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Stephen D. Richards
Stephen D. Richards | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Portrait photograph, c. 1870s[a] | |
| Born | Stephen Decatur Richards Wheeling, Virginia, U.S.[b] |
| Died | April 26, 1879 (aged 23) Minden, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Other names | Dick Richardson D.J. Roberts George Gallagher F.A. Hoge J. Littleton W.A. Littleton William Hudson Stephen Dee Richards Samuel D. Richards Stephen Lee Richards S.D. Richards |
| Conviction(s) | First-degree murder (x5) |
| Criminal charge | First-degree murder (9 counts) |
| Penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Victims | 6–12 (6 confirmed, 9 confessed, 12 suspected) |
Span of crimes | 1876–1878 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) |
|
Date apprehended | December 20, 1878 |
Stephen D. Richards[c] (March 18, 1856 – April 26, 1879), known by the nicknames The Nebraska Fiend[4][10] and The Ohio Monster,[11] was an American serial killer who confessed to committing a total of nine to eleven murders in Nebraska and Iowa between 1876 and 1878.
Richards was born in West Virginia (then part of Virginia) in 1856. His family later moved to Ohio, eventually settling in the Quaker village of Mount Pleasant. In 1876, Richards left his home and headed westward to seek his fortune. For a time, he found work at a local asylum; he claimed that during his time there, he lost all empathy for other people. When Richards later confessed to his crimes, he claimed to have committed his first murder sometime in late 1876, two weeks after arriving in Kearney, Nebraska. He went on to commit several other murders, which he later claimed were done in self-defense. Richards fled after murdering Mary L. Harlson and her three children, but was captured in Mount Pleasant. In 1879, he was convicted of the murders of the Harlson family, as well as the killing of neighbor Peter Anderson, and hanged.
Richards was regarded as handsome and charismatic by some contemporary chroniclers, who described his appearance and behavior as completely obscured his nature as a cold-blooded killer. Many observed that he displayed a complete lack of remorse for his crimes and indifference toward his execution. Modern-day forensic psychologist Katherine Ramsland has written that these characteristics were also displayed by serial killer Ted Bundy, and she has referred to Richards as The Old West's Ted Bundy.
The nature of Richards' crimes and his behavior after his capture led to a brief period of notoriety, as Richards was widely talked about in the media at the time. Richards has been featured in a handful of books and periodicals, including a posthumous biography, based on an interview conducted after his final arrest. The biography, which also included entries on other criminals of the time, was published in 1879 by the Nebraska State Journal. In modern times he is known as Nebraska's first documented serial killer in Nebraska and the first person to be executed by the state.
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- ^ Nebraska State Journal 1879b, p. 1.
- ^ Nebraska Advertiser 1879, p. 2.
- ^ Wilson 2014, p. 11.
- ^ a b Jenkins 2004, p. 35.
- ^ Teeters & Hedblom 1967, p. 202.
- ^ Newton 2006, p. 317.
- ^ Atchison Daily Champion 1878, p. 2.
- ^ Belmont Chronicle 1879, p. 2.
- ^ The Workingman's Friend 1879, p. 1.
- ^ Sioux City Journal 1879, p. 2.
- ^ Little Falls Transcript 1879, p. 2.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-roman> tags or {{efn-lr}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-roman}} template or {{notelist-lr}} template (see the help page).
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