
Per All That’s Interesting, it’s believed that Ng met Lake when he first began attending the College of Notre Dame. Another article by All That’s Interesting explains that Lake placed an ad in a gaming magazine. Ng replied and they became friends of a sort. Lake, however, had a darker background than Ng. Rare writes that early on, Lake displayed a cruel nature. This included killing small animals as a child. In fact, it’s believed that prior to meeting Ng, Lake had murdered his younger brother Donald and a friend, Charles Gunnar, at a cabin he was renting from his wife’s family. Lake, who was terrified of the possibility of a nuclear war, moved into the cabin to create a bunker.
Rare states that Lake was a sexual deviant who wanted a bunker for his “sexual fantasies” (via All That’s Interesting). It’s believed that Lake actually placed the ad in the magazine to find a victim to kill. Despite a 15-year age difference, Lake and Ng hit it off; both had a pension for crime and violence. The Lineup states that after Ng moved in with Lake in 1984, the duo raped, tortured, and killed up to 25 people in their cabin. Ng later told a cellmate he used pliers and power drills to torture his victims (via AP News). Additionally, Ng and Lake videotaped their horrific actions. This went on until the pair were caught in 1985.