List of serial killers in the United States
Updated: 5/20/2026, 8:01:41 PM Wikipedia source
A serial killer is typically a person who kills 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 murder as "a series of two or more murders, committed as separate events, usually, but not always, by one offender acting alone". The United States has by far the largest number of documented serial killers in the world. According to Radford University's Serial Killer Information Center, it has more documented serial killers than the next ten highest countries on the list combined.
Tables
· Identified serial killers
Ables, Tony
Ables, Tony
Name
Ables, Tony
Years
active
1970–1990
Proven
victims
4
Possible
victims
4+
Fate
Sentenced to life imprisonment
Notes
Murdered robbery victim; paroled and later killed at least three women in St. Petersburg, Florida
Acevedo, Francisco
Acevedo, Francisco
Name
Acevedo, Francisco
Years
active
1989–1996
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
3
Fate
Sentenced to 75 years to life
Notes
Strangled three prostitutes in New York between 1989 and 1996
Adams, Edward James
Adams, Edward James
Name
Adams, Edward James
Years
active
1920–1921
Proven
victims
7
Possible
victims
7
Fate
Killed by police
Notes
Murdered seven people, including three policemen
Adams, Stanley Theodore
Adams, Stanley Theodore
Name
Adams, Stanley Theodore
Years
active
1999
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
5+
Fate
Sentenced to death
Notes
Murdered three people between August and October 1999, and suspected for at least two more killings
Agrue, John
Agrue, John
Name
Agrue, John
Years
active
1966–1982
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
3+
Fate
Died in 2009
Notes
Killed his sister-in-law in Illinois; paroled and moved to Colorado, where he killed two more women
Albanese, Charles
Albanese, Charles
Name
Albanese, Charles
Years
active
1980–1981
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
3
Fate
Executed 1995
Notes
Poisoned family members with arsenic in Fox Lake, Illinois to receive their inheritance
Alcala, Rodney
Alcala, Rodney
Name
Alcala, Rodney
Years
active
1971–1979
Proven
victims
8
Possible
victims
50–130+
Fate
Died in prison awaiting execution
Notes
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
Alix, Franklin DeWayne
Alix, Franklin DeWayne
Name
Alix, Franklin DeWayne
Years
active
1997–1998
Proven
victims
4
Possible
victims
4
Fate
Executed 2010
Notes
Murdered people in Houston, Texas, during robberies
Allen, Herman
Allen, Herman
Name
Allen, Herman
Years
active
1930–1942
Proven
victims
4
Possible
victims
4
Fate
Executed 1942
Notes
Killed a lodger in 1930; after release, he killed three more people in a fit of jealousy
Allen, Howard
Allen, Howard
Name
Allen, Howard
Years
active
1974–1987
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
3
Fate
Died in prison
Notes
Targeted elderly victims during burglaries in Indiana
Allen, Quincy
Allen, Quincy
Name
Allen, Quincy
Years
active
2002
Proven
victims
4
Possible
victims
4
Fate
Sentenced to death; commuted to life imprisonment
Notes
Murdered four people in North and South Carolina between July–August 2002
Allridge, Ronald
Allridge, Ronald
Name
Allridge, Ronald
Years
active
1976–1985
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
3
Fate
Executed 1995
Notes
Murdered people in Fort Worth, Texas, in robberies alongside his brother
Alston, Robert Sylvester
Alston, Robert Sylvester
Name
Alston, Robert Sylvester
Years
active
1991–1993
Proven
victims
4
Possible
victims
6
Fate
Sentenced to life imprisonment
Notes
Raped and strangled prostitutes and drug addicts around Greensboro, North Carolina, dismembering their bodies post-mortem
Anderson, Joshua
Anderson, Joshua
Name
Anderson, Joshua
Years
active
2006–2007
Proven
victims
4
Possible
victims
5
Fate
Sentenced to life imprisonment
Notes
Fatally shot at least four people in Tulsa, Oklahoma, cannibalizing one, in a series of robbery and revenge-related murders.
Anderson, Stephen Wayne
Anderson, Stephen Wayne
Name
Anderson, Stephen Wayne
Years
active
1977–1980
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
3
Fate
Executed 2002
Notes
Murdered three people, including one while incarcerated at Utah State Prison and two as a prison escapee
Andrews, Patrick
Andrews, Patrick
Name
Andrews, Patrick
Years
active
1997–2007
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
3
Fate
Sentenced to life imprisonment
Notes
Killed three people between 1997 and 2007, including one while incarcerated at USP Hazelton
Angelo, Richard
Angelo, Richard
Name
Angelo, Richard
Years
active
1987
Proven
victims
4
Possible
victims
10
Fate
Sentenced to 61 years to life
Notes
Long Island nurse who poisoned patients in his care
Archerd, William Dale
Archerd, William Dale
Name
Archerd, William Dale
Years
active
1947–1966
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
6
Fate
Died in prison
Notes
First person convicted of using insulin as a murder weapon
Archer-Gilligan, Amy
Archer-Gilligan, Amy
Name
Archer-Gilligan, Amy
Years
active
1910–1917
Proven
victims
10
Possible
victims
50
Fate
Died in Connecticut Hospital for the Insane
Notes
Poisoned a husband and residents of her nursing home in Windsor, Connecticut
Arguelles, Roberto
Arguelles, Roberto
Name
Arguelles, Roberto
Years
active
1992
Proven
victims
4
Possible
victims
4+
Fate
Died in prison
Notes
Known as "The Salt Lake City Strangler"; violent sex offender who kidnapped and murdered women and girls
Armstrong, John Eric
Armstrong, John Eric
Name
Armstrong, John Eric
Years
active
1999–2000
Proven
victims
5
Possible
victims
18
Fate
Sentenced to life imprisonment
Notes
Navy sailor convicted for murdering five prostitutes in Michigan and Illinois. Confessed to eleven additional murders in East Asia during the 1990s, which were not confirmed.
