Between October 1972 and February 1973, Herbert Mullin murdered 13 people in California. His victims ranged from a 4-year-old child to an elderly man, and his attacks occurred in several different locations around Santa Cruz County and neighboring Santa Clara County.
Mullin's killing spree began with the murder of a 55-year-old drifter and escalated over the following months. By January and February 1973, he was killing multiple people in single incidents.
The Herbert Mullin murders are particularly difficult to understand because the killings did not follow one consistent pattern. His victims included strangers, acquaintances, a priest, families, and four teenagers camping in a state park.
This is the timeline of the Herbert Mullin murders, from his first known killing through his arrest on February 13, 1973.
Herbert Mullin Murder Timeline at a Glance
| Date | Victim(s) | Location | Number Killed |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 13, 1972 | Lawrence "Whitey" White | Santa Cruz County | 1 |
| October 24, 1972 | Mary Margaret Guilfoyle | Santa Cruz area | 1 |
| November 2, 1972 | Father Henri Tomei | Los Gatos | 1 |
| January 25, 1973 | Jim Gianera, Joan Gianera, Kathy Francis, Daemon Francis, David Hughes | Santa Cruz County | 5 |
| February 1973* | David Oliker, Robert Spector, Brian Card, Mark Dreibelbis | Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park | 4 |
| February 13, 1973 | Fred Perez | Santa Cruz County | 1 |
Total: 13 victims
*Sources differ over the precise date of the four teenagers' murders, with February 6 and February 10 appearing in published accounts. The sequence of events and the identities of the four victims are not in dispute.
October 13, 1972: Herbert Mullin's First Murder
The Herbert Mullin killing spree began on October 13, 1972.
Mullin encountered Lawrence "Whitey" White, a 55-year-old transient, after apparently pretending that he was having trouble with his vehicle. White approached to offer assistance.
Mullin attacked White with a baseball bat, killing him.
White's body was found in the woods the following day.
This murder was significant because it marked the beginning of the series of 13 killings for which Mullin later became known. According to accounts of the case, Mullin had developed increasingly bizarre beliefs about earthquakes, environmental contamination, and the idea that human deaths could somehow prevent a catastrophic earthquake.
The Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office later described Mullin as having murdered 13 people during a four-month period spanning 1972 and early 1973.
October 24, 1972: The Murder of Mary Guilfoyle
Just 11 days after killing Lawrence White, Mullin killed Mary Margaret Guilfoyle, a 24-year-old college student.
Guilfoyle was traveling when Mullin offered her a ride. During the journey, he attacked and stabbed her.
Her body was not immediately discovered. It would later become one of the pieces of evidence connecting Mullin to the growing series of murders.
Unlike his first victim, Guilfoyle was a young woman who had apparently encountered Mullin during an ordinary interaction. The attack demonstrated how unpredictable his choice of victims had become.
November 2, 1972: Father Henri Tomei Is Murdered
Mullin's third known victim was Father Henri Tomei, a Catholic priest in Los Gatos.
On November 2, Mullin went to St. Mary's Church intending to confess. Instead, he attacked Tomei inside the church.
Mullin later claimed that he believed the priest was somehow offering himself as a sacrifice. He beat and stabbed Tomei, killing him.
The murder was especially disturbing because Mullin had apparently entered the church intending to seek help or confession before the encounter turned violent. Contemporary accounts of the case indicate that investigators initially did not immediately connect Tomei's death with the earlier killings.
At this point, three people had been murdered in less than three weeks, but the larger pattern was still not fully understood.
January 25, 1973: Five People Are Murdered
After the November killing, there was a significant gap before Mullin's next known murders.
That changed dramatically on January 25, 1973.
On that day, Mullin killed five people, making it the deadliest single day of his killing spree.
Jim Gianera
Mullin had previously known Jim Ralph Gianera, and he had developed a deep resentment toward him.
Mullin went looking for Gianera at a residence in the Santa Cruz area.
When he found him, Mullin shot him.
Gianera was 25 years old.
Joan Gianera
Jim Gianera's wife, Joan Gianera, was also killed during the attack.
She was 21 years old.
The killings of Jim and Joan Gianera represented a major change in Mullin's pattern. He was no longer simply attacking isolated strangers. He was now deliberately seeking out people from his own past.
Kathy Francis
Mullin then went to the home of Kathy Francis, who was associated with the Gianeras.
Francis was 29 years old.
Mullin shot her and then killed her two young children.
Daemon Francis
Daemon Francis, Kathy's four-year-old son, was killed during the attack.
He was the youngest known victim of Herbert Mullin.
David Hughes
David Hughes, nine years old, was also killed.
The deaths of Kathy Francis and her two children brought the number of victims killed by Mullin that day to three at the Francis residence, while the Gianera murders brought the day's total to five.
The five January 25 killings brought Mullin's known victim count to eight.
Records from the period and later accounts consistently identify January 25, 1973, as the date of these five murders.
February 1973: Four Teenagers Are Killed
Mullin's next known victims were four teenagers who were camping in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.
They were:
David Allan Oliker, 18
Robert Michael Spector, 18
Brian Scott Card, 19
Mark John Dreibelbis, 15
Accounts of the murders describe Mullin approaching the teenagers and presenting himself as someone who wanted them to leave the area. He subsequently returned and shot the four boys.
The murders brought Mullin's total to 12 victims.
When Were the Four Teenagers Killed?
There is an inconsistency in secondary sources regarding the exact date.
Some published victim lists give February 6, 1973, while other sources give February 10, 1973. Both dates have appeared in accounts of the Herbert Mullin case.
