Richard Peete

The life of Richard Peete, a 41-year-old white male, ended in tragedy not because of a crime he committed, but through his connection to one of the early 20th century's most infamous female murderers. His story is a somber chapter in the larger, more sinister tale of his ex-wife, Louise Peete, a woman whose charm concealed a cold-blooded ruthlessness that left a trail of death and despair. Richard, a salesman, married Louise in Denver in 1915, and the couple had a daughter named Frances Ann, often called Betty. Their marriage was reportedly tumultuous, and by 1920, they had separated. Louise soon left her husband and daughter behind and moved to Los Angeles.

It was in Los Angeles that Louise became entangled with Jacob C. Denton, a wealthy, retired mining engineer. In June 1920, Denton vanished. Louise, who had been living in his mansion, gave a series of conflicting and unbelievable stories about his whereabouts. The investigation eventually led to the discovery of Denton's body buried in the basement of his home; he had been shot. Louise Peete was arrested and put on trial for murder in a case that drew sensational nationwide media attention. Throughout the trial in 1921, Richard Peete remained steadfastly loyal, standing by his wife and proclaiming his belief in her innocence. Despite his support, a jury found Louise guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced her to life in prison at San Quentin.

For the first couple of years of her sentence, Richard continued to correspond with Louise faithfully, vowing he would wait forever for her release. In 1923, she told him he should divorce her so he would be free to remarry. Richard reluctantly obliged, finalizing the divorce but still holding out hope. Soon after, Louise's letters stopped. She refused to see him and cut off all communication, a final and devastating rejection for the man who had remained so devoted.

Despondent over being cast aside by the woman he still loved, and reportedly suffering from his own poor health and illness, Richard Peete traveled to Tucson, Arizona. In August 1924, in a hotel room in the city, he saw no way out of his poverty and heartbreak. Richard purchased a small-bore rifle and ended his own life with a single gunshot. When informed of her ex-husband's suicide, Louise Peete, then a prisoner at San Quentin, reportedly had no comment. Other accounts suggest she claimed he was driven to it by guilt over her conviction and his failing health, not her rejection.

Richard Peete was one of several men connected to Louise whose lives ended in suicide. Her first husband, Henry Bosley, and a later husband, Lee Borden Judson, also took their own lives under circumstances related to her actions. Louise's own story continued long after Richard's death. She was a model prisoner and was unexpectedly paroled in 1939.

Her freedom was short-lived. In 1944, she murdered her employer, Margaret Logan, and buried her body in the backyard. Convicted of murder for a second time, Louise Peete was sentenced to death. She was executed in California's gas chamber on April 11, 1947, closing the final chapter on a life of manipulation and murder that had, decades earlier, claimed Richard Peete as one of its many indirect victims. His death remains a tragic footnote in the dark saga of a notorious serial killer.