A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more people, with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them.[1][2] The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines serial killing as 'a series of two or more murders, committed as separate events, usually, but not always, by one offender acting alone'.[2][3]
- American Serial Killers Timeline
- American Serial Killers 1800s
- Top 10 Serial Killers In America
- American Serial Killers Book
- American Serial Killers Never Caught
- American Serial Killers Netflix
- American Serial Killers Indiana
- The 7 Creepiest Serial Killers in American History. According to Martha Stout, in her book The Sociopath Next Door, 1 in 25 Americans is a sociopath who has no conscience.These are people who.
- American serial killer and rapist Ted Bundy was one of the most notorious criminals of the late 20th century, known to have killed at least 36 women in the 1970s.
- List of the most dreaded serial killers in American history. The list includes names such as Ted Bundy, Andrew Cunanan, Jeffrey Dahmer, Zodiac Killer and John Wayne Gacy.
- Some of the worst serial killers in history are accounted for here on the list of America's most famous serial killers. Perhaps infamous is a better description of these convicted killers, but as their murderous exploits have captured, and continue to capture, the attention of the public, they.
- Famous American serial killers list - a comprehensive list of known serial killers who were born or have operated in the US. Who are some famous serial murderers? Serial killers in the USA outnumber those in other countries on a per capita basis, but this data may be due to better law.
Identified serial killers[edit]
357 rows A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more people, with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines serial killing as 'a series of two or more murders, committed as separate events, usually, but not always, by one offender acting alone'.
Name | Years active | Proven victims | Possible victims | Status | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Edward J. Adams | 1920–1921 | 7 | 7 | Killed by police during shootout | Criminal who murdered seven people, including three policemen | [4] |
Rodney Alcala | 1971–1979 | 8 | 50–130 | Sentenced to death | Sometimes called the 'Dating Game Killer' because of his 1978 appearance on the television show The Dating Game in the midst of his murder spree | [5] |
Howard Allen | 1974–1987 | 3 | 3 | Incarcerated for 60 years | Death Sentence Commuted | [6][7] |
Quincy Allen | 2002 | 4 | 4 | Sentenced to death | [8] | |
Richard Angelo | 1987 | 4 | 10 | Sentenced to 50 years to life in prison | Long Island male nurse who poisoned patients in his care. | [9] |
William Dale Archerd | 1947–1966 | 3 | 6 | Died in prison | First person convicted of using insulin as a murder weapon | [10] |
Benjamin Atkins | 1991–1992 | 11 | 11 | Died in prison | Also known as the 'Woodward Corridor Killer' | [11] |
Joe Ball | 1936–1938 | 2 | 20 | Committed suicide to avoid apprehension | Known as the 'Alligator Man' | [12] |
Danny Barber | 1978–1980 | 4 | 4 | Executed 1999 | [13] | |
Velma Barfield | 1971–1978 | 1 | 6 | Executed 1984 | Barfield was the first woman in the United States to be executed after the 1976 resumption of capital punishment and the first since 1962. She was also the first woman to be executed by lethal injection. | [14] |
Cesar Barone | 1991–1993 | 4 | 4+ | Died in prison before he could be executed | Killed four women around the Portland area | [15] |
Herb Baumeister | 1980–1996 | 11 | 20 | Committed suicide while a fugitive | Responsible for murdering at least 11 victims who were found buried on his property | [16] |
