Herbie's Hallowed Ground

 

The Killer: Herbert William Mullin (April 18, 1947-August 18, 2022) was an American serial killer responsible for the deaths of 13 people during 1972 and 1973. When he confessed to the killings, Mullin said his victims served as sacrifices for the prevention of earthquakes in California, thus giving him the moniker, "The Earthquake Killer." In addition, Mullin claimed to not only hear his father's voice in his head ordering him to kill, he also heard the voices of his victims giving him permission to carry out the deeds. A successful student and football player in high school, Herbert Mullin's sanity began to deteriorate after an auto accident took the life of his friend, Dean Richardson, in 1965. Mullin built a shrine to his deceased friend in his bedroom at his family home in Felton and became obsessed with the idea of Eastern philosophy and reincarnation. Still living with his parents in 1969, Mullin was admitted to several mental hospitals due to his erratic behavior. While admitted to these facilities, he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, accelerated by his use of drugs. While on trial for the murders, Mullin was sentenced to life imprisonment at Mule Creek State Prison, Ione, California. He died from natural causes while being housed at the California Health Care Facility in 2022. His victims, as well as the means by which they were murdered, are listed below:

*Lawrence White, October 13, 1972: Clubbed about the head with a baseball bat Mullin found in his parents' garage. According to Mullin, White had telepathically asked to be sacrificed.

*Mary Guilfoyle, October 24, 1972: Stabbed to death in the chest and back after accepting a ride from Mullin.

*Father Henri Tomei, November 2, 1972: Attacked and stabbed by Mullin at St. Mary's Catholic Church. According to Mullin, Tomei telepathically volunteered to be his next victim.

*James and Joan Gianera, January 25, 1973: Deciding that the man who introduced him to drugs had ruined his life, Mullin went to the couple's home and shot both with a rifle. After, he repeatedly stabbed their corpses.

*Kathy Francis, Daemon Francis, and David Hughes, January 25, 1973: After murdering Gianera and his wife, Mullin went to the previous residence of his former friend and murdered the woman and her two sons living there. He shot and stabbed each victim.

*Brian Card, Mark Dreibelbis, David Oliker, and Robert Spector, February 6, 1973: Stumbling upon four teenagers camping illegally in a state park, Mullin shot each with a pistol for "polluting" his forest.

*Fred Perez, February 13, 1973: While working in his front yard, Perez was shot and killed when Mullin pulled up in his 1958 Chevy station wagon and used his rifle to shoot Perez in the chest.

The House: Built in 1963, this three-bedroom two-bathroom house is a one-story, modern mountain home located in Felton, California. Before being remodeled, the house included what would traditionally be called a mother-in-law suite. (A bedroom and bath at the opposite end of the house from the other bedrooms, thus allowing privacy for guests.) Located behind the garage, and with a private entrance on the rear deck, this room was mostly likely Herbert Mullin's bedroom. The other two bedrooms, for his parents and his sister, were probably larger, and having the access to the room via a back door would have allowed Mullin the opportunity to quietly slip in and out without anyone noticing. In addition, having his own space would have allowed him to sneak in and take a shower to wash off his victims' blood.

The Floor Plan: While I was able to find the location of the Mullin's family home, I could only find pictures taken inside the house after its remodeling. Instead if guesstimating what the original floor plan was like, I decided to focus on what I believe to have been Herbert's bedroom and bath. I felt that would be appropriate since my research showed that Mullin spent most of his time in his room meditating and worshipping the shrine of his dearly departed friend. 

Sources:

Anderson, Bruce. "Mullin Apparently Knew Murder Victims." Valley Press, 1973.

California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation. "Herbert Mullin Dies of Natural Causes." 19 August 2022. www.cdcr.ca.gov. Accessed 2 July 2025.

Lunde, Donald. Murder and Madness. Norton Publishing, 1979.

Lunde, Donald; Morgan, Jefferson. The Die Song: A Journey Into the Mind of a Mass Murderer. Norton Publishing, 1980.

Murray, Emerson. "State Denies Parole to Santa Cruz Serial Killer." Santa Cruz Sentinel, 19 March 2021.

New York Times, The. "Californian Guilty in 10 Murder Cases," 20 August 1973.

Ressler, Robert; Shachtman, Tom. Whoever Fights Monsters. St. Martin's Press,  1992.

Scott, Shirley. "Herb Mullin." 2012. www.trutv.com. Accessed 2 July 2025.

Scott, Shirley. "Herb Mullin-The Hippie Massacre." 2012. www.trutv.com. Accessed 2 July 2025.

Scott, Shirley. "Unnatural Disasters." 2012. www.web.archive.org. Accessed 2 July 2025.

Torrey, E. F. The Insanity Offense: How America's Failure to Treat the Seriously Mentally Ill Endangers Its Citizens. W. W. Norton & Company, 2008.

West, Don. "Mullin's 13 Dead Victims-Their Lives and Their Hopes."

S.F. Sunday Examiner & Chronicle, 5 August 1973.