Bio

Richard Steven Zeitvogel was born on May 11, 1956. He grew up in Missouri and had a troubled childhood. By the age of 7, he started drinking alcohol, which led him to use drugs like marijuana, LSD, and cocaine. This was partly to escape from an abusive environment at home.

When he turned 18, he was arrested for armed robbery and rape in 1974. While in jail, he even attempted to escape. In 1975, he pleaded guilty to escape charges and received a two-year sentence. He continued to face legal troubles. In 1976, he was convicted of rape and armed robbery, resulting in a 15-year sentence for rape and a concurrent five-year sentence for armed robbery.

On January 25, 1981, while he was serving time at the Missouri State Penitentiary, Zeitvogel was involved in a serious incident where he fatally stabbed a fellow inmate. He was later found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. His prison sentence was compounded by a history of violent behavior and conflict with other inmates.

Throughout his early years, Zeitvogel struggled with significant personal issues. He was noted to have learning disabilities and a history of epilepsy, leading some to believe these factors might have affected his actions. Despite his past, he continued to commit crimes while in prison, leading to further convictions.

This background sets the stage for the life and escalating conflicts that would later define Zeitvogel's time within the prison system, eventually culminating in a tragic series of events.

Murder Story

On January 25, 1981, Richard Steven Zeitvogel killed fellow inmate John McBroom at the Missouri State Penitentiary. Zeitvogel used a homemade knife to stab McBroom during an altercation. He was tried and convicted for this crime in 1982, receiving a life sentence of 50 years without the possibility of parole.

Later, on March 25, 1984, Zeitvogel committed another murder in the same prison. He killed his cellmate, Gary Wayne Dew, by strangling him with red double-strand wire. After the murder, Zeitvogel called a correctional officer to report what he had done. He informed them that he had strangled Dew and the murder weapon was discovered hidden in a book belonging to him.

The motive for killing Dew was tied to Zeitvogel's desire to be sentenced to death. He wanted to be on death row so he could join another inmate, Frank Guinan, whom he had been romantically involved with.

Following his conviction for the murder of Dew in early 1985, Zeitvogel was sentenced to death. His execution was set for December 11, 1996. He was executed by lethal injection in Missouri.