Danny Figueroa

Danny Figueroa (September 24, 1959 – December 20, 1998), known as The Backwoods Sniper, was an American serial killer who shot and killed three people in Southern California within the span of two months in 1986. A self-described survivalist, he killed his victims in rural woodland areas in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. He pleaded guilty to three counts of murder in 1987 and was sentenced to 66 years to life in prison.

Early life Born on September 24, 1959, in Moreno Valley, California, Figueroa was said to have enjoyed the outdoors growing up more than spending time with his parents. It was said that Figueroa had the mental state of a child in his adult years, preferring to spend time with children half as old as him in a non-sexual manner. He was infatuated with wearing military clothing and hunting in the woods, and with sleeping outdoors.

Murders Figueroa committed his first murder on May 13, 1986. That day, he was wandering with a rifle around a rural area of Aguanga when he spotted 53-year-old Reynold Johnson during yard work outside of his home. Figueroa promptly shot Johnson, killing him. On the night of May 14, Figueroa was wandering around the property of Thomas Breedlove. Breedlove took notice and went out to investigate, only to be confronted by Figueroa pointing a rifle at him. Thomas' son, David, noticed what was happening and rushed out with his own gun and shot at Figueroa, causing him to retreat.

The next morning, Thomas and David Breedlove followed the footprints their attempted attacker had left, and they eventually discovered a backpack deep into the woods that contained a quote from the Bible: "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me". In response to this, Figueroa brandished his shotgun and shot Webber once in the head, killing him instantly. It turned out Webber was actually on his way to work after some rented equipment was discovered in his vehicle. Both Thomas Breedlove and Robert Jimenez reported their encounters of a man wearing military clothes and carrying a rifle, and both by then had started to speculate if he was the killer.

At the height of the panic, authorities organized search dogs and helicopters to scour the area, looking for a man matching the description of the killer, who by then had been nicknamed The Backwoods Sniper.

Court proceedings After Figueroa was arrested, he was booked to Riverside County Jail and was charged with attempted murder in the shooting of Robert Jimenez. He was later charged with three counts of first degree murder with special circumstances. Figueroa admitted responsibility but claimed the murder of Raymond Webber was done in self-defense, after Webber followed Figueroa for 25-miles.