men between 1968 and 1980, in southern California, and briefly, Vietnam. He was convicted of 14 murders, but confessed to 21, and is a suspect in additional cases.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- William Bonin
- Name (Japanese)
- ウィリアム・ボニン
- Reading
- うぃりあむ・ぼにん
- Born
- January 8, 1947 – February 23, 1996
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Boar
- Origin
- Willimantic, Connecticut, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- truck driver / serial killer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- North High School
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- Good Conduct Medal
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.