As the Los Angeles Times reported back in 1993, Manuel Cortez was ultimately tried and convicted for three crimes, but was connected to many more. In 1979, he kidnapped two young girls, tortured and sexually assaulted them, and eventually murdered them before dumping the bodies. These victims were Rachel Isser and Deanna Jackman, both 11 years old and residents of Ashland, Oregon. Two years prior to this in 1977, Cortez kidnapped a 16-year-old in City of Industry, California. Thankfully, she escaped.
The exclusive clip shared with Grunge reveals a recorded conversation that Dr. Al Carlisle had with “Manny,” as his nickname went, while Cortez was in prison following his arrest and conviction. Carlisle described Cortez as handsome, charismatic, and having an above-average intelligence — just like Bundy. During their phone conversation, Cortez describes the weather near the prison as “chilly” and “ugly,” and “my kind of weather.” He clarifies this opinion by saying, “You don’t feel so bad inside the walls” if it’s not sunny outside.
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By that point in 1989, Cortez had been inside those walls for nine years. While there, as the Los Angeles Times describes, he ruminated on fame while “enviously watching” other serial killers have books and movies written about them. As a detective in the exclusive clip says, Cortez wanted to outdo them all and “become a symbol of infamy and horror.” He wanted to be “the next Bundy.” And so, he reached out to Dr. Carlisle and went through some of the disturbing motivations, including a violent encounter with his father and media he shouldn’t have had access to when he was very young.
