71: Richard Speck: The Psychology Behind the Murders

Why did Richard Speck murder eight student nurses in a single night—and what turned an apparently ordinary child into one of America's most notorious mass murderers?

On July 13, 1966, Richard Speck enters a Chicago townhouse occupied by nine young women. Over the next several hours, he murders eight of them. The Richard Speck murders shock America. But the story of what happened that night is only part of the mystery.

In this episode of UNMARKED, I speak with investigative journalist Dennis Breo, co-author of The Crime of the Century: Richard Speck and the Murders That Shocked a Nation, written alongside Speck's prosecutor, William Martin. Together, we investigate Speck's childhood, the death of his father, allegations of abuse by his stepfather, his escalating violence against women, and the psychological forces that may have shaped his crimes.

We also explore the research of neuroscientist Dr. Kent Kiehl and psychiatrist Benjamin Karpman's theory of two pathways to psychopathy: one associated more strongly with biological vulnerabilities, the other with childhood trauma and environmental influences.

#RichardSpeck #TrueCrime #TedBundy #BryanKohberger #Psychopathy #UNMARKED

Research in This Episode: 

Anderson, N. E., & Kiehl, K. A. (2014). Psychopathy: Developmental perspectives and their implications for treatment. Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, 32(1), 103–117. 

Show Notes:

If you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, my book Charles Manson: The Last Words documents years researching the story and speaking directly with members of the Manson Family — including Charles Manson himself.

Read it here:
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