Gerald Earl Cavanaugh, a Canadian-American immigrant, is believed to be the Doodler's first victim.[1] He was 49 at the time of his slaying, which had occurred by stabbing. Cavanaugh's fully clothed body was located on January 24, 1974, lying face-up on Ocean Beach in San Francisco, California, in the early hours of the morning.[8] He had died hours before.[9] He was determined to have been conscious at the time he was killed and had attempted to resist his killer because he had self-defense wounds.[7] He initially remained unidentified, being temporarily known as "John Doe #7" by the medical examiner. He was a single man with few details about his personal life.[5]