Unlike many other films in the true killer genre (opens in new tab), Netflix's latest documentary focuses primarily on the police effort to gather clues, piece them together, and track down the killer, rather than the killer, his crimes, or his victims. Of course, The Night Stalker: Hunt for a Serial Killer! contains many (very graphic and often disturbing) details of the horrific crimes committed by the so-called Night Stalker, Richard Ramirez (opens in new tab), throughout California throughout 1985. But as the program's full title suggests, Ramirez's series of murders, robberies, carjackings, and sexual assaults are specifically retraced through the lens of the detectives who spent months trying to find out who he was and bring him to justice.

Those detectives are Frank Salerno and Gil Carrillo. While Salerno was already a well-known detective with decades of experience, including as lead detective on the "Hillside Strangler" case that plagued Los Angeles in the late 1970s, Carrillo was a relative newcomer to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Division, and many of his theories about the Nightstalker case were initially was initially dismissed on the grounds that he was a "rookie. However, as Salerno began to take Carrillo's instincts seriously, the case began to come together, and with Ramirez's arrest in August 1985, Carrillo became one of the best homicide detectives in the nation.

After solving the Nightstalker case and putting Ramirez behind bars, Carrillo's activities included the following (opens in new tab).

Carrillo spent a total of 38 years with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Division, including 24 years after solving the Nightstalker case. During that time, Carrillo investigated 700 to 800 homicides, estimated the Pasadena Star-News in 2015 (opens in new tab).

By the time he retired in 2009, Carrillo had been promoted to lieutenant and was the first Latino to reach the rank of sergeant or higher, according to a Daily Breeze report (opens in new tab) upon retirement.

Early in the investigation, many of his colleagues dismissed his theories about the identity and modus operandi of the Night Stalker, but Carrillo's role in the arrest of Ramirez quickly made him one of the most respected detectives in the LASD Homicide Bureau.

Upon Carrillo's retirement in 2009, another detective, Philip Guzman, praised his sense of humor, creativity, and dedication. He was one of those people whose opinion could always be heard." Guzman told the Daily Breeze: "He was one of those guys that you could always count on. 'Somewhere in his vast experience, he knew there was an idea or piece of advice that could be useful in an investigation. He was dedicated and took great pride not only in the Sheriff's Office, but especially in the Homicide Division. To have someone that passionate about the job for that long is an inspiration to anyone."

In the decade since his retirement, Carrillo has finally learned to slow down, at least a little. He and his wife, Pearl, travel the world, sometimes just sightseeing, sometimes lecturing at major institutions and universities about his work and murder investigations.

According to the Daily Breeze, his long marriage to Pearl was the subject of advice he gave to a new deputy sheriff around the time of his retirement: "This job is not easy, and family life is not easy. But you need your family and your family needs you."

But regardless of the long hours and the strain on his marriage caused by his job, Carrillo added that he has no regrets about his illustrious career at LASD. "

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly magazine (opens in new tab), Netflix series director Tiller Russell said that because Russell wanted to honor those affected by Ramirez's crimes rather than glorify the serial killer, production He said that the rookie detective was intended to be the star of the show from the very beginning of its production.

"My team and I decided to tell this story from Gil's perspective. Because he has this amazing story to tell, and he's not someone who is generally thought of as an ordinary hero," Tiller explained. 'He comes from the streets and was the first in his family to dream of going to college. He never imagined that he would one day work for the Sheriff's Office, much less join the legendary homicide unit known as the Bulldog. As the youngest person to make it there, he was assigned the case of a lifetime. And he did it all for his father, his family, and his neighborhood."

Tiller added, "It was the hero arc that fascinated me and I really loved him as a character."