Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck
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Raymond Martinez Fernandez (17 December 1914 - 8 March 1951) and Martha Jule Beck (6 May 1920 - 8 March 1951) were an American serial killer couple who were convicted of one murder, are known to have committed two more and were suspected of up to 20 murders. Fernandez was also suspected of committing another murder in Spain.
Biography edit
Fernandez was born on 17 December 1914 in Hawaii. He moved to Spain as an adult, and received a brain injury which affected his social and sexual behaviour. Upon his release from hospital, Fernandez stole some clothing and was imprisoned for a year, during which time his cellmate converted him to a belief in voodoo and black magic. He believed black magic gave him irresistible power and charm over women. After serving his sentence Fernandez moved to New York City, where he would answer personal ads from lonely women, then steal their money and possessions. One such scam, on Jane Lucilla Thompson, ended in Thompson bring found dead in her hotel in Spain while on holiday with Fernandez and Fernandez fleeing back to New York.
Beck was born on 6 May 1920 in Florida. She was overweight and underwent puberty prematurely due to a glandular problem. Beck claimed that she was raped by her brother and then beaten by her mother, after which she ran away from home. She worked as a nurse as an adult and married a man named Albert Beck, but they divorced after six months.
In 1947, Beck placed a lonely hearts ad which Fernandez answered. Beck and her children moved in with Fernandez, who, believing this to be a sign of unconditional love, confessed his criminal enterprises to her. Beck sent her children to the Salvation Army in order to assist Fernandez. Beck would pose as Fernandez's sister when he lured in his intended targets, giving him an air of respectability and making the women feel more secure. Beck had an extremely jealous and violent temper, resorting to violence if she ever suspected Fernandez of consummating his relationship with the target.
In 1949 one of their targets, 66-year-old Janet Fay, became engaged to Fernandez and moved in with him in his Long Island apartment. Beck caught her in bed with Fernandez and, in a jealous rage, beat her almost to death with a hammer. Fernandez then strangled her to death. Fay's family became suspicious about her disappearance and Fernandez and Beck fled to Wyoming, Michigan. In Wyoming they stayed with 28-year-old Delphine Downing and her two-year-old daughter.
On 28 February 1949, Downing became agitated for unclear reasons and Fernandez gave her sleeping pills to calm her down. The baby started crying and Beck, annoyed, choked her to shut her up. Fernandez, worried Downing would be suspicious if she saw the bruised baby, shot her in her sleep. The baby then continued crying until Beck drowned her in a basin of water. They buried the bodies in the basement, but Downing's neighbours grew suspicious of her disappearance and called the police, who arrested Fernandez and Beck upon finding the bodies.
Fernandez and Beck confessed to the murders of the Downings, the murder of Janet Fay and 17 others. Rather than try them for the murders of the Downings, Michigan prosecutors, wanting to see them executed, extradited them to New York State to face trial for Fay's murder, as New York had the death penalty and Michigan did not. Since Fay's murder was arguably an impulsive act by Beck alone, New York prosecutors were willing to extradite Fernandez to Spain for Jane Lucilla Thompson's murder so he could be executed by garrotte. Fernandez and Beck both claimed at trial that the police had coerced them into confessing to the 17 other murders; Ferandez also claimed that he had only confessed to protect Beck and was innocent of any role in Fay's murder. Both Fernandez and Beck were convicted and sentenced to death. They were both executed by electric chair on 8 March 1951 at Sing Sing prison.