How serial killers get their names

How serial killers get their names

From Crime Adjacent by Chase Patrick

March 4, 2026 · 22 min · Season 8 · Episode 15

About this episode

This episode explores how serial killers are named, focusing on the case of the Michigan Nightstalker.

The same thing that happened in California, in the 1980s, happened in Northern Michigan. Residents wondered: What do we call this guy? In the beginning, he broke into cabins and rubbed women's feet while wearing a creepy Halloween clown mask. So he became known as the Clown Creeper. But when he started to murder people, a new name emerged: the Nightstalker. Specifically, the Michigan Nightstalker, to distinguish him from two different serial killers operating in California who were both called the Nightstalker. Whatever people called him, Sheriff Press knew she had to catch him, fast. And finally, she had a real name of the man behind it all. This is part 15 of the 8th season of Crime Adjacent: the untold story of the Michigan Nightstalker. What happens if your favorite character jumps off the page and starts a podcast? That’s Crime Adjacent, the never-ending true crime thriller told weekly. With the help of devoted listeners and true crime fans, the international #1 smash hit Crime Adjacent podcast team has already captured the Bay Area's Rest Stop Killer in 2023, stopped the Mercy Street Butcher in 2019, and exposed the AmaniCorp conspiracy in 2024. But now, the darkest chapter…

People in this episode

Host: Chase Patrick

Topics covered

  • serial killers
  • true crime
  • Michigan Nightstalker
  • crime investigation
  • naming criminals

Keywords

  • serial killers
  • Michigan Nightstalker
  • Clown Creeper
  • true crime
  • crime investigation
  • Sheriff Press

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Crime Adjacent, AmaniCorp

Places: California, Northern Michigan

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