The Wild Story of Sean Penn’s Creepy Jailhouse Exchange With the Night Stalker - VICE

In April 1987, Sean Penn was arrested for punching an extra on the set of the movie Colors. The actor ended up serving 27 days in the Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles, during which time he encountered another well-known inmate: serial killer Richard Ramirez (a.k.a. the Night Stalker).

Penn was in the cell across from Ramirez and had been seeing him around for about a month before a deputy told Penn Ramirez wanted his autograph. Initially, Penn didn’t trust the deputy because a piece of paper was considered contraband.

However, after Penn got approval from a higher-ranking officer, he asked Ramirez to write him something first. Once he received Ramirez’s note, Penn promised that he’d respond to it. The guard, who was apparently trying to play Cupid, relayed the message to Ramirez and passed his letter along to Penn a little while later.

According to Penn, Ramirez wrote, “Hey, Sean, stay tough and hit ‘em again.”

His signature included the number 666, a pentagram, and a drawing of the devil. As you probably could’ve guessed, Penn didn’t reply in the way that Ramirez was hoping.

“You know, Richard, it’s impossible to be incarcerated and not feel a certain kinship with your fellow inmates,” Penn began. “Well, Richard, I’ve done the impossible: I feel absolutely no kinship with you,” he continued.

Penn went on to write, “I hope gas descends upon you before sanity does. It would be a kinder way out.” The officer reportedly handed the note to Ramirez, but it’s unclear what his reaction was. Before long, the two parted ways for good, and Ramirez never got his coveted autograph. Penn, on the other hand, held onto Ramirez’s letter as a souvenir until his house burned down a few years later and the bizarre keepsake was lost in the fire.

You can listen to Penn recount the story for yourself in the video below.