Martha Beck | 1947–1949 | 3 | 20 | Executed 1951 | Along with accomplice Raymond Fernandez, became known as the 'Lonely Hearts Killers' | [17] |
Bender Family | 1869–1872 | 11 | 11+ | Unknown | Family of serial killers who lived and operated in Labette County, Kansas | |
Robert Berdella | 1984–1987 | 6 | 6+ | Died in prison | [18] | |
David Berkowitz | 1976–1977 | 6 | 6 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Also known as the 'Son of Sam' | [19] |
Kenneth Bianchi | 1977–1978 | 12 | 12 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Along with accomplice Angelo Buono Jr., known as the 'Hillside Stranglers' | [20] |
Richard Biegenwald | 1958–1983 | 6 | 11 | Died in prison | [21] | |
Jake Bird | 1930–1947 | 2 | 46 | Executed 1949 | Sentenced to death for the murders of two people; confessed to 44 other murders | [22] |
Arthur Gary Bishop | 1979–1983 | 5 | 5 | Executed 1988 | [23] | |
Lawrence Bittaker | 1979 | 5 | 5 | Sentenced to death | With accomplice Roy Norris known as the 'Tool Box Killers' | [24] |
John Bittrolff | 1993 | 2 | 4+ | Sentenced to 25 years to life | Suspect in Long Island serial killer case | [25] |
Terry Blair | 1982–2004 | 7 | 9 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Sentenced 25 years imprisonment for one murder, released on parole after serving 21 years and committed additional murders upon release | [26] |
Morris Bolber | 1930s–1938 | 114 | 114 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Russian immigrant; member of the Philadelphia poison ring | [27] |
William Bonin | 1979–1980 | 21 | 36+ | Executed 1996 | Known as the 'Freeway Killer'; was known to murder with several accomplices | [28] |
Dallen Bounds | 1999 | 4 | 4+ | Committed suicide to avoid apprehension | [29][30] | |
Gary Ray Bowles | 1994 | 6 | 25 | Executed 2019 | Targeted gay men in Florida, Georgia and Maryland | [31] |
William Bradford | 1984 | 2 | 28+ | Died in prison awaiting execution | Suspected of more murders due to his modus operandi of taking photographs of his victims | [32][33] |
Charlie Brandt | 1971–2004 | 3 | 6+ | Committed suicide to avoid apprehension | [34] | |
Robert Eugene Brashers | 1990–1998 | 3 | 3+ | Committed suicide before he could be arrested | Known as 'Mister Maroon' | [35] |
Briley Brothers | 1979 | 11 | 20 | Executed 1984 & 1985 | Three brothers and an accomplice responsible for 11 murders | [36] |
Debra Denise Brown | 1984 | 8 | 8 | Sentenced to death, commuted to life imprisonment | Accomplice of Alton Coleman | [37] |
Robert Charles Browne | 1970–1995 | 2 | 2+ | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Missionary convicted for two murders; confessed to murdering 49 women | [38] |
Jerry Brudos | 1968–1969 | 4 | 4+ | Died in prison | Known as the 'Lust Killer' and 'Shoe Fetish Slayer' | [39] |
Robert Anthony Buell | 1981–1983 | 2 | 3+ | Executed 2002 | [40] | |
Judy Buenoano | 1971–1983 | 3 | 3+ | Executed 1998 | Caught in 1983 after poisoning and car bombing a fiancée | [41] |
Thomas Bunday | 1979–1981 | 5 | 6 | Died in an intentional motorcycle crash | Never arrested, as he was released after interrogation on a technicality | [42] |
Carol M. Bundy | 1980 | 7 | 7 | Died in prison | With accomplice Doug Clark, known as the 'Sunset Strip Killers' | [43] |
Ted Bundy | 1961–1978 | 28 | 30+ | Executed 1989 | [44] | |
Angelo Buono Jr. | 1977–1978 | 9 | 10 | Died in prison | Along with accomplice Kenneth Bianchi, known as the 'Hillside Stranglers' | [45] |
Eugene Butler | 1900–1906 | 6 | 6 | Died in North Dakota State Hospital | Crimes discovered two years after his death | [46] |
