Bio 

John Norris Hanks was born in 1947 and was a native of San Francisco, California. In 1966, at approximately 19 years of age, Hanks fatally stabbed his sister-in-law. He was convicted of second-degree murder and served about five and a half years in prison before being released on parole.

Following his release, Hanks remained under law enforcement scrutiny. During the 1970s and early 1980s, investigators linked his name to several violent incidents and unsolved homicides in Northern California.

On March 3, 1977, he was arrested and questioned in connection with the murder of Patricia Crawford. The case did not proceed because prosecutors lacked sufficient evidence and a key witness reportedly refused to testify.

Authorities later described Hanks as a man with a history of violence toward women. In September 1982, police in Seattle arrested him after allegations that he had repeatedly assaulted his wife and choked her unconscious.

Those assaults prompted investigators to re-examine older cases and ultimately led them back to the unsolved murder of Arnetta Oakes.

Murder Story

John Norris Hanks' history of violence began in 1966 when he fatally stabbed his sister-in-law in San Francisco, California. He was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to prison. After serving approximately five and a half years behind bars, he was released on parole.

Following his release, Hanks remained under the scrutiny of law enforcement authorities. On March 3, 1977, he was arrested and questioned in connection with the murder of Patricia Crawford. However, prosecutors were unable to proceed with the case because there was insufficient evidence and a key witness reportedly refused to testify.

On June 21, 1980, the body of 30-year-old Arnetta Oakes was discovered in a creek bed near San Jose, California. She had been strangled. Investigators quickly identified Hanks as a suspect because he was known to be acquainted with Oakes. Despite their suspicions, authorities lacked enough evidence to file charges, and the case remained unsolved for more than two years.

The investigation gained new momentum in September 1982 when Seattle police arrested Hanks after allegations that he had assaulted his wife multiple times, including incidents in which he reportedly choked her unconscious. The new accusations prompted California investigators to revisit the Oakes case. During the renewed investigation, detectives uncovered additional evidence linking Hanks to the victim.

Approximately fourteen months later, Hanks was indicted for the murder of Arnetta Oakes. Around this time, he reportedly told authorities that if he were convicted, he would provide information concerning numerous other murders.

In 1986, Hanks was convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstances for the killing of Arnetta Oakes and was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Over the years, some investigators and crime writers speculated that Hanks may have been responsible for several additional unsolved homicides in San Francisco, with estimates ranging as high as eight victims. However, these allegations were never proven in court, and no additional murder convictions were obtained.

Hanks later challenged his conviction through several appeals and federal habeas corpus petitions. In 1995, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit addressed procedural issues related to his habeas petition but did not overturn his conviction. John Norris Hanks remains incarcerated under his sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.