English: July 14, 1966.

Richard Speck was born in Kirkwood, Illinois. After living in Texas for awhile he moved back to Chicago and sought work as a seaman. He signed up for work at the National Maritime Union at 2335 E. 100th St. and returned later, only to find he had been replaced. Angry, he spent the night drinking and doing drugs in local taverns. He attacked Ella Mae Cooper, stealing her .22 Röhm pistol.

At 11:00 p.m. that night (July 13,) he broke into a townhouse located here at 2319 E. 100th St. armed with the stolen gun and a switchblade. The house was occupied by nine student nurses. One by one he stabbed or strangled seven of them before raping and killing the eighth. The ninth nurse hid under a bed and survived.

Speck later tried to commit suicide in a west side flophouse. He was taken to Cook County Hospital where a doctor identified him and he was arrested. He was charged, found guilty and sentenced to death, pending an automatic appeal.

In 1972 the State of Illinois ruled that the death penalty was unconsitutional. Speck was given a new trial and condemned to 400 to 1,200 years in prison. He died of a heart attack in 1991, one day before his 50th birthday.

Located at 2319 E. 100th St. (house on the left)

2315 E. 100th St. is the house where the victim was taken to be sedated and questioned (on the right.)