Atkins, Benjamin
Atkins, Benjamin
Name
Atkins, Benjamin
Years
active
1991–1992
Proven
victims
11
Possible
victims
11
Fate
Died in prison
Notes
Known as "The Woodward Corridor Killer"; serial rapist who preyed on women in Highland Park and Detroit, Michigan
Atkins, Joseph
Atkins, Joseph
Name
Atkins, Joseph
Years
active
1969–1985
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
3
Fate
Executed 1999
Notes
Murdered his half-brother; paroled, and later murdered his adoptive father and a neighboring couple's daughter during a drunken shooting spree
Avalos, Johnny
Avalos, Johnny
Name
Avalos, Johnny
Years
active
2012–2015
Proven
victims
5
Possible
victims
5
Fate
Sentenced to life imprisonment
Notes
Raped and strangled women in San Antonio, Texas
Avila-Torrez, Jorge
Avila-Torrez, Jorge
Name
Avila-Torrez, Jorge
Years
active
2005–2009
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
3
Fate
Sentenced to death; commuted to life imprisonment
Notes
Murdered two underage girls in 2005 in Illinois and a 20-year-old Navy Petty Officer in Virginia in 2009
Balaam, Anthony
Balaam, Anthony
Name
Balaam, Anthony
Years
active
1994–1996
Proven
victims
4
Possible
victims
4
Fate
Sentenced to life imprisonment
Notes
Known as "The Trenton Strangler"; raped and murdered four women in Trenton, New Jersey
Baldi, Joseph
Baldi, Joseph
Name
Baldi, Joseph
Years
active
1970–1972
Proven
victims
4
Possible
victims
4
Fate
Died in prison
Notes
Known as "The Queens Creeper"; mentally-ill burglar who stabbed women to death in the Jamaica, Queens neighborhood after breaking into their apartments
Baldwin, Clark Perry
Baldwin, Clark Perry
Name
Baldwin, Clark Perry
Years
active
1991–1992
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
6+
Fate
Died in prison
Notes
Long-haul trucker linked via DNA to the murders of three women in Wyoming and Tennessee
Barber, Danny
Barber, Danny
Name
Barber, Danny
Years
active
1978–1980
Proven
victims
4
Possible
victims
4
Fate
Executed 1999
Notes
Murdered three women and one man in Dallas County, Texas, having sex with the corpses of two of his victims
Barfield, Velma
Barfield, Velma
Name
Barfield, Velma
Years
active
1971–1978
Proven
victims
7
Possible
victims
7
Fate
Executed 1984
Notes
North Carolina serial poisoner who 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.
Barnes, James Antonio
Barnes, James Antonio
Name
Barnes, James Antonio
Years
active
1988
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
7
Fate
Released in 2016
Notes
Mentally-ill factory worker who shot and killed prostitutes around Memphis
Barone, Cesar
Barone, Cesar
Name
Barone, Cesar
Years
active
1991–1993
Proven
victims
5
Possible
victims
7+
Fate
Died in prison awaiting execution
Notes
Killed women around the Portland area and sexually assaulted a number of others
Barr, Charles
Barr, Charles
Name
Barr, Charles
Years
active
1923
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
3
Fate
Executed 1926
Notes
Known as "The Petting Party Bandit"; shot couples in lovers' lanes in Memphis during robberies
Barrett, Eugene
Barrett, Eugene
Name
Barrett, Eugene
Years
active
1959–1995
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
3
Fate
Died in prison
Notes
Killed three women he was romantically involved with in Honolulu, Hawaii
Bartlett, Polly
Bartlett, Polly
Name
Bartlett, Polly
Years
active
1868
Proven
victims
22
Possible
victims
22
Fate
Murdered in police custody
Notes
Wyoming's first serial killer before it was a state. Innkeeper who poisoned her rich male patrons with arsenic to rob them with her father Jim. Was arrested by a would-be victim from a bounty on her head, then shot dead while in jail by an employee of her last victim's father.
Baumeister, Herb
Baumeister, Herb
Name
Baumeister, Herb
Years
active
1980–1996
Proven
victims
11
Possible
victims
20
Fate
Committed suicide to avoid arrest
Notes
Responsible for murdering at least eleven victims who were found buried on his property in Westfield, Indiana
Baxter, Patrick
Baxter, Patrick
Name
Baxter, Patrick
Years
active
1987–1990
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
3
Fate
Sentenced to life imprisonment
Notes
Raped and murdered one girl and two women in Westchester County, New York
Beach, Richard
Beach, Richard
Name
Beach, Richard
Years
active
1999
Proven
victims
5
Possible
victims
5
Fate
Sentenced to life imprisonment
Notes
Murdered five men in Kansas City, Missouri because of drug use in his house
Beardslee, Donald
Beardslee, Donald
Name
Beardslee, Donald
Years
active
1969–1981
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
3
Fate
Executed 2005
Notes
Murdered a woman in Missouri; paroled, and later murdered two more women on separate occasions in California
Beasley, Richard
Beasley, Richard
Name
Beasley, Richard
Years
active
2011
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
3
Fate
Sentenced to death
Notes
Murdered three men after luring them with online advertisements of fake job offers
Beck, Martha
Beck, Martha
Name
Beck, Martha
Years
active
1947–1949
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
20
Fate
Executed 1951
Notes
With accomplice Raymond Fernandez, became known as "The Lonely Hearts Killers"
Bell, Cimarron
Bell, Cimarron
Name
Bell, Cimarron
Years
active
2003–2004
Proven
victims
4
Possible
victims
4
Fate
Sentenced to death
Notes
Shot his girlfriend, and then a trio of men in financially motivated schemes
Bell, Larry Gene
Bell, Larry Gene
Name
Bell, Larry Gene
Years
active
1984–1985
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
4+
Fate
Executed 1996
Notes
Abducted, raped and murdered women in the Carolinas, then made taunting phone calls to their families
Bender Family
Bender Family
Name
Bender Family
Years
active
1869–1872
Proven
victims
11
Possible
victims
11+
Fate
Unknown
Notes
Family of serial killers who lived and operated in Labette County, Kansas
Berdella, Robert
Berdella, Robert
Name
Berdella, Robert
Years
active
1984–1987
Proven
victims
6
Possible
victims
6
Fate
Died in prison
Notes
Known as "The Kansas City Butcher" and "The Collector"; kidnapped, raped, tortured, and murdered young men in Missouri
Berkowitz, David
Berkowitz, David
Name
Berkowitz, David
Years
active
1976–1977
Proven
victims
6
Possible
victims
6
Fate
Sentenced to life imprisonment
Notes
Known as "The Son of Sam" and the " Caliber Killer"; shot eight random strangers, killing six, in and around New York City
Betterton, Monroe
Betterton, Monroe
Name
Betterton, Monroe
Years
active
1904–1919
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
3
Fate
Executed 1920
Notes
Murdered his wives in Missouri and Oklahoma during violent arguments
Bianchi, Kenneth
Bianchi, Kenneth
Name
Bianchi, Kenneth
Years
active
1977–1978
Proven
victims
12
Possible
victims
12
Fate
Sentenced to life imprisonment
Notes
With accomplice Angelo Buono Jr., known as "The Hillside Stranglers". Murdered young women in Los Angeles and Washington
Bible, Danny
Bible, Danny
Name
Bible, Danny
Years
active
1979–1983
Proven
victims
4
Possible
victims
4
Fate
Executed 2018
Notes
Known as "The Ice Pick Killer"; serial rapist who raped and murdered a neighbor, then committed a triple murder four years later
Biegenwald, Richard
Biegenwald, Richard
Name
