Richard Trenton Chase (May 23, 1950 – December 26, 1980) was an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
serial killerA serial killer is a person who murders three or more people over a period of more than 30 days, with a "cooling off" period between each murder, and whose motivation for killing is largely based on psychological gratification. Often, a sexual element is involved with the killings...
who killed six people in the span of a month in
Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento is the capital of the U.S. state of California, and the county seat of Sacramento County. Located along the Sacramento River and just south of the American River's confluence in California's expansive Central Valley. With a 2007 estimated population of 460,242, it is the seventh-largest...
. He was nicknamed "The Vampire of Sacramento" because he drank his victims' blood and
cannibalizedCannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other humans.The word can be extended into zoology to mean any species consuming members of its own kind, and used outside of biological fields in a metaphorical sense: "Cannibalization" refers to the reuse of parts or ideas, such as...
their remains. He did this as part of a
delusionA delusion, in everyday language, is a fixed belief that is either false, fanciful, or derived from deception. Psychiatry defines the term more specifically as a belief that is pathological...
that he needed to prevent
NazisNazism, known officially in German as National Socialism , is the totalitarian ideology and practices of the Nazi Party or National Socialist German Workers’ Party under Adolf Hitler, and the policies adopted by the dictatorial government of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945.Nazism is often considered...
from turning his blood into powder via poison they had planted beneath his soap dish.
Childhood
A self-described victim of
abuseChild abuse is the physical and/or psychological/emotional mistreatment of children. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts or commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that results in harm, potential...
at the hands of his mother, Chase exhibited by the age of 10 evidence of the
Macdonald triadThe Macdonald triad is a set of three behavioral characteristics that are associated with sociopathic behavior. The triad was first identified by J.M...
:
bedwettingBedwetting is involuntary urination while asleep after the age at which bladder control would normally be anticipated. The medical term for this condition is "nocturnal enuresis." Primary nocturnal enuresis is when a child has not yet stayed dry on a regular basis...
,
pyromaniaA type of mania, pyromania is an impulse to deliberately start fires to relieve tension and typically includes feelings of gratification or relief afterward. Pyromania is distinct from arson, and pyromaniacs are also distinct from those who start fires because of psychosis, for personal, monetary...
, and
zoosadismZoosadism is a term coined by Ernest Borneman referring to pleasure derived from cruelty to animals. Zoosadism is part of the Macdonald triad, a set of three behaviors that are a precursor to Sociopathic behavior.-Research:...
(allegations which were later called into question). In his adolescence, he was known as an alcoholic and a chronic drug abuser. He suffered from
erectile dysfunctionErectile dysfunction is a sexual dysfunction characterized by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis sufficient for satisfactory sexual performance....
due to "psychological problems stemming from repressed anger".
Early adulthood
Chase developed
hypochondriaHypochondriasis refers to an excessive preoccupation or worry about having a serious illness...
as he matured. He often complained that his heart would occasionally "stop beating", or that "someone had stolen his
pulmonary arteryThe pulmonary arteries carry blood from heart to the lungs. They are the only arteries that carry deoxygenated blood....
". He would hold oranges on his head, believing the
Vitamin CVitamin C or L-ascorbic acid is an essential nutrient for humans, in which it functions as a vitamin. Ascorbate is required for a range of essential metabolic reactions in all animals and plants...
would be absorbed by his brain via
diffusionMolecular diffusion, often called simply diffusion, is a net transport of molecules from a region of higher concentration to one of lower concentration by random molecular motion. The result of diffusion is a gradual mixing of material...
. Chase also believed that his cranial bones had become separated and were moving around, so he shaved his head in order to watch this activity.
After leaving his mother's house (believing she was attempting to
poisonIn the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism...
him), Chase rented an apartment with friends. Once he moved in, he immediately boarded up his bedroom door and created an "escape hatch" through his closet wall so "no one can sneak up on me". Chase's roommates complained that he was constantly intoxicated on
alcoholAn alcoholic beverage is a drink that contains ethanol . Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits....
,
marijuanaCannabisalso known as marijuana or marihuana, and ganja , among many other namesrefers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug...
, and
acidLysergic acid diethylamide, LSD-25, LSD, formerly lysergide, commonly known as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family...
. Chase would also walk around the apartment nude, even in front of company. Chase's roommates demanded that he move out. When he refused, the roommates moved out instead.
