Offender Record · OFF-2026-016
Lawrence Bittaker (photo from the Radford University biography)
Lawrence Sigmund Bittaker
Also known as Pliers, Larry Bittaker
Sex
Male
Race
White
Born
1940
Custody
Deceased
States
CA, OK, OH, PA, MO
Distinguishing featuresReported to have an IQ of 138; described by forensic psychologist Dr. Ronald Markman as a sociopath.
Custody
Deceased at San Quentin State Prison
Custody record at the facility
He was admitted to California's death row on March 30, 1981. He died of natural causes at 4 p.m. on Friday, December 13, 2019, at San Quentin State Prison.
This record documents arrests, charges and convictions reported by courts, law enforcement agencies and news organizations. Every statement is tied to a cited source with an archived copy. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt; a person charged is presumed innocent unless convicted. Solve the Case does not allege that this person committed any offense beyond what the cited records state, and this record is not a suggestion that the person is connected to any unsolved case. How records are built, corrected and removed.
Summary of the record
Between June 24 and November 20, 1979, Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Lewis Norris kidnapped, raped, tortured and murdered five teenage girls. Bittaker was found guilty by a Los Angeles County jury on all 26 counts against him including five counts of murder, five counts of kidnapping, criminal conspiracy, rape, oral copulation, sodomy and being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to death on March 22, 1981. Condemned inmate Lawrence Sigmond Bittaker, 79, died of natural causes at 4 p.m. on Friday, December 13, 2019, at San Quentin State Prison.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Offense date Jan 01, 1974, Supermarket parking lot, California
Assault with a deadly weapon
California law enforcement · California court · California Penal Code · Arrested Jan 01, 1974 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Imprisonment at California Men's Colony, San Luis Obispo
Defendant had been convicted of assault with a deadly weapon, arising from an incident in 1974 in which he stabbed a store clerk who accused him of shoplifting. Markman confirmed that Bittaker was a sociopath, and it was revealed that Bittaker had faked all previous psychotic behavior.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Bittaker, Lawrence; People v. Bittaker, 48 Cal.3d 1046 (1989)
Offense date Jun 24, 1979, Los Angeles County, California
Rape (nine counts)
Los Angeles Police Department / Los Angeles County · Los Angeles Superior Court · Docket People v. Bittaker, No. 21942 · California Penal Code · Arrested Nov 20, 1979 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death (imposed 1981-03-22)
Jurors stared intently at Bittaker as the foreman repeated 'guilty' 26 times to all the felony counts.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Bittaker, Lawrence; People v. Bittaker, 48 Cal.3d 1046 (1989); Lawrence Bittaker was convicted Tuesday of the sex-torture murders
Offense date Jun 24, 1979, Los Angeles County, California
Kidnapping (five counts)
Los Angeles Police Department / Los Angeles County · Los Angeles Superior Court · Docket People v. Bittaker, No. 21942 · California Penal Code · Arrested Nov 20, 1979 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death (imposed 1981-03-22)
Jurors stared intently at Bittaker as the foreman repeated 'guilty' 26 times to all the felony counts -- one of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, five of murder, five of kidnapping, nine of rape, two of oral copulation, one of sodomy and three of unlawful possession of firearms.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Bittaker, Lawrence; People v. Bittaker, 48 Cal.3d 1046 (1989); Lawrence Bittaker was convicted Tuesday of the sex-torture murders
Offense date Jun 24, 1979, Los Angeles County, California
Conspiracy to commit kidnapping and murder
Los Angeles Police Department / Los Angeles County · Los Angeles Superior Court · Docket People v. Bittaker, No. 21942 · California Penal Code · Arrested Nov 20, 1979 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death (imposed 1981-03-22)
One of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Bittaker, Lawrence; People v. Bittaker, 48 Cal.3d 1046 (1989); Lawrence Bittaker was convicted Tuesday of the sex-torture murders
