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Ralf NauStar Maniac
Country:
 USA |
Content:
- Biography of Ralph Hay
- The Obsession with Celebrities
- A Tragic Event
- Source: The Most Dangerous Fanatics
Biography of Ralph Hay
A Troubled ChildhoodRalph Hay, the infamous star fanatic, was born in Antioch, Illinois. From a young age, he was known for his introverted nature and difficulty forming normal friendships, especially with girls. He couldn't understand how to ask someone out or even hold a conversation with them.
Unable to grasp the secrets of friendship, he dropped out of school at the age of sixteen. However, Ralph still craved social interaction and soon joined a club that promised to help lonely men find happiness with women. This club, for a small fee, would send love letters through the mail. These letters, designed for unsatisfied men, contained explicit content. It was these letters that corrupted Ralph's already unstable mind and planted the obsessive idea in him that two people could love each other without ever meeting. This is where his obsession with celebrities began.
The Obsession with Celebrities
In 1980, Ralph Hay arrived in Hollywood and began bombarding showbiz stars with love letters. He initially filled these letters with intimate confessions, but as he received no reciprocation, he gradually turned to hidden threats. His madness quickly caught the attention of his "lovers", including Cher, Farrah Fawcett, and Madonna. However, his greatest obsession was Olivia Newton-John. He even named his dog Sam after a character in one of her hit songs. But when the dog died, Ralph blamed it for keeping Olivia away from him.
His letters and obsession then turned towards Diana Ross and later Connie Chung, a prominent news anchor. Despite the constant surveillance by Gavin de Becker, the head of a company that provides security for Hollywood stars, Ralph continued to harass Olivia with threatening letters. While de Becker recommended against involving the police, he and his team never stopped tracking Ralph's movements.
In 1984, Ralph, desperate and penniless, sold his car to fund a trip to Australia to finally confront Olivia. However, de Becker informed her of Ralph's plans, leading her to leave her ranch. Ralph was closely monitored throughout his trip, but he never found Olivia. De Becker's team was always one step ahead.
A Tragic Event
Upon Ralph's return to his father's farm, his madness became more apparent. His family, increasingly alarmed by his behavior, watched as he spiraled out of control. His antics included performing three-hour shows with his dog as the "soloist". Ralph's father, informed by de Becker about his son's obsession with famous women, sought legal advice but was told there was nothing they could do since Ralph hadn't harmed anyone.
With no money or job, Ralph embarked on a second pilgrimage to Australia to "resolve his relationship with Olivia once and for all". However, de Becker was aware of his plans. He urged Olivia to leave her ranch, and his team closely monitored Ralph's every move. Ralph wandered alone for a week but never found Olivia.
On the night of August 8, 1984, in a suffocatingly hot night, Ralph's mother put his stepbrother, Dennis Gerken, a developmentally disabled eight-year-old who couldn't read, write, speak, or dress himself, to bed. She and her husband went to watch TV in another part of the house, leaving Ralph with Dennis. Ralph was watching a show featuring Nadia Comaneci and became enthralled.
Nothing should have distracted him from watching his latest "lover," but his stepbrother didn't understand this. To Ralph's twisted mind, this was enough reason to take his life. Later, in court, psychiatrists would testify that Dennis was killed, bludgeoned with an ax, simply because he changed the TV channel.
Trying to cover up his crime, hoping to gain sympathy, Ralph told his mother and stepfather around 10 p.m. that he heard Dennis crying and went to check on him, but the boy was not in his room. Concerned, the adults searched the house and surrounding area but couldn't find him. The police were called.
"His strange gaze alerted me," later recalled Lieutenant Chester. "I had to question him. I immediately suspected that he had killed his stepbrother. He couldn't admit it directly and started telling us various lies. I'm sure the boy woke up and wanted to change the channel. But Ralph saw his 'lover' on the screen and snuffed out the boy's life like a fly."
Ralph Hay was found not guilty by reason of insanity. The court ruled that his confession couldn't be taken seriously since he was not of sound mind.
Since 1989, Ralph has been in a psychiatric hospital in Elgin, Illinois, demanding his freedom every sixty days, as allowed by the U.S. justice system for mentally disabled patients. The fear of his eventual release is shared by the celebrities who were victims of his delusional affections. In December 1989, a group of celebrities, including Cher and Farrah Fawcett, protested against his possible discharge, citing the continued bombardment of threatening letters from behind bars. They claimed that he falsely believed Cher had purchased his family farm, Olivia Newton-John was a murderer, and Madonna wanted to marry him.
Hay's case reinforces the dangers posed by fanatical star worshipers. The murder of rising Hollywood starlet Rebecca Schaeffer in the same year further illustrates the celebrities' justified concerns about the potential release of such psychopaths.
