The Scorecard Killer: Randy Kraft's Dark Past

Randy Kraft

The Scorecard Killer: The Chilling Crimes of Randy Kraft

'He wasn’t just a killer—he was a meticulous predator who kept trophies, took souvenirs, and left behind a cryptic ledger of his crimes.'

The Man with the Deadly Secret

Randy Steven Kraft was an intelligent, unassuming computer consultant from Long Beach, California. To his coworkers and neighbors, he was just another mild-mannered guy—a conservative Republican who enjoyed debating politics and listening to classical music. But beneath that ordinary façade lurged one of the most prolific and methodical serial killers in American history.

Between the early 1970s and 1983, Kraft preyed upon young men—many of them Marines, hitchhikers, or runaways—along Southern California’s freeways. His victims were typically strangled, sexually assaulted, and dumped along roadsides, often posed in disturbing ways. Some were found with their pants pulled down; others had their eyes taped open.

But what truly set Kraft apart was his 'Scorecard.'

The Scorecard: A Killer’s Checklist

When Kraft was arrested in 1983 after a traffic stop, police found a handwritten list in his car with cryptic entries like:

'Young, blond, 20, Marine, Lakewood'

'Hitchhiker, 19, Mission Viejo'

'Mexican, 17, Newport Beach'

Authorities believed this was Kraft’s personal tally of victims—a gruesome ledger documenting his kills. Some entries matched known unsolved murders, while others pointed to cases that had never been discovered.

In total, Kraft was convicted of 16 murders, but investigators suspect his true victim count could be as high as 67.

The Trial: A Chilling Defense

Kraft’s trial was one of the longest and most expensive in California history. The prosecution presented overwhelming evidence, including:

Eyewitnesses who saw him with victims.

Fibers and hairs linking him to crime scenes.

Photos of unidentified young men found in his home.

Yet Kraft maintained his innocence, claiming the 'Scorecard' was just a list of sexual encounters. His defense argued that many of the victims were killed by other predators active at the time, such as William Bonin (the Freeway Killer) and Patrick Kearney (the Trash Bag Killer).

The jury didn’t buy it.

In 1989, Kraft was sentenced to death.

The Legacy of a Monster

Today, Kraft, now in his late 70s, remains on San Quentin’s death row, though California has not executed anyone since 2006. Many of his suspected victims remain unidentified, their cases lost to time.

What makes Kraft especially terrifying is his ordinariness. He wasn’t a raving lunatic—he was a calculated, organized killer who blended into society, all while compiling his macabre 'Scorecard' of death.

The question remains: How many more victims did Randy Kraft really have?

And will we ever know the full truth?

If you found this story disturbing, you might also be interested in:

The Freeway Killer: William Bonin’s Reign of Terror

The Toolbox Killers: The Tape That Horrified the FBI

The Grim Sleeper: The Serial Killer Who Terrorized LA for Decades

(This story is based on real crimes. Some details have been simplified for narrative clarity.)

The Scorecard Killer: Randy Kraft's Dark Past

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