Offense date Jun 24, 1979, San Gabriel Mountains, Los Angeles County, California
Murder of a 16-year-old female (Lucinda Lynn Schaefer)
Los Angeles Police Department / Los Angeles County · Los Angeles Superior Court · Docket People v. Bittaker, No. 21942 · California Penal Code · Arrested Nov 20, 1979 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death (imposed 1981-03-22)
The killings began that June, with the death of Lucinda Lynn Schaefer, 16. She was raped, bound, and strangled with a wire hanger tightened using pliers before her body was dumped in a canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Bittaker, Lawrence; People v. Bittaker, 48 Cal.3d 1046 (1989)
Offense date Jul 08, 1979, San Gabriel Mountains, Los Angeles County, California
Murder of an 18-year-old female (Andrea Joy Hall)
Los Angeles Police Department / Los Angeles County · Los Angeles Superior Court · Docket People v. Bittaker, No. 21942 · California Penal Code · Arrested Nov 20, 1979 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death (imposed 1981-03-22)
On July 8, 1979, Andrea Joy Hall, 18, was abducted. Bittaker loaded his Polaroid camera, dragged Hall from the van, and sent Norris on a beer run. When Norris returned, he found Bittaker alone, smiling over photos of Andrea Hall, her face contorted by fear.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Bittaker, Lawrence; People v. Bittaker, 48 Cal.3d 1046 (1989); Lawrence Bittaker was convicted Tuesday of the sex-torture murders
Offense date Sep 03, 1979, San Gabriel Mountains, Los Angeles County, California
Murder of a 15-year-old female (Jacqueline Doris Gilliam)
Los Angeles Police Department / Los Angeles County · Los Angeles Superior Court · Docket People v. Bittaker, No. 21942 · California Penal Code · Arrested Nov 20, 1979 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death (imposed 1981-03-22)
The jury found intentional murder by means of torture as to all victims except Lamp.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Bittaker, Lawrence; People v. Bittaker, 48 Cal.3d 1046 (1989)
Offense date Sep 03, 1979, San Gabriel Mountains, Los Angeles County, California
Murder of a 13-year-old female (Jacqueline Leah Lamp)
Los Angeles Police Department / Los Angeles County · Los Angeles Superior Court · Docket People v. Bittaker, No. 21942 · California Penal Code · Arrested Nov 20, 1979 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death (imposed 1981-03-22)
With respect to Lamp, it found as a special circumstance that she was killed to prevent her from testifying as a witness.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Bittaker, Lawrence; People v. Bittaker, 48 Cal.3d 1046 (1989)
Offense date Oct 31, 1979, Sunland-Tujunga, Los Angeles County, California
Murder of a 16-year-old female (Shirley Lynette Ledford)
Los Angeles Police Department / Los Angeles County · Los Angeles Superior Court · Docket People v. Bittaker, No. 21942 · California Penal Code · Arrested Nov 20, 1979 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death (imposed 1981-03-22)
On October 31, 1979, 16-year-old Shirley Ledford was heading home from a Halloween party in Los Angeles when she was kidnapped by Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris. One of their crimes was infamously recorded on audio tape, documenting hours of a victim's suffering and becoming a notorious piece of evidence in criminal history.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Bittaker, Lawrence; People v. Bittaker, 48 Cal.3d 1046 (1989)
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
5
Victims convicted
0
Victims confessed
0
Victims suspected
Active years
1979–1979
Victim profile
Young women, Teenagers, Hitchhikers, Strangers
Stated motive
Sexual, Power or control, Thrill
Range from home
interstate
Accomplice
Yes
Education
some high school
Marital history
Never married
Children
0
Died
2019-12-13 · natural
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
CA
California
approx. 1950 – 1979 · Adoptive family moved to California; final family relocation
Long Beach, California
approx. 1957 – 1959 · California Youth Authority; arrested for auto theft, hit and run, and evading arrest
Long Beach, California
approx. 1957 – 1957 · Arrested for auto theft, hit & run, & evading arrest in Long Beach, CA.
