19 Questions
What was the first sign of abnormal behavior exhibited by Chase?
Burying a cat's body in his mother's flower bed at age 10
Which activity did Chase develop a fixation on during his late teens?
Drinking blood, starting with rabbits at a local farm
What led to Chase's transfer to a psychiatric hospital in 1976?
His fixation on drinking blood
How was Chase eventually identified by the police?
Through a composite sketch and a missing station wagon
What was the ultimate fate of Chase?
He was found guilty of six counts of murder and took his own life
What was the nickname of Richard Chase, the serial killer mentioned in the text?
The Vampire of Sacramento
What did the killer indulge in after committing the murders?
Necrophilia
Which city did the killing spree of Richard Chase take place in?
Sacramento
Where was Richard Trenton Chase born?
Santa Clara, California
Richard Chase, also known as the 'Vampire of Sacramento,' drank his victims' ______
blood
The killer, Richard Chase, was involved in the brutal murder of Teresa Wallin and her ______ was opened
abdomen
The murders occurred within just over a square mile in ______
Sacramento
The killer also indulged in ______ after the murders
necrophilia
Assistant District Attorney Albert Loco recalled the sense of unease in the community, as the killer could strike at any time without ______
warning
Richard Chase was diagnosed as a paranoid ______.
schizophrenic
Chase developed a fixation on drinking ______, starting with rabbits at a local farm.
blood
Chase killed a cow and drank its ______ in the Nevada desert.
blood
Chase was arrested in his apartment, where police found evidence of his crimes, including a utility bucket for drinking ______.
blood
Chase refused to confess during interrogation and was ultimately found guilty of six counts of ______ in 1979.
murder
Study Notes
- On January 23, 1978, in Sacramento, California, David Wallin came home to find his pregnant wife Teresa brutally murdered in their bedroom. Her abdomen was opened and her internal organs were moved around. A used yogurt cup with blood was found at the scene.
- The killer, Richard Chase, was a 27-year-old man who had randomly slaughtered six people, including a 22-month-old toddler, within a month. He drank his victims' blood and became known as the "Vampire of Sacramento."
- The murders continued on January 27 with the shooting and disemboweling of Evelyn Miroth and the murder of her 22-month-old nephew David, 52-year-old friend Daniel, and 6-year-old son Jason. The killer also indulged in necrophilia.
- The murders occurred within just over a square mile in Sacramento and spread fear amongst the community, with people buying guns out of fear and everyone speaking about the horrific crimes.
- Assistant District Attorney Albert Loco worked on the case and recalled the sense of unease in the community, as the killer could strike at any time without warning.
- The killing spree began on May 23, 1950, but further details about the early life of the killer were not provided in the text.- Richard Trenton Chase was born in Santa Clara, California, and grew up with a younger sister.
- Chase's family was relatively normal, but his father was a disciplinarian.
- When Chase was 10, he buried a cat's body in his mother's flower bed. No action was taken by his mother.
- In high school, Chase struggled with impotence and anxiety, leading him to visit doctors and psychiatrists.
- By age 23, Chase was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic.
- In his late teens, Chase developed a fixation on drinking blood, starting with rabbits at a local farm.
- Chase was transferred to a psychiatric hospital in 1976 for his own safety, but continued his blood-drinking habit there.
- In 1977, Chase killed a cow and drank its blood in the Nevada desert.
- Chase went on a killing spree in Sacramento, California, in late 1977 and early 1978, targeting both animals and humans.
- Chase's victims included a woman washing dishes, a man named Ambrose Griffin, and several women whose bodies he mutilated and drank their blood.
- Chase also killed a dog and removed its kidneys.
- Chase was linked to the crimes through matching caliber ammunition and a zigzag pattern found on a yogurt cup and faucet handles.
- The police launched a manhunt, and Chase remained at large until January 1978, when he killed a mother and her baby, as well as a family friend and a six-year-old boy.
- Chase decapitated the baby and drank its blood.
- Chase was eventually identified through a composite sketch and a missing station wagon.
- Chase was arrested in his apartment, where police found evidence of his crimes, including his victims' wallets, a utility bucket for drinking blood, and a 22 caliber pistol.
- Chase refused to confess during interrogation and was ultimately found guilty of six counts of murder in 1979.
- Chase took his own life by overdosing on psychiatric medications in 1979.
Test your knowledge about the chilling killing spree of Richard Trenton Chase, known as the 'Vampire of Sacramento', who brutally murdered and drank the blood of his victims in a series of horrifying crimes that shook the community in 1977-1978.
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