61 Notorious Serial Killers Whose Horrific Acts Gave Us The Chills

In the 1970s, John Wayne Gacy led an apparently everyday life as a successful Chicago businessman and a respected member of his community. But it wasn’t long before he was dubbed The Killer Clown due to his participation in charity and fundraising events where he would dress as a clown to entertain children. Gacy was arrested in 1978 after the police found the bodies of 33 young men and teenagers buried in the walls and basement of his home. He was convicted and executed by lethal injection in 1994.

With 49 victims (and many others suspected but never confirmed), the Green River Killer is the most prolific serial killer in the U.S. after Samuel Little. Most of Ridgway’s victims were sex workers and women in vulnerable circumstances, including teenage runaways. The press gave him his nickname after his first victims were found in the Green River around Seattle.

Ted Bundy was handsome, charismatic, and well-liked on the outside. But this facade merely masked a sadistic and sociopathic personality that would lead him to kill women and young girls during his reign as a murderer from 1974 to 1978. After years of denial, he confessed to killing more than 30 victims, but it’s believed that he may have actually killed more than 36 people across seven states. Ted Bundy was so cold-hearted that even one member of his last defense team described him as “the very definition of heartless evil.”

Who has never heard of him? Famous for eating and preserving body parts, Jeffrey Dahmer was caught after one of his victims managed to escape and lead the police back to his home. There, the police officers found some severed heads and proceeded with the arrest. Dahmer was later sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 17 boys and men. He was beaten to death in 1994 by a fellow inmate who swore God told him to do it.

Richard Ramirez’s murderous rampage in California in the 1980s earned him the reputation as one of the most famous American serial killers. He was arrested in 1985 and was convicted, among other crimes, for the murder of 13 people, for which he never showed any remorse. In 2021, Netflix released a documentary about him featuring first-person interviews, footage, reenactments, and original photos related to the case.

Active in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela in the ’90s, Luis Garavito confessed to killing at least 193 boys and teenagers, most of whom were homeless and came from poor neighborhoods. Despite his confession, which already makes him an incredibly prolific murderer, he’s suspected of killing more than 300 children. The Beast was charged with a 40-year sentence (the maximum allowed by Colombian law at the time), but this was later reduced to 22 years for helping the police find some of the bodies. He’ll be eligible for parole in 2023.

Frustrated by his chronic impotence, Andrei Chikatilo turned to violence to relieve his deep self-hatred. In 1978, he began to lure women and children from bus stops and train stations to abuse and murder them. He was finally caught by the Soviet police only several years later and was executed in 1994 for 52 murders, despite claiming he’d committed 56 killings.

Just by that nickname, you can imagine where this is going. Dr. Harold Shipman, a British general practitioner from Nottingham, is widely considered one of the worst serial killers in modern history by number of victims. Convicted of 15 murders, police estimate the actual number adds up to 250 people who died under his care between 1975 and 1998. He hanged himself in his cell in 2004.

A killer with no name. The Zodiac Killer is the pseudonym of an unidentified person who left behind a series of unsolved murders committed in Northern California in the late 1960s. The Zodiac Killer was the first to use his nickname in a series of threatening letters and cards he mailed to regional newspapers. The Zodiac Killer’s case has captured the country’s attention and inspired amateur detectives to try and crack the case.

Edmund Kemper, noted for being 6 feet 9 inches tall and having an IQ of 145, is responsible for killing his grandparents at the age of 15. After spending several years in a maximum security facility, his killing spree continued. He ended up killing his mother, her best friend, and several college students, for which he requested the death penalty during his trial. He instead received eight life sentences.

Brazilian convicted serial/spree killer known for pursuing and killing exclusively criminals as a teenager, between the age of 14 and 19, in particular an entire gang in response to the murder of his pregnant girlfriend. Officially sentenced for 71 murders but claiming to have killed over 100 drug dealers, r**ists, and murderers, he served 34 years in prison before his release in 2007. In 2011, Filho was imprisoned again on charges of inciting riot and deprivation of liberty while initially imprisoned and sentenced for to a further eight years of prison, before being released again in 2018 after seven years on good behavior. His victims included 47 prisoners (primarily r**ists) whom he murdered inside the prisons in which he was imprisoned.
Since his second release from prison in 2018, after announcing himself to be reformed from his self-declared vigilantism as a youth, and committed to not committing any more crimes, Filho is considered a Brazilian celebrity and YouTuber, maintaining a YouTube channel, commentating on modern crimes while educating the public that criminal acts are not something to be proud of.
Following Filho's initial planned 2003 release, author Jeff Lindsay began publishing a novel series about a fictional American serial killer of killers inspired by Filho, named Dexter Morgan.

