PATRICK WAYNE KEARNEY | "The Trash Bag Killer" | Serial Killer, Necrophile, and Sadist Who Targeted Over 28 Men and Boys, Dismembering Their Bodies and Dumping Them Along California Highways | ALS

P. Kearney. Autographed Letter, Signed. Handwritten, Commercial #10 (4.125 × 9.5 envelope). Ione, CA. March 4, 2025. Content unknown. SEALED.

The Fag in a Bag Murders: The Chilling Crimes of Patrick Wayne Kearney

Patrick Wayne Kearney entered the world on September 24, 1939, in East Los Angeles, California. He was the eldest of three sons in a stable, middle-class family. Despite this seemingly normal upbringing, Kearney's early years were marred by bullying due to his slight build and health issues. Classmates often targeted him, leading to a withdrawn demeanor and the development of dark fantasies involving revenge and domination. By the age of 13, he had begun engaging in bestiality, signaling the early emergence of his deviant tendencies.​

After a brief, unsuccessful marriage, Kearney relocated to California, where he secured employment as an engineer at Hughes Aircraft, earning a reputation as a model worker. In 1967, he settled in Redondo Beach with David Hill, who became his lover. Their relationship, however, was tumultuous, often strained by frequent arguments. Seeking solace, Kearney would embark on long drives, during which his murderous impulses found an outlet.​

In his crimes, Kearney typically shot his victims in the head, favoring a small Derringer pistol for discreet, quick kills. He often struck when victims were unaware—distracted or asleep—maximizing surprise and minimizing resistance. Afterward, Kearney engaged in disturbing acts of necrophilia, violating the bodies after death. He meticulously dismembered the remains using precise instruments, such as hacksaws and X-Acto knives, further demonstrating his calculated brutality. He carefully wrapped these remains in ordinary trash bags, strategically scattering them across remote areas like canyons, landfills, or roadside ditches. His grim method of disposal led to the chilling nickname, "The Trash Bag Killer."

Kearney's killing spree began in 1962, with his first known victim being a 19-year-old hitchhiker whom he picked up, drove to a secluded area, shot in the head, and sodomized postmortem. This pattern became his modus operandi: selecting young male hitchhikers or patrons from gay bars, shooting them in the temple with a .22 caliber Derringer pistol, engaging in necrophilic acts, and then meticulously dismembering their bodies. He would dispose of the remains in industrial trash bags, earning him the moniker "The Trash Bag Killer." His victims ranged in age from 5 to 28, including Ronald Dean Smith Jr., a 5-year-old boy suffocated in 1974, and Merle "Hondo" Chance, an 8-year-old boy smothered in 1977. Kearney's meticulous methods and the transient nature of many victims made it challenging for authorities to connect the dots initially.​

The turning point came with the murder of 17-year-old John Otis LaMay on March 13, 1977. LaMay had informed a neighbor of his plans to meet a man named Dave, later identified as David Hill. Upon arriving at Kearney's residence and finding Hill absent, LaMay accepted Kearney's invitation to wait inside. Without provocation, Kearney shot LaMay in the back of the head, dismembered his body, and disposed of the remains in the desert. LaMay's disappearance and the subsequent discovery of his remains led investigators to Kearney and Hill. Facing mounting evidence, Kearney and Hill fled to El Paso, Texas, but eventually surrendered to authorities on July 1, 1977. Hill was later cleared of any involvement. Kearney confessed to 28 murders, leading to his indictment on 21 counts of first-degree murder. To avoid the death penalty, he pleaded guilty and received 21 concurrent life sentences without the possibility of parole. As of 2022, Kearney remains incarcerated at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, California.​

Kearney's crimes had a profound impact on the victims' families and instilled widespread fear in Southern California communities. The media coverage of his arrest and trial brought attention to the vulnerabilities of young men, particularly those hitchhiking or frequenting gay bars during that era. However, his case did not lead to significant changes in law or policy at the time.​

Currently, Kearney remains incarcerated, with no known efforts toward rehabilitation. Given his life sentences without parole, he poses no future threat to society. His case underscores the importance of early intervention in addressing signs of deviant behavior and the need for robust support systems for at-risk individuals. Additionally, it highlights the necessity for law enforcement to recognize patterns in transient victim populations to prevent similar crimes in the future.​

Given the notoriety of Patrick Wayne Kearney and the rarity of items associated with him, obtaining an autographed item from him could be considered valuable to certain collectors, particularly those interested in true crime memorabilia. However, ethical considerations regarding the commodification of items linked to criminal figures should be taken into account.

VIDEO: Serial Killer Documentary: Patrick Kearney (The Trash Bag Killer) | https://youtu.be/Jg7UUlrL3Sg

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