Chat – 25 July 2019

ON SCREEN

WORDS:

SASKIA

MURPHY.

PHOTOS:

ALAMY,

GETTY

60

Weexamineshocking

real-lifecrimesgiventhe

Hollywood treatment...

L

onelysinglemum,

MarthaBeckwas

desperateforlove.

BorninFloridaon

6 May1920,shehadn’t

hadit easygrowingup.

Shewasoverweight,bulliedfor

beingunattractive.

Asa teenager,Martharan

awayfromhome.Shestudied

Nursing,butstruggledto find

a job.

Astheyearspassed,Martha

becamepromiscuousandsoon

foundherselfpregnant.

Whenthefatherrefused

to marryher,shereturned

to Florida.

Ashamedto bean

unmarriedmother,Martha

toldpeopleherhusband

hadbeenkilledfightingin

theSecondWorldWar.

Thetownmournedher

loss,publishinga story

abouttheso-calledwar

widowinthelocalpaper.

Soonaftergivingbirth

to a daughter,Martha

becamepregnantagain

andhada son.

Thistime,thefather

wasAlfredBeck,

a busdriver.

Thepairmarried,

butdivorcedjustsix

monthslater.

Unemployedand

withtwoyoung

children,Martha

escapedintoa

fantasyworld.She

devouredromanticmagazines

andnovels,spenthertime

watchingromanticmovies.

Eagerto findherown

happyending,in 1947 Martha

postedanadina lonely-

heartscolumn.

Soonafter,Raymond

FernandezansweredMartha’s

calloutforlove.

ButRaymondwasfarfrom

a knightinshiningarmour.

Forhehada darkhistory...

Raymondhadbeen

marriedonce

before.Afterfightinginthe

War,Raymondboarded

a shipfortheUnited

States,abandoninghis

wifeandfourchildren

inSpain.

Onboard,a steel

hatchfellonhim,

fracturinghisskulland

injuringhisfrontallobe.

It lefthimbald,needing

a toupee.

Afterbeingreleasedfrom

hospital,Raymondstarted

actingstrangely.

Afterstealingsomeclothing,

hewasjailedfora year.

Inprison,hestarted

believinginblackmagicand

thathehadanirresistible

powerto turnwomeninto

sexualslaves.

WhenheansweredMartha’s

lonely-heartsad,hehadno

ntentionof fallinginlove.

He’ddeviseda plotto

onwomen.Tousethelonely-

heartsadsto meetvulnerable

womento preyonforcash.

ButwhenRaymond

ravelledfromhishomein

NewYorkto meetMartha,his

plantooka differentcourse.

Becauseheactuallyfell

love!

Soonafter,Martha

abandonedhertwo

childrenandmoved

to NewYorkto be

withRaymond.

Hesawit asa signof

herunconditionallove.

Knowinghecouldtrust

Martha,Raymonddecided

to revealallabouthis

originalplan.

Hetoldherthatwhen

hefirstrespondedto her

lonely-heartsad,hehad

intentionsof conningher.

Butratherthanbeing

shocked,Marthawasinspired.

Shelikedhisschemeso

much,shedecidedto joinhim.

Theconnivingpairsawan

opportunityto makemoney

fromunsuspectingwomen.

Soon,Raymondstarted

respondingto morelonely-

heartsads.Heinvitedwomen

to comeandstaywithhim.

Overthenexttwoyears,

Raymondseducedolderwomen

beforestealingfromthem.

Marthawouldpretendto be

Raymond’ssister.Andthe

womenoftenfeltcomfortedby

thepresenceof anotherwoman

inthehouse.

ButalthoughMartha

washappyto poseasher

lover’ssister,shewasalso

extremelyjealous.

Shewentto greatlengths

to makesureRaymondnever

consummatedhisrelationships

withtheirhouseguests.

In1949,JanetFay,66,went

to staywithRaymondathis

LongIslandapartment.

WhenMarthafoundthepair

inbedtogether,sheexploded

intoa violentrage.

Furious,shethensmashed

Murderedin

theirhome:

Delphineand

littleRainelle

Marthaand

Raymondkisson

theirwaytocourt

THE

HONEYMOON