In the 1970s, few places on earth were more queer-friendly than San Francisco. But it wasn’t all drag queens and rainbows in the City by the Bay, and when the bodies of gay men started turning up one after another, fear spread like wildfire, and it got harder and harder to distinguish rumor from fact.
Yesterday
MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF: Alyssa Romine-Olson
When 30-year-old Alyssa Romine-Olson is found floating naked and face down in the pond of a Gilbert, Arizona nature preserve in 2016, online coverage makes the case sound like a suicide. But her missing belongings, an undetermined cause of death, and key evidence found at the sce ... Show More
55m 34s
Mar 2023
S2 Ep43: The Doodler: Silent Terror in San Francisco
Does a monstrous society breed monsters? Hate can twist, contort and mutate into something truly evil within an individual, propelling them to do unspeakable things. In the 1970s, a serial killer stalked the clubs and lounges of San Francisco, targeting gay men. His darkly artist ... Show More
34m 12s
Jul 2019
“The Doodler” - San Francisco’s Unknown Serial Slayer
At first, many gay men in 1970s San Francisco were dazzled by a handsome young artist who drew their caricatures on cocktail napkins. But as time went on, and the bodies started piling up, word spread. Avoid the Doodler at all costs. Sponsors! Ring Neighbors - Make sure you and y ... Show More
47m 26s
Jul 2025
The Doodler | 2. Murder, Mistrust, and the SFPD
The Doodler’s second known victim is an up-and-coming San Francisco drag queen named Jae Stevens. In the present, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Kevin Fagan recruits private investigator and former Chronicle colleague Mike Taylor to help him track down some of Stevens’ friends and ... Show More
34m 46s