Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck
| Raymond Fernandez | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
December 17, 1914 Hawaii |
| Died | March 8, 1951 (aged 36) Sing Sing prison, Ossining, New York |
| Occupation | Confidence trickster |
| Criminal charge | Murder |
| Criminal penalty | Death by electric chair |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Children | 4 (previous marriage) |
| Martha Beck | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Martha Jule Seabrook May 6, 1920 Milton, Florida |
| Died | March 8, 1951 (aged 30) Sing Sing prison, Ossining, New York |
| Occupation | Nurse |
| Criminal charge | Murder |
| Criminal penalty | Death by electric chair |
| Criminal status | Executed |
Raymond Martinez Fernandez (December 17, 1914 – March 8, 1951) and Martha Jule Beck (May 6, 1920 – March 8, 1951) were an American serial killer couple. They are believed to have killed as many as 20 women during their murderous spree between 1947 and 1949. After their arrest and trial for serial murder in 1949, they became known as "The Lonely Hearts Killers" for meeting their unsuspecting victims through lonely hearts ads. A number of films and television shows are based on this case.
Fernandez was born on December 17, 1914 in Hawaii to Spanish parents. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Connecticut. As an adult, he moved to Spain, married, and had four children, all of whom he abandoned later on in life.
After serving in Spain's Merchant Marine and then British Intelligence during World War II, Fernandez decided to seek work. Shortly after boarding a ship bound for America, a steel hatch fell on top of him, fracturing his skull and injuring his frontal lobe. The damage caused by this injury may well have affected his social and sexual behavior. Upon his release from a hospital, Fernandez stole some clothing and was subsequently imprisoned for a year, during which time his cellmate taught him voodoo and black magic. He later claimed black magic gave him irresistible power and charm over women.
Martha Beck was born Martha Jule Seabrook on May 6, 1920 in Milton, Florida. Allegedly due to a glandular problem (then a common explanation for obesity), she was overweight and underwent puberty prematurely. At her trial, she claimed to have been sexually assaulted by her brother. When she told her mother what happened, her mother beat her, claiming Martha was responsible. As a teen, Beck ran away from home.
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