He Thought His Blood Was Dying | The Vampire of Sacramento

In December 1977, a man was shot in his driveway with no warning, no motive, and no connection to his killer. Weeks later, the violence escalated into something far more disturbing.   Richard Trenton Chase—later known as The Vampire of Sacramento—believed his body was failing, his blood was turning to powder, and outside forces were trying to kill him. To survive, he believed he had to consume blood.   In this episode, we walk through the case step by step—from early warning signs and missed interventions to the brutal crimes that followed. Along the way, we break down the psychology behind a disorganized, delusion-driven killer, and how this case differs from more calculated offenders like Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer.   This isn’t just a story about violence. It’s about what happens when reality breaks—and no one is able to stop what comes next. ⚠️Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of extreme violence, murder, mutilation, necrophilia, cannibalism, and harm to children and pregnancy. Listener discretion is strongly advised.   Research Sources: Wikipedia - Richard Chase Biographical details, timeline, victim information https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Chase Murderpedia - Richard Trenton Chase Detailed case files, crime scene descriptions https://murderpedia.org/male.C/c/chase-richard.htm Criminal Minds Wiki - Richard Chase Psychological profile, behavioral analysis https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Richard_Chase True Crime Database Trial details, sentencing information https://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/notorious/chase/vampire_1.html Sacramento Bee Archives Contemporary reporting, community impact FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit - Serial Killer Classification Organized/disorganized offender typology Process-focused vs. act-focused motivation "The Vampire of Sacramento" - Various True Crime Documentaries Investigative Discovery, Crime Junkie references Court Transcripts (1979) Insanity defense arguments, prosecution strategy Interviews with investigators (archival) Detective Tim Carney, lead investigator Content Warnings to Include: Extreme violence Murder Mutilation Necrophilia Harm to children/pregnancy Mental illness/psychosis Cannibalism Resources to Promote: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): nami.org Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741