Herbert Mullin viciously murdered thirteen innocent people. Herbert believed himself to be a hero. He considered himself a “sacrificial scapegoat,” who had killed to save California from a disastrous earthquake. He believed his father had contacted him telepathically, ordering him to kill. He was eventually diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Paranoid schizophrenics “have an organized system of delusions and auditory hallucinations that can guide their lives” (Comer, 2013). Herbert Mullin was born on April 18, 1947 in Salinas, California. April 18 is the anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake as well as the anniversary of the death of Albert Einstein. Both events would ultimately give Herbert the obligation to kill. He grew up in a stable home with educated parents and was kind and intelligent himself. Herbert's father, Martin William Mullin, was a military hero of World War II. He was proud of what he had accomplished and told his son many stories about the war and taught him how to use a gun. Before dinner, Martin often boxed playfully with Herbert. “Herb would later interpret these matches as a deadly challenge from his sadistic father” (Scott). When Herbert was in high school, he and his family moved to a small town in Santa Cruz County. Herbert was able to make friends quickly and became very popular. He was a college football player, had a girlfriend, and was voted “Most Likely to Succeed.” After graduating from high school, Herbert went to Cabrillo College to study engineering and even considered joining the military. The summer after high school graduation, Herbert's best friend, Dean Richardson, was in a fatal car accident. Dean's death was devastating. Herbert built shrines to Dean in his room and spent most of his time writing in this area. This made Herbert angry when the boys made fun of him, so he shot them and then took their gun and money. While he was going to deliver firewood to his parents' house in February, he received another message telling him to kill. While Herbert was driving, he saw a man in his driveway and decided to shoot him. A neighbor saw him and called the police. Herbert was arrested and charged with ten counts of murder. Herbert was later found guilty and legally sane. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 2025. Herbert Mullin should not have been released every time he was committed to psychiatric hospitals. Perhaps if he had been forced to stay, these murders would never have happened. Herbert is a paranoid schizophrenic who killed because his father told him to telepathically. He believed he was saving California from disastrous earthquakes.