American serial killer and s*x offender who was sentenced to death in California for five murders committed in the state between 1977 and 1979, and received an additional sentence of 25 years to life after pleading guilty to two homicides committed in New York in 1971 and 1977. While he has been conclusively linked to nine murders, Alcala's true number of victims remains unknown and could be much higher - authorities believe the actual number is as high as 130. Prosecutors have said that Alcala "toyed" with his victims, str**gling them until they lost consciousness, then waiting until they revived, sometimes repeating this process several times before finally killing them. One police detective described Alcala as "a killing machine," and others have compared him to Ted Bundy.

Norwegian-American serial killer who was active in Illinois and Indiana between 1884 and 1908. Gunness is thought to have killed at least fourteen people, most of whom were men she enticed to visit her rural Indiana property on the promise of marriage, while some sources speculate her involvement in as many as forty murders. Gunness seemingly died in a fire in 1908, but it is popularly believed that she faked her death. Her actual fate is unconfirmed. 
 

Colombian serial killer and child r**ist who murdered a minimum of 110 young girls from 1969 to 1980 and claimed to have murdered over 300 victims across Colombia, Peru and Ecuador. Released from a Colombian mental facility in 1998, his whereabouts are currently unknown. López became known as the Monster of the Andes in 1980, when he purportedly led police to 53 graves in Ecuador of girls between 9 and 12 years of age.

American murderer and body snatcher. Gein's crimes, committed around his hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin, gathered widespread notoriety in 1957 after authorities discovered he had exhumed corpses from local graveyards and fashioned trophies and keepsakes from their bones and skin. Gein also confessed to killing two women. He was found legally insane and was remanded to a psychiatric institution. He died at Mendota Mental Health Institute of respiratory failure.

Hungarian noblewoman and alleged serial killer from the family of Báthory, who owned land in the Kingdom of Hungary. Báthory and four of her servants were accused of torturing and killing hundreds of girls and women between 1590 and 1610. Her servants were put on trial and convicted, whereas Báthory was confined to her home. She was imprisoned within Castle of Csejte.

German serial killer and cann**al who killed and cann**alized dozens of homeless vagrants and travelers from 1903 to 1924. He is often regarded as The Forgotten Cann**al. Denke also kept a ledger recording his murders. He is also believed to have sold the flesh of his victims as meat to unsuspecting customers (advertised as pork).

American serial killer, r**ist, child mo**ster, and cann**al who was a suspect in at least five murders during his lifetime. He confessed to three murders that police were able to trace to a known homicide, and he confessed to stab**ng at least two other people. Fish once boasted that he "had children in every state", and at one time stated his number of victims was about 100. However, it is not known whether he was referring to rapes or cannibalization, nor is it known if the statement was truthful.

American serial killer. In 1989–1990, while engaging in street p***titution along highways in Florida, she sh*t dead and robbed seven of her male clients. Wuornos claimed that her clients had either r**ed or attempted to r*pe her, and that all of the homicides were committed in self-defense. Wuornos was sentenced to death for six of the murders and on October 9, 2002, after 12 years on Florida's death row, was executed by death row.

Hong Kong-born serial killer who committed numerous crimes in the United States. He is believed to have r**ed, tortured, and murdered between eleven and twenty-five victims with his accomplice Leonard Lake at Lake's cabin in Calaveras County, California, between 1983 and 1985. He is currently on death row at San Quentin State Prison.

The Moors murders were carried out by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley between July 1963 and October 1965, in and around Manchester, England. The victims were five children, aged between 10 and 17, at least four of whom were sexually assaulted. The pair were charged only for the murders three children and received life sentences under a whole life tariff.
Characterised by the press as "the most evil woman in Britain", Hindley made several appeals against her life sentence, claiming she was a reformed woman and no longer a danger to society, but was never released. She died in 2002, aged 60, after serving 36 years in prison.
Brady was diagnosed as a psychopath in 1985 and confined in the high-security Ashworth Hospital. He made it clear that he never wished to be released, and repeatedly asked to be allowed to die. He died in 2017, at Ashworth, aged 79.

English serial killer, who committed at least twelve murders between 1967 and 1987 in Gloucestershire, most of them with his second wife, Rose West. All the victims were young women. At least eight of these murders involved the Wests' sexual gratification and included r*pe, bondage, torture, and mutil***on; the victims' dismembered bodies were typically buried in the cellar or garden of the West residence in Gloucester, which became known as the "House of Horrors". Fred is known to have committed at least two murders on his own; Rose is known to have murdered Fred's stepdaughter, Charmaine. The couple were arrested and charged in 1994.

Russian serial killer who killed 17 elderly women in Sverdlovsk Oblast between 2002 and 2010. She would pretend to be a social worker to gain access to the homes of the women, where she would kill them with an axe or hammer, then rob the victim for whatever money she could find.

