Brian Steckel

Brian David Steckel (December 14, 1968 – November 4, 2005) was an American convicted killer in the 1994 rape and murder of 29-year-old Sandra Lee Long near Wilmington, Delaware. On September 2, 1994, Steckel knocked on Long's door and asked to use her telephone. Once inside, he disconnected the phone and demanded sex from her. When she refused, he threw her onto a couch and attempted to strangle her with some pantyhose. The pantyhose broke, so he continued his attack with a sock. After she was unconscious he sexually assaulted her. He then dragged Long to a bedroom, where he set her and the curtains on fire. Long died of smoke inhalation and burns to 60 percent of her body. Steckel then went to the home of a former co-worker, where he drank several beers. After the co-worker left, Steckel asked the co-worker's wife to drive him to a liquor store. This led them past Long's apartment, now on fire. The co-worker's wife later said that Steckel became agitated and angry when she jokingly said, "You look like you've killed someone." Within hours of the fire, a man called The News Journal saying he was the "Driftwood Killer" and named his next victim. This woman was put into protective custody by police, where she told them that she had been receiving phone calls that were, "Very lurid. Very sexual." The calls to the newspaper and the woman were traced to Steckel, and he was arrested on an outstanding harassment warrant. Steckel was drunk at the time of the arrest and so allowed to sleep the night. The next morning, after waiving his Miranda rights, he confessed to the attack on Long. A forensic dentist determined that a bite wound on Steckel's finger was made by Long. He was convicted in New Castle County of three counts of first degree murder (one count of "intentional" murder and two counts of felony murder). After the separate penalty phase, he was sentenced to death on January 8, 1997, by a vote of 11–1. During the penalty phase he told the jurors: "I ask you to hold me accountable for what I did. ...