Over a decade after Richard Ramirez, infamously known as the Night Stalker, was apprehended for his horrific crimes, he married former magazine editor Doreen Lioy.
Peacock’s docuseries, Richard Ramirez: The Night Stalker Tapes, launched on December 10, explores how Ramirez became notorious during his violent rampage across California. Between April 1984 and August 1985, he murdered at least 14 people in their homes, leaving a nation in fear until his arrest in 1985, marking him as one of America’s most notorious serial killers.
Doreen Lioy’s fascination with Ramirez began when she spotted his mugshot on television. After years of exchanging letters and visiting him in prison, the couple tied the knot in 1996. Although Lioy initially participated in interviews after their wedding, she stepped back from the spotlight following DNA evidence that connected Ramirez to the 1984 murder of 9-year-old Mei Leung in 2009.
"I can’t help the way the world looks at him," Lioy stated during an interview on her wedding day. “They don’t know him like I do.”
Lioy, who once worked as a magazine editor and helped launch John Stamos’s career, admitted to feeling "inexplicable" attraction to Ramirez the moment she saw his mugshot. Describing her devotion, Lioy shared in interviews that she believed in his innocence and claimed that his guilt or innocence never impacted their relationship.
Ramirez also acknowledged Lioy during their correspondence, once telling a journalist, "If you want to get any messages to me, talk to Doreen. I talk to her every day."
Doreen Lioy grew up in Burbank, California, alongside her twin sister, Denise Wilcox. She started her journalism career in school but was uninterested in dating, focusing on her work instead. Her sister, a school board member, expressed her shock when learning about Lioy’s marriage to Ramirez, stating that it had been painful for the family. As a result of her choices, Lioy became estranged from her family, and no relatives attended the wedding.
Before entering Ramirez’s life, Lioy was an editor at Tiger Beat, where she played a role in making young stars like John Stamos famous. She first met Stamos around the age of 16 and believed she could help him succeed, frequently featuring him in the magazine to boost his popularity. They developed a strong bond, further complicating matters when Stamos learned about Lioy’s marriage to Ramirez.
Stamos later reflected on the shocking news, expressing his dismay over Lioy’s choice of partner. He described Ramirez as a "monster," albeit someone who had once been close to his family.
Lioy began writing to Ramirez in 1988, firmly believing in his innocence and publicly defending him in letters to newspapers. As their relationship deepened, Lioy found herself infatuated, stating that her passion for Ramirez was intense and consuming.
In 1988, during one of her visits, Ramirez proposed to Lioy. While she knew her acceptance would change her life significantly, she felt it was worth the sacrifice, stating, "Because of my love for Richard, I have given up family, home, employment, and my friends."
The couple married in 1996 at San Quentin Prison, where they were allowed a brief kiss and hand-holding during the ceremony. Lioy expressed her happiness afterward, while Ramirez’s dark beliefs even influenced the wedding bands they chose.
However, Lioy’s faith in her husband’s innocence wavered when DNA evidence linked him to the murder of Mei Leung in 2009. Though Ramirez died of natural causes in 2013, Lioy largely withdrew from public life. After his passing, there were claims that they were in the process of divorcing.
Years later, a former news reporter stumbled upon Lioy, who was working at a party supply store, seemingly avoiding attention and recognition.