Patty Cannon | 1802–1829 | 4 | 25+ | Died in prison awaiting trial | Gang leader who kidnapped slaves and free blacks to either sell or torture them | [47] |
Ricardo Caputo | 1971–1977 | 4 | 6 | Died in prison | [48] | |
Harvey Carignan | 1949–1974 | 2 | 5+ | Incarcerated 150 years | Known as the 'Want-Ad Killer'; escaped hanging for a 1949 killing on a technicality | [49] |
David Carpenter | 1979–1981 | 7 | 10+ | Sentenced to death | Also known as the 'Trailside Killer' | [50] |
Thomas D. Carr | 1860s–1869 | 1 | 15 | Executed 1870 | First legal execution in Belmont County, Ohio | [51] |
Michael Bear Carson | 1981–1983 | 3 | 12 | Sentenced to 75 years to life | [7] | |
Suzan Carson | 1981–1983 | 3 | 12 | Sentenced to 75 years to life | [52] | |
Steven David Catlin | 1976–1984 | 3 | 3 | Sentenced to death | [53] | |
Richard Chase | 1977–1978 | 6 | 6 | Committed suicide awaiting execution | Known as the 'Vampire of Sacramento' | [54] |
Thor Nis Christiansen | 1976–1979 | 4 | 4 | Murdered in prison by unknown assailant | [55][56] | |
Joseph Christopher | 1980–1981 | 12 | 12+ | Died in prison | Known as the 'Midtown Slasher' | [57] |
Doug Clark | 1980 | 7 | 7 | Sentenced to death | With accomplice Carol M. Bundy, known as the 'Sunset Strip Killers' | [58] |
Hadden Clark | 1986–1992 | 2 | 2+ | Sentenced to 70 years | Cannibal convicted of two murders; confessed to many more | [59] |
Ronald E. Clark | 1967 | 2 | 9 | Died in prison | [21] | |
Mary Clement | 1880–1885 | 4 | 4 | Released in 1886 | Luxembourgish immigrant who poisoned her family members with arsenic | [60] |
Alfred Leonard Cline | 1930–1945 | 9 | 11 | Died in prison | Murdered his wives with poisoned buttermilk after persuading them to will their possessions to his name. | [61] |
Cynthia Coffman | 1986 | 4 | 4 | Sentenced to death | Kidnapped four women by ATMs before accomplice strangled them | [62] |
Carroll Cole | 1948–1980 | 16 | 35 | Executed 1985 | [63] | |
Alton Coleman | 1984 | 8 | 8 | Executed 2002 | Multi-state killer who along with his accomplice murdered a man and injured another, murdered four women and three young girls, and raped a young girl | [37] |
Rory Enrique Conde | 1994–1995 | 6 | 6 | Sentenced to death | Known as the 'Tamiami Trail Strangler' | [64] |
Anthony Cook | 1973–1981 | 9 | 9+ | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Committed crimes with his brother Nathaniel Cook | [65] |
Nathaniel Cook | 1973–1981 | 9 | 9+ | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Committed crimes with his brother Anthony Cook | [65] |
Jessie Lee Cooks | 1973–1974 | 15 | 73+ | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Part of the 'Death Angels' cult responsible for the Zebra murders | [66] |
Faye Copeland | 1986–1989 | 5 | 12 | Died in prison awaiting execution | Along with her husband, Ray Copeland, the oldest couple ever sentenced to death in the United States | [67][68][69][70][71] |
Ray Copeland | 1986–1989 | 5 | 12 | Died in prison awaiting execution | Along with his wife, Faye Copeland, the oldest couple ever sentenced to death in the United States | [67][68][69][70][71] |
Dean Corll | 1970–1973 | 28 | 28+ | Killed by accomplice Elmer Wayne Henley | Crimes referred to as the 'Houston Mass Murders' | [72] |
Juan Corona | 1971 | 25 | 25+ | Sentenced to life imprisonment. Died in prison in 2019. | Majority of victims had been transient workers | [73][74] |
Daniel Lee Corwin | 1987 | 3 | 3 | Executed 1998 | Abducted and killed three women around Texas | [75] |
Tony Costa | 1968–1969 | 4 | 8 | Committed Suicide in prison | [76] | |
Richard Cottingham | 1967–1980 | 6 | 85–100 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Known variously as the 'Butcher of Times Square', the 'Torso Killer', the 'New York (city) Ripper', and the 'Times Square Torso Ripper' | [77][78][79] |
