Richard Steeves

American Serial Killer

Richard Edward Steeves, born on February 1, 1942, in Waterville, Maine, is a notorious American serial killer whose chilling crimes spanned from 1965 to 1966. During this terrifying period, Steeves claimed the lives of five individuals across three states. While he was tried for these heinous acts, he was acquitted by reason of insanity, leading to an extended stay in mental institutions. Eventually released back into society, he would return to infamy with the murder of a neighbor in Maine, for which he was ultimately convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Quick Facts

• Born: Richard Edward Steeves (February 1, 1942, age 83) in Waterville, Maine, U.S.
• Conviction: Murder
• Criminal Penalty: Life imprisonment
• Details: Victims: 6
• Span of Crimes: 1965–1985
• Country: United States
• States: Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio
• Date Apprehended: May 1985

Early Life

Richard Edward Steeves' early life was marked by tragedy and turmoil. At just five years old, his father committed suicide, a traumatic event that led his mother to place him in an orphanage shortly thereafter. This unstable upbringing contributed to a pattern of violent behavior that Steeves later attributed to sexual abuse he suffered as a child. His educational journey was cut short when he dropped out of school in the eighth grade, paving the way for a life filled with petty crimes that landed him in a reformatory. Unfortunately, as an adult, his behavior remained erratic and violent, leading to numerous incarcerations. During these stints behind bars, he frequently threatened the lives of guards and fellow inmates. Remarkably, he was released in 1965, just before his horrific killing spree began.

1965–66 Murders

The summer of 1965 marked the beginning of Steeves' chilling rampage. Just five months after his release, on June 13, he brutally attacked 83-year-old Harry Staples in North Berwick, Maine. Using Staples' own cane, Steeves inflicted a vicious beating before fleeing the scene. Staples was discovered barely clinging to life and rushed to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries two weeks later.

Just six days later, on June 19, Steeves struck again in Rochester, New Hampshire. He broke into the home of 70-year-old Ralph Mace, brandishing a knife. In a brutal attack, he stabbed Mace six times before assuming he was dead. Tragically, Mace was eventually found but died later that same day.

The violence escalated on August 14, 1965, when Steeves returned to Augusta, Maine. There, he invaded the cabin of 73-year-old Lorenzo D. Troyer, attacking him with a blunt object. After rendering Troyer unconscious, Steeves fled, leaving Troyer to be discovered by a friend who quickly alerted the authorities. Sadly, Troyer died the following day.

In January 1966, Steeves ventured to Ohio, where fate would deal him another hand of chaos. After his car broke down, he befriended 84-year-old Lewis Gephart and his 35-year-old son, Francis. On January 3, Steeves bludgeoned both men to death in their home in Coshocton, further cementing his reputation as a cold-blooded killer. He then stole Francis' car and returned to New Hampshire, where police were already hunting him for the murders committed in New England.

First Arrest, Imprisonment, and Release

By this point, Steeves had become a wanted man for the murders across New England. He was apprehended at a restaurant in New Hampshire, where police recovered the stolen vehicle registered to Francis Gephart. He faced charges for the three murders in Ohio and New Hampshire but notably was never charged for the earlier murders in Maine.

During his trial in New Hampshire, Steeves admitted to the killings but pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. This plea led to the New Hampshire Supreme Court halting the trial, resulting in his automatic acquittal due to his mental state. Consequently, Steeves was transferred to Concord Mental Hospital, where he remained for several years. In 1971, he sought extradition to Ohio for a speedy trial, but he faced a lengthy series of psychiatric evaluations instead.

By 1980, medical professionals declared Steeves no longer a threat, leading to his eventual release from the hospital grounds without supervision. By 1983, the Ohio prosecutor decided against pursuing charges for the murders, and Steeves struck a deal that allowed him to serve a mere 3 to 7 years in prison for lesser offenses.

Murder of Russell Bailey

In 1984, after being paroled, Steeves moved to Unity, Maine, to live with his brother. However, the darkness that loomed over him was far from extinguished. In April 1985, he broke into the mobile home of 69-year-old Russell F. Bailey, a local gift shop owner. In a brutal act, Steeves attacked Bailey with a blunt instrument, striking him multiple times in the head and leaving him for dead. Bailey's body was discovered on April 29, after a concerned relative visited his home.

Witnesses soon came forward, reporting that they had seen Steeves' pickup truck parked outside Bailey's home on the day of the murder. This crucial evidence would soon play a significant role in the investigation.

Second Arrest, Trial, and Imprisonment

Following Bailey's murder, Steeves was interviewed by Robert Hohler, a reporter for the Concord Monitor. During this questioning, Steeves offered a series of conflicting statements, claiming that Bailey had once loaned him $1,000 for sexual favors and that an unidentified individual had killed him. However, he also admitted to having a haunting, almost dream-like recollection of killing Bailey. Authorities charged him with Bailey's murder while simultaneously deciding to prosecute him for the 1965 murder of Harry Staples, a crime that had remained unresolved for decades.

While awaiting trial, Steeves faced serious mental health issues, leading to two suicide attempts that necessitated his transfer from York County Jail to Maine State Prison for his own protection. Notably, he chose not to pursue an insanity defense during the trial and did not testify. His attorney, however, maintained his innocence, arguing that Steeves had been framed by the true murderer. Ultimately, Steeves was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.

In 1987, Steeves' attorney sought a retrial, asserting that evidence excluded by the trial judge would have contradicted the denials made by another man believed to be the real killer. Despite these attempts to appeal, Steeves remained incarcerated.

In 2017, in a surprising turn of events, Steeves declared that he felt rehabilitated and safe enough to be released from prison. However, he still remains behind bars at the Maine State Prison, where he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

See Also

• List of serial killers in the United States

Sources

• The Boston Globe
• The Times Recorder
• Concord Monitor
• Various Associated Press articles dated from 1965 to 1987

For further reading, you can find the original Wikipedia article here.