Whether an individual in a state of stress could make a quick, confident choice meant the difference between life and death.
Seen this way, the devil might indeed be in the details.
—Evolutionary Psychology
California was nicknamed the Golden State not only because it produced gold, but also because it became famous throughout the world for the Gold Rush.
Hollywood's film industry had gone through a long journey, from Charlie Chaplin's earliest silent films to today's special-effects blockbusters, and Westerns had occupied an important place in that history.
Even today, children dressed up as cowboys on Halloween. Westerns often featured this sort of plot: a small town was controlled by evil villains, until a passing cowboy gunslinger dealt with them. Sometimes the villain was the mayor, sometimes the sheriff. A hero always needed a "bad guy" to set him off.
By the time Mills became a rookie, Zodiac's era had already begun to decline. Yet at the height of his notoriety, there had been a famous serial killer in California. He committed at least twelve murders, 120 burglaries, and crimes against women including kidnapping and torture. But at the time, he was overshadowed by Zodiac, rock 'n' roll, and the anti-Vietnam War movement sweeping the nation, so people in other states rarely knew of him.
The FBI called him the "Golden State Killer," while ordinary people called him the "Night Stalker." He was as terrifying as a monster from a fairy tale.
By the time Mills joined the police force in 1986, he had suddenly stopped committing crimes. At first, the killer targeted women living alone or women with children, but starting in 1977, he still broke into homes even when the husband was there.
In America, kneeling did not earn sympathy. Guns were part of American culture, and it