Francis Donald Nemechek

Serial Killer

Francis Donald Nemechek: The Western Kansas Serial Killer

Overview

Francis Donald Nemechek was an American serial killer, kidnapper and sexual offender who murdered five people in western Kansas between December 1974 and August 1976. His victims were four young women and a small child. The murders occurred in isolated areas of Graham, Trego and Gove counties, often after Nemechek encountered victims traveling or working alone. Nemechek used the open highways, rural roads and remote landscape of western Kansas to approach, abduct and transport his victims. His crimes involved shootings, sexual assault, stabbing and abandonment in dangerously cold weather. He was eventually connected to the murders through witness information, physical evidence and his own detailed confessions.

Early Life and Personal Background

Francis Donald Nemechek was born on June 29, 1950, in WaKeeney, Kansas. He grew up in Trego County and attended school in the area. After high school, he studied at a vocational and technical school in Goodland, where he reportedly performed well. He later worked in mechanical, welding and truck-driving jobs that required him to travel throughout western Kansas. Nemechek married and had a son, but the marriage ended in divorce during the 1970s. People close to him later described him as becoming intensely angry when his former wife or disputes over visitation with his son were discussed. Mental-health testimony presented at his trial suggested that he developed a destructive fixation on women who reminded him of his former wife. However, the jury ultimately rejected the argument that mental illness made him legally incapable of understanding his actions. ...

Confirmed Victims: (5)

Cheryl Young Age: (21), Date of Death: 1974-12-13

Francis Nemechek - Wikipedia