Unabomber and the 29 most famous serial killers in history

Serial killers, with their disturbing legacy of crimes, have captured the public’s attention over time. The psychology behind these people is complex and varies from case to case.. Their study and analysis provide a unique perspective on human behavior.

What distinguishes serial killers? Firstly, the number of homicides perpetrated, generally three or more in different places and times, presenting cooling periods. There are many cases around the world, but in this article we will talk about the most famous ones.

The most famous serial killers in history

A serial killer usually has a modus operandi and a pattern of behavior that allows it to select, “hunt” and kill its victims. In all cases it acts the same way. Do you know who the scariest serial killers in history are? Below, we present them to you.

1. Ted Kaczynski

Ted Kaczynski’s bombing campaign spanned 17 years.

Unabomber was a mathematician prodigy who He became an infamous serial bomber who murdered three people and injured 23 more between 1978 and 1995..

After studying at Harvard and teaching at the University of California at Berkeley, Kaczynski adopted a survival lifestyle in Montana. From there, he sent a series of bombs to universities and airlines. In 1995, he wrote a 35,000-word manifesto criticizing the problems of modern industrial society.

The FBI arrested him in 1996 and, in 1998, he was sentenced to life in prison. Kaczynski died in June 2023, apparently by suicide, at the Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina. His life and crimes have been the subject of multiple books and film adaptations.

2. Ted Bundy

As unpleasant as it may seem, Ted Bundy became something of a celebrity during and after the murder trials.

Ted Bundy was another of the most notable serial killers in American history. He was born on November 24, 1946 in Burlington, Vermont, and was executed by electric chair on January 24, 1989.

He was responsible for a series of murders and sexual assaults that occurred during the 1970s.. His victims were, for the most part, young and beautiful women, whom he seduced and then kidnapped to commit his crimes.

Bundy was a manipulative and charismatic serial killer. He used his attractive appearance and personal charm to gain the trust of his victims. Once he had them under his control, he took them to isolated places where he raped, tortured and killed them.

The true number of crimes he committed is unknown, but it is estimated that he was able to kill more than 30 women in various locations in the United States. He was first arrested in 1975 and managed to escape twice before being captured again in 1978. During his trial, he represented himself and became a media spectacle.

He was convicted of several murders and sentenced to death. This case gave rise to numerous books, documentaries, and films, contributing to his infamous reputation. Furthermore, his behavior and psychological profile have been studied by experts in criminology and forensic psychology; An example is the work published in Leisure Sciences.

3. Jeffrey Dahmer

A fellow inmate in Wisconsin murdered Dahmer in 1994.

Known as the Milwaukee Cannibal, this American committed a series of heinous crimes. It is estimated that, between 1978 and 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer committed around 17 homicides against men and boys. His crimes included acts of necrophilia and cannibalism.

Dahmer lured his victims by promising them money in exchange for having sex or watching pornography. Once they were in his apartment, he drugged them, abused them and then inflicted torture on them. He then mutilated and dismembered the bodies and, in some cases, kept the remains as souvenirs of his crimes.

4. John Wayne Gacy

The area surrounding Gacy’s home emitted a foul stench for years, but he claimed it was the result of a buildup of moisture.

John Wayne Gacy, also known as the Clown Killer, was an American serial criminal who operated in the Chicago area in the 1970s. He was born on March 17, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois, and was executed by lethal injection on March 10. May 1994.

Gacy carried out heinous crimes, being known for kidnapping, torturing, sexually abusing and murdering 33 young men and adolescents, most of them boys, between 1972 and 1978. His victims were buried on his property, in the basement and in other hidden places in his home..

His work as a clown at local events allowed him to access young people and gain their trust. Likewise, he took advantage of his charismatic appearance and influence to attract his victims, who were deceived with the promise of employment, money or favors.

He was arrested in December 1978, after one of his victims, Robert Piest, disappeared and evidence was found linking him to the case. During the search of his home, they discovered several bodies, many of which were partially or completely decomposed.

Gacy was put on trial in 1980 and convicted of multiple counts of murder and sexual assault.. He spent more than a decade on death row before being executed in 1994.

