From all around the globe
These serial killers are far more terrifying than horror movie monsters, as their heinous crimes were very, very real. Their motives varied, some lacking any reason at all. Regardless, they left a trail of death and torture in their wake, targeting men, women, children, and even their own family members. These killers came from various backgrounds, ranging from prominent doctors to penniless drifters.
Brace yourself as we unveil the most treacherous serial killers in American history. Click on if you dare.
Known as the "Night Stalker," this individual was a serial killer who openly worships Satan. His modus operandi involved unlawfully entering his victims' residences, subjecting them to intense torture, and leaving pentagrams on the walls. Eventually, authorities apprehended him in 1985, following a year-long killing spree.
From 1978 to 1991, the infamous Milwaukee cannibal and serial killer murdered, dismembered, and cannibalized 17 boys. Dahmer's capture occurred when his next victim escaped and ran to the police. Merely two years into his sentence, Dahmer met his demise at the hands of a fellow inmate, who brutally beat him to death.
Ted Bundy, a notorious serial killer and rapist, gained notoriety for luring his victims from public places to isolated locations. Despite being captured, he managed to escape multiple times and continued his killing spree. In 1989, Bundy received the death penalty by electric chair.
Mutilating hitchhikers along the Southern coast, Gaskins claims to have killed 80 to 90 people. He was caught in 1975 when a fellow criminal told authorities he witnessed Gaskins murder two young men. While on death row in a high-security penitentiary, Gaskins was able to kill a fellow inmate, the only case of this kind in history. He was sentenced to death by electrocution in a South Carolina prison in 1991 at the age of 58.
The infamous "Co-ed Killer" from Santa Cruz gained notoriety for his heinous crimes. He brutally murdered six female hitchhikers in the region, in addition to his own mother and grandparents. His dark tale was portrayed in the Netflix series 'Mindhunter.'
In Calaveras County, CA, this serial killer pair tortured and killed their victims. One of them, Lake (pictured), committed suicide after being arrested in 1985. The other, Ng, initially got caught shoplifting but tried to escape to Canada. After a lengthy extradition process, he was eventually convicted in 1999.
This murderer, who committed a string of shootings in New York City during the summer of 1976, was nicknamed "Son of Sam" or the ".44 Caliber Killer."
Shore earned the moniker "Tourniquet Killer" as he emerged as the prime suspect in a string of murders occurring in a Texan field, roughly a mile from Interstate Highway 45.
The murderer allegedly poisoned elderly individuals in the nursing home she worked at, possibly for monetary reasons.
The duo gained infamy as the "Tool Box Killers" and used their van to lure women, subjecting them to torture and gruesome deaths. They faced charges in 1981. Bittaker (pictured) received a death sentence, but passed away while on death row. Norris avoided execution by testifying against Bittaker and was handed a 45-year prison term.
The killers in question became known as the "Hillside Stranglers" due to their abhorrent actions committed between 1977 and 1988. Their modus operandi involved strangling young women in the hills surrounding Los Angeles.
Between 1956 and 1958, an American murderer wrought havoc in Southern Scotland. The conclusive evidence of Manuel's guilt came to light when he was apprehended for using his victims' banknotes at nearby pubs. He ended the lives of 18 people and was ultimately executed at Barlinnie Prison, marking one of Scotland's final hangings prior to the abolishment of capital punishment.
By luring victims into his home on the promise of work, Gacy murdered 33 men and boys by strangulation. In Chicago, IL he kept the remains of his victims in his home before eventually disposing of them in the Des Plaines River. Gacy was executed by lethal injection in 1994.
This individual from Texas confessed to having murdered more than 70 people from 1985 to 1999. Sells was ultimately caught while attacking a 10-year-old girl in her bedroom, leaving her with severe wounds. However, the brave girl managed to alert her neighbors.
Ridgeway, apprehended in Washington State, admitted to murdering a minimum of 70 women in the '80s to the '90s. He gained the name "The Green River Killer" due to his disposal of his victims' remains in the Green River.
The Kansas serial killer, nicknamed "BTK" for bind, torture, and kill, terrorized the area by sending provocative letters to the police before hunting down and killing his victims. Although he seemed to vanish in 1988, Raider made a reappearance when he sent a floppy disk containing his familiar threats to the authorities. It was this development that ultimately led to his capture and subsequent charges.
This trio was responsible for a string of murders in Houston, TX from 1970 to 1973, which were known as the "Houston Mass Murders." The revelation of their 28 brutal slayings emerged after Henley fatally shot and killed Corll.
Mullin killed 13 people in various parts of California, including a friend from his high school days. He claimed that the voices in his head told him to commit these acts to prevent an imminent earthquake.
Operating within a hospital setting, this individual referred to himself as "The Angel of Death." Using painful poisons to allegedly end his patients' suffering, Harvey claims he murdered over 80 people.
Kearney gained infamy as "The Trash Bag Killer," causing chaos from 1965 until his capture in 1977.
Fernandez and Beck, accused of targeting people through lonely hearts ads in the newspaper, reportedly took the lives of more than 20 individuals between 1947 and 1949. However, they were officially charged for just one murder.
Between 1989 and 1993 in New Jersey, Rifkin probably murdered 17 drug addicts and sex workers.
Knowles, who admitted to murdering 35 people in a year-long killing spree in 1974, was fatally shot in the backseat of a police car while trying to flee after his capture.
Yates allegedly murdered 13 female sex workers in Washington, though was only convicted of killing two. In 2000, a break was finally made when Robert Lee Yates, a veteran and family man, was arrested for the murders.
"The Dark Strangler" was a notorious serial killer who targeted unmarried landladies. He would rent a room, then proceed to strangle the owner. In 1927, he was apprehended and ultimately executed.
Between 1885 and 1901, an estimated 30 individuals fell victim to this nurse, who later admitted her desire to become the most notorious murderer in history. Although she didn't fully achieve her aspiration, she managed to poison not only her patients but also her landlords and even her own foster sister.
From 1971 to 1983, Hansen was responsible for the brutal murders of at least 17 women in Alaska. The photo shows John Cusack depicting Robert Hansen in the film 'The Frozen Ground' released in 2013.
From 1997 to 2006, Dominique engaged in a series of assaults and murders of homosexual men whom he believed would be interested in exchanging money for sexual activity. At present, he is serving a total of eight consecutive life sentences.
Also referred to as "The Freeway Killer," Bonin murdered at least 21 young men on the highways of Southern California.
Williams has spent the last 40 years in prison, convicted of the murder of two men, while being found guilty of the murder of 22 children, also known as the Atlanta Child Murders, from 1979 to 1981. Even though he is still in prison, Williams is still trying to clear his name.
In Sutter County, CA, a ruthless serial killer claimed the lives of 25 migrant co-workers while working on a fruit ranch.
In 2000, Travis killed 17 women in Missouri within a span of two years. After a local news station covered his victims, he responded by sending a letter and a map indicating the location of the burial site.
See also: Serial killers: these are the men who claimed the most lives
Inside the minds of America's most notorious serial killers
Delving into the nation's dark fascination with murder mysteries and true crime
LIFESTYLE Crime
These serial killers are far more terrifying than horror movie monsters, as their heinous crimes were very, very real. Their motives varied, some lacking any reason at all. Regardless, they left a trail of death and torture in their wake, targeting men, women, children, and even their own family members. These killers came from various backgrounds, ranging from prominent doctors to penniless drifters.
Brace yourself as we unveil the most treacherous serial killers in American history. Click on if you dare.