Biegenwald, Richard
Years
active
1958–1983
Proven
victims
6
Possible
victims
11
Fate
Died in prison
Notes
Active in New Jersey, suspected in at least two other murders
Biehler, Robert
Biehler, Robert
Name
Biehler, Robert
Years
active
1966–1973
Proven
victims
4
Possible
victims
4
Fate
Died in prison
Notes
Career criminal who shot four people in Los Angeles to cover up other crimes
Bird, Jake
Bird, Jake
Name
Bird, Jake
Years
active
1930–1947
Proven
victims
13
Possible
victims
46
Fate
Executed 1949
Notes
Sentenced to death for the murders of two people; confessed to forty-four other murders
Bishop, Arthur Gary
Bishop, Arthur Gary
Name
Bishop, Arthur Gary
Years
active
1979–1983
Proven
victims
5
Possible
victims
5
Fate
Executed 1988
Notes
Preyed on young boys in Utah between 1979 and 1983
Bittaker, Lawrence
Bittaker, Lawrence
Name
Bittaker, Lawrence
Years
active
1979
Proven
victims
5
Possible
victims
5
Fate
Died in prison awaiting execution
Notes
With accomplice Roy Norris known as "The Tool Box Killers"; kidnapped, sexually assaulted, tortured and murdered teenage girls in Los Angeles County, California
Bixler, Rodney Troy
Bixler, Rodney Troy
Name
Bixler, Rodney Troy
Years
active
2000
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
4
Fate
Sentenced to 40 years in prison
Notes
Strangled three women in Kentucky in 2000
Bladel, Rudy
Bladel, Rudy
Name
Bladel, Rudy
Years
active
1963–1978
Proven
victims
7
Possible
victims
7
Fate
Died while incarcerated at Henry Ford Allegiance Health
Notes
Known as "The Railway Killer"; his case was part of Michigan v. Jackson, which was later overruled by the Supreme Court
Blair, Terry
Blair, Terry
Name
Blair, Terry
Years
active
1982–2004
Proven
victims
7
Possible
victims
9
Fate
Died in prison
Notes
Sentenced to 25 years in prison for one murder, released on parole after serving 21 years and committed additional murders upon release
Blake, Eugene
Blake, Eugene
Name
Blake, Eugene
Years
active
1967–1984
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
3
Fate
Sentenced to life imprisonment
Notes
Murdered a girl during an unprovoked attack; later paroled and committed two additional murders across Ohio and West Virginia
Blank, Daniel
Blank, Daniel
Name
Blank, Daniel
Years
active
1996–1997
Proven
victims
6
Possible
victims
6
Fate
Sentenced to death
Notes
Murdered six people between 1996 and 1997 in River Parishes, Louisiana
Bloomfield, Clifton
Bloomfield, Clifton
Name
Bloomfield, Clifton
Years
active
2005–2008
Proven
victims
5
Possible
victims
5
Fate
Sentenced to life imprisonment
Notes
Movie extra who murdered five people in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Bolin, Oscar Ray
Bolin, Oscar Ray
Name
Bolin, Oscar Ray
Years
active
1986–1987
Proven
victims
4
Possible
victims
4+
Fate
Executed 2016
Notes
Murdered three women in Florida and a fourth woman in Texas
Boatman, Leo
Boatman, Leo
Name
Boatman, Leo
Years
active
2003–2019
Proven
victims
4
Possible
victims
4
Fate
Sentenced to death
Notes
Murdered two campers in 2006, plus two prisoners between 2010 and 2019, all in Florida
Bolsinger, John Charles
Bolsinger, John Charles
Name
Bolsinger, John Charles
Years
active
1980–1988
Proven
victims
4
Possible
victims
4
Fate
Committed suicide in custody
Notes
Convicted of manslaughter in Utah in 1980; posthumously linked to three rapes and murders in Eugene, Oregon
Bonin, William
Bonin, William
Name
Bonin, William
Years
active
1979–1980
Proven
victims
21
Possible
victims
36+
Fate
Executed 1996
Notes
Known as "The Freeway Killer"; preyed on young men and boys in Southern California with several accomplices
Bounds, Dallen
Bounds, Dallen
Name
Bounds, Dallen
Years
active
1999
Proven
victims
4
Possible
victims
4
Fate
Committed suicide to avoid arrest
Notes
Murdered acquaintances around South Carolina
Bowles, Gary Ray
Bowles, Gary Ray
Name
Bowles, Gary Ray
Years
active
1994
Proven
victims
6
Possible
victims
6+
Fate
Executed 2019
Notes
Known as "The I-95 Killer"; targeted gay men in Florida, Georgia and Maryland
Boyd, Charles Anthony
Boyd, Charles Anthony
Name
Boyd, Charles Anthony
Years
active
1986–1987
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
3
Fate
Executed 1999
Notes
Known as "The Bathroom Slayer"; preyed on women living in the same apartment building in North Dallas he was living in with his brother at the time
Bradley, James Opelton
Bradley, James Opelton
Name
Bradley, James Opelton
Years
active
1988–2014
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
3
Fate
Sentenced to life imprisonment
Notes
Murdered his stepdaughter; paroled, and later murdered two women
Brandt, Charlie
Brandt, Charlie
Name
Brandt, Charlie
Years
active
1971–2004
Proven
victims
4
Possible
victims
7+
Fate
Committed suicide to avoid arrest
Notes
Shot his parents in 1971 when he was 13, killing his pregnant mother; stabbed his wife and niece to death in 2004
Brant, Joseph
Brant, Joseph
Name
Brant, Joseph
Years
active
2007–2008
Proven
victims
4
Possible
victims
4+
Fate
Sentenced to life imprisonment
Notes
Killed at least four women in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
Brashers, Robert Eugene
Brashers, Robert Eugene
Name
Brashers, Robert Eugene
Years
active
1990–1998
Proven
victims
8
Possible
victims
8+
Fate
Committed suicide to avoid arrest
Notes
Known as "Mister Maroon"; serial rapist who murdered at least eight women and girls in Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, and Texas, including four in the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders.
Bright, Larry
Bright, Larry
Name
Bright, Larry
Years
active
2003–2004
Proven
victims
8
Possible
victims
8+
Fate
Sentenced to life imprisonment
Notes
Known as "The Bonecrusher"; strangled black prostitutes at his house in Peoria, burning some of them afterwards
Britt, Eugene
Britt, Eugene
Name
Britt, Eugene
Years
active
1995
Proven
victims
7
Possible
victims
10
Fate
Sentenced to life imprisonment
Notes
Raped and murdered girls and women in Gary and Portage, Indiana
Briley Brothers
Briley Brothers
Name
Briley Brothers
Years
active
1979
Proven
victims
12
Possible
victims
21
Fate
Executed 1984/1985 (Linwood and James)
Sentenced to life imprisonment (Anthony)
Notes
Three brothers and an accomplice responsible for eleven murders
Broadnax, Donald
Broadnax, Donald
Name
Broadnax, Donald
Years
active
1977–1996
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
3
Fate
Sentenced to death
Notes
Shot his friend to death; later murdered his wife and her grandson while out on work release
Brockelhurst, Lester
Brockelhurst, Lester
Name
Brockelhurst, Lester
Years
active
1937
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
3+
Fate
Executed 1938
Notes
Robbed and murdered men across three states
Brooks, Shelly
Brooks, Shelly
Name
Brooks, Shelly
Years
active
2001–2006
Proven
victims
7
Possible
victims
20+
Fate
Sentenced to life imprisonment
Notes
Raped and murdered middle aged women around Detroit, Michigan
Brown, Curtis Don
Brown, Curtis Don
Name
Brown, Curtis Don
Years
active
1985–1986
Proven
victims
3
Possible
victims
18
Fate
Sentenced to life imprisonment
Notes
Murdered three women around Arlington and Fort Worth, Texas between 1985 and 1986; suspected of up to eighteen murders.
