Death Row Inmate Exposes Serial Killer Joseph Naso’s Brutal Murders

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When a parole officer came knocking at Joseph Naso’s door in April 2010, he believed it was just a standard probation verification visit.

Instead, he walked into the home of a serial killer.

In this scenario, when Naso, who had recently been placed on probation due to a minor theft charge for shoplifting ladies’ underwear, protested against a search of his home in Reno, Nevada, the officer requested reinforcements.

According to several investigators featured in the upcoming Oxygen docuseries titled Death Row Confidential: Secrets of a Serial Killer, set to air on Sept 13th, police uncovered numerous photos of women – some completely nude, others wearing nylons and garters, and many with their hands and feet bound.

Furthermore, in the series, Sergeant Rick Brown from the Nevada Dept. of Public Safety Major Crimes Unit stated that the images seemed to depict “women who had passed away.

In the elderly man’s home at that time, there was discovered a handwritten list of ten places, each one associated with an unidentified woman, such as “a girl in Helsburg.”

Found within the elderly man’s house was a hand-scrawled list of ten locations, each one linked to an unknown woman, like the girl in Helsburg.

Naso was charged with murder and authorities ultimately put names to six of the women on the list.

In 2013, when he was found guilty and given a death sentence for four counts of first-degree murder, there were still four female victims whose identities had yet to be established.

And Naso, who had pleaded not guilty at trial, continued to deny knowing anything about them.

He informed ABC7 News’ Dan Noyes back in 2013 from prison, “I have no information about that,” regarding the topic of certain bodies. When asked to identify the other four women, he replied playfully, “Why don’t you tell me?

In June 2022, a letter arrived at the hands of private investigator Ken Mains from William Noguera, a death row inmate. He asserted that he had valuable details regarding additional murders attributed to Arthur Shawcross, who was under suspicion.

In his letter, as described in the Oxygen series, Noguera expressed that among all the ruthless felons he had come across, Naso stood out as particularly monstrous. He mentioned that he had been diligently taking notes from their discussions in the prison yard.

Death Row Confidential narrates events that unfolded once Mains obtained the extensive documents Noguera had compiled, and began associating names with the intricate details.

Delve further into the details of Naso’s criminal activities and the outcome for both him and Noguera, the imprisoned assassin who agreed to assist in the investigation.

I hail from the vibrant city of Rochester, New York, born on the chilly day of January 7, 1934. In the dynamic decade of the 1950s, I proudly donned the uniform of the Air Force. Fast forward to 1962, I exchanged wedding vows with my beloved Judith. We embarked on a new chapter in our lives in the San Francisco Bay Area during the 70s, along with our two cherished sons. Our marriage ended in 1980, and Judith left us in 2016.

Primarily, he took on freelance photography assignments, securing work by visiting homes directly. As Ken Mains, the private investigator, noted, it was when he was behind the camera that he began to experience a sense of control over his subjects.

In the 2025 Oxygen docuseries, Death Row Confidential: Secrets of a Serial Killer, I stated that it provided him with a feeling of control or dominance – a sentiment that prepared him for the actions that followed.

What he did was kill at least six women, according to prosecutors.

In 2008, according to NBC News, Naso was apprehended for stealing women’s undergarments. At that time, he was already on probation for this crime. During an ordinary home visit by his parole officer in Reno, Nevada, in April 2010, the incident resurfaced.

76-year-old Michael McBride, formerly the Marin County DA Inspector (now retired), stated in the Oxygen series that he became verbally confrontational about refusing a search of his house. Consequently, the officer arrested Naso and requested backup.

Law enforcement discovered mannequins adorned in intimate apparel, some with lipstick-stained mouths. A few were suspended by pantyhose knotted around their necks. Additionally, there were numerous images of women in various states of undress, appearing to have their limbs restrained. Sergeant Rick Brown from the Major Crimes Unit of Nevada’s Department of Public Safety stated on the Oxygen series that the women in these photos appeared to be deceased.

In addition to what was discovered on Naso, as outlined in the series, there was a handwritten catalog containing details of 10 anonymous girls and their respective locations.

In Death Row Confidential, as Brown mentioned, there was a key for a safety deposit box that contained news articles about missing and murdered women, according to the detectives.

Wendell Anderson, the Sheriff of Yuba County, mentioned in the series that a photograph stuck to a cardboard, discovered within a box, seemed to depict Pamela Parsons – a 38-year-old waitress whose body was found on September 19, 1993. The sheriff suggested that Parsons might have been identified as number 9 on the serial killer’s list, commonly known as “The Girl from Linda,” which is the largest town in Yuba County.

In my role as a lifestyle enthusiast, I recently stumbled upon an intriguing article that shed light on the life and tragic demise of Tracy Tafoya. This remarkable woman, aged just 31 at the time, was discovered deceased on the outskirts of Marysville, California, on August 14, 1994. As per Anderson’s account, Tracy held the tenth spot on Richard Naso’s chilling list-a “Girl from Marysville, near the cemetery.” This discovery serves as a poignant reminder of Tracy’s life and the unexplored mysteries that surround her untimely death.

