Episode 22: Born to Raise Hell - Mass Murderer Richard Speck

On this episode of Into The Fire: A True Crime Podcast, we talk about Mass Murdered Richard Speck.

Richard Speck was an infamous American serial killer known for committing one of the most shocking and brutal mass murders in American history. He was born on December 6, 1941, in Kirkwood, Illinois, and died on December 5, 1991, while serving a prison sentence.

On the night of July 13-14, 1966, Richard Speck broke into a townhouse in Chicago, Illinois, that was being used as a dormitory for nursing students from the South Chicago Community Hospital. Over the course of several hours, Speck systematically tortured, raped, and murdered eight young women. The victims were Patricia Matusek, Nina Jo Schmale, Pamela Wilkening, Suzanne Farris, Mary Ann Jordan, Merlita Gargullo, Valentina Pasion, and Gloria Davy. Speck's actions during the murders were both brutal and methodical, and his crimes shocked the nation when they came to light.

However, Speck's crime spree came to an end due to a chance encounter with a drifter who alerted the police. He was arrested on July 17, 1966, just four days after the murders. The subsequent trial received significant media attention, and Speck was found guilty and sentenced to death. However, his sentence was later commuted to life in prison after the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on the unconstitutionality of the death penalty in 1972.

During his time in prison, Speck was a notorious inmate. He frequently violated prison rules and was involved in various incidents of violence. He also obtained drugs while in prison, which contributed to his declining health. Speck died of a heart attack on December 5, 1991, in the Joliet Correctional Center in Joliet, Illinois, one day before his 50th birthday.

Richard Speck's case left a lasting impact on American society, primarily due to the sheer brutality of his crimes. It played a significant role in shaping public perception and fears around serial killers and highlighted the vulnerability of young women in particular. The Speck case also led to changes in security measures and policies in hospitals and educational institutions throughout the United States.


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Episode Music:
Yung Logos · Memory Rain
The Tower of Light · Serious
The Tower of Light · Flecks of Light

Episode Research:
Murderpedia Archives
Youtube Video Archives
NBC News Archives
The History Channel
The Chicago Tribune
Wikipedia

I would like to thank Belinda (B-Dove) McCormick for suggesting the topic of Richard Speck for this episode.

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