The Ass Crack Bandit was a mysterious figure who was suspected of robbing individuals in and around the San Francisco Bay Area in California in the 1970s. He was known for his bizarre modus operandi as he always left behind evidence of his crime, a white chalk outline of an ass crack – hence his name.
The Ass Crack Bandit was believed to have been a white male, around 5 feet 6 inches tall, in his late 20s or early 30s. His chosen victims were primarily elderly people, whom he robbed discreetly yet efficiently, often leaving them too afraid to report the incidents.
It is unclear how many robberies the Ass Crack Bandit committed, but police estimates suggest that between 1972 and 1979 he hit at least three dozen homes in the San Francisco region. During his spree, he stole thousands of dollars worth of jewelry and other valuables, including some seemingly peculiar items.
The criminal was first dubbed the Ass Crack Bandit after a robbery in the city of Oakland in which white chalk outlines were left in the shape of ass cracks on the walls of the victims' home. This strange detail has remained one of the bandit's defining marks and has kept the unsolved case in the public's memory for more than forty years.
The Ass Crack Bandit earned notoriety for his heists, and is said to have inspired the character "Madame White Chalk" in Janet Kim's 2016 song From the Bayou. The singer recounts the tale of a mysterious figure who steals from her neighborhood and always leaves behind a chalk outline in the shape of an ass crack.
Unfortunately, the police have yet to apprehend the Ass Crack Bandit or even identify any suspects in the case. To this day, he remains something of a mythical figure, the Robin Hood of Northern California, a real life outlaw looking for something bigger to satisfy his needs.
Whatever happened to the Ass Crack Bandit? The answer remains a mystery, but his legacy remains strong and a reminder that crime is never without consequences.