Los Angeles, California
approx. Dec 1960 – Dec 1960 · In December 1960 he was arrested in Los Angeles, and in May 1961 was sentenced to 1–15 years in a state prison.
California
approx. Dec 1963 – Jan 1964 · Two months after his conditional release, he was jailed again for parole violation and suspicion of robbery.
California
approx. Jan 1967 – Jul 1967 · One month later, Bittaker was tagged for theft and leaving the scene of a hit-and-run accident.
California
approx. Mar 1971 – Mar 1971 · Arrested for burglary and parole violation in March 1971, he was convicted on both counts that October, receiving an additional sentence of six months to 15 years.
California
approx. Jan 1974 – Jan 1974 · In 1974 Bittaker was arrested for an assault with intent to commit murder. He had tried to steal a piece of meat from a supermarket. When confronted by a store worker who observed the theft, Bittaker stabbed him in the stomach.
San Luis Obispo, California
approx. Jan 1974 – Oct 1978 · Bittaker was released from California Men's Colony on October 15, 1978.
Los Angeles, California
approx. Nov 1978 – Nov 1979 · Moved in with his mother upon parole from California Men's Colony
Los Angeles, California
approx. Nov 1978 – Nov 1979 · Bittaker was released from California Men's Colony on October 15, 1978; he returned to Los Angeles and found work as a skilled machinist. This work earned Bittaker close to $1,000 a week.
Burbank, California
Nov 20, 1979 – Nov 20, 1979 · Burbank police in suspicion of rape and kidnapping arrested Bittaker at his home.
San Quentin, California
Mar 30, 1981 – Dec 13, 2019 · Bittaker was found guilty by a Los Angeles County jury on all 26 counts against him including five counts of murder, five counts of kidnapping, criminal conspiracy, rape, oral copulation, sodomy and being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to death on March 22, 1981. He was adm
MO
Springfield, Missouri
approx. Jan 1959 – Jan 1960 · U.S. Medical Center, transferred for good behavior
OH
Florida, Ohio
approx. 1940 – 1957 · Adoptive family moved frequently due to father's work in aircraft factories
OK
Oklahoma, Oklahoma
approx. Aug 1959 – Jan 1960 · Convicted on that charge in August 1959, he was sentenced to serve 18 months at a federal reformatory in Oklahoma. His behavior there soon earned Bittaker a transfer to the U. S. medical center at Springfield, Missouri, where doctors released him after he had served two-thirds of his sentence.
PA
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
approx. Sep 1940 – Sep 1940 · Birth location; placed in orphanage shortly after birth
Known Vehicles
Vehicles and approximate dates of ownership or use, as reported in the cited records. A photo next to a vehicle is the vehicle itself as published.
1977 silver GMC Cargo van – Windowless cargo van with sliding passenger door, customized interior, nicknamed 'Murder Mack'
approx. Nov 1978 – Nov 1979
Bittaker purchased a silver 1977 GMC cargo van. Larry named the van 'Murder Mack.' First, the pair acquired a vehicle, a windowless 1977 GMC silver cargo van with a sliding door to make it easier to snatch victims from the street.
Timeline
Sep 27, 1940
Born: Lawrence Sigmund Bittaker September 27, 1940 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Jan 01, 1957
Bittaker dropped out of high school in 1957.
Jan 01, 1957
Arrested for auto theft, hit & run, & evading arrest in Long Beach, CA.
Aug 01, 1959
Convicted in August 1959, he was sentenced to 18 months in an Oklahoma federal reformatory.
Dec 01, 1960
In December 1960 he was arrested in Los Angeles.
May 01, 1961
In May 1961 was sentenced to 1–15 years in a state prison.
Dec 01, 1963
These diagnoses notwithstanding; he was paroled in late 1963, after serving barely one-sixth of his possible maximum sentence.