Juan Covington | 1998–2005 | 3 | 3 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | [80] | |
Scott William Cox | 1980s–1990 | 2 | 20+ | Granted parole in 2013 | [81] | |
Andre Crawford | 1993–1999 | 11 | 11 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | [82] | |
Mary Frances Creighton | 1920–1935 | 1 | 4 | Executed by electric chair | Poisoned her lover's wife; suspected of poisoning her mother in-law, father in-law, and younger brother | [83] |
Charles Cullen | 1988–2003 | 10 | 40+ | Incarcerated 127 years | A nurse in New Jersey and Pennsylvania | [84] |
Andrew Cunanan | 1997 | 5 | 5 | Committed suicide while a fugitive | [85] | |
Jeffrey Dahmer | 1978–1991 | 17 | 17 | Murdered by inmate Christopher Scarver | Milwaukee cannibal who retained various body parts of his victims | [86] |
Mike DeBardeleben | 1965–1983 | 0 | 8 | Died from pneumonia in prison | Also known as the 'Mall Passer'; convicted rapist and counterfeiter who kidnapped, raped, and tortured numerous women. Although never convicted of murder, Debardeleben is suspected to be behind the killings of at least 8 women. | [87] |
Samuel Dieteman | 2005–2006 | 8 | 8 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Accomplice Dale Hausner committed suicide in prison | [88] |
Thomas Dillon | 1989–1992 | 5 | 5+ | Died While Incarcerated | [89] | |
Westley Allan Dodd | 1989 | 3 | 3 | Executed 1993 | [90] | |
Ronald Dominique | 1997–2006 | 8 | 23+ | Sentenced to life imprisonment | [91] | |
Nannie Doss | 1927–1954 | 8 | 11 | Died in prison | Known as the 'Giggling Granny' and the 'Jolly Black Widow' | [92] |
Brian Dugan | 1983–1985 | 3 | 3 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | [93] | |
Joseph E. Duncan III | 1996–2005 | 5 | 7 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Raped at least 17 young boys and three young girls | [94][95] |
Paul Durousseau | 1997–2003 | 9 | 9+ | Sentenced to death (overturned on January 31, 2017; awaiting resentencing) | German authorities suspect Durousseau may have killed several local women when he was stationed there with the Army during the early 1990s. | [96] |
Dale Wayne Eaton | 1988, 2001 (known) c. 1983-1996 (suspected) | 2 | 11+ | Sentenced to death (overturned - awaiting resentencing hearing) | Eaton perpetrated the 1988 kidnapping, rape, and murder of 18-year-old Lisa Kimmell, a crime that went unsolved for 14 years. In 2004, he was convicted of Kimmell's murder and sentenced to death. Eaton's death sentence was overturned in 2014 and he is currently awaiting a new sentencing hearing. Although he has not been charged, Eaton is also suspected of being behind the killings of numerous women between 1983 and 1996, known as the 'Great Basin Murders'. In addition to Kimmell's murder, Eaton was also convicted for beating his cellmate to death in 2001 while incarcerated in federal prison on unrelated charges. | [97] |
Edward Edwards | 1977–1996 | 5 | 15 | Died in prison awaiting execution | Sentenced to death for shooting his foster son in 1996 insurance murder | [98][99] |
Mack Ray Edwards | 1953–1970 | 3 | 18 | Committed suicide awaiting execution | [100][101] | |
Walter E. Ellis | 1986–2007 | 7 | 7 | Died in prison | Known as the 'Milwaukee North Side Strangler' | [102] |
Scott Erskine | 1989–1993 | 3 | 3+ | Sentenced to death | [103][104] | |
Felipe Espinosa | 1863 | 32 | 32 | Killed by Tom Tobin | ||
Donald Leroy Evans | 1985–1991 | 3 | 70 | Died in prison; murdered by a fellow death row inmate | Suspected of another dozen murders but recanted his confessions to over 70 more | [105] |
Gary Evans | 1985–1997 | 5 | 5 | Committed suicide to avoid apprehension | [106] | |