In the series, Brown stated, “It was at this point that we became certain beyond doubt,” and revealed, “the seemingly routine list of 10 turned out to be a chilling list of murder victims.” The visit to Naso’s house, initially thought to be a regular check-up, he explained, suddenly transformed into “Whoa, we’ve just uncovered a serial killer.

22-year-old Carmen Colon, who is said to have been at the top of Naso’s list as “Girl near Port Costa,” was discovered on August 13, 1978. Roxene Roggasch, aged 18, reportedly No.  3 on the list as “Girl near Lagunitas,” was found deceased on January 10, 1977.

2013 saw Naso stand trial for the murders of four women, earning the nicknames “the Alphabet Killer” and “Double Initial Killer.” This was due to the unique connection between their first and last names, which all began with the same letter.

Throughout the court proceedings, the prosecution presented evidence suggesting that Naso was responsible for the deaths of Sharileea Patton, aged 56, and Sara Dylan, although he was not formally accused of these killings.

In the show, Sergeant Brown implied that Patton and a woman from 839 Leavenworth were possibly number eight on Naso’s list, while Dylan might have been identified as number eight under the alias “Girl in woodland near Nevada County.

Naso pleaded not guilty and insisted on representing himself.

During his trial, as reported by NBC News, Naso asserted to the jury, “I am not the one who murdered these women. I went on dates, danced, and took photos, but I do not harm or take lives. There is no proof that I have ever done so.

In wrapping up his statements, he emphasized that the prosecution’s case against him was largely built on speculation, personal views, and assumptions, making it more akin to educated guesses rather than solid evidence.

In August 2013, Naso was convicted on four charges of premeditated murder, which also included the aggravating factor of being a serial killer. The following September, he was sentenced to capital punishment, making him, at the age of 79, the oldest individual in California’s history to receive the death penalty.

In a prison interview conducted in 2013, he asserted his lack of guilt. Responding to questions about the number of lives he had taken, he stated to ABC 7’s Dan Noyes, “I haven’t taken any lives. It’s simple for me to declare that I haven’t taken any lives. How about you?

According to the account in “Death Row Confidential,” death row inmate William Noguera penned a letter to private investigator Ken Mains in 2022, claiming he had extensive notes documenting discussions from prison yard conversations where Arthur Naso was alleged to have discussed murdering several women.

In their investigation, authorities followed leads initiated by Noguera’s information, eventually suspecting that Charlotte Cook, aged 19 at the time, was fifth on Naso’s list, which referred to her as “Girl from Miami near the Down Peninsula.” Her body was discovered on January 4, 1974, at the foot of a cliff in Thornton Beach, Daly City – often called “The Gateway to the Peninsula.” (The Oxygen series revealed that Mains eventually deduced that “Miami” referred not to the Florida city but to a street in Oakland instead.)

However, what set Naso apart, as Noguera asserted during a conversation with Mains (which was later featured in the series), was his alleged claim of exceedingly greater productivity than law enforcement had initially estimated.

Naso stated, as per Noguera, that the list of ten victims was not a comprehensive tally of his crimes, but rather a selection of his preferred targets. In reality, he admitted to killing 26 women.

Since his conviction for the murder of Colon, Parsons, Roggasch, and Tafoya in 2013, Naso has not faced charges related to any other murders.

At present, Naso, aged 91, has spent numerous years in San Quentin State Prison, which served as the death row for many years. Governor Gavin Newsom, who established a halt on executions upon his inauguration in 2019, proposed ideas in 2023 to transform this prison-where notorious figures like Charles Manson and Richard Ramirez (the “Night Stalker”) once resided-into a rehabilitation center.

Currently, Naso is housed at the California Health Care Facility in Stockton. This facility accommodates prisoners who have critical health issues or extended treatment requirements, as indicated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s inmate locator service.

Noguera had been in prison since 1983 for killing his then-girlfriend’s mother when he was 18.

In a conversation with Rachel Dodes of Vanity Fair, Noguera admitted that he took a human life and acknowledged full accountability for his actions. It is particularly significant for him to find a means of repayment, so the affected families can reach some form of closure.

Incarcerated within prison walls, Noguera transformed into a distinguished artist whose artwork graced gallery exhibitions. In 2018, he penned his memoir titled “Escape Artist: Memoir of a Visionary Artist on Death Row.” Additionally, he launched the podcast “Death Row Diaries,” sharing his unique experiences and perspectives from behind bars.

In the summer of 2024, Noguera received a new sentence of 25 years to life in prison, making him eligible for parole consideration. He was deemed suitable for release in January, and on June 18, his eligibility for parole was officially confirmed at the age of 61.

In my professional perspective as a lifestyle expert, I can share that events led me from Corcoran State Prison to the Los Angeles County Jail, prompted by an outstanding warrant. As reported by Vanity Fair, I was granted release on July 2nd, securing a $50,000 bond and transitioning into supportive housing.

Noguera informed Dodes that immediately upon his release, they swiftly jumped into their vehicle and drove straight to an In-N-Out Burger restaurant.

The revealing series titled “Confidential from Death Row: Unveiling the Secrets of a Serial Killer” is set to debut this coming Saturday, September 13th, at 9 in the evening, only on Oxygen.

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2025-09-13 16:17