Infamous Valentine's Day Murders: Love Turned Deadly

Valentine's Day. What does it mean to you? Twenty-four hours dedicated to pure, unconditional, and unbearably heart-wrenching love for your soulmate? A wonderful day of passion, hugs, and kisses, enjoyed on a bed covered in rose petals, with champagne flutes in hand and heart-shaped chocolates...

Does that sound about right? Oh, how lovely for you!

For the rest of us, there's something much more interesting—a look back at some of the most notorious and shocking Valentine's Day murders of all time...

THE INFAMOUS ST. VALENTINE'S DAY MASSACRE

For those interested in true crime, the phrase "Valentine's Day" doesn't automatically evoke images of candlelit dinners. Instead, it brings to mind seven Chicago mobsters riddled with hundreds of bullets.

While it was never officially confirmed, there's little doubt that the most famous gangster in history was behind this brutal carnage. Al Capone had apparently grown tired of competing in the smuggling business in the Windy City and decided to eliminate his main rival, Irish gang leader George 'Bugs' Moran.

Capone's gang lured seven members of Moran's North Side Mob to a warehouse on the morning of February 14, 1929. Dressed as police officers, the South Side Italians forced the men to line up against the wall and then opened fire on them with Thompson submachine guns and shotguns. Not a pretty sight.

THE SHOOTOUT AT COLUMBINE SUBWAY

Two high school sweethearts were shot dead by an unidentified attacker whom the police have yet to apprehend. The theories behind this tragic murder range from involvement in a drug deal to the idea that it may somehow be connected to the school massacre the previous year. All that is certain is that the two young lovers were murdered before they even had a chance to truly begin their lives.

OSCAR PISTORIUS SHOOTS HIS GIRLFRIEND THROUGH A DOOR

It was one of the most thrilling and shocking news stories of all time. South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius, one of the most inspiring figures in athletics, had captivated the world with his sporting achievements, despite being born without fibulas and the outer parts of his feet due to a congenital condition. The "Blade Runner" was a hero to millions of people, both figuratively and literally. And then, on Valentine's Day 2013, he became a murderer.

In the early morning hours of February 14, Pistorius woke up in his Pretoria home to find that his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, was not in bed with him. Instead, she was in the couple's bathroom. For some reason, the runner didn't believe it was Reeva and apparently thought it was an intruder. He fired four shots through the door, killing her.

A lengthy and public trial followed, culminating in Pistorius being sentenced to five years in prison for culpable homicide in 2014. Two years later, the state appealed, and the conviction was overturned. He was then sentenced to 13 years in prison for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp.

WIFE HIRES HITMAN NAMED "MR. RESULTS" TO KILL UNFORTUNATE HUSBAND

Snellville, Georgia. Richard Schoeck was looking forward to Valentine's Day in 2010. He planned to meet his wife, Stacey, at a local park to exchange cards and gifts in a pleasant atmosphere. It was only their third wedding anniversary, and Richard was still quite excited. He loved his wife dearly and had even adopted her three children after becoming Stacey's fifth husband. But on that day, she didn't show up at the park.

To Richard's surprise, he was instead picked up by a man named Reginald Coleman, a personal trainer and part-time hitman who arrogantly referred to himself as "Mr. Results." Coleman promptly shot and killed Richard. The motive? Stacey hoped to collect the $500,000 life insurance payout. However, she never received it and was rightfully sentenced to prison.

To make matters worse, Stacey not only betrayed Richard but also posthumously accused him of molesting one of her sons. However, the child spoke up in Richard's defense during the trial, and the accusation was dropped. Stacey Schoeck is currently serving a life sentence.

CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY GIVES HIS WIFE A "BULLET" FOR VALENTINE'S DAY

When 39-year-old Baptist preacher Nathan Leuthold dialed emergency services on February 14, 2013, he informed the police that his family had been victims of a burglary. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Denise Leuthold—Nathan's wife—dead with a single, fatal gunshot wound to the head.

However, it didn't take long for investigators to realize that the mysterious "burglary" was actually a poorly executed ruse. The weapon used to kill Denise? Nathan's Glock. There were also rumors that Nathan was cheating on his wife with a woman half his age, fueled further by a revealing entry in the Leutholds' kitchen calendar: "I know you want me dead. Why humiliate me further by parading around with a 20-year-old?"

Things didn't look good for Nathan's defense. And that was before Illinois police discovered Google searches on Nathan's computer such as "how to knock someone unconscious by hitting them on the head" or "how to silence a gun."

In the end, he received an 80-year prison sentence for the murder. Nathan Leuthold will be missing many Valentine's Days to come...

YOUNG LOVERS BOUND, TORTURED, AND KILLED BY A TREE

College students Jesse McBane, 19, and Patricia Mann, 20, a young couple, were simply out for a walk on Valentine's Day in 1971. Little did they know that it would be the last walk they would ever take together. It wasn't until 13 days after they entered the wooded area in Durham, Orange County, North Carolina, that their lifeless bodies were discovered.

The couple was found fully clothed but roughly covered with leaves, bound and strangled. The evidence suggested that the killer or killers repeatedly tightened and loosened the ropes around their necks to torture them and prolong their deaths.

No one was ever apprehended for this heinous crime.

So, yeah... Have a lovely Valentine's Day, everyone!