Murder Victim. She was one of eight student nurses murdered by Richard Speck, after he broke into their townhouse dormitory located near the South Chicago Community Hospital. The daughter of Joseph and Bessie Matausek, she had one sister. Known to her family and friends as “Pat,” she was a gentle and friendly young woman. She was a senior nursing student and since she loved children, was looking forward to starting her nursing career at Children's Memorial Hospital. She was engaged and planning to be married after graduation. Her father appeared at all of Speck's parole hearings, and his presence came to symbolize that the public wanted to keep the killer in prison for life. Her father bitterly opposed parole for Speck, who was originally sentenced to death by the electric chair, but in 1972 Capital Punishment was declared by the United States Supreme Court to be unconstitutional. Even after becoming too ill to walk, her father came to the parole board hearing room in a wheelchair. The next morning after the mass murder, she was found strangled in the bathroom, and the only victim of the eight who was struck in the stomach hard enough to rupture her liver. Her parents were buried next to her.
Murder Victim. She was one of eight student nurses murdered by Richard Speck, after he broke into their townhouse dormitory located near the South Chicago Community Hospital. The daughter of Joseph and Bessie Matausek, she had one sister. Known to her family and friends as “Pat,” she was a gentle and friendly young woman. She was a senior nursing student and since she loved children, was looking forward to starting her nursing career at Children's Memorial Hospital. She was engaged and planning to be married after graduation. Her father appeared at all of Speck's parole hearings, and his presence came to symbolize that the public wanted to keep the killer in prison for life. Her father bitterly opposed parole for Speck, who was originally sentenced to death by the electric chair, but in 1972 Capital Punishment was declared by the United States Supreme Court to be unconstitutional. Even after becoming too ill to walk, her father came to the parole board hearing room in a wheelchair. The next morning after the mass murder, she was found strangled in the bathroom, and the only victim of the eight who was struck in the stomach hard enough to rupture her liver. Her parents were buried next to her.
Bio by: Memorial Flower
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