Riders on the Storm” turned out to be the last song Jim Morrison ever recorded. When the album was finished, he left L.A. for Paris and either died on July 3, 1971, or he went permanently off the grid – whichever you’d like to believe.

But it’s the lyrics behind the song that is the most unsettling of all – it was inspired by one of the most sinister spree-killers in history. His reign of terror began in the last days of 1950, and over the next two weeks, he went on a senseless rampage. He kidnapped nearly a dozen people, including a deputy sheriff, and murdered six of them in cold blood, including three children. 

During those 14 days, the killer – a born loser named Billy Cook – terrorized the highways of the American Southwest and earned a permanent place in the history of music and as the inspiration for two terrifying films.

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This episode was written by Troy Taylor

Produced and edited by Cody Beck

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