The story of John Wayne Gacy caused an impact on society, due to the brutality of his crimes and the fact that many of them occurred while he presented himself as a respectable member of the community.

5. Andrei Chikatilo

Chikatilo began his murders in 1978. His victims were young people he met at train stations.

Andrei Chikatilo was a Russian serial killer who operated from 1978 until his capture in 1990. He was born on October 16, 1936 in Sumy Oblast, Soviet Union, and was executed on February 14, 1994.

He was known as the Butcher of Rostov and the Rostov River Murderer., given the location of his crimes, which took place in that region of Russia. He is credited with the deaths of at least 53 women and children, although the real number is suspected to be much higher.

His victims were mostly children and young people, and his methods of murder included rape, strangulation and mutilation. This criminal He had a particular predilection for genital mutilation and the cannibalization of certain body parts..

For years, he managed to evade capture and his crimes terrorized the community. However, in 1990, they arrested him after finding evidence that linked him to the events. He was tried in 1992 and convicted of multiple counts of murder, rape and cannibalism.

6. Aileen Wuornos

Between 1989 and 1990, Aileen Wuornos killed at least seven middle-aged motorists. Her bodies were left on highways in Florida and southern Georgia.

Aileen Wuornos was an American serial killer who operated in Florida in the 1980s.. She was born on February 29, 1956 in Rochester, Michigan, and was executed by lethal injection on October 9, 2002.

Wuornos killed seven men, claiming self-defense during sexual encounters. She became involved in prostitution and claimed that her victims tried to sexually assault her.

However, evidence presented at his trial showed that some of the murders were premeditated and not self-defense. His case attracted the attention of the media, since He had a difficult life, marked by abuse, prostitution and crime. Therefore, the defense argued that his actions were the product of an altered mental state.

7. The Cromwell Street Killers

The West home, at 25 Cromwell Street, was razed in October 1996. The media dubbed it “the house of horrors.”

The Cromwell Street Killers refer to Fred and Rosemary West, a British couple responsible for a series of murders and sexual assaults that occurred in their home on Cromwell Street, England, during the 1970s and early 1980s.

The events perpetrated by the Wests are considered some of the most disturbing and brutal in the criminal history of the United Kingdom. The victims included his own daughter, Heather, as well as other young women lured to his home under various pretexts, such as employment or accommodation.

The crimes included sexual violence, torture and murder. The case came to light in 1994, when police began investigating allegations of sexual abuse in the West family.

As the investigation continued, evidence and testimony were uncovered that revealed the murders and horror at the Cromwell Street home. Fred West was arrested and committed suicide in prison on January 1, 1995; while Rosemary West was found guilty of ten murders and sentenced to life in prison.

8. Dorothea Puente

Dorotea murdered several elderly and mentally disabled people to later collect their social security checks.

Dorothea Puente was an American serial killer from Sacramento, California, in the 1980s. She gained the trust of elderly and vulnerable people by renting rooms in her home and offering them care and attention. But Behind her kind and motherly appearance, she hid a manipulative and dangerous personality..

They discovered his crimes in 1988, when they found human remains buried in his garden. It was determined that Puente murdered at least nine people and could have killed more. In 1993, she was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

During his trial, She was described as a cold and calculating woman who exploited the vulnerability of others for her personal benefit..

9. The Zodiac Killer

The most cited suspect in the case was Arthur Leigh Allen. However, his criminal responsibility was never corroborated.

This unidentified serial killer terrorized the San Francisco, California area during the 1960s. The nickname Zodiac Killer is derived from a series of letters he sent signed with a zodiac symbol..

He committed at least five confirmed crimes, although he claimed responsibility for many more. His victims were both men and women of different ages.

In addition to the homicides, this criminal sent coded letters to local newspapers, challenging investigators to decipher his message. Despite the efforts of police and amateur cryptographers, some of the missives have not yet been fully interpreted.

Even though the Zodiac Killer was never captured or definitively identified, extensive investigations have been conducted and several suspects have been proposed over the years. However, due to a lack of conclusive evidence and the passage of time, the case remains unsolved.

10. Richard Ramirez

In June 1984, Ramírez committed his first known murder of a 79-year-old widow.

Richard Ramírez, also known as the Night Stalker (the Stalker…