Brown, Debra Denise
Brown, Debra Denise
Name
Brown, Debra Denise
Years
active
1984
Proven
victims
8
Possible
victims
8
Fate
Sentenced to death; commuted to life imprisonment
Notes
Accomplice of Alton Coleman
| Name | Years active | Proven victims | Possible victims | Fate | Notes | Ref. |
| Ables, Tony | 1970–1990 | 4 | 4+ | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Murdered robbery victim; paroled and later killed at least three women in St. Petersburg, Florida | |
| Acevedo, Francisco | 1989–1996 | 3 | 3 | Sentenced to 75 years to life | Strangled three prostitutes in New York between 1989 and 1996 | |
| Adams, Edward James | 1920–1921 | 7 | 7 | Killed by police | Murdered seven people, including three policemen | |
| Adams, Stanley Theodore | 1999 | 3 | 5+ | Sentenced to death | Murdered three people between August and October 1999, and suspected for at least two more killings | |
| Agrue, John | 1966–1982 | 3 | 3+ | Died in 2009 | Killed his sister-in-law in Illinois; paroled and moved to Colorado, where he killed two more women | |
| Albanese, Charles | 1980–1981 | 3 | 3 | Executed 1995 | Poisoned family members with arsenic in Fox Lake, Illinois to receive their inheritance | |
| Alcala, Rodney | 1971–1979 | 8 | 50–130+ | Died in prison awaiting execution | 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 | |
| Alix, Franklin DeWayne | 1997–1998 | 4 | 4 | Executed 2010 | Murdered people in Houston, Texas, during robberies | |
| Allen, Herman | 1930–1942 | 4 | 4 | Executed 1942 | Killed a lodger in 1930; after release, he killed three more people in a fit of jealousy | |
| Allen, Howard | 1974–1987 | 3 | 3 | Died in prison | Targeted elderly victims during burglaries in Indiana | |
| Allen, Quincy | 2002 | 4 | 4 | Sentenced to death; commuted to life imprisonment | Murdered four people in North and South Carolina between July–August 2002 | |
| Allridge, Ronald | 1976–1985 | 3 | 3 | Executed 1995 | Murdered people in Fort Worth, Texas, in robberies alongside his brother | |
| Alston, Robert Sylvester | 1991–1993 | 4 | 6 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Raped and strangled prostitutes and drug addicts around Greensboro, North Carolina, dismembering their bodies post-mortem | |
| Anderson, Joshua | 2006–2007 | 4 | 5 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Fatally shot at least four people in Tulsa, Oklahoma, cannibalizing one, in a series of robbery and revenge-related murders. | |
| Anderson, Stephen Wayne | 1977–1980 | 3 | 3 | Executed 2002 | Murdered three people, including one while incarcerated at Utah State Prison and two as a prison escapee | |
| Andrews, Patrick | 1997–2007 | 3 | 3 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Killed three people between 1997 and 2007, including one while incarcerated at USP Hazelton | |
| Angelo, Richard | 1987 | 4 | 10 | Sentenced to 61 years to life | Long Island nurse who poisoned patients in his care | |
| Archerd, William Dale | 1947–1966 | 3 | 6 | Died in prison | First person convicted of using insulin as a murder weapon | |
| Archer-Gilligan, Amy | 1910–1917 | 10 | 50 | Died in Connecticut Hospital for the Insane | Poisoned a husband and residents of her nursing home in Windsor, Connecticut | |
| Arguelles, Roberto | 1992 | 4 | 4+ | Died in prison | Known as "The Salt Lake City Strangler"; violent sex offender who kidnapped and murdered women and girls | |
| Armstrong, John Eric | 1999–2000 | 5 | 18 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Navy sailor convicted for murdering five prostitutes in Michigan and Illinois. Confessed to eleven additional murders in East Asia during the 1990s, which were not confirmed. | |
| Atkins, Benjamin | 1991–1992 | 11 | 11 | Died in prison | Known as "The Woodward Corridor Killer"; serial rapist who preyed on women in Highland Park and Detroit, Michigan | |
| Atkins, Joseph | 1969–1985 | 3 | 3 | Executed 1999 | Murdered his half-brother; paroled, and later murdered his adoptive father and a neighboring couple's daughter during a drunken shooting spree | |
| Avalos, Johnny | 2012–2015 | 5 | 5 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Raped and strangled women in San Antonio, Texas | |
| Avila-Torrez, Jorge | 2005–2009 | 3 | 3 | Sentenced to death; commuted to life imprisonment | Murdered two underage girls in 2005 in Illinois and a 20-year-old Navy Petty Officer in Virginia in 2009 | |
| Balaam, Anthony | 1994–1996 | 4 | 4 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Known as "The Trenton Strangler"; raped and murdered four women in Trenton, New Jersey | |
| Baldi, Joseph | 1970–1972 | 4 | 4 | Died in prison | Known as "The Queens Creeper"; mentally-ill burglar who stabbed women to death in the Jamaica, Queens neighborhood after breaking into their apartments | |
| Baldwin, Clark Perry | 1991–1992 | 3 | 6+ | Died in prison | Long-haul trucker linked via DNA to the murders of three women in Wyoming and Tennessee | |
| Barber, Danny | 1978–1980 | 4 | 4 | Executed 1999 | Murdered three women and one man in Dallas County, Texas, having sex with the corpses of two of his victims | |
| Barfield, Velma | 1971–1978 | 7 | 7 | Executed 1984 | North Carolina serial poisoner who 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. | |
| Barnes, James Antonio | 1988 | 3 | 7 | Released in 2016 | Mentally-ill factory worker who shot and killed prostitutes around Memphis | |
| Barone, Cesar | 1991–1993 | 5 | 7+ | Died in prison awaiting execution | Killed women around the Portland area and sexually assaulted a number of others | |
| Barr, Charles | 1923 | 3 | 3 | Executed 1926 | Known as "The Petting Party Bandit"; shot couples in lovers' lanes in Memphis during robberies | |
| Barrett, Eugene | 1959–1995 | 3 | 3 | Died in prison | Killed three women he was romantically involved with in Honolulu, Hawaii | |
| Bartlett, Polly | 1868 | 22 | 22 | Murdered in police custody | Wyoming's first serial killer before it was a state. Innkeeper who poisoned her rich male patrons with arsenic to rob them with her father Jim. Was arrested by a would-be victim from a bounty on her head, then shot dead while in jail by an employee of her last victim's father. | |
| Baumeister, Herb | 1980–1996 | 11 | 20 | Committed suicide to avoid arrest | Responsible for murdering at least eleven victims who were found buried on his property in Westfield, Indiana | |
| Baxter, Patrick | 1987–1990 | 3 | 3 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Raped and murdered one girl and two women in Westchester County, New York | |
