Richard Speck: Born to Raise Hell

Back From the Dead

Speck at age 49 just before his death

On May 1996, Bill Curtis, news anchor at CBS in Chicago, received a videotape. The video, shot in Statesville Correctional Institute, showed a bizarre, boastful Speck with women's breastsobviously from some hormone treatmentwearing blue silk panties and having sex with an inmate. Before the sexual exploit, he casually tells an off camera interviewer about the murders.

When asked why he killed the women he said, "It just wasn't their night." He was asked how he felt about the killings, "Like I always feel. Had no feelings." He added he did not feel sorry. Throughout the video, he ingested and smoked drugs with bravado. At one point he said, "If they only knew how much fun I was having, they'd turn me loose." He described in detail how it felt to strangle someone "...it's not like TV.... It takes over three minutes and you have to have a lot of strength."

John Schmale, the brother of one of the murdered nurses, said, "It was a very painful experience watching him tell about how he killed my sister...."

Even after death Richard Speck proved he was born to raise hell.

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1. Night of Terror
2. "Oh, my God, they're all dead!"
3. A Sole Survivor
4. The Scene of the Crime
5. The Manhunt
6. Speck Lucks out
7. Speck Lucks out Again
8. Gone to Ground
9. Rock Bottom
10. In Custody
11. Born To Raise Hell
12. The State Prepares for Trial
13. The Defense
14. The Trial
15. Cora's Story
    Part I
16. Cora's Story
    Part II
17. Back From the Dead
18. Bibliography