Michael “Mike” Angel Valles had a big part in the crazy life of notorious serial killer Richard Ramirez, who was also known as “The Night Stalker.” As teens, Richard and his friend became close and this may have set the stage for the horrible crimes that followed. Read about Mike’s life, the shocking things he did, and what happened to him in the end.
Mike’s early life and time in the military
Miguel “Mike” Angel Valles was born in Durango, Mexico, on June 14, 1949. His parents were Juan Valles and Sebastiana BarscЭas. He joined the U.S. Army after high school and served in Vietnam in 1970. During his time in the war, there was brutal fighting and horrible crimes that words can’t describe. People say Mike was proud to talk about the assaults and murders he did during the war. He even kept Polaroid pictures of his victims as trophies.
Mike’s experiences left him with deep mental scars. He was released from prison in 1971 with a 100% disability rating after being diagnosed with schizophrenia. When Mike got back to normal life, he had trouble with nightmares and flashbacks. His younger cousin Richard Ramirez was willing to listen.
A Deadly Influence
Richard spent a lot of time with Mike when he was a teenager. The older cousin told long, detailed stories about how he used stealth and “kill tactics” to get away with crimes in the past. Richard was deeply interested in Mike’s disturbing stories and pictures, which sparked a morbid curiosity in his naive mind.
Mike also introduced Richard to drugs like LSD, which made their relationship even stronger. Juan Miguel Jr., Mike’s 5-year-old son— died in a terrible accident in 1973. Mike’s Mental health problems and this loss seemed to make things even worse for him.
The Murder of Josefina Valles;
On May 4, 1975, Mike had the most shocking event of his life. While Richard Ramirez, then 15, was having a fight with his wife Josefina “Jesse” Valles in their home—he saw something horrible happen. Mike got angry and pulled out a gun to shoot Josefina in the forehead. Richard was told to leave and never talk about what he saw afterward.
Soon after, Mike was arrested, and Josefina died from her wounds. The court said Mike wasn’t guilty because he was insane because of his PTSD from being in the military. He did not get a long prison sentence. Instead, he was sent to “Rusk State Hospital”for a few years and then went to prison to serve his time.
Later in life and health problems:
Mike got married again and tried to start over after he got out of jail. That time, Richard Ramirez had already moved to California and started his scary job as the Night Stalker. Mike, on the other hand, had a lot of health issues, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and drug abuse.Mike had a heart attack and died in El Paso, Texas, on April 8, 1995. He was 45 years old.
The story of Miguel “Mike” Angel Valles shows how trauma and violence can have long-lasting effects. His actions and stories had a big effect on his cousin Richard Ramirez, who went on to become one of the most famous serial killers in U.S. history. Even though Mike’s life ended many years ago, his dark legacy is still linked to the scary story of the Night Stalker.
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