The eight victims of Richard Speck
Richard Speck was a mass murderer who took the lives of eight promising young women with a bright future ahead of them. This was a particularly horrifying and despicable event in American crime history, as Speck stabbed and strangled each woman individually. He also sexually assaulted one of the victims.
Join us here at Crime+Investigation as we remember the victims of Richard Speck and examine the night of their heinous deaths in more detail.
The murders
The murders occurred on 13th July 1966. At 11pm, Speck broke into the Chicago townhouse where he killed eight women. He left around 20 to 30 minutes between each killing. The women were all student nurses at the South Chicago Community Hospital, and they had been set to graduate in August. Around that time, most were already asleep. Three others were coming home to get in before their curfew.
Speck woke up the women and took them all into one bedroom. When the returning women entered the house, he also herded them into the same room. Initially, Speck told them he would not hurt them and that he only wanted money. They gave him the cash, but he did not let them go.
Instead, one by one, he took each of them to different parts of the house. He then murdered them, strangling five and stabbing three. There was one other woman in the house – Corazon Amurao – who managed to escape the ordeal. When she was tied up, she rolled under one of the beds and stayed there until the following morning.
The victims of Richard Speck
As mentioned, Speck killed eight women that night, all of whom were training to be nurses. Let's take a look at the victims and their lives:
Gloria Jean Davy: age 22
Gloria was one of six children. She was the recent Illinois Student Nurse Association president-elect and had once been named a national 'Sweetheart of the Future Farmers of America'. After her nurse training, Gloria had hoped to join the Peace Corps. It is speculated that Speck’s anger grew because of Gloria’s shocking resemblance to his ex-wife, whom he resented. Davy was the last to be killed, but she was also the only victim to be sexually assaulted before her death.
Mary Ann Jordan: age 20
Mary Ann was living at home, but she visited the townhouse to discuss the wedding plans of her fellow nurse and victim Suzanne. Suzanne was due to marry Mary Ann’s brother, so she wanted to spend more time with her as her future sister in law.
Merlita Ornado Gargullo: age 23
Merlita was one of the three Filipino exchange students in the house. She was proud of her Filipino heritage, bringing native clacking poles to Chicago with her from Manila. Merlita would use the poles to perform a bamboo dance – also known as 'tinikling' – when she went to parties.
Nina Jo Schmale: age 24
Helpful and caring, Nina Jo had been named 'Queen of the nurses’ spring dance'. She was also engaged to her high school sweetheart.
Pamela Lee Wilkening: age 20
Pamela was described as a sweet girl with a great sense of humor. She was a motor racing enthusiast and mentioned in her nursing application that she hated seeing people suffer. This is why she gravitated towards nursing.
Patricia Ann Matusek: age 20
Patricia was a native Chicagoan and was known for being a champion swimmer. Her skills were such that she was previously part of the water-ballet team in high school. Patricia was also engaged to a male nursing trainee. On the day of the murders, Patricia found out that her application to become a staff member at the Children’s Memorial Hospital had been accepted.
Suzanne Bridgit Farris: age 21.
Suzanne was one of three children, and she was engaged. She was due to be married to Mary Ann’s brother the following spring. Suzanne had hoped to become a pediatric nurse.
Valentina P. Pasion: age 24.
Valentina was another exchange student from the Phillipines, alongside Merlita and Corazon. She wrote letters back home that showed how much she loved living in the United States, saying that she wished she could stay in the country forever.
The survivor
Corazon Amurao: age 22
The sole survivor of the attack was Corazon Amurao, who was a shy student that hailed from the rural Batangas province in the Philippines. She may have survived the ordeal, but she is still very much a victim of Speck’s disturbing crimes.
Corazon’s evidence and testimony
Corazon’s testimony was crucial to bringing justice to Speck. She raised the alarm when she climbed out onto the window ledge at 6am the following morning and began to scream for help. The police were called and she gave an eyewitness account of what happened. Corazon mentioned a specific arm tattoo that Speck had which read 'Born to Raise Hell'. When Speck was taken to the hospital for attempted suicide, the tattoo was spotted by a doctor and the police were informed.
Corazon bravely took the stand at Speck’s trial in 1967. She was calm, collected and firm in her recollection of events. She also did not hesitate to point him out and identify him, walking close to him and saying, 'This is the man', during the trial.
Without Corazon’s help, there is no telling if Speck would have faced justice for his crimes. Her clear and concise descriptions were crucial. Speck’s finger prints were also found, but without Corazon mentioning the tattoo, he may well have evaded authorities for much longer. The victims were able to get the justice they deserved thanks to Corazon’s bravery. This is what we will remember, rather than the deplorable violence of one man.
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