| Beach, Richard | 1999 | 5 | 5 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Murdered five men in Kansas City, Missouri because of drug use in his house | |
| Beardslee, Donald | 1969–1981 | 3 | 3 | Executed 2005 | Murdered a woman in Missouri; paroled, and later murdered two more women on separate occasions in California | |
| Beasley, Richard | 2011 | 3 | 3 | Sentenced to death | Murdered three men after luring them with online advertisements of fake job offers | |
| Beck, Martha | 1947–1949 | 3 | 20 | Executed 1951 | With accomplice Raymond Fernandez, became known as "The Lonely Hearts Killers" | |
| Bell, Cimarron | 2003–2004 | 4 | 4 | Sentenced to death | Shot his girlfriend, and then a trio of men in financially motivated schemes | |
| Bell, Larry Gene | 1984–1985 | 3 | 4+ | Executed 1996 | Abducted, raped and murdered women in the Carolinas, then made taunting phone calls to their families | |
| Bender Family | 1869–1872 | 11 | 11+ | Unknown | Family of serial killers who lived and operated in Labette County, Kansas | |
| Berdella, Robert | 1984–1987 | 6 | 6 | Died in prison | Known as "The Kansas City Butcher" and "The Collector"; kidnapped, raped, tortured, and murdered young men in Missouri | |
| Berkowitz, David | 1976–1977 | 6 | 6 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | Known as "The Son of Sam" and the " Caliber Killer"; shot eight random strangers, killing six, in and around New York City | |
| Betterton, Monroe | 1904–1919 | 3 | 3 | Executed 1920 | Murdered his wives in Missouri and Oklahoma during violent arguments | |
| Bianchi, Kenneth | 1977–1978 | 12 | 12 | Sentenced to life imprisonment | With accomplice Angelo Buono Jr., known as "The Hillside Stranglers". Murdered young women in Los Angeles and Washington | |
| Bible, Danny | 1979–1983 | 4 | 4 | Executed 2018 | Known as "The Ice Pick Killer"; serial rapist who raped and murdered a neighbor, then committed a triple murder four years later |
· Unidentified serial killers
Alphabet murders
Alphabet murders
Name
Alphabet murders
Years active
1971–1973
Proven victims
3
Possible victims
3
Region where active
NY
Notes
Also known as the "Double Initial Murders"; murders of three young girls in the Rochester, New York area in the early 1970s
Ann Arbor Hospital murders
Ann Arbor Hospital murders
Name
Ann Arbor Hospital murders
Years active
1975
Proven victims
10
Possible victims
10
Region where active
MI
Notes
Poisonings of ten patients at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in 1975. Two nurses, Filipina Narciso and Leonora Perez, were convicted but a new trial was ordered because of prosecutorial misconduct. The prosecution chose to drop the charges rather than retry.
Atlanta child murders
Atlanta child murders
Name
Atlanta child murders
Years active
1979–1981
Proven victims
28
Possible victims
30
Region where active
GA
Notes
A series of murders committed in Atlanta, Georgia, between July 1979 and May 1981. Over the two-year period, at least twenty-eight children, adolescents, and adults were killed. Wayne Williams was charged and sentenced for the two adult murders, with twenty-four of the other murders attributed to him.
Atlanta Lover's Lane Murders
Atlanta Lover's Lane Murders
Name
Atlanta Lover's Lane Murders
Years active
1977
Proven victims
3
Possible victims
3
Region where active
GA
Notes
A series of unsolved shootings of couples in Atlanta from January to March 1977
Atlanta Ripper
Atlanta Ripper
Name
Atlanta Ripper
Years active
1911
Proven victims
15
Possible victims
15–21
Region where active
GA
Notes
Mystery murderer(s) of fifteen Atlanta women in 1911
Axeman of New Orleans
Axeman of New Orleans
Name
Axeman of New Orleans
Years active
1918–1919
Proven victims
6
Possible victims
6
Region where active
LA
Notes
Responsible for the deaths of at least six people and the injuries of six to fourteen people in New Orleans and the surrounding areas from 1918 to 1919
Bag murders
Bag murders
Name
Bag murders
Years active
1975–1977
Proven victims
6
Possible victims
6
Region where active
NY
Notes
Murders and dismemberment of gay men in Lower Manhattan, whose body parts were wrapped in garbage bags and thrown into the Hudson River; convicted murderer Paul Bateson was a prime suspect in the killings, but never charged
Bigfoot Killer
Bigfoot Killer
Name
Bigfoot Killer
Years active
1975
Proven victims
7
Possible victims
7
Region where active
MI
Notes
Raped and murdered sex workers in Detroit; nicknamed derived from the suspect's large hands and feet
Boca Raton murders
Boca Raton murders
Name
Boca Raton murders
Years active
2007
Proven victims
3
Possible victims
3
Region where active
FL
Notes
Three unsolved murders of women committed at the Town Center Mall in Boca Raton, Florida in 2007
Boston Strangler
Boston Strangler
Name
Boston Strangler
Years active
1962–1964
Proven victims
13
Possible victims
13
Region where active
MA
Notes
1960s deaths of thirteen women (five young, eight older), mostly with their own stockings as ligature. Albert DeSalvo confessed to the murders, but was never indicted; DNA evidence tested in 2013 suggested his guilt in one of the cases
Bouncing Ball Killer
Bouncing Ball Killer
Name
Bouncing Ball Killer
Years active
1959–1960
Proven victims
6
Possible victims
7+
Region where active
CA
Notes
Series of murders targeted towards elderly women in Los Angeles; convicted murderer Raymond Ward Clemmons confessed to the murders, but he was never charged due to a lie detector proving he was being untruthful
Bra murders
Bra murders
Name
Bra murders
Years active
1967–1971
Proven victims
5
Possible victims
5
Region where active
CT
Notes
Strangulations of five sex workers in Stamford, Connecticut; schizophrenic preacher Benjamin Franklin Miller was prosecuted for the crimes, but acquitted by reason of insanity, leaving his true guilt in question
Castration serial murders
Castration serial murders
Name
Castration serial murders
Years active
1980–1986
Proven victims
2
Possible victims
5+
Region where active
WY, PA, UT, GA, CT
Notes
Series of murders of men who were shot in the back of the head and then castrated post-mortem
Charlie Chop-off
Charlie Chop-off
Name
Charlie Chop-off
Years active
1972–1974
Proven victims
4
Possible victims
4
Region where active
NY
Notes
Murders of five boys in Manhattan in 1972 and 1973. A mental patient confessed to one slashing death. Four stabbings also involving mutilation remain unsolved
Chicago Strangler
Chicago Strangler
Name
Chicago Strangler
Years active
2001–2021
Proven victims
55
Possible victims
75+
Region where active
IL
Notes
