Raymond Martinez Fernandez

Serial Killer

Raymond Martinez Fernandez: The Lonely Hearts Killer

Overview

Raymond Martinez Fernandez was an American confidence swindler and serial killer whose crimes became inseparably linked with his lover and accomplice, Martha Jule Beck. Together they became known in the press as the "Lonely Hearts Killers" because Fernandez located many of his targets through lonely-hearts clubs and personal advertisements. He presented himself as a respectable, romantic and financially secure bachelor, gradually winning the confidence of women who were seeking companionship or marriage. Once inside their lives, he attempted to obtain their savings, jewelry, automobiles and other property. After Beck joined him, the fraud scheme became increasingly violent and ultimately resulted in murder. Fernandez and Beck were suspected over the years of involvement in numerous unexplained disappearances and deaths. Claims that they killed as many as 17 or 20 people appeared after their arrest, but investigators were never able to prove such a large victim count. The strongest evidence connects Fernandez with the murders of Janet Fay and Delphine Downing and with the killing of Downing's young daughter, Rainelle. Two earlier deaths, those of Jane Lucilla Thompson and Myrtle Young, have also frequently been attributed to Fernandez, although neither resulted in a murder conviction.

Early Life and the Beginning of the Lonely-Hearts Scheme

Raymond Martinez Fernandez was born in Hawaii in December 1914 to Spanish parents and spent part of his youth in Connecticut before returning with his family to Spain. As a young man he married Encarnacion Robles and became the father of four children. During and after World War II he spent time at sea and eventually returned to the United States without his wife and children. Accounts of Fernandez's life describe a serious head injury suffered when a heavy hatch struck him while he was aboard a ship. Later writers speculated that the injury may have affected his personality, although that explanation cannot establish why he subsequently chose a life of fraud and violence. After serving a prison sentence for theft, Fernandez began corresponding with women through lonely-hearts organizations. He became skilled at inventing identities, flattering women through letters and making himself appear to be an attentive potential husband. Fernandez generally sought women who had savings or other property. After establishing a relationship, he attempted to gain access to their money and possessions. Some women were persuaded to marry him even though he remained legally married. Others lost cash, jewelry, vehicles or other valuables before Fernandez disappeared. Because his schemes involved intimate relationships, some victims were apparently reluctant or embarrassed to report what had happened. ...

Confirmed Victims: (3)

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

Suspected Victims:

Jane Lucilla Wilson Thompson , Date of Death: 1947-11-08

Myrtle Young , Date of Death: 1948-08-18

Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck - Wikipedia