The Doodler
San Francisco, San Francisco County, California · 1974–1975
An unidentified killer sketched gay men in 1970s San Francisco bars, charmed them with the drawings, then led them into the dark and stabbed them to death.
Overview
The Doodler is an unidentified serial killer believed to have murdered men in San Francisco between January 1974 and September 1975, earning his nickname from a habit of sketching his victims before stabbing them. The San Francisco Police Department has connected six bodies to the killer — beginning with Gerald Cavanagh, found stabbed at Ocean Beach on January 27, 1974 — while some estimates of his death toll run as high as 16, so the true victim count remains debated. He is said to have met victims at gay nightclubs and bars, doodling portraits of men as a way of introducing himself before luring them away. Police questioned a suspect in the case in the 1970s but could not bring charges because surviving victims refused to testify and risk being publicly outed as gay. The case remains open.
Where it stands
The case is open and ongoing in the San Francisco Police Department. Inspector Dan Cunningham of the cold case unit reopened the investigation in January 2018, telling reporters he had a suspect in the assault that spawned the original police sketch. In February 2019 police offered a $100,000 reward and released a revised age-progression sketch, and said they were considering forensic genetic genealogy. Investigators have described the person of interest as now in his 70s and living in the East Bay — a man first interviewed in the 1970s after a survivor identified him. The reward was later doubled to $200,000 in January 2022 when police linked a possible sixth victim, Warren Andrews, to the killings, and was subsequently raised to $250,000. The killer has never been publicly named or charged.
Persons of interest
The theories below are reported strictly as attributed to the cited sources. Naming a person here is not an accusation. Individuals are named only where they are deceased, were formally charged, were officially named by authorities, or have been publicly cleared.
- An unnamed man questioned by San Francisco policeNot publicly named
An unnamed man was questioned by San Francisco police as a suspect in the 1970s after a surviving victim identified him, and is described by investigators as still the focus of the case — now believed to be in his 70s and living in the East Bay. Police could not bring charges in the 1970s because surviving victims refused to testify for fear of being publicly outed. He has never been publicly named or charged, so he is not identified here.[6]
Sources
- Doodler
“The Doodler is an unidentified serial killer believed responsible for between 6 and 16 murders and three assaults of men in San Francisco, California, United States, between January 1974 and September 1975.”
- New 'Doodler' serial killer sketch released; San Francisco police seek help on cold case
“We believe there are other persons who may have survived attacks by this same suspect or may have information regarding this suspect and these attacks.”
- New 'Doodler' serial killer sketch released (reward update)
“SFPD has increased the reward for information leading to the identification, apprehension and conviction of the suspect from $200,000 to $250,000.”
- The hunt for 'The Doodler,' 1970s serial killer who targeted gay men; reward now at $200K
“San Francisco police now believe a sixth victim may be linked to the Doodler and have doubled the reward to $200,000.”
- This California serial murder case has been cold for more than 40 years. Now police say they have a suspect.
“We have a suspect in the assault that spawned the sketch.”
- 'The Doodler,' who killed SF gay men in the '70s, may be living in the East Bay
“The SFPD has connected six bodies to the killer, but some estimates put his death toll as high as 16.”