Richard Steeves

Serial Killer

Richard Steeves: Murders Across Maine, New Hampshire, and Ohio

Background and Early Life

Richard Edward Steeves was born on February 1, 1942, in Waterville, Maine. His childhood was marked by instability and abandonment. When Steeves was approximately five years old, his father died by suicide. His mother subsequently placed him in an orphanage. Steeves later alleged that he was sexually abused during his childhood and claimed that these experiences contributed to his violent and destructive behavior. Steeves left school after the eighth grade and began committing property crimes and other offenses. He spent time in a juvenile reformatory and continued to move through jails and correctional institutions as an adult. Accounts of his incarceration described him as hostile and threatening. He reportedly made repeated statements about killing guards and fellow prisoners. He was released from custody in early 1965, only months before the beginning of a series of fatal attacks.

The 1965 Murders in Maine and New Hampshire

Steeves primarily targeted elderly or otherwise vulnerable men who were alone in their homes. His first known fatal attack occurred in North Berwick, Maine, on June 13, 1965. The victim, Harry Staples, was an elderly man who used a cane. Steeves assaulted Staples with that cane, inflicting severe head injuries. Staples survived the initial attack and was hospitalized, but he died on June 28, 1965. Only six days after attacking Staples, Steeves entered the rural Rochester, New Hampshire, home of Ralph Mace. Steeves was armed with a knife and stabbed Mace six times. He left believing that the victim was dead. Mace was discovered alive but died from his wounds later on June 19, 1965. On August 14, 1965, Steeves entered the Augusta, Maine, cabin of Lorenzo D. Troyer. Troyer was struck in the head with a blunt object and left unconscious. A friend, Thomas Landrey, discovered the badly injured man and obtained help from a nearby residence. Troyer was transported to a hospital in Augusta, where he died on August 15, 1965. ...

Confirmed Victims: (6)

Harry Staples Age: (83), Date of Death: 1965-06-13

Richard Steeves - Wikipedia