For that reason, it is safer to describe this event as occurring in February 1973 unless a primary historical record is being cited for the precise date.
The important point for the overall timeline is that the four teenagers were murdered shortly before Mullin's final known killing.
February 13, 1973: The Murder of Fred Perez
Three days after the teenage campers' murders according to accounts using the February 10 date, Mullin committed his final known killing.
His victim was Fred Perez, an elderly man who was working outside his home in Santa Cruz County.
Mullin shot Perez with a rifle before driving away.
Perez was 72 years old.
Unlike several of the earlier murders, this killing immediately generated a critical lead for investigators.
A witness saw Mullin's vehicle and was able to provide police with information that helped identify him.
Mullin was arrested that same day.
The murder of Fred Perez brought the total number of people killed during Mullin's four-month killing spree to 13. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation later confirmed that Mullin had confessed to killing 13 people during the 1970s.
Herbert Mullin Is Arrested
Mullin's arrest came on February 13, 1973, the same day Fred Perez was killed.
Police eventually connected him to the growing series of murders.
The investigation uncovered evidence linking Mullin to the killings, and he ultimately confessed to murdering 13 people.
The Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office later stated that Mullin was convicted of murdering 10 people in Santa Cruz County and separately convicted of killing Father Henri Tomei in Santa Clara County.
How Long Was Herbert Mullin's Killing Spree?
Herbert Mullin's known murder spree lasted approximately four months.
His first known victim was killed on October 13, 1972, while his final known victim, Fred Perez, was killed on February 13, 1973.
During that period, Mullin killed 13 people.
The murders were not concentrated in one location or carried out against one specific type of victim. His victims included:
A 55-year-old transient
A 24-year-old college student
A Catholic priest
A married couple
A mother and her two young children
Four teenage boys
A 72-year-old man
The variety of victims is one reason the chronology of the Herbert Mullin murders is important when examining the case.
Herbert Mullin Murders in Order
For a quick summary, the known sequence was:
1. October 13, 1972 — Lawrence "Whitey" White
Mullin's first known victim was beaten to death with a baseball bat.
2. October 24, 1972 — Mary Margaret Guilfoyle
Guilfoyle was killed after Mullin offered her a ride.
3. November 2, 1972 — Father Henri Tomei
Mullin attacked the priest at St. Mary's Church in Los Gatos.
4–8. January 25, 1973 — Five victims
Jim Gianera, Joan Gianera, Kathy Francis, Daemon Francis, and David Hughes were killed.
9–12. February 1973 — Four teenage campers
David Oliker, Robert Spector, Brian Card, and Mark Dreibelbis were killed at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.
13. February 13, 1973 — Fred Perez
Perez became Mullin's final known victim.
Mullin was arrested later that day.
What Happened After the Herbert Mullin Murders?
Mullin faced murder charges after his arrest and was ultimately convicted in California.
In the Santa Cruz County case, he was convicted of multiple murders and received life sentences. He also pleaded guilty to the murder of Father Henri Tomei in Santa Clara County. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation records that Mullin was serving multiple life sentences when he died in prison in 2022.
Mullin remained incarcerated for the rest of his life.
On August 18, 2022, he died at the California Health Care Facility at age 75. California corrections officials reported that his death was from natural causes.
The Herbert Mullin Murders: A Four-Month Timeline
The Herbert Mullin case unfolded rapidly:
October 1972: Mullin committed his first two known murders.
November 1972: He killed Father Henri Tomei at a church in Los Gatos.
January 1973: Mullin killed five people in a single day.
February 1973: Four teenage campers were killed, followed days later by Mullin's final known victim, Fred Perez.
February 13, 1973: Mullin was arrested.
In roughly four months, 13 people lost their lives.
The timeline also shows how dramatically the pace of the killings accelerated. Mullin killed three people during the first three weeks of his known spree, followed by five victims on a single January day and four more in February before his final murder.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people did Herbert Mullin kill?
Herbert Mullin confessed to killing 13 people. The Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office also identifies 13 victims during his 1972–73 killing spree.
When did Herbert Mullin start killing?
Mullin's first known murder occurred on October 13, 1972, when he killed Lawrence "Whitey" White.
Who was Herbert Mullin's first victim?
His first known victim was Lawrence "Whitey" White, a 55-year-old transient.
Who was Herbert Mullin's last victim?
His final known victim was Fred Perez, a 72-year-old man killed on February 13, 1973.
How long did Herbert Mullin's killing spree last?
His known killing spree lasted approximately four months, from October 13, 1972, until February 13, 1973.
Who were Herbert Mullin's victims?
Mullin's 13 known victims were Lawrence White, Mary Margaret Guilfoyle, Father Henri Tomei, Jim Gianera, Joan Gianera, Kathy Francis, Daemon Francis, David Hughes, David Oliker, Robert Spector, Brian Card, Mark Dreibelbis, and Fred Perez.
Final Thoughts
The Herbert Mullin murders unfolded over a surprisingly short period of time. What began with the October 1972 killing of Lawrence White eventually became a series of 13 murders stretching across Santa Cruz County and neighboring areas.
The timeline reveals several distinct phases of the case: the three murders in late 1972, the five killings on January 25, and the final five victims in February 1973.
Mullin's final murder on February 13, 1973, brought the killing spree to an end when investigators were able to identify and arrest him.
His case remains one of the most disturbing chapters in the history of Santa Cruz County crime, not only because of the number of victims, but because of how quickly the killings escalated from one isolated murder into a four-month series of attacks.
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