Raped and strangled predominantly African-American prostitutes and other vulnerable women in Chicago; could possibly be multiple serial killers
Cincinnati Strangler
Cincinnati Strangler
Name
Cincinnati Strangler
Years active
1965–1966
Proven victims
7
Possible victims
7
Region where active
OH
Notes
Raped and strangled seven mostly elderly women in Cincinnati, Ohio, between 1965 and 1966; Cab driver Posteal Laskey Jr. is commonly believed to be culprit
Cleveland Torso Murderer
Cleveland Torso Murderer
Name
Cleveland Torso Murderer
Years active
1935–1938
Proven victims
12
Possible victims
20+
Region where active
OH, possibly PA and CA
Notes
Also known as the "Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run"; responsible for 12–13 murders in the Cleveland, Ohio area in the 1930s
Colonial Parkway Killer
Colonial Parkway Killer
Name
Colonial Parkway Killer
Years active
1986–1989
Proven victims
8
Possible victims
8
Region where active
VA
Notes
Believed to have murdered at least eight people in Virginia between 1986 and 1989; left three couples dead and one couple missing and presumed dead. In January 2024, authorities announced that at least two of the murders had been conclusively linked to an official suspect, Alan W. Wilmer Sr., a local fisherman who died in 2017. Wilmer was also iden
Columbus murders
Columbus murders
Name
Columbus murders
Years active
1965–1966
Proven victims
3
Possible victims
3
Region where active
OH
Notes
Three fatal shootings committed in Columbus and West Jefferson
Connecticut River Valley Killer
Connecticut River Valley Killer
Name
Connecticut River Valley Killer
Years active
1978–1987
Proven victims
7
Possible victims
7+
Region where active
MA, NH, VT
Notes
Stabbed at least six women to death in New England in the 1980s, severely injured one
Cumminsville Killer
Cumminsville Killer
Name
Cumminsville Killer
Years active
1904–1910
Proven victims
5
Possible victims
5
Region where active
OH
Notes
Murdered and mutilated women in the Cincinnati neighborhood of South Cumminsville
Dayton Strangler
Dayton Strangler
Name
Dayton Strangler
Years active
1900–1909
Proven victims
6
Possible victims
6
Region where active
OH
Notes
Murdered five women and one man in Dayton, Ohio, in the early 20th century; one man was wrongfully convicted for the murders
Denver Prostitute Killer
Denver Prostitute Killer
Name
Denver Prostitute Killer
Years active
1975–1995
Proven victims
17
Possible victims
27
Region where active
CO
Notes
Abducted, raped and strangled young girls and women around Denver and its various suburbs
Denver Strangler
Denver Strangler
Name
Denver Strangler
Years active
1894–1903
Proven victims
3
Possible victims
5
Region where active
CO
Notes
Strangled three prostitutes in Denver in ten weeks; also thought to be responsible in two more murders
Doodler
Doodler
Name
Doodler
Years active
1974–1975
Proven victims
6
Possible victims
16
Region where active
CA
Notes
Sketched then stabbed to death gay men in San Francisco, California in the 1970s
Dr. No
Dr. No
Name
Dr. No
Years active
1981–1990
Proven victims
9
Possible victims
9+
Region where active
OH, IL, NY, PA
Notes
Suspected of raping and strangling prostitutes alongside the Interstate 71; his first suspected victim is Marcia King, who was identified in 2018. Samuel Legg III, a trucker, has been arrested and charged but thus far (as of 2020) is incompetent to stand trial. He is receiving psychiatric treatment while they try to restore competency.
Eastbound Strangler
Eastbound Strangler
Name
Eastbound Strangler
Years active
2006
Proven victims
4
Possible victims
4
Region where active
NJ
Notes
Murdered four women near Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 2006.
Edgecombe County serial killer
Edgecombe County serial killer
Name
Edgecombe County serial killer
Years active
2005–2009
Proven victims
10
Possible victims
11
Region where active
NC
Notes
Murders of nine women and disappearance of another since 2005 around Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Antwan Pittman has been convicted in one case
Essex County prostitute killings
Essex County prostitute killings
Name
Essex County prostitute killings
Years active
1993–1998
Proven victims
14
Possible victims
15
Region where active
NJ
Notes
Murders of at least fourteen women involved with prostitution in Essex County, New Jersey. Multiple perpetrators are suspected, and in 1998 Harrison Hogue was arrested for one of the murders but was ruled incompetent to stand trial.
Flat-Tire murders
Flat-Tire murders
Name
Flat-Tire murders
Years active
1975–1976
Proven victims
12
Possible victims
35
Region where active
FL
Notes
Killed young girls and women in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties by offering help with fixing their car tires, before he sexually assaulted them and drowned them in canals
Flint Serial Slasher
Flint Serial Slasher
Name
Flint Serial Slasher
Years active
2009–2010
Proven victims
5
Possible victims
5
Region where active
MI, OH, VA
Notes
Stabbing attacks against mostly small-framed African-American men, with the main area being Flint, Michigan; an Israeli national, Elias Abuelazam, has been convicted in one of the murders and remains the prime suspect in the other four
Fort Myers Eight murders
Fort Myers Eight murders
Name
Fort Myers Eight murders
Years active
Mid-1990s
Proven victims
8
Possible victims
8
Region where active
FL
Notes
The remains of eight adult men discovered murdered in a wooded area in Fort Myers, Florida, on March 23, 2007. The men are believed to have been at the location since the mid-1990s. Convicted murderer and serial rapist Daniel Conahan has been named as the prime suspect
Frankford Slasher
Frankford Slasher
Name
Frankford Slasher
Years active
1985–1990
Proven victims
8
Possible victims
9
Region where active
PA
Notes
Allegedly responsible for nine murders in the Frankford neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Leonard Christopher was convicted of one murder; another murder was committed in same style while he was incarcerated; believed to still be at large
Freeway Phantom
Freeway Phantom
Name
Freeway Phantom
Years active
1971–1972
Proven victims
6
Possible victims
6
Region where active
DC
Notes
Raped and strangled six young women and girls in Washington, D ., in the early 1970s, dumping their bodies by freeways
Gold Sock Killer
Gold Sock Killer
Name
Gold Sock Killer
Years active
1973
Proven victims
3
Possible victims
3
Region where active
FL
Notes
Strangled a woman and two teenage girls with socks in Broward County, Florida between July and August.
