New Bill Bonin Serial Killer Bio a Surefire Mini-Series or Docudrama, Solves Two LA Murders & Tracks His Psychological Evolution

October 19, 2022 Vonda3310 0 Comments

Los Angeles, CA—A new historical biography of Freeway Killer Bill Bonin, Without Redemption: Creation & Deeds of Freeway Killer Bill Bonin, His Five Accomplices & How One Escaped Justice, is tailor made for a multi-episode mini-series or docudrama. The co-authors, one a Clinical Psychologist who had extensive dealings with Bonin before and during his trial, solved two 40-year-old murder mysteries and created a book which tracks the evolution of his personality for an early age till execution.

Employing a treasure trove of the killer’s diaries detailing the murders of 22 teenage boys, Vonda Pelto, Ph.D. and Michael B. Butler reveal how the notorious Bonin masterminded his killing spree in 1979/80.

Bonin was arrested THREE TIMES during his reign of terror and let go every time.

Without Redemption, using documents from variety of sources, including Bonin’s own writings, brings the reader into the back and forth with witnesses, lawyers, media, jailhouse snitches, friends, friends, family, inmates at Los Angeles Men’s Central Jail and Bonin’s co-murderers. 

The book was written on a number of parallel tracks that constantly intersect:

First, it is the most detailed historical biography ever written about Bill Bonin, the notorious Freeway Killer responsible for murdering 22 teenage boys over ten-months in 1979-80.
           
Second, it is a psychological roadmap which charts the evolution of Bonin’s personality from abused child to sexual predator to serial killer. This is accomplished using documents from his childhood, war service, multiple California government mental health and penal institutions, witness testimony and the expertise of Clinical Psychologist Vonda Pelto, Ph.D., who had many sessions with Bonin and two of his accomplices while working in Los Angeles Men’s Central Jail.        
           
Third, it is a narrative which, using long hidden documents, reveals the inner workings of Bonin’s mind, showing how he thought, felt, planned and viewed the world. The narrative displays Bonin, an abused high school dropout, cleverly manipulating lawyers, judges, doctors, social workers, friends, family, probation officers, government bureaucrats, detectives, journalists and, most tragically, the innocent victims of his rage.
           
Fourth, Without Redemption reveals the complex story of what happened after Bonin’s final arrest, when so much was in flux and so many moving parts were swirling about. Archived investigative documents, collected from a variety of sources, brings to light a number of surprising, shocking, sad and even funny events from those ten tumultuous months from June 1980 to March 1981.
           
Finally, it is a book which solves two 40-year-old murder mysteries and unlocks how one day of crossroads and coincidences, in the midst of the murder spree, profoundly impacted many lives and future events. 

• The most detailed bio of serial killer Bill Bonin ever written using previously hidden documents.
• How childhood abuse & Vietnam War service helped create what followed.
• How Bonin manipulated California judicial, mental health & prison systems for nine years before the killings.
• Interviews of Bonin, Miley & Munro with Vonda Pelto, Ph.D. before, during & after his Los Angeles trial.
• Bonin’s jailhouse writings offer new perspective on his brutality, methods, thoughts and personality.
• How & Why Bonin covered for accomplice Eric Wijnaendts, who helped him with two murders.
• How & Why March 24, 1980 is a key date in the Bill Bonin story.

Excerpts from Without Redemption

—Five days after killing his first two victims, dumped about 80-miles apart in different law enforcement jurisdictions, Bonin was right back at it in Orange County. On Thursday, August 9, he went out cruising in the van and found someone willing to enter into Bonin’s evolving world of horror.

—On the road from deal to court, witnesses need to be protected, sometimes coddled, and that can be difficult in a place like LA Men’s Central Jail. Some of the protective measures employed are rather creative and amusing. I, Vonda Pelto, was brought into LA Men’s Central Jail in August 1981 for this exact purpose; helping to keep defendants and/or witnesses alive till the trial was over.

—Maloney sat down with Olsen and argued that other city papers would be “relentless” in pursuing the truth, not allowing police to “double-talk” them into dropping a line of inquiry. Public knowledge of a “serial killer” on the loose would place additional pressures on law enforcement. Perhaps LAPD was protecting a recently tarnished image from the blown Hillside Strangler case. After spending millions investigating the Hillside Stranglers, Kenneth Bianchi was arrested after killing two more women by a small city police department in Bellingham, Washington.

—After arriving at Vern’s, Bonin told King to wait in the car while he got something inside. He got a blanket, twine and a steak knife from Vern and again urged him to come along, Butts refused. This was yet another steak knife Butts complained about losing during his killing association with Bonin.

—With little to go on, detectives scrambled to match Bonin’s activities to murder dates while collecting evidence. For example, detectives knew Bonin was in custody twice in the previous year for a total of 12-weeks, so any murders during those dates could be ruled out. Charges in the drug arrest were never filed against Fraser.  

—Lopez told him about Eric’s hearing and asked him what Billy Pugh was like? Bonin said he was a “real ruffian” and then Lopez told him Sgt. Esposito was out of state searching for a suspect. Bonin found this amusing, “I knew he was out of state and felt it was in connection with my case. Now I know for sure. He’s spinning his wheels.”

—How ironic is this scene: A possible serial killer under surveillance for murdering an untold number of boys trying to capture a petty thief and ready to help the police identity him; comical if not so tragic.

—Quickly all the major media outlets joined the chorus as phone tips flooded law enforcement and newspaper offices. Damage control saw Captain Walt Ownbey, of the LA Sheriff’s Dept., call the Freeway Killer “a total figment in the minds of journalists” and blaming the OC Register for unnecessarily, without evidence, igniting public hysteria.