Dec 01, 1963
Two months after his conditional release, he was jailed again for parole violation and suspicion of robbery.
Jul 01, 1967
In July 1967 he was arrested and convicted of theft and leaving a hit-and-run accident.
Apr 01, 1970
He was released in April 1970.
Mar 01, 1971
In March 1971 he was picked up for burglary and parole violation.
Jan 01, 1974
In 1974 Bittaker was arrested for an assault with intent to commit murder.
Oct 15, 1978
Bittaker was released from California Men's Colony on October 15, 1978.
Nov 01, 1978
Purchased silver 1977 GMC cargo van nicknamed 'Murder Mack' and moved in with his mother in Los Angeles.
Jan 15, 1979
On January 15, 1979, three months after Bittaker was released from California Men's Colony, Norris was also released from prison and moved into his mother's home in Redondo Beach.
Jun 24, 1979
The killings began that June, with the death of Lucinda Lynn Schaefer, 16.
Jul 08, 1979
On July 8, 1979, Andrea Joy Hall, 18, was abducted.
Sep 03, 1979
Jacqueline Doris Gilliam (15) and Jacqueline Leah Lamp (13) kidnapped and murdered.
Sep 30, 1979
Robin Robeck attacked and escaped; identified both Bittaker and Norris to police.
Oct 31, 1979
On October 31, 1979, 16-year-old Shirley Ledford was heading home from a Halloween party in Los Angeles when she was kidnapped by Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris.
Nov 20, 1979
Burbank police in suspicion of rape and kidnapping arrested Bittaker at his home.
Feb 17, 1981
On February 17, the jury found Bittaker guilty of five counts of first-degree murder, and several other charges.
Mar 22, 1981
He was sentenced to death on March 22, 1981.
Mar 30, 1981
He was admitted to California's death row on March 30, 1981.
Jun 22, 1989
On June 22, 1989, the court unanimously rejected Lawrence Bittaker's appeal and upheld his conviction and death sentence.
Dec 13, 2019
Condemned inmate Lawrence Sigmond Bittaker, 79, died of natural causes at 4 p.m. on Friday, December 13, 2019, at San Quentin State Prison.
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
News report · Wikipedia ·
Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris“Lawrence Sigmund Bittaker (September 27, 1940 – December 13, 2019) and Roy Lewis Norris (February 5, 1948 – February 24, 2020), also known as the Tool Box Killers, were two American serial killers and rapists.”
News report · KSL ·
California killer Lawrence Bittaker dies in prison at 79“He was sentenced to death on March 22, 1981.”
News report · Oxygen Media ·
'Tool Box Killer' Lawrence Sigmond Bittaker Dies In Prison“Bittaker was charged with 26 counts related to the slayings, including five counts of murder, five counts of kidnapping, criminal conspiracy, rape, oral copulation, sodomy and being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm.”
Law enforcement release · California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation ·
Condemned inmate Lawrence Bittaker Dies of Natural Causes“Condemned inmate Lawrence Sigmond Bittaker, 79, died of natural causes at 4 p.m. on Friday, December 13, 2019, at San Quentin State Prison.”
Other · Radford University, Department of Psychology ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Bittaker, Lawrence“Between June 24 and Nov. 20, 1979, Bittaker and his crime partner Roy Lewis Norris kidnapped, raped, tortured and murdered five teenage girls.”
Court record · California Supreme Court ·
People v. Bittaker, 48 Cal.3d 1046 (1989)“From June through October of 1979, defendant and Roy Norris kidnapped and murdered five teenage girls in the Los Angeles area.”
News report · United Press International ·
Lawrence Bittaker was convicted Tuesday of the sex-torture murders“Lawrence Bittaker was convicted Tuesday of the sex-torture murders of five teen-age girls that he kidnapped in beach communities and brutally killed in the back of a van he dubbed 'Murder Mac.'”
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