Golden Years Murders
Golden Years Murders
Name
Golden Years Murders
Years active
1990–1996
Proven victims
13
Possible victims
13+
Region where active
VA
Notes
Murders of elderly women in Richmond, Virginia; murderer Leslie Burchart was convicted for some of the killings, but his guilt is disputed
Great Basin Killer
Great Basin Killer
Name
Great Basin Killer
Years active
1983–1997
Proven victims
4
Possible victims
4+
Region where active
WY, UT, NV, ID
Notes
Allegedly responsible for the "Great Basin Murders", in which young girls and women were raped and killed across the Great Basin area; initially consisting of nine supposed murders, those have since been solved and attributed to different perpetrators
Gulf Killer
Gulf Killer
Name
Gulf Killer
Years active
1971–1979
Proven victims
16
Possible victims
16+
Region where active
FL
Notes
A series of unsolved murders that occurred primarily in Pasco County, Florida in the 1970s; likely multiple killers
Gypsy Hill killings
Gypsy Hill killings
Name
Gypsy Hill killings
Years active
1976
Proven victims
5
Possible victims
5+
Region where active
CA
Notes
Known as the "San Mateo slasher"; five unsolved killings, of young women in San Mateo County, California, during early 1976; in 2014, the FBI named Rodney Halbower as a person of interest in the Gypsy Hill killings; as of 2018, he has been convicted in two of the murders
Hog Trail Murders
Hog Trail Murders
Name
Hog Trail Murders
Years active
1993–1996
Proven victims
6
Possible victims
11
Region where active
FL
Notes
Mutilated bodies of young men found in Charlotte County, Florida; thought to be linked to Daniel Conahan, who was charged and convicted of one of the murders
Harbor City serial shootings
Harbor City serial shootings
Name
Harbor City serial shootings
Years active
1993
Proven victims
3
Possible victims
3
Region where active
CA
Notes
Shot four black men from his Jeep, three of them fatally
Honolulu Strangler
Honolulu Strangler
Name
Honolulu Strangler
Years active
1985–1986
Proven victims
5
Possible victims
5
Region where active
HI
Notes
Raped and strangled five young women in Hawaii in 1985 and 1986
I-45 Killer
I-45 Killer
Name
I-45 Killer
Years active
1980
Proven victims
0
Possible victims
4+
Region where active
TX
Notes
Strangled four known victims in 1980 and sexually assaulted some. Two of the four women have never been identified.
I-70 killer
I-70 killer
Name
I-70 killer
Years active
1992–2001
Proven victims
6
Possible victims
9+
Region where active
IN, MO, KS
TX (suspected)
Notes
Killed and robbed six store clerks around the Midwestern United States
I-70 Strangler
I-70 Strangler
Name
I-70 Strangler
Years active
1980–1991
Proven victims
12
Possible victims
12+
Region where active
IN, OH
Notes
Killed gay men and dumped their bodies near I-70; suspected serial killer Herb Baumeister is considered the prime suspect in the case
Jeff Davis 8
Jeff Davis 8
Name
Jeff Davis 8
Years active
2005–2009
Proven victims
8
Possible victims
8
Region where active
LA
Notes
The bodies of eight women were found in swamps and canals surrounding Jennings, Louisiana. Originally thought to be a serial killer, but multiple suspects may be involved
Little Rock serial stabbings
Little Rock serial stabbings
Name
Little Rock serial stabbings
Years active
2020–2021
Proven victims
3
Possible victims
3
Region where active
AR
Notes
Random stabbing murders against strangers that occurred in Little Rock, Arkansas
Lone Woman Murders
Lone Woman Murders
Name
Lone Woman Murders
Years active
1943–1949
Proven victims
9
Possible victims
12+
Region where active
CA
Notes
Over nine unsolved femicides committed in Los Angeles that involved sexual mutilation, including the famous Black Dahlia murder
Main South Woodsman
Main South Woodsman
Name
Main South Woodsman
Years active
2002–2004
Proven victims
3
Possible victims
5
Region where active
MA
Notes
Murdered prostitutes picked up from Worcester's Main South neighborhood, dumping the bodies in various towns across the state and neighboring Maine. Convicted murderer Alex Scesny is considered the prime suspect, but has never been charged.
The Man from the Train
The Man from the Train
Name
The Man from the Train
Years active
1890–1912
Proven victims
0
Possible victims
59+
Region where active
USA
Notes
Probably Paul Mueller. Killed whole families in their sleep, from the East Coast to the West, arriving and departing by train. Existence (probable but identity unproven) was discovered over 100 years after the murders by analysis of contemporary records, showing a markedly common modus operandi for many previously unconnected crimes.
Miami Strangler
Miami Strangler
Name
Miami Strangler
Years active
1964–1970
Proven victims
9
Possible victims
11
Region where active
FL
Notes
Murdered at least nine women in Miami, Florida, between 1964 and 1970
Michigan Murders
Michigan Murders
Name
Michigan Murders
Years active
1967–1969
Proven victims
1
Possible victims
7
Region where active
MI
Notes
Raped, stabbed, and strangled young women between the ages of 13 and 21 in the Washtenaw County area of Michigan. John Norman Collins was convicted of the last murder in the series and strongly suspected to be responsible for all seven murders attributed to the same perpetrator.
Missouri River Killer
Missouri River Killer
Name
Missouri River Killer
Years active
1982–1994
Proven victims
7
Possible victims
7+
Region where active
MO
Notes
Abducted and killed women and young girls in Kansas City, Missouri, and surrounding areas. The killer was noted for amputating his victims' legs before dumping their remains in the Missouri River. Gregory Breeden, a then-Kansas City resident, remains the prime suspect in the case due to his relations with several of the victims, but he vehemently d
Mulatto Axe Murders
Mulatto Axe Murders
Name
Mulatto Axe Murders
Years active
1911–1912
Proven victims
35
Possible victims
49+
Region where active
LA, TX
Notes
Axe murders of a minimum of twelve African-American and interracial families along the Southern Pacific railroad line running through Louisiana and Texas. Raymond Barnabet was tried and convicted of the murders of one family. His teenage daughter, Clementine Barnabet was arrested shortly afterwards following the murder of another family and confess
Nassau County serial murders
Nassau County serial murders
Name
Nassau County serial murders
Years active
1984–1989
Proven victims
5
Possible victims
5
Region where active
NY
Notes
Murders of five prostitutes committed in the Nassau County area; Allen Gormely, convicted of murdering two prostitutes in Long Beach in 1990, is considered the current prime suspect
New Bedford Highway Killer
New Bedford Highway Killer
Name
New Bedford Highway Killer
Years active
1988–1989
Proven victims
9
Possible victims
11
Region where active
MA
Notes
Murders of nine women and disappearance of two others between 1988 and 1989
Oakland County Child Killer
Oakland County Child Killer
Name
Oakland County Child Killer
Years active
1976–1977
Proven victims
4
Possible victims
4+
Region where active
MI
Notes
Also known as the "Babysitter"; responsible for the murders of four or more children in Oakland County, Michigan in 1976 and 1977
Oklahoma City Butcher
Oklahoma City Butcher
Name
Oklahoma City Butcher
Years active
1976–1986
Proven victims
3
Possible victims
3
Region where active
OK
Notes
Killed and mutilated three women in Oklahoma City between 1976 and 1986
Phantom Killer
Phantom Killer
Name
Phantom Killer
Years active
1946
Proven victims
5
Possible victims
5
Region where active
TX
Notes
Believed to have committed the Texarkana Moonlight Murders in Texas between February 23 and May 4, 1946
Pittsburg serial murders
Pittsburg serial murders
Name
Pittsburg serial murders
Years active
1998–1999
Proven victims
5
Possible victims
5
Region where active
CA
Notes
Single or multiple offenders who murdered one man and four women over three months in the city of Pittsburg, California
1996 Raleigh murders
1996 Raleigh murders
Name
1996 Raleigh murders
Years active
1996
Proven victims
6
Possible victims
6
Region where active
NC
Notes
Series of murders and rapes across the Raleigh, North Carolina area; multiple killers are suspected, including one who was convicted of two murders
Redhead murders
Redhead murders
Name
Redhead murders
Years active
1978–1992
Proven victims
5
Possible victims
14+
Region where active
TN, AR, KY, MS, PA, WV
Notes
Series of unsolved homicides believed to have been committed by an unidentified serial killer in Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, also known as "The Bible Belt Strangler"
Sacramento Mad Killer
Sacramento Mad Killer
Name
Sacramento Mad Killer
Years active
1940–1941
Proven victims
5
Possible victims
6+
Region where active
CA
Notes
Unidentified serial killer who murdered middle-aged men picked up from bars in the Sacramento area
San Diego serial murders
San Diego serial murders
Name
San Diego serial murders
Years active
1985–1990
Proven victims
43
Possible victims
43+
Region where active
CA
Notes
Murders of women, predominantly prostitutes and drug addicts, across San Diego County. Initially believed to be a single serial killer, but later determined to be multiple killers.
