Richard Chase murdered six people, and his crimes were extremely violent and disturbing. Reports say he shot, stabbed, mutilated, and in some cases sexually abused the bodies after death; he also drank victims’ blood and engaged in cannibalism.

What happened

His victims included neighbors and families in Sacramento in late 1977 and early 1978. One source describes the killings as involving gunshots, evisceration, and the killing of a child and an infant during the final multiple-homicide scene.

Why he was notorious

He became known as the “Vampire of Sacramento” because he believed drinking blood would help him and he consumed victims’ blood and body parts. These details come from crime summaries and biographical accounts of the case.

Sensitive context

This is a severe violence case, so the details are necessarily graphic. If you want, I can also give a more careful, non-graphic summary of the case and the names of the victims.