Nicknamed El Mataviejas (The Old Lady Killer), was a Spanish serial killer who r**ed and killed at least 16 elderly women, ranging in age from 61 to 93 years old, in and around Santander, Cantabria, between August 1987 and April 1988. Rodríguez Vega was diagnosed as a psychopath who was a fastidiously neat individual. His killing was well organized in that he would first identify a victim, then observe her until he was familiar with every aspect of her routine. He would then make contact with the victim, try to gain her trust, using his charm and looks, until he gained access to her home, often under the guise of doing work to or around her home.

American serial killer, bank robber, burglar, arsonist, kidnapper, r**ist, and necroph**e who murdered a minimum of three victims across the United States from June 2011 to February 2012. While awaiting trial, Keyes committed su**ide by hanging. Keyes targeted random people all across the United States to avoid detection with months of planning before he committed a particular crime. 

American mass murderer who killed eight student nurses in their South Deering, Chicago, residence via stab***g, strangling, slas***g their throats, or a combination of the three on the night of July 13–14, 1966. One victim was also r**ed prior to her murder. A ninth potential victim, student nurse Corazon Amurao, survived by hiding beneath a bed. Speck died of a heart attack while incarcerated at Stateville Correctional Center on the eve of his 50th birthday.

American  serial killer who confessed to murdering up to 40 patients during the course of his 16-year career as a nurse in New Jersey. However, in subsequent interviews with police, psychiatrists, and journalists, it became apparent that he had killed many more, whom he could not specifically remember by name though he could often remember details of their murders. Experts have estimated that Cullen may ultimately have been responsible for 400 deaths, which would make him the most prolific serial killer in recorded history. He has 29 confirmed victims. On March 2, 2006, Cullen was sentenced to eleven consecutive life sentences by Judge Armstrong in New Jersey, and he is not eligible for parole until 2388.

American serial killer and pederast who abducted, raped, tortured, and murdered a minimum of 28 teenage boys and young men between 1970 and 1973 in Houston and Pasadena, Texas. He was aided by two teenaged accomplices, David Owen Brooks and Elmer Wayne Henley. The crimes, which became known as the Houston Mass Murders, came to light after Henley fatally shot Corll. Upon discovery, it was considered the worst example of serial murder in U.S. history.

American serial killer, zooph**e, p**rast, child mo**ster and necroph**e who murdered a minimum of 21 men and boys from 1962 to 1977 in southern California. Kearney may be among the most prolific serial killers in U.S. history, claiming possibly as many as 43 victims according to law enforcement.

Austrian serial killer who committed murder in several countries – Austria, West Germany, Czechoslovakia, and the United States. Initially convicted in 1974 of a single murder, Unterweger began to write extensively while in prison. His work gained the attention of the Austrian literary elite, who took it as evidence that he had been rehabilitated. After significant lobbying, Unterweger was released on parole in 1990. Upon his release, he became a minor celebrity and worked as a playwright and journalist, but within months he resumed killing women. Unterweger hanged himself in prison after being convicted of nine more murders in June 1994.

American spree killer who murdered five people over three months from April 27 to July 15, 1997. His victims include Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace and Chicago real estate developer Lee Miglin. Cunanan committed su**ide on July 23, 1997, eight days after murdering Versace.

American drifter and serial killer who was convicted of six counts of murder. Like his companion Henry Lee Lucas, Toole made confessions that he later recanted, which resulted in murder convictions. The discrediting of the case against Lucas for crimes for which Toole had offered corroborating statements created doubts as to whether either was a genuine serial killer or both were merely compliant interviewees who police used to clear unsolved murders from the books.

American serial killer tied to the deaths of 18 people in 1974, though he claimed to have taken 35 lives. 

American serial killer who, Between 1974 and 1991, killed ten people in Wichita and Park City, Kansas, and sent taunting letters to police and media outlets describing the details of his crimes. After a decade-long hiatus, Rader resumed sending letters in 2004, leading to his 2005 arrest and subsequent guilty plea. He is currently serving ten consecutive life sentences at the El Dorado Correctional Facility.

American serial killer who confessed to murdering 93 women between 1970 and 2005. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)'s Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP) has confirmed Little's involvement in at least 60 of the 93 confessed murders, the largest number of confirmed victims for any serial killer in United States history. On September 25, 2014, Little was found guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of parole.

American convicted murderer who is serving life imprisonment for the 1981 killing of two men in Atlanta, Georgia, and is believed to be responsible for at least 24 of the 30 Atlanta murders of 1979–1981, also known as the Atlanta Child Murders. He was never tried for the other murders (mostly of children). 

