The Enigmatic Relationship: Doreen Lioy and Richard Ramirez
Cynthia Horner, along with the rest of the world, was stunned to hear that Doreen Lioy had developed a relationship with the “Night Stalker.”
The magazine editor for Tiger Beat married Richard Ramirez in 1996 in a visiting room at San Quentin Prison.
The serial killer, who died in 2013 at age 53 while awaiting execution, is the subject of a new true-crime docuseries on Peacock, “Richard Ramirez: The Night Stalker Tapes.”
The special, available for streaming, is based on 25 hours of audio prison recordings of Ramirez from death row, as well as new sit-downs with relatives and loved ones of the victims.
“I think we can all learn some lessons from this story. Just because someone is incarcerated, and they’re willing to write to you, that doesn’t mean that you need to give your life to them.”
During her time at Right On! Magazine, Horner formed a bond with Lioy, who was navigating the uncharted waters of obsession. “Right On! focused heavily on Michael Jackson,” Horner shared. “And of course, Tiger Beat featured all the teen idols from shows like ‘The Partridge Family.’ We collected memories, captured smiles, and shared laughs in the studio. But Doreen, she had a different kind of fervor, a superfan energy that transcended the typical fandom.”
One fateful day, the office buzzed with hushed conversations, an air of disbelief hanging like a heavy fog. When Horner discovered that Lioy had become pen pals with Ramirez, the shockwaves rippled through their circle. What would lead a woman to reach out to a man whose deeds chilled the bones of society? “Before she ever wrote to him, she defended him publicly, believing him innocent,” Horner recounted. “It was not a good look for us; we thrived on youthful innocence in those magazines.” Doreen embodied fandom in its most extreme form.
Her devotion knew no bounds. “In my mind, a superfan is a ride or die—someone who stands staunchly in support no matter the storm,” Horner explained. Lioy aimed to shift public opinion, to rally behind a man branded a monster. “She wrote him letters, pleaded his case, almost like a publicist attempting to rewrite history,” Horner continued. Where others saw horror, Doreen perceived vulnerability.
“The whole world saw him as someone who was committing horrific crimes – murdering people, harming people,” Horner continued. “But she looked at him through a lens of compassion, willing to lend her name in his fight.”
Ramirez, a name synonymous with terror, had woven a chilling tapestry of violence across Southern California during the mid-80s. He was convicted of 13 murders, along with multiple counts of sexual assault and burglary. Each crime was a brutal chapter in a saga that frequented the front pages, ensuring that his name would resonate in infamy.
A string of crimes high in severity captured the public’s attention and fear. As he stalked through neighborhoods, memories of those nights became haunting stories told in whispers. There was even a suggestion of devil worship—an eerie touchpoint that made the case linger in the minds of both the terrified and the curious.
In stark contrast to the horror etched into his narrative, a bizarre following had emerged. Young women, captivated by his bad-boy allure, filled courtrooms, chanting his name in muted admiration. “Horner noted this strange phenomenon; it was almost a surreal juxtaposition. She knew some might not comprehend this infatuation, but there was something charismatic about him that drew people in.”
“Lioy was astute,” claimed Horner. “In the realm of magazine editing, she understood marketing. She carefully crafted her words to catch his attention—it was strategic.” Lioy’s status in the publishing world seemed to intrigue Ramirez. He was enamored, even entertained, by her ability to stand out among his many admirers.
Their marriage was a quiet affair—void of familial celebration or shared vows within walls of warmth. Yet, the bond they forged became a spectacle in its own right; a union defined by layers of contradiction and fascination.
Two years after his arrest, DNA evidence linked him to the murder of 9-year-old Mei Leung, deepening the shadows that hung over his legacy. Suddenly, the lines blurred; the bridge between Lioy’s adoration and the gruesome reality of his actions became apparent.
Yet, even amidst the growing darkness surrounding him, Lioy devoted her life to the man behind bars, her devotion almost heroic in its folly. Not long after Ramirez’s death, she faded into the background, perhaps grappling with the complexity of their love against the backdrop of horrific crimes.
As a testament to the human heart’s capacity for contradiction, Doreen Lioy’s story resonates in the fabric of true crime, reminding us that love knows many forms, even when entwined with the unimaginable. Would she wish to return to that chapter of her life? Horner, still pondering, hopes to connect again—fulfilling unanswered questions.
“It’s been quite a long time,” she reflected. “But I would like to get in touch because I have some questions… and I’d like to find out what kind of answers I get.”
