People are weird. Honestly, there is no other way to put it when you realize that men like Joel Radovcich—a man convicted for the brutal 1992 triple homicide of the Ewell family—actually receive fan mail. It’s a subculture that most of us can’t wrap our heads around. Why would anyone want to be a Joel Radovcich pen pal? What do they even talk about?
If you aren't familiar with the name, Radovcich was the "hired gun" for Dana Ewell. Dana wanted his parents and sister dead so he could inherit a multimillion-dollar estate. Radovcich was the guy who pulled the trigger. He’s currently serving three life sentences without the possibility of parole. Yet, despite being locked away in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) system for decades, his name still pops up on "prison pen pal" forums and true crime message boards.
The Morbid Curiosity of the Prison Pen Pal
It’s called hybristophilia. That’s the clinical term for being attracted to people who commit gruesome crimes. While not every Joel Radovcich pen pal is looking for a romantic connection, many are. They see a photo of a young, brooding man from the 90s and project a "misunderstood" persona onto him.
Others are just true crime junkies. They want to hear the "inside story" that didn't come out in the eight-month-long trial. They want to know how a Santa Clara University student with a preoccupation for explosives and guns decided to execute a friend's family on Easter Sunday.
How the correspondence usually starts
Most of these connections begin on websites dedicated to connecting inmates with the outside world. Think of it as a dark version of a social network.
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- The Profile: Inmates list their interests, their crimes (sometimes), and what they're looking for.
- The Hook: For Radovcich, the hook is the notoriety. He was part of one of Central California's most infamous cases.
- The Reality: The letters are often mundane. They talk about prison food, the weather, or "the system."
Radovcich isn't exactly a public figure these days. He’s spent most of his adult life behind a fence. But the letters keep coming because humans are naturally drawn to the edge of the abyss.
The 1992 Ewell Murders: Why the Interest Persists
To understand why someone would want to be a Joel Radovcich pen pal, you have to look at the crime itself. It wasn't just a murder; it was a cold-blooded execution.
On April 19, 1992, Glee Ewell, Dale Ewell, and their daughter Tiffany were killed in their Fresno home. Radovcich used a 9mm rifle with a homemade silencer. He waited for them. He planned it.
He didn't even know them that well. He did it for the promise of money from Dana Ewell. The greed aspect of the case—the idea that two privileged college kids would throw away their lives for an inheritance—is what makes it a staple of "Investigation Discovery" marathons. This infamy is a magnet for pen pal seekers.
The investigation was a mess
It took three years to arrest them. Three years where Radovcich and Ewell were living it up, taking helicopter flight lessons with money they didn't have. They used pagers and payphones to communicate like they were in a spy movie. Detectives were literally standing at the next payphone wearing wires.
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When you read the trial transcripts, Radovcich comes across as a technician. He was the "doer." People who write to him often try to find the "human" beneath that cold efficiency.
What It’s Like to Write to a High-Profile Inmate
Writing to a Joel Radovcich pen pal or someone of his status isn't like sending a DM. It’s a slow, regulated process.
- JPay and Tablets: Most California prisons now use tablets. It’s faster than snail mail, but everything is monitored. Every word is logged.
- The "Game": Experienced pen pals will tell you that inmates often have a "game." They tell you what you want to hear. They act like the victim of circumstances.
- The Costs: It’s not free. Sending messages, "stamps," and pictures costs money. Often, inmates will eventually ask for "canteen money."
Basically, it’s a transaction. The pen pal gets a thrill or a sense of purpose by "helping" a prisoner, and the prisoner gets a connection to the world (and maybe some snacks).
Where is Joel Radovcich now?
As of 2026, Radovcich is still housed within the California prison system. He escaped the death penalty by only two votes during his sentencing. Because he has no possibility of parole, his life is a loop of the same walls, the same routines, and the same mail calls.
For those looking to become a Joel Radovcich pen pal, the search usually leads to the CDCR Inmate Locator. You need his inmate number (P13111) to even find him in the system.
But there is a moral weight here. Unlike a fictional character in a Netflix show, Radovcich’s victims were real. Tiffany Ewell was only 24. She had her whole life ahead of her. When people write "fan mail" to her killer, it reopens wounds for the surviving Ewell relatives, like Dale’s brother, Ben Ewell, who has written about the case.
Ethical considerations
- Victim Impact: Is it disrespectful to the family? Most would say yes.
- Security Risks: Writing to a convicted murderer involves sharing your home address or using a P.O. Box.
- Emotional Manipulation: Inmates have nothing but time to learn how to manipulate their correspondents.
The "True Crime" Fascination
We live in an era where "True Crime" is a lifestyle. Podcasts, documentaries, and TikToks dissect every detail of cases like the Ewell murders. This creates a weird celebrity status for people like Radovcich.
Being a Joel Radovcich pen pal is, for some, the ultimate "behind the scenes" access. It’s a way to touch a piece of history, even if that history is dark and bloody.
But honestly? Most of these relationships fizzle out. The "glamour" of writing to a killer fades when the letters become about asking for new socks or complaining about the guards for the hundredth time. The reality of prison life is boring. It’s designed to be.
Moving Forward: The Legacy of the Case
The interest in Radovcich won't go away as long as the Ewell case is being broadcast. It’s a cautionary tale about greed and the dark side of friendship.
If you're looking for actionable steps regarding this topic, the best approach is to focus on the history and the legal precedents rather than the person.
- Read the memoirs: Ben Ewell’s book provides a perspective that a pen pal letter never will.
- Study the forensics: The way they traced the Feather Industries rifle is a masterclass in 90s detective work.
- Support victim advocacy: If you find yourself drawn to the case, consider donating to organizations that support the families of homicide victims. It’s a more productive use of energy than buying "stamps" for a triple murderer.
The story of the Ewell murders and the man who carried them out is a grim chapter in California history. While the Joel Radovcich pen pal phenomenon is a real part of that story, it’s often a one-sided mirror reflecting the sender's own curiosities more than the inmate's reality.
To truly understand the case, look into the Fresno County court archives or the extensive reporting from the Fresno Bee during the 90s. This provides a factual foundation that isn't filtered through the lens of a prison tablet.