Richard Evonitz | 1996–1997 | 3 | 3+ | Committed Suicide to avoid apprehension | [107] | |
Larry Eyler | 1982–1984 | 2 | 24 | Died in prison awaiting execution | Known as the 'Interstate Killer' | [108] |
Christine Falling | 1980–1982 | 6 | 6 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Epileptic who strangled infants because of voices in her head | [109] |
Neal Falls | ?–2015? | 0 | 10+ | Killed by intended victim | Suspected of killing up to 10 women before being killed in self defense. | [110] |
Maria Carina Favato | 1930s–1938 | 114 | 114 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Italian immigrant; member of the Philadelphia poison ring | [27] |
Carl Feigenbaum | 1888–1894 | 1 | 13+ | Executed 1896 | German sailor who murdered his landlord in 1894; allegedly responsible for murders in other countries, also suspect in the Jack the Ripper case. | [111] |
Raymond Fernandez | 1947–1949 | 3 | 20 | Executed 1951 | Along with accomplice Martha Beck, became known as the 'Lonely Hearts Killers' | [17] |
Albert Fish | 1924–1932 | 3 | 8+ | Executed 1936 | Also known as the 'Werewolf of Wysteria'. A sadist and pedophile who cannibalized several children. | [112] |
Lavinia Fisher | ?–1819? | 0 | Numerous | Executed 1820 | Along with her husband John was a member of a highway gang; allegedly killed travelers visiting her inn. | [113] |
Wayne Adam Ford | 1997–1998 | 4 | 4+ | Sentenced to death | [114][115] | |
Bobby Jack Fowler | 1973–1996 | 1 | 20 | Died in prison | Convicted of one murder, suspected of up to 20 more. | [116] |
Kendall Francois | 1996–1998 | 8 | 10+ | Died in prison | [118] | |
Joseph Paul Franklin | 1977–1980 | 11 | 22 | Executed 2013 | Also attempted to assassinate Larry Flynt and Vernon Jordan | [119] |
Lonnie David Franklin Jr. | 1985–2007 | 10 | 25+ | Sentenced to death | Known as 'Grim Sleeper'; charged after DNA evidence linked him with ten murders in Los Angeles since 1985 | [120] |
John Wayne Gacy | 1972–1978 | 33 | 33+ | Executed 1994 | Known as the 'Killer Clown' | [121][122] |
Gerald Gallego | 1978–1980 | 10 | 10 | Died awaiting execution | Accomplice Charlene Gallego released 1997 | [123] |
Michael Gargiulo | 1993–2008 | 3 | 10 | Awaiting capital murder trial | [124] | |
Carlton Gary | 1977–1978 | 7 | 7+ | Executed 2018 | [125] | |
Donald Henry Gaskins | 1953–1982 | 9 | 100+ | Executed 1991 | Convicted of nine murders; claimed to an author to have killed more than 100 | [126] |
Robin Gecht | 1981–1982 | 18 | 18 | Incarcerated for 120 years | Member of the satanic cult and organized crime group known as Ripper Crew or Chicago Rippers | [127] |
Ed Gein | 1954–1957 | 2 | 7 | Died while incarcerated at Mendota Mental Health Institute | Known as the 'Plainfield Ghoul'. Gein's life and crimes have inspired, at least in part, the novels/films, Psycho and The Silence of the Lambs, and the 1974 movie, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. | [129][130] |
Hubert Geralds | 1994–1995 | 5 | 5 | Sentenced to death; commuted to life imprisonment | Known as the 'Englewood Strangler' | [131] |
John Arthur Getreu | 1963–1974 | 1 | 3+ | Sentenced to 10 years in prison (1963) | Convicted of one murder in 1963, currently being investigated for possible crimes, prior to being identified as a suspect through GEDmatch in 1973 and 74 murders | [132] |
Janie Lou Gibbs | 1966–1967 | 5 | 5 | Died in prison | [133] | |
Mose Gibson | 1908–1920 | 3 | 7+ | Executed 1920 | Guilt has been questioned | [134] |
William Clyde Gibson | 2002–2012 | 3 | 3+ | Sentenced to death | [135] | |
Bertha Gifford | 1900–1928 | 3 | 17 | Died in Missouri State Hospital #4 | Found not guilty by reason of insanity | [136] |