American serial killer, kidnapper, and r**ist. He is known for the 1977-79 Hillside Strangler murders committed with his cousin Angelo Buono Jr., as well as for murdering two more women in Washington by himself. Bianchi is currently serving a sentence of life imprisonment in Washington State Penitentiary for these crimes.

South African serial killer and r**ist who committed the ABC Murders, so named because they began in Atteridgeville, continued in Boksburg and finished in Cleveland, a suburb of Johannesburg. Sithole murdered at least thirty-seven women and one toddler between 16 July 1994 and 6 November 1995. He received a total effective sentence of 2,410 years. 

American r**ist and serial killer in Boston, Massachusetts, who purportedly confessed to being the "Boston Strangler," the murderer of thirteen women in the Boston area from 1962 to 1964. In 1967, DeSalvo was imprisoned for life for committing a series of r**es.

American serial killer, ra**st, p***rast, arsonist, robber, and burglar. In prison confessions and in his autobiography, Panzram confessed to having committed 21 murders, most of which could not be corroborated. He also confessed to having committed more than 1,000 acts of s**omy on boys and men. After a series of imprisonments and escapes, he was executed in 1930 for the murder of a prison employee at Leavenworth Federal Prison.
Only five of Panzram's confessed murders could be confirmed; however, he is suspected to have killed more than 100 men in total in the United States alone, as well as several murders overseas. He was quoted as saying "The only way to reform a man is to kill him."

German serial killer who committed the sexual assault, murder, mutil**ion and dism**berment of at least twenty-four young men and boys between 1918 and 1924 in the city of Hanover. Haarmann was found guilty of twenty-four of the twenty-seven murders for which he was tried and sentenced to death by beheading in December 1924.

American serial killer who killed 13 people in California in the early 1970s. He confessed to the killings, which he claimed prevented earthquakes. In 1973, after a trial to determine whether he was insane or culpable, he was convicted of two murders in the first-degree and nine in the second-degree, and sentenced to life imprisonment. During his imprisonment, he was denied parole eight times.

English serial child killer who was convicted of murdering four children, attempting to murder three other children, and causing grievous bodily harm to a further six. The crimes were committed over a period of 59 days from February to April 1991 in the children's ward at Grantham and Kesteven Hospital, Lincolnshire, where Allitt was employed as a State Enrolled Nurse. She allegedly administered large doses of insulin to at least two of her victims, and a large air bubble was found in the body of another, but police were unable to establish how all the attacks were carried out. She received thirteen life sentences for the crimes.

Unidentified serial killer active in the impoverished districts in and around Whitechapel in the East End of London in 1888. Attacks ascribed to Jack the Ripper typically involved female prost***tes who lived and worked in the slums of the East End of London.
The name "Jack the Ripper" originated in a letter written by an individual claiming to be the murderer that was disseminated in the media. The letter is widely believed to have been a hoax and may have been written by journalists to heighten interest in the story and increase their newspapers' circulation. The "From Hell" letter received by George Lusk of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee came with half of a preserved human kidney, purportedly taken from one of the victims. The public came increasingly to believe in a single serial killer known as Jack the Ripper, mainly because of both the extraordinarily brutal nature of the murders and media coverage of the crimes.

American serial killer, serial r**ist, burglar, and former police officer who committed at least 13 murders, 51 r**es, and 120 burglaries across California between 1974 and 1986. He is responsible for at least three separate crime sprees throughout the state, each of which spawned a different nickname in the press, before it became evident that they were committed by the same person. On August 21, 2020, DeAngelo was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Also known as the Son of Sam, an American serial killer who pleaded guilty to eight shootings that began in New York City on July 29, 1976. Berkowitz eluded the biggest police manhunt in the city's history while leaving letters that mocked the police and promised further crimes, which were highly publicized by the press. He claimed to have been obeying the orders of a demon manifested in the form of a dog belonging to his neighbor "Sam". After being found mentally competent to stand trial, he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to six consecutive life sentences in state prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years. He subsequently admitted that the dog-and-devil story was a hoax.
During the mid-1990s Berkowitz, by then professing to be a converted evangelical Christian, amended his confession to claim that he had been a member of a violent Satanic cult that orchestrated the incidents as ritual murder. A new investigation of the murders began in 1996 but was suspended indefinitely after inconclusive findings.

Scottish serial killer and necroph**e who murdered at least twelve young men and boys between 1978 and 1983 in London. Convicted at the Old Bailey of six counts of murder and two of attempted murder, Nilsen was sentenced to life imprisonment on 4 November 1983, with a recommendation that he serve a minimum of 25 years. This recommendation was later changed to a whole life tariff in December 1994. In his later years, Nilsen was imprisoned at Full Sutton maximum security prison.