My family was killed by a serial killer. They were real people, not just victims | Opinion

My mother is Evelyn E. Miroth. For 47 years, her name and the names of my brother, Jason B. Miroth and cousin, David M. Ferreira, have been forgotten — turned into minor details in a gruesome chapter of Sacramento history.

My mother, brother and cousin were brutally murdered by a serial killer in Sacramento on Jan. 27, 1978. My brother, Jason, was only 6 years old. At the time, I was 12 years old.

The individual who killed my family members, Richard Chase, gained infamy as “the Vampire of Sacramento” and the “Dracula Killer.” Meanwhile, the names of my own family members were forgotten.

But I want to remind people that these were human beings: Evelyn is my mother, not just a victim. These were my family members.

My mother was born on Feb. 8, 1941, in Paauhua, Hawaii. In 1959, she graduated from St. Francis Convent school in Honolulu. She went on to graduate from Honolulu Business college with a legal secretary major.

She moved to Sacramento and worked as a secretary at a local school for several years before she started her family. A favorite recipe of hers was what she called “wine cake,” which I’ve recently learned how to make in her honor.

In March, I attended an event at Sacramento’s Crest Theatre entitled “Psychology of a Murderer,” hosted by forensic psychologist Dr. Rachel Toles. I attended the event fully expecting her to discuss my mother’s case — a local, yet well-known crime — and she did not disappoint.

Toles told the audience about one of her “favorite” Sacramento stories: The crime which robbed me of my mother. She focused on the murder of my family in a manner that had no actual forensic value. She displayed images for shock value, and also made several incorrect claims.

Images shown at the event included one of the perpetrator which was left up for what seemed like an inordinate amount of time (at least 10 minutes). But the image she used that was most offensive and unnecessary was the crime scene photo of Teresa Wallin, another of Chase’s victims. Wallin was pregnant at the time of her murder, and the crime scene photo was particularly disturbing.

This was a difficult experience for me to sit through. It took a lot to stay seated. Why did I even attend? I wrestled with the question beforehand, but I decided to go to see if there was any aspect presented that was in any manner “new,” as I am familiar with all the grotesque details of these murders. The only “new” information I observed was fabricated information.

I understand that the information — including images of my family members that Toles used — are all in the public domain. I fully acknowledge that she is free to use them as she wishes. But even all these decades later, these are still my family members, and it is disturbing to see them remembered and discussed only as victims.

In recent years, the genre of true crime has exploded in popularity, leading to many lucrative podcasts, shows, documentaries and events such as this recent one in Sacramento. Yet, as the son of a true crime victim, it is awful to see my mother’s name and story forgotten while her killer continues to receive near celebrity status.

The original main detective on Richard Chase’s case, Ray Biondi, co-wrote an authoritative and well-written book on the case, “The Dracula Killer.” But beyond that, there have been numerous copycat books, at least one major movie and multiple references on various TV shows. I believe the only purpose for any material after Biondi’s book is pure sensationalism and serves no positive purpose. 

There was once even a local effort to operate a “Vampire of Sacramento” haunted house. Thankfully, that did not come to fruition thanks to push back from the Wallin family.

So the next time that you pay money to consume true crime, remember that the victims were real people, and that living family members like me continue to feel the impact of the murders of our loved ones. 

My mother’s case is more than just entertainment. 

This story was originally published June 21, 2025 at 6:00 AM.