Send us Fan Mail Richard Chase, known as the Vampire of Sacramento, murdered six people in California between December 1977 and January 1978. His crimes became some of the most disturbing in American serial killer history. But what makes his story particularly unsettling is how many warning signs existed before the murders began. In Part One of our two-part investigation into Richard Trenton Chase, we examine the crimes of the Sacramento serial killer whose obsession with blood, severe psychiatric illness, and increasingly dangerous behavior eventually drew the attention of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit. We begin in August 1977, when police discovered Chase naked and covered in blood near Nevada's Pyramid Lake, beside an abandoned vehicle containing rifles and a bucket of animal organs. Although the circumstances were deeply disturbing, investigators found no evidence of a homicide, and Chase was released. Just five months later, six people were dead. We'll investigate the murders of Ambrose Griffin, Teresa Wallin, Daniel Meredith, Evelyn Miroth, Jason Miroth, and 22-month-old David Ferreira, examining how detectives connected the crimes, how Richard Chase was identified and arrested, and why his behavior became an important case study in FBI criminal profiling and the psychology of disorganized serial killers. But Chase's story began long before the Sacramento murders. Through his childhood, documented psychiatric history, diagnosis of schizophrenia, and repeated hospitalizations, we trace the development of the delusions that led him to believe his blood was disappearing and that consuming blood was necessary for his survival. At Beverly Manor Psychiatric Hospital, Chase's disturbing behavior was well known to the staff caring for him. Several employees reportedly objected to his release, warning that he needed more intensive psychiatric treatment. Their concerns would become especially significant after the murders. How did a man with years of documented psychiatric deterioration, repeated hospitalizations, and increasingly alarming behavior end up committing six murders? And how many opportunities existed to intervene before the violence began? In Part Two, we'll investigate the mental health system surrounding Richard Chase, the legal limitations on involuntary psychiatric treatment, and the institutional decisions that preceded his release. Pretty Evil is a psychology-driven true crime podcast examining notorious criminals, disturbing historical events, and the psychological and social forces behind human behavior. Content warning: This episode includes graphic descriptions of murder, mutilation, violence against children, animal cruelty, and severe psychiatric illness. Topics covered: Richard Chase, Richard Trenton Chase, Vampire of Sacramento, Sacramento serial killer, Richard Chase murders, Ambrose Griffin, Teresa Wallin, Evelyn Miroth, Daniel Meredith, Jason Miroth, David Ferreira, serial killer psychology, schizophrenia, psychosis, somatic delusions, criminal profiling, FBI Behavioral Science Unit, Robert Ressler, disorganized serial killers, Beverly Manor Psychiatric Hospital, forensic psychology, true crime. Support the show Some details don't make it into the episode. For source material, research files, episode extras, and more to the story, visit prettyevilpodcast.com.
