The Vampire of Sacramento – Why Mental Illness and Violence Can Be a Deadly Mix By Sensei Liam Musiak

Richard Chase, known as the “Vampire of Sacramento,” committed some of the most disturbing murders in American history during the late 1970s. His crimes were shocking not only because of what he did to his victims, but because they showed how untreated—and violent—mental illness can spiral into unimaginable horrors.

The Mental Illnesses Chase Suffered From

Chase suffered from multiple serious mental health conditions:

Paranoid schizophrenia – He believed people were out to get him, and that his body was deteriorating. He thought his blood was turning to powder, and that he needed to drink blood to survive.

Hypochondria and delusions – He convinced himself his heart had stopped at times, or that someone had stolen his pulmonary artery.

Drug abuse – Heavy use of LSD and other substances made his paranoia and hallucinations even worse.

On their own, these illnesses were already dangerous if untreated. But when combined with violence, they became catastrophic. Violence can actually feed mental illness—each act of brutality reinforced his delusions and made them stronger. In Chase’s mind, killing and drinking blood wasn’t a crime—it was survival.

What He Did to His Victims

Chase’s crimes were among the most grotesque ever recorded:

He broke into homes and murdered the occupants.

He drank the blood of his victims, earning him the nickname “Vampire of Sacramento.”

He mutilated bodies, committed necrophilia, and cannibalised parts of his victims.

One of his murders included a pregnant woman, and in another, he killed a six-year-old boy.

These were not calculated crimes for money or power—they were driven by the delusions inside his head. His mental illness told him he had to kill, and violence became the fuel that kept those beliefs alive.

Why This Matters

The case of Richard Chase shows that untreated severe mental illness combined with violence can be deadly. Not all people with schizophrenia or delusions are dangerous—but when paranoia, hallucinations, and violent behaviour overlap, the risk of extreme crimes rises. Chase is a horrific example of what happens when those conditions spiral unchecked.

The Lesson

Awareness matters on two levels. First, we must understand that appearances don’t always reveal what someone is capable of—Chase looked like an ordinary man to neighbours. Second, society has to take mental illness seriously. Untreated paranoia and delusion don’t always lead to violence, but when they do, the results can be catastrophic.

The “Vampire of Sacramento” proves that violence and untreated mental illness can form a cycle—each feeding the other—until the outcome is devastation.