The Doodler

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

San Francisco Police Department (CA)

Missing From:

San Francisco, California

Summary:

The Doodler is an unidentified serial killer believed responsible for six confirmed murders and three assaults of white gay men in San Francisco between January 1974 and June 1975. The nickname derives from his habit of sketching victims before attacking them. Despite a named suspect in 1976, no charges were ever filed due to survivors' reluctance to testify.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

The Doodler targeted men at gay nightclubs, bars, and restaurants in San Francisco's Castro and Polk Gulch areas. He would sketch his victims' portraits to gain their trust, then lure them to isolated coastal locations (Ocean Beach, Golden Gate Park, Land's End) under the pretense of sexual encounters. He would then stab them repeatedly or, in one case, bludgeon them with rocks and branches. The first victim, Gerald Cavanaugh, 50, was discovered on January 27, 1974, at Ocean Beach with 16 stab wounds and defensive injuries indicating he fought back. Joseph Stevens, 27, a drag performer, was found on June 25, 1974, in Golden Gate Park. Klaus Christmann, 31, a German national, was found July 7, 1974, at Ocean Beach with his throat slashed and 15+ stab wounds. Frederick Capin, 32, a Navy veteran who served in Vietnam, was found May 12, 1975, at Ocean Beach with multiple stab wounds to the chest and aorta. Harald Gullberg, 66, a Swedish-American sailor, was discovered June 4, 1975, near Lincoln Park Golf Course in advanced decomposition, having been dead approximately two weeks, with his neck slashed, underwear missing, and pants unzipped. Warren Andrews, 52, a lawyer, was found April 27, 1975, at Land's End beaten unconscious with a rock and tree branch; he never regained consciousness and died seven weeks later. The Doodler also survived three assault victims: a Swedish diplomat, a well-known entertainer, and a third man, all of whom were stabbed but survived.

Additional Details:

A man was detained in January 1976 after three surviving victims and multiple callers provided descriptions matching a composite sketch released in November 1975, but he was never charged due to the three surviving victims' refusal to testify in court—they feared public exposure of their homosexuality given the homophobic climate of the 1970s. That man remains the focus of investigation but his identity has not been publicly released. Police believed the suspect was a Black male, 19-25 years old at the time of the crimes, approximately 5'11" to 6' tall with a slender/lanky build and medium complexion. He claimed to be an art student studying commercial art and told victims he aimed to become a cartoonist. One survivor described him as intelligent and skilled in drawing. Police speculated he may have been receiving psychiatric treatment from a psychiatrist with the last name Priest in the East Bay. Police believed he lived in the Bay Area outside San Francisco and traveled to the city on weekends. In 2018, the San Francisco Police Department reopened the case. DNA evidence from crime scenes was submitted for testing. In 2019, police released an updated age-progression sketch and offered a $100,000 reward. By 2022-2023, the reward was increased to $200,000 and then to $250,000. In 2022, Warren Andrews was formally identified and linked as a sixth victim. The case remains unsolved despite significant investigative efforts. Some sources suggest the Doodler may be responsible for as many as 14-16 murders, as numerous other unsolved homicides of gay men occurred in San Francisco during the same period (17 in 1975 alone).

Case Last Updated:

Jul 27, 2026