Doreen Lioy was in the center of one of the most unusual love story, the world has seen to date. She is the ex-wife of serial killer Richard Ramirez, and the pair shared an unusual relationship. Richard, who was dubbed as the Night Stalker, is one of the most heinous criminals to date. Not only was the man convicted for 13 counts of murder, five attempted murders, 14 burglaries, and 11 sexual assaults, he showed no remorse for the killings. In his first court appearance, Richard showed the symbol of a pentagram on his hand and vocalized his worship of satan. While most of the people at home were chilled by his revelation, few sympathized with him. One of his sympathizers was Doreen Lioy.
Letters, Letters, and more Letters:
After Richard’s courtroom proceedings were televised on live television, he started gathering fans. Like most infamous serial killers, Richard had a large group of fans who often wrote to him. One of those fans was Doreen Lioy. Lioy who worked as a magazine editor began writing to Richard daily. She began her endeavors in 1985 and wrote him nearly 75 letters while he was imprisoned. The two started seeing each other regularly, and Doreen visited around four times a week. Down the years, an unlikely romance blossomed between the pair.
American serial killer Richard Ramirez wife Doreen Lioy
Getting Married:
Richard proposed to Doreen in 1988 and the pair got the okay for the marriage nearly eight years later. The pair tied the knot in 1996 at California’s San Quentin State Prison. In an interview with CNN, Doreen revealed what she thought of Richard.
“He’s kind, he’s funny, he’s charming. I think he’s really a great person. He’s my best friend; he’s my buddy.”
While Richard had a few sympathizers, many believed that he deserved the sentence. But indifferent to most of the comments, Doreen believed in her husband, which led to many people calling her delusional. In the same interview with CNN, Doreen revealed that she was well aware that people called her crazy or naive.
“Or stupid or lying. And I’m none of those things. I just believe in him completely. In my opinion, there was far more evidence to convict O.J. Simpson, and we all know how that turned out.”
Troubles along the way:
While Doreen has complete faith in her husband, she understands that it is difficult to understand her love for Richard.
“I know it is. It’d be hard for me to understand if my best friend came to me and said, ‘You know, this guy Timothy McVeigh, who just got convicted? I really think he’s cute and I’m gonna write to him.’ I mean, I would think that’s kind of strange.”
While Doreen was convinced of her love for Richard, the love didn’t come easy. Following the revelation, Doreen was disowned by her family and all her family members cut their ties with her. Her marriage to Richard meant that Doreen could not realize her dream of having children.
“I love children. I’ve never made any secret to him that I wanted five or six children. But that dream didn’t come true for me and I’ve just replaced it with a different dream. Which is, being with Richard.”
While Doreen threatened to commit suicide if Richard was ever hanged, she has been quietly odd since his death. As of the present moment, her whereabouts remain unknown.