Zebra murders

The "Zebra" murders were a string of racially motivated murders and attacks committed by a group of four black serial killers in San Francisco, California between October 1973 and April 1974; the perpetrators killed at least fifteen white people and wounded eight others. Police gave the case the name "Zebra" after the special police radio band they assigned to the investigation.

Some authorities believe that the Death Angels, as the perpetrators called themselves, may have killed as many as seventy-three or more victims since 1970. Criminology professor Anthony Walsh wrote in a 2005 article that the Zebra murderers "may have killed more people in the early- to mid-1970s than all the other serial killers operating during that period combined."

In 1974, a worker at the warehouse where the Zebra murderers were based testified to police for a reward, providing private details about the killings. Based on his evidence, four men were arrested in connection with the case. They were convicted in a jury trial of first-degree murder and conspiracy charges and sentenced to life imprisonment. The informant received immunity from prosecution for his testimony, and he, along with his family, was admitted to a witness protection program.