Once alone in the apartment, Chase began to capture, kill, and disembowel various animals, which he would then devour raw, sometimes mixing the raw organs with Coca-Cola in a blender and drinking the concoction like a milkshake. Chase reasoned that by ingesting the creatures he was preventing his heart from shrinking.
Institutionalization
In 1975, Chase was involuntarily committed to a mental institution after being taken to a hospital for blood poisoning, which he contracted after injecting rabbit's blood into his veins. He often shared with the staff
fantasiesA fantasy is a situation imagined by an individual or group, which does not correspond with reality but expresses certain desires or aims of its creator. Fantasies typically involve situations which are impossible or highly unlikely...
about killing rabbits. He was once found with blood smeared around his mouth. Chase said, "I cut myself shaving", but hospital staff discovered he had drunk the blood of birds; he had thrown the birds' corpses out of his hospital room window. Staff began referring to him as "
DraculaDracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, featuring as its primary antagonist the vampire Count Dracula.Dracula has been attributed to many literary genres including vampire literature, horror fiction, the gothic novel and invasion literature. Structurally it is an epistolary novel,...
".
In one of the many incidents in which he was held at the institution, he substituted the blood from the therapy-dog to curb his addiction. He claimed he obtained the syringes from cracking open the disposable boxes left in the doctor's offices. It took them weeks before they figured it out, and now they have no longer brought any therapeutic animals in.
There were arguments as to whether Chase was
schizophrenicSchizophrenia , from the Greek roots skhizein and phrēn, phren- is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a mental disorder characterized by abnormalities in the perception or expression of reality...
or suffering from a drug-induced
psychosisPsychosis literally means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality"...
.
After undergoing a battery of treatments involving psychotropic drugs, Chase was deemed no longer a danger to society and, in 1976, he was released under the recognizance of his mother.
Chase's mother decided that he did not need to be on the prescribed
antipsychoticAntipsychotics are a group of psychoactive drugs commonly but not exclusively used to treat psychosis, which is typified by schizophrenia, but can also be present in severe bipolar disorder, as well as many other conditions. Over time a wide range of antipsychotics have been developed...
medication, stating it made her son "a zombie". She weaned him off the medication and got Chase his own apartment.
Later investigation uncovered that in mid-1977, Chase was stopped and arrested by a
Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States is the phrase that describes indigenous peoples from North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii. They comprise a large number of distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of...
agent on a reservation in the
Lake TahoeLake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains of the United States. It is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City, Nevada. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America...
area. He was wearing a blood-soaked shirt, and driving a truck containing guns and a bucket of blood. He convinced police that it was a misunderstanding involving an animal he'd hunted. No charges were filed.
Murders
On December 29, 1977, Chase killed his first victim in a
drive-by shootingA drive-by shooting is a form of hit-and-run tactic, a personal attack carried out by an individual or individuals from a moving or momentarily stopped vehicle. It often results in bystanders being shot instead of, or as well as, the intended target...
. The victim, Ambrose Griffin, was a 51-year-old engineer and father of two. After the shooting, one of Griffin's sons reported seeing a neighbor walking around their East Sacramento neighborhood with a .22 calibre rifle. The neighbor's rifle was seized, but
ballisticsBallistics is the science of mechanics that deals with the flight, behavior, and effects of projectiles, especially bullets, gravity bombs, rockets, or the like; the science or art of designing and accelerating projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance.A ballistic body is a body which is...
tests determined that it was not the murder weapon.
On January 11, 1978, Chase asked his neighbor for a cigarette and then forcibly restrained her until she gave him every cigarette in the house.
Two weeks later, he attempted to enter the home of another woman but, finding that her doors were locked, walked away; Chase later told detectives that he took locked doors as a sign that he was not welcome, but that unlocked doors were an invitation to come inside. He was later chased off by a returning couple as he pilfered belongings from their home and urinated and defecated on their beds and clothing.
Teresa Wallin was Chase's next victim on January 21. Three months pregnant, Wallin was surprised at her home by Chase, who shot her three times, killing her. He then had
sex with the corpseNecrophilia, also called thanatophilia and necrolagnia, is the sexual attraction to corpses. It is classified as a paraphilia by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association. The word is artificially derived from Ancient Greek: νεκρός and φιλία...
, mutilated it, and bathed in the dead woman's blood.
Two days after killing Wallin, Chase purchased two puppies from a neighbor. He killed them and drank their blood.
