The past few years have been pretty anxiety-inducing, but for some people, the pandemic, horrifying headlines, and “adulting” isn’t enough. There has been a lot more interest in true crime recently. A few years ago, being fascinated with serial killers and con men was a weird quirk; but nowadays, everyone has a true crime podcast that they can name as their favorite.

A lot of true crime content is focused on the most violent criminals: serial killers.

A serial killer, technically, is a person who commits three or more murders in the span of at least a month. Not all serial killers are men, but the ones we will spotlight are all men. But that’s about all these people have in common.

Serial killers may be charming and charismatic or people might have always felt like they were a little strange.

Serial killers may admit to their crimes, even claiming murders that they didn’t commit, or they might go to the grave proclaiming their innocence despite plenty of evidence against them.

Serial killers may evade the police for decades upon decades or they may be in and out of jail throughout their lifetimes until they are finally pinned down for multiple murders.

They might live in the shadows or live a double life with a wife, children, and a respectable job in the community - making the discovery of their crimes that much more nauseating and traumatic for their communities.

When you dive deeper into the mindset of these serial killers, you may just believe that evil is among us, but not everyone who learns about serial killers comes to this conclusion. Many serial killers were people who experienced abuse or high amounts of trauma in their early life. Maybe, some say, if they had been more closely monitored or recieved some sort of support from their communities, they wouldn’t have been so eager to stalk and kill.

And yet, there are some serial killers who simply kill because they want to. They kill because they can, because they have a desire that is unspeakable to most of the human population. Don’t plan on reading about these serial killers during your lunch break or before you head to bed. While some of these killers are simply fascinating, others have committed downright gruesome crimes of murder, sexual assault, dismemberment, and cannabalism.

If you have already explored the true crime genre, some of these names may be familiar to you. Some might surprise you. Some might make you sick. Either way, these are some of the most horrific and fascinating tales within the true crime world.

David BerkowitzGary RidgwayH.H. HolmesHarold ShipmanJeffrey DahmerJohn Wayne GacyLuis GaravitoSamuel LittleTed BundyEd GeinZodiac KillerAlbert FishBoston Strangler

David Berkowitz

Gary Ridgway

H.H. Holmes

Harold Shipman

Jeffrey Dahmer

John Wayne Gacy

Luis Garavito

Samuel Little

Ted Bundy

Ed Gein

Zodiac Killer

Albert Fish

Boston Strangler

The motive behind the “Son of Sam” murders appears to change every few years. Law enforcement or journalists can’t seem to get a straight answer out ofDavid Berkowitzabout his crimes. He killed six people and injured seven others between the years of 1976 and 1977, and the manhunt against him only intensified when he sent cryptic notes out to members of law enforcement.

When Berkowitz was finally caught as the Son of Sam, he admitted to the murders. His explanation wasn’t so cut-and-dry; he said a 6,000-year-old demonic dog told him to kill people. This story has changed, as well as stories about any other actors in the killings and whether or not Berkowitz has changed his ways and found religion. This case is certainly confusing; but to many people in the true crime world, that only makes it more intriguing.

Gary Ridgwayis better known as the Green River Killer. Similar to serial killer Ted Bundy, he committed dozens of murders in the Pacific Northwest, specifically the Seattle area. But Ridgway’s victims weren’t women in college - they were primarily sex workers and young runaways.

He managed to live a double life for decades as he got away with these murders, marrying three times and having one child. Even though similar task force members who had worked on Ted Bundy’s case also worked on the Green River Killer’s case, Ridgway was not identified as the Green River Killer until 2003. (He had, however, been a suspect in the case since 1987!) Was he particularly smart, or did other factors keep him out of prison? The debate continues to this day.

InH.H. Holmes’ 35 years of life, he certainly made a name for himself. This serial killer-slash-drugstore-owner built a “murder castle” with trap doors and trick rooms in which he may have killed up to 200 people during the 1893 World’s Fair. He got married four times. He conned people with multiple fake ailments and tonics. Before he was arrested and sent to prison, he lived on the run around the country, conducting multiple cases of insurance fraud and going on a killing spree. Some true crime experts believe that he was Jack the Ripper. The story of H.H. Holmes is fascinating, terrifying, wild, and makes you wonder just how much you could get away with in the late 1800s.

There are a number of reasons to be afraid of clowns, butJohn Wayne Gacyis among the most legitimate. Gacy, known as “The Killer Clown” in the true crime universe, didn’t commit his murders as Pogo the Clown. His role as a community leader and generally pleasant man, however, was a stark contrast to the man who murdered 29 boys and left their bodies lying around his property. The discovery of these bodies shocked the Chicago area and didn’t exactly help the reputation of clowns across the country.

The world’s most prolific serial killer may not be known, because so many serial killers admit to more (or fewer) murders than they actually commit. It is very likely, however, thatLuis Garavitois in the top three of this list, if not at the top itself. Garavito committed at least 100 murders of young boys in Colombia during the 1990s, but the true number could be closer to 300. An investigation is still ongoing to this day. Although the descriptions of the murders he committed against young boys are gruesome, the details about he evaded arrest (and how he is still alive today) are an interesting read that stick out in the true crime genre.

Dozens of murder cases that hadn’t moved in 20+ years finally made some progress (and were even closed) after a confession from serial killerSamuel Little. Little’s story was not as dramatic as Ted Bundy’s or the Green River Killer’s, despite killing more than those two men (or most serial killers in American history.) By targeting mainly women of color and sex workers, he managed to maintain a low profile until his arrest for an unrelated charge in 2012. He was convicted on a murder charge two years later, but it wasn’t until 2018 that his conversations with a Texas Ranger turned into a four-hour confession of gruesome murders throughout the 1970s, 80s, 90s, and early aughts. In total, Little had confessed to committing at least 84 murders.

When people think of serial killers, it’s not long before their mind recalls the name “Ted Bundy.” Ted Bundy went on a killing rampage throughout the mid-1970s, admitting to over 30 murders primarily in the Pacific Northwest. But there are many serial killers who have killed more people, made more shocking headlines, and spent many more years evading the police than Ted Bundy. So why is he such a popular figure in true crime?

Ed Gein, also known as The Butcher of Plainfield, was a graverobber, murderer, and potentially a cannibal. Although the low number of murders that he claimed does not classify him as a serial killer per se, his infamy will live on through the characters that he inspired.

Related posts:The Zodiac Killer (Serial Killer Biography)Samuel Little (Serial Killer Biography)Gary Ridgeway (Serial Killer Biography)Luis Garavito (Serial Killer Biography)Ted Bundy (Serial Killer Biography)

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