Overwhelmingly, serial killers are heterosexual males, and those who are motivated by perverted sexual desires target women. There have though been more than a few homosexual serial killers, and these have been amongst the most prolific and the most sadistic.
This documentary covers the case of one such monster, Randy Kraft, who became known as the Scorecard Killer. Kraft operated in California, one of the hubs of serial murder. We begin with his arrest in May 1983 as related by one of the men who arrested him, a highway patrol officer. Like the Yorkshire Ripper in the UK, Kraft was brought to book by chance, in his case he was driving somewhat erratically, and in the passenger seat was his final victim.
An examination of Kraft's vehicle turns up two disturbing anomalies. The first is the bloodstained car seat; as the victim had been strangled rather than stabbed or shot, this indicated that another body had been transported in it. The second and far more chilling anomaly is a list, thought to have been a scorecard, that indicated not one but many more victims.
Kraft was tried for only 16 murders, but it is believed he committed many more. Although sentenced to death in 1989, he has still not been executed. It remains to be seen if he ever will be, or if there was ever a more deserving candidate for execution. He was summed up succinctly by one contributor to this programme. Julie Haney met Kraft in prison while trying successfully to identify one of his earlier victims (for which he was not tried); she said he has no soul.
There is a fair amount of commentary and brief archive footage of Kraft himself, but largely this documentary is related through the eyes of those who put together the technical rather than the legal case against him.
There are reconstructions but nothing too graphic, and overall this is a thoroughly professional if disturbing package.