Raymond Martinez Fernandez

Serial Killer

Raymond Martinez Fernandez: The Lonely Hearts Killer

Early Life

Raymond Martinez Fernandez was born on December 17, 1914, in Hawaii to Spanish parents. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Connecticut. As an adult, Fernandez relocated to Spain, married a woman named Encarnacion Robles, and had four children. During World War II, he served in the Spanish merchant marine and later worked for British intelligence. In late 1945, while en route to the United States seeking employment, Fernandez suffered a severe head injury when a steel hatch fell on him aboard a ship. This accident caused a significant skull fracture, potentially affecting his social and sexual behavior. After his release from the hospital, he was imprisoned for theft, during which he was introduced to voodoo and black magic by a Haitian cellmate. Fernandez later claimed that these practices granted him irresistible charm over women.

Criminal Partnership with Martha Beck

In 1947, Fernandez began corresponding with Martha Beck through a lonely hearts club. Beck, born on May 6, 1920, in Milton, Florida, had a troubled past marked by obesity and allegations of sexual abuse. She trained as a nurse but struggled to find employment due to her weight, eventually working as an undertaker's assistant. Beck had two children from previous relationships and was known for her fascination with romance novels and films. Upon meeting Fernandez, she became infatuated and left her children at the Salvation Army to be with him. Fernandez confessed his criminal activities to Beck, who eagerly became his accomplice. She often posed as his sister, adding an air of respectability to their schemes. Their modus operandi involved luring women through personal ads, gaining their trust, and then stealing their money and possessions. Beck's jealousy often led to violent outcomes, especially when Fernandez became intimate with their victims.

Notable Victims

• Janet Fay: In January 1949, 66-year-old Janet Fay became engaged to Fernandez and moved into his Long Island apartment. When Beck discovered Fernandez and Fay in bed together, she attacked Fay with a hammer in a jealous rage. Fernandez then strangled Fay to death. They buried her body in a rented house's basement in Queens, New York. Fay's family became suspicious of her sudden disappearance, prompting the couple to flee.
• Delphine Downing and Rainelle Downing: In February 1949, in Wyoming Township, Michigan, Fernandez and Beck met 28-year-old widow Delphine Downing and her two-year-old daughter, Rainelle. They stayed with Downing under the pretense of Fernandez being a potential suitor. When Downing became agitated, Fernandez gave her sleeping pills to calm her. The child's crying irritated Beck, leading her to strangle the girl, though she survived. Fearing Downing would be alarmed upon waking, Fernandez shot her in the head. A few days later, Beck drowned Rainelle in a basin to silence her cries. They buried both bodies in the basement. Suspicious neighbors alerted the police, leading to the couple's arrest on March 1, 1949.

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Confirmed Victims: (3)

Janet Fay Age: (66), Date of Death: 1949

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Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck - Wikipedia

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