The Unsolved Case of The Doodler: The Serial Killer Who Drew His Victims Before He Killed Them

In the mid-1970s, San Francisco was becoming a haven for gay men seeking freedom and community. But along the beaches, parks, bars, and late-night gathering places of the city, someone was hunting them. The unidentified killer became known as the Doodler. According to investigators, he would meet men in gay bars, restaurants, and clubs, sometimes sketching them or telling them he was a cartoonist. After gaining their trust, he allegedly convinced them to accompany him somewhere more private. Then he attacked. Between 1974 and 1975, San Francisco police believe the Doodler murdered six gay men, primarily in the Ocean Beach and Golden Gate Park areas. The first known victim, Gerald Cavanaugh, was discovered near Ocean Beach in January 1974. Investigators now also believe Warren Andrews, who was attacked at Land’s End and died weeks later, may have been the sixth victim. Several men survived attacks believed to be connected to the same killer. One survivor described meeting a young man who was drawing on napkins at a late-night restaurant. After the two went back to the survivor’s apartment, the visitor suddenly attacked him with a knife. That survivor’s description helped police develop the composite sketch that would become one of the most recognizable images connected to the case. Police identified a person of interest decades ago, but there was never enough evidence to make an arrest. And that may still change. More than fifty years after the murders, the San Francisco Police Department continues actively investigating the Doodler case. In June 2026, the detective leading the cold-case investigation said the longtime person of interest is believed to still be alive, now in his seventies and living in the East Bay. Investigators continue searching for the evidence necessary to finally identify and charge the killer. A $250,000 reward remains available for information leading to his identification, apprehension, and conviction. This is the true crime story of the Doodler—an unidentified serial killer who turned charm and a sketchbook into tools for gaining his victims’ trust, terrorized San Francisco’s gay community, and may still be alive more than half a century later. Sources used for this podcast Support the show Send Kris and Rob a Message JOIN THE  HITCHED 2 HOMICIDE IN-LAWS AND OUTLAWS START KRIS CALVERT'S BOOKS TODAY FOR FREE H2H WEBSITE H2H on TWITTER H2H on INSTA The Doodler, Doodler serial killer, San Francisco Doodler, Doodler murders, Doodler killer, San Francisco serial killer, unsolved serial killer, Gerald Cavanaugh, Warren Andrews, Ocean Beach murders, Golden Gate Park murders, Land’s End murders, San Francisco gay murders, LGBTQ true crime, gay serial killer victims, 1970s San Francisco murders, Doodler cold case, San Francisco cold case, California unsolved murders, true crime podcast #TheDoodler, #DoodlerSerialKiller, #SanFranciscoTrueCrime, #SanFranciscoMurders, #UnsolvedSerialKiller, #ColdCase, #UnsolvedMurders, #OceanBeach, #LandsEnd, #LGBTQTrueCrime, #HistoricalTrueCrime, #CaliforniaTrueCrime, #TrueCrime, #TrueCrimePodcast, #TrueCrimeCommunity, #Hitched2Homicide   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.