|
| Nicknames: | Honeymoon Killers / Lonely Hearts Killers |
| Murder Toll: | 5+ murdered victims |
| Murder Time Frame: | 1947-1949 / Raymond Fernandez - Age 32 at first murder, 34 at last murder / Martha Beck - Age 28/29 at first murder, 29/30 at last murder |
| Murder Locations: | Spain - La Linea, Cadiz / United States - Chicago, Illinois / Byron Center, Michigan / Valley Stream, New York |
| Preferred Prey: | Wealthy females |
| Modus Operandi: | Drugging, poisoning, strangulation, bludgeoning, shooting, drowning |
| Victim Disposal: | Left one victim where she was murdered, placed one victim in trunk and hid in cellar, buried two victims in basement, covered some with cement, put one victim on a bus to Little Rock, Arkansas |
| Signature: | Found victims through "lonely hearts" ads in newspapers |
| Trophies: | Money, insurance policies, valuables |
Full Name:
Raymond Martinez Fernandez |
Full Name:
Martha Jule Beck / Born: Martha Jule Seabrook |
|
|
 Jane Thompson Female - Age ?? Death: November 1947 |
 Myrtle Young Female - Age 40 Death: August 1948 |
 Janet Fay Female - Age 66 Death: January 1949 |
 Delphine Downing Female - Age 41 Death: February 1949 |
Rainelle Downing Female - Age 2 Death: February 1949 |
I am all excited and having the time of my life. I never felt as happy before. I soon will be Mrs. Martin and will go to Florida!
Janet L. Fay
- Part of a letter they forged, made out to be from victim Janet Fay.
"I'm no average killer!" - What Raymond Fernandez said after being arrested.
"They ought to kill me. I've done terrible things, but I'm not afraid of the electric chair." - What Raymond Fernandez said after being arrested.
"I have a way with women, a power over them." - What Raymond Fernandez said after being arrested.
"I don't know. I can't think. I can't say why I did it. I just saw other men putting a towel or two in their bags, so I thought I'd do the same. Only I just couldn't seem to stop." - What Raymond Fernandez said about stealing a large quantity of clothing and other items from the storeroom of a ship he was riding on.
"Keep this woman quiet. I don't care what you do! Just keep her quiet!" - What Raymond Fernandez allegedly said to his accomplice, Martha Beck, when victim Janet Fay started yelling.
"My God, Martha, what have you done?" - What Raymond Fernandez allegedly said to his accomplice, Martha Beck, after she murdered victim Janet Fay.
"If she wakes up and sees Rainelle, she'll go to the police!" - What Raymond Fernandez said to his accomplice, Martha Beck, after she attempted to strangle victim Delphine Downing's two-year-old daughter, victim Rainelle Downing.
"That is true." - What Raymond Fernandez said when asked if he had shot and killed victim Delphine Downing.
"All my statements were made for the purpose of helping Martha. I love her. It couldn't be anything else." - What Raymond Fernandez said in court.
"Everybody was permitted to question me, including the newspapermen. I didn't know if I was coming or going. And the D.A. said that whatever I said would not be used against me." - What Raymond Fernandez said about the trial.
"They would look upon me as a murderer in New York and let her go. As a man, I could take it better than a woman. If I cooperated, they said I would do six years and be paroled. Then I could do what I liked. If I didn't cooperate, I would go to jail for life." - What Raymond Fernandez said about the trial.
"An accident." - What Raymond Fernandez said when a prison guard asked him about his criminal acts.
Kisses and hugs to the children and you receive a million kisses and hugs from the one who always will have you until the last second of my life.
- Part of a letter Raymond Fernandez wrote in prison to his first wife who lived in Spain.
"The news brought to me that Martha loves me is the best I've had in years. Now I'm ready to die! So tonight I'll die like a man!" - What Raymond Fernandez said on the day of his execution, after his accomplice, Martha Beck, wrote him a note professing her undying love for him.
"I want to shout it out. I love Martha! What do the public know about love?" - What Raymond Fernandez said before being executed in the electric chair in prison.
"I was just burning up with jealousy and anger!" - What Martha Beck said about the night victim Janet Fay was murdered.
"The next I knew, the defendant Fernandez had me by the shoulders and was shaking me!" - What Martha Beck said happened after she murdered victim Janet Fay.
"...we realized in case her body was found, if the teeth were there, that would be a mode of identification." - What Martha Beck said about victim Janet Fay's false teeth falling out.
"I can't do it, Ray, I can't!" - What Martha Beck allegedly said to her accomplice, Raymond Fernandez, when he told her to get rid of two-year-old victim Rainelle Downing.
