Early Childhood and Young Adulthood
Richard Trenton Chase was born on May 23, 1950 in Santa Clara County, California. From the age of 10, he displayed the Macdonald Triad (bedwetting, animal cruelty, and pyromania). Chase claimed that his mother would physically abuse him as a child, however, investigators have since claimed that to be false. Chase went through grade school displaying no unusual behaviour besides dabbling in marijuana and LSD. By the end of high school, he realized that he was different from his peers in that although he was attracted to females, he couldn't achieve erections from them. Doctors determined he suffered from erectile dysfunction due to "repressed anger". This led to sexual frustration because he couldn't maintain a relationship. He began to believe that if he ingested the blood of other animals, he would be able to achieve erection, and his thirst for animal blood began...
In his early 20's, Chase's behaviour and beliefs were becoming increasingly bizarre. He believed his cranial bones had come apart and were moving around and he shaved his head to watch the movements. He also brought to doctors attention that he believed his stomach was upside down, his pulmonary artery had been stolen, and that he was being poisoned. After receiving no acceptable answers from doctors, Chase was admitted to the Beverly Manor Psychiatric Hospital in 1975, where his fellow patients nicknamed him "Dracula" because he had been caught capturing birds through the hospital window, drinking their blood, and discarding their bodies. He was also caught extracting blood from the therapy dog and injecting it into himself.
In 1976, after undergoing multiple treatments, Chase was released from the hospital and into the care of his mother, who weaned him off the medication and bought him his own apartment.
In his early 20's, Chase's behaviour and beliefs were becoming increasingly bizarre. He believed his cranial bones had come apart and were moving around and he shaved his head to watch the movements. He also brought to doctors attention that he believed his stomach was upside down, his pulmonary artery had been stolen, and that he was being poisoned. After receiving no acceptable answers from doctors, Chase was admitted to the Beverly Manor Psychiatric Hospital in 1975, where his fellow patients nicknamed him "Dracula" because he had been caught capturing birds through the hospital window, drinking their blood, and discarding their bodies. He was also caught extracting blood from the therapy dog and injecting it into himself.
In 1976, after undergoing multiple treatments, Chase was released from the hospital and into the care of his mother, who weaned him off the medication and bought him his own apartment.