On January 27, Chase committed his final murders. Entering the home of 38-year-old Evelyn Miroth, he encountered her friend, Danny Meredith, whom he shot with his .22 handgun. Stealing Meredith's wallet and car keys, he rampaged through the house, fatally shooting Miroth, her six-year-old son Jason, and her 22-month-old nephew, David. As with Wallin, Chase engaged in
necrophiliaNecrophilia, also called thanatophilia and necrolagnia, is the sexual attraction to corpses. It is classified as a paraphilia by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association. The word is artificially derived from Ancient Greek: νεκρός and φιλία...
and
cannibalismCannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other humans.The word can be extended into zoology to mean any species consuming members of its own kind, and used outside of biological fields in a metaphorical sense: "Cannibalization" refers to the reuse of parts or ideas, such as...
with Miroth's corpse.
A six-year-old girl with whom Jason Miroth had a playdate knocked on the door, startling Chase, who fled the scene in Meredith's car, taking David's body with him. The girl alerted a neighbor, who alerted police. Upon entering the home, police discovered that Chase had left perfect handprints and shoe imprints in Miroth's blood.
Chase returned to his apartment on Watt Ave., where he drank David's blood and ate several of the child's internal organs (including the child's brain) before disposing of the body at a nearby church.
When police raided Chase's residence, he made no effort to hide his crimes, and there was blood-caked evidence throughout his house. Yet Chase maintained his innocence. "All I did was kill a couple of dogs", Chase said, telling the police he'd be willing to plead guilty to animal cruelty. While there, authorities found further evidence for him to stand trial.
Aftermath
In 1979, Chase stood trial on six counts of murder. In order to avoid the death penalty, the defense tried to have him found guilty of second degree murder, which would result in a life sentence. Their case hinged on Chase's history of
mental illnessA mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern that occurs in an individual and is thought to cause distress or disability that is not expected as part of normal development or culture. The recognition and understanding of mental disorders has changed over time and...
and the suggestion that his crimes were not premeditated.
On May 8, the jury in the highly publicized case found Chase guilty of six counts of first degree murder and Chase was sentenced to die in the
gas chamberA gas chamber is an apparatus for killing, consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous or asphyxiant gas is introduced. The most commonly used poisonous agent is hydrogen cyanide; carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide have also been used. Gas chambers were used as a method of execution for...
. They rejected the argument that he was not guilty by reason of insanity. His fellow inmates, aware of the graphic and bizarre nature of Chase's crimes, feared him, and according to prison officials, they often tried to convince Chase to commit
suicideSuicide is the intentional killing of one's self. Many dictionaries also note the metaphorical sense of "willful destruction of one's self-interest"...
.
Chase granted a series of interviews with
Robert ResslerRobert K. Ressler is a former FBI agent and author. He coined the term "serial killer" and played a significant role in the psychological profiling of violent offenders in the 1970s....
, during which he spoke of his fears of Nazis and UFOs, claiming that although he had killed, it was not his fault; he had been forced to kill to keep himself alive, which he believed any person would do. He asked Ressler to give him access to a
radar gunA radar gun or speed gun is a small Doppler radar unit used to detect the speed of objects, especially trucks and automobiles for the purpose of regulating traffic, as well as pitched baseballs, runners or other moving objects in sports. A radar gun does not return information regarding the...
, with which he could apprehend the Nazi UFOs, so that the Nazis could stand trial for the murders. He also handed Ressler a large amount of
macaroni and cheeseMacaroni and cheese was created to be a common casserole, similar to the British dish cauliflower cheese....
, which he had been hoarding in his pants pockets, believing that the prison officials were in league with the Nazis and attempting to kill him with poisoned food. Critics contend that Chase was putting on an act for Ressler in order to gain public sympathy and get his insanity plea reconsidered on appeal, thus avoiding the death sentence.
On December 26, 1980, a guard doing cell checks found Chase lying awkwardly on his bed, not breathing. An
autopsyAn autopsy–also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction–is a medical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
determined that he committed suicide with an overdose of prison doctor-prescribed antidepressants that he had been saving up over the last few weeks.
Fictional portrayals
The 1988 movie
RampageRampage is a 1987 movie directed by William Friedkin. It was filmed in Stockton, California, in 1986 and received nationwide American release in 1992.-Synopsis:...
was loosely based on Chase's crimes.
External links