"I can still hear it! The blood was dripping, dripping, dripping and the sound of it just sounded like it could be heard all the over the house." - What Martha Beck told Michigan investigators about the murder of victim Delphine Downing.
"Raymond got quite a kick out of the photographs of some of the old hags who write to him and expected him to correspond with them." - What Martha Beck said in court, about her accomplice, Raymond Fernandez.
"The electric chair scares me!" - What Martha Beck said about being afraid to die by electrocution in prison.
"Mr. Fernandez is not deaf!" - What Martha Beck shouted in court to prosecutor Edward Robinson, who was loudly questioning her accomplice, Raymond Fernandez.
"I think at this time, your honor, I want to take the stand!" - What Martha Beck shouted in court, after her accomplice, Raymond Fernandez denied killing victim Janet Fay.
"...it entered in my mind almost every day." - What Martha Beck said about wanting to commit suicide, before meeting her accomplice, Raymond Fernandez.
"Life was not worth living. I'd rather be dead than to continue arguing with my mother each day of my life." - What Martha Beck said about being lonely, before meeting her accomplice, Raymond Fernandez.
"I had to give her a day-to-day story of whom I was with and what I did." - What Martha Beck said about her mother invading her privacy.
"He gave me the impression I was the only one he ever had loved." - What Martha Beck said about her first husband, who left her.
"We loved each other and I consider it absolutely sacred. You referred to the love making as abnormal but for the love I had for Fernandez, nothing is abnormal." - What Martha Beck said in court after being asked about her love for her accomplice, Raymond Fernandez.
"A request from Mr. Fernandez to me is a command. I loved him enough to do anything he asked me to." - What Martha Beck said in court.
"Something I got into. I had no control." - What Martha Beck said when a prison guard asked her about her criminal acts.
I'm still a human, feeling every blow inside, even though I have the ability to hide my feelings and laugh. But that doesn't say my heart isn't breaking from the insults and humiliation of being talked about as I am. O yes, I wear a cloak of laughter.
- Part of a letter Martha Beck wrote to the media from prison, complaining about being ridiculed because of her weight.
I chose this profession without thought of self and want to prepare myself for this profession, not for material gains but for the purpose of aiding humanity and rendering service to others.
- Part of a letter Martha Beck wrote about her nursing job.
For several weeks I have suffered in silence because of the rumors started by Mr. Fernandez. To print that or say that I am having an affair with a guard is one of the most asinine and ridiculous statements ever made! Approximately 25 million persons heard Winchell's broadcast tonight - including members of my own family. And I'll admit it will be a shock and embarrassment to them.
- A letter Martha Beck wrote to the Warden of Sing Sing prison, after a rumor started that she was having an affair with a guard.
"What do they expect me to do? Sit here and let him destroy the one thread of decency I have left? He has done so much talking about how he has me wrapped around his little finger, that it was a blow to his ego when I unwrapped myself and forgot about him. All I can say is... what a character!" - What Martha Beck said about her accomplice, Raymond Fernandez, starting a rumor that she was having an affair with a prison guard.
Oh yes, he's brave when it comes to talk and hurting others - he can kill without batting an eyelash - but to hurt himself - he'd never do it. It takes a man to kill himself. Not a sniveling, low-down, double-crossing, lying rat like him!
- Part of a letter Martha Beck wrote to her mother, complaining about her accomplice, Raymond Fernandez, in prison.
I do not appreciate it one bit, but I am glad that no member of my family will know how hurt and misled my last day was. It hurts me deeply to realize that I have been wrong in thinking that there could be "good" in a state paid employee.
Martha Jule # 108594
- A letter Martha Beck wrote regarding a different matron on duty on the day of her execution, instead of the one she wanted.
Fried chicken, no wings, French frys, lettuce and tomato salad.
- Martha Beck's written instructions for her last meal before she was executed.
"What does it matter who is to blame? My story is a love story, but only those tortured with love can understand what I mean. I was pictured as a fat unfeeling woman. I am not unfeeling, stupid or moronic. In the history of the world how many crimes have been attributed to love?" - Martha Beck's final statement to the press before being executed.
"So long." - What Martha Beck mouthed before being executed in the electric chair in prison.
 The Honeymoon Killers Author: Paul Buck Pub. Year: 1993 |
 The Lonely Hearts Killers Author: Joan Colby Pub. Year: 1986 |
 Introduction to Murder The Unpublished Facts Behind the Notorious Lonely Hearts Killers Martha Beck and Raymond Fernandez Author: Wenzell Brown Pub. Year: 1952 |
 Lonely Hearts Genre: Movie Director: Todd Robinson Release Year: 2006 |
 The Honeymoon Killers Genre: Movie Director: Leonard Kastle Release Year: 1970 |