Kristen Gilbert | 1989–1996 | 4 | 4 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Induced cardiac arrest in patients and would then respond to the coded emergency, often resuscitating the patients herself | [137] |
Amy Archer-Gilligan | 1910–1917 | 10 | 50 | Died in Connecticut Hospital for the Insane | Poisoned a husband and residents of her nursing home | [138] |
Sean Vincent Gillis | 1994–2004 | 8 | 8 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | [139][140] | |
Lorenzo Gilyard | 1977–1993 | 12 | 13 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Known as the 'Kansas City Strangler' | [141] |
Harvey Glatman | 1957–1958 | 3 | 4 | Executed 1959 | Known as the 'Lonely Hearts Killer'; lured women to pose for 'bondage photographs' | |
Billy Glaze | 1986–1987 | 3 | 20+ | Died in prison | Guilt has come into question by the discovery of DNA evidence excluding Glaze and implicating another man | [142] |
Billy Gohl | 1902–1910 | 2 | 100+ | Died in prison | Union official linked with the disappearances of over 40 sailors in Aberdeen, Washington in the early 20th century | [7] |
David Alan Gore | 1981–1983 | 6 | 6 | Executed 2012 | One of the pair known as the 'Killing Cousins' | [144] |
Mark Goudeau | 2005–2006 | 9 | 9 | Sentenced to death | Known as the 'Baseline Killer' | [145] |
Gwendolyn Graham | 1987 | 5 | 6 | Accomplice of Cathy Wood; sentenced to life imprisonment | [146][147] | |
Harrison Graham | 1986–1987 | 7 | 7 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | [148] | |
Shawn Grate | 2005–2016 | 2 | 5 | Sentenced to death | [149][150] | |
Dana Sue Gray | 1994 | 3 | 3 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Preyed on elderly women, murdering three; caught after a fourth intended victim survived and identified her | [151] |
Marvin Gray | 1971–1992 | 3 | 41 | Died in prison | Most dangerous prisoner in Colorado until his death; confessed to the murders of 41 people across 8 different states | [152] |
Ronald Gray | 1986–1987 | 4 | 4 | Sentenced to death | [153] | |
Larry Green | 1973–1974 | 15 | 73+ | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Part of the 'Death Angels' cult responsible for the Zebra murders | [66] |
Ricky Lee Green | 1985–1986 | 4 | 12 | Executed 1997 | Bisexual drifter; his wife helped in two of the murders | [154] |
Samuel Green | 1817–1821 | 2 | 2+ | Executed 1822 | [155] | |
Vaughn Greenwood | 1964–1975 | 11 | 11 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Known as the 'Skid Row Slasher' | [156] |
Belle Gunness | 1900–1908 | 25 | 40 | Unknown | Norwegian-born murder-for-profit killer who killed her suitors and children | [157] |
Anna Marie Hahn | 1933–1937 | 5 | 5 | Executed 1938 | German-born murder-for-profit killer who poisoned five elderly men | |
Lizzie Halliday | 1890s | 4 | 7 | Died in Matteawan State Hospital for the Criminally Insane | First woman sentenced to be executed by the electric chair | [158] |
William Henry Hance | 1977–1978 | 4 | 4 | Executed 1994 | Known as the 'Forces of Evil' | |
Robert Hansen | 1971–1983 | 17 | 21+ | Died in prison | Known as the 'Butcher Baker' | [159] |
Harpe brothers | 1797–1804 | 39 | 50+ | Murdered/executed | Brothers or cousins; America's first known serial killers | [160] |
Donald Harvey | 1970–1987 | 37 | 80 | Died in prison, killed by inmate James Elliott | Known as the 'Angel of Death' | [161] |
Charles Ray Hatcher | 1969–1982 | 2 | 16 | Committed suicide in prison | Convicted of two child murders in 1978 and 1982, also stabbed to death a fellow inmate and another man 20 years apart | [162] |
Dale Hausner | 2006 | 8 | 8 | Committed suicide in prison | Convicted of killing people in random drive-by shootings | [163] |
Harry T. Hayward | 1894 | 1 | 4 | Executed 1895 | [164] |