Santa Rosa hitchhiker murders
Santa Rosa hitchhiker murders
Name
Santa Rosa hitchhiker murders
Years active
1972–1973
Proven victims
7
Possible victims
7+
Region where active
CA
Notes
A series of at least seven unsolved homicides involving female hitchhikers that took place in Sonoma County and Santa Rosa of the North Bay area of California in 1972 and 1973
Servant Girl Annihilator
Servant Girl Annihilator
Name
Servant Girl Annihilator
Years active
1884–1885
Proven victims
8
Possible victims
8
Region where active
TX
Notes
Also known as the "Austin Axe Murderer"; responsible for at least seven murders and severe injuries to seven others in Austin, Texas between 1884 and 1885
Skid Row Stabber
Skid Row Stabber
Name
Skid Row Stabber
Years active
1978–1979
Proven victims
11
Possible victims
11
Region where active
CA
Notes
Murdered homeless men in Los Angeles' Skid Row neighborhood; Bobby Joe Maxwell was falsely convicted of two of the murders and accused of the rest, and died while in a coma prior to being exonerated
South Florida serial murders
South Florida serial murders
Name
South Florida serial murders
Years active
1997–2001
Proven victims
3
Possible victims
10+
Region where active
FL
Notes
Murdered women, most of whom were homeless or prostitutes, primarily by strangling, four of the ten murders have been solved
South Memphis prostitute killings
South Memphis prostitute killings
Name
South Memphis prostitute killings
Years active
2011
Proven victims
3
Possible victims
4
Region where active
TN
Notes
Murders of three sex workers in Memphis, Tennessee, in the winter of 2011; possibly linked to a fourth murder committed in 2015
Storyville Slayer
Storyville Slayer
Name
Storyville Slayer
Years active
1991–1996
Proven victims
24
Possible victims
24+
Region where active
LA
Notes
Abducted, strangled and drowned predominantly female prostitutes around New Orleans; thought to be multiple killers
Stockton serial shootings
Stockton serial shootings
Name
Stockton serial shootings
Years active
2021–2022
Proven victims
7
Possible victims
7
Region where active
CA
Notes
Shot one man to death in Oakland and five in Stockton and shot a woman in Stockton who survived her injuries. Wesley Brownlee was arrested for the murders on October 15, 2022.
Suitland murders
Suitland murders
Name
Suitland murders
Years active
1986–1987
Proven victims
5
Possible victims
9
Region where active
MD, DC
Notes
Abducted, raped and stabbed to death women around Suitland, Maryland; convicted murderer Alton Alonso Best is considered the prime suspect
Texas Killing Fields
Texas Killing Fields
Name
Texas Killing Fields
Years active
1970s–2000s
Proven victims
4
Possible victims
30+
Region where active
TX
Notes
Since the early 1970s, roughly thirty bodies have been extracted from the fields, mainly consisting of young girls. As of March 2024, six of the cases have been definitively solved, and authorities now believe that multiple offenders are involved.
Tube Sock Killings
Tube Sock Killings
Name
Tube Sock Killings
Years active
1985
Proven victims
4
Possible victims
6
Region where active
WA
Notes
Unsolved murders which occurred in the remote community of Mineral in Washington
Ventura Strangler
Ventura Strangler
Name
Ventura Strangler
Years active
1977
Proven victims
3
Possible victims
3+
Region where active
CA
Notes
Targeted sex workers in Ventura County, California, over several months in 1977; a suspect, Warren Alexander, was arrested in 2024
West Mesa murders
West Mesa murders
Name
West Mesa murders
Years active
2003–2009
Proven victims
11
Possible victims
11+
Region where active
NM
Notes
Remains of eleven women, who disappeared between 2003 and 2005, found buried in the desert in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2009 and attributed to a bone collector
Zodiac Killer
Zodiac Killer
Name
Zodiac Killer
Years active
1968–1974
Proven victims
5
Possible victims
37
Region where active
CA
NV (possible)
Notes
Targeted young couples. Remains unsolved but open in the California jurisdictions the five certain Zodiac murders occurred. Potentially thirty-seven total victims claimed but unverified.
| Name | Years active | Proven victims | Possible victims | Region where active | Notes | Ref. |
| Alphabet murders | 1971–1973 | 3 | 3 | NY | Also known as the "Double Initial Murders"; murders of three young girls in the Rochester, New York area in the early 1970s | |
| Ann Arbor Hospital murders | 1975 | 10 | 10 | MI | Poisonings of ten patients at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in 1975. Two nurses, Filipina Narciso and Leonora Perez, were convicted but a new trial was ordered because of prosecutorial misconduct. The prosecution chose to drop the charges rather than retry. | |
| Atlanta child murders | 1979–1981 | 28 | 30 | GA | A series of murders committed in Atlanta, Georgia, between July 1979 and May 1981. Over the two-year period, at least twenty-eight children, adolescents, and adults were killed. Wayne Williams was charged and sentenced for the two adult murders, with twenty-four of the other murders attributed to him. | |
| Atlanta Lover's Lane Murders | 1977 | 3 | 3 | GA | A series of unsolved shootings of couples in Atlanta from January to March 1977 | |
| Atlanta Ripper | 1911 | 15 | 15–21 | GA | Mystery murderer(s) of fifteen Atlanta women in 1911 | |
| Axeman of New Orleans | 1918–1919 | 6 | 6 | LA | Responsible for the deaths of at least six people and the injuries of six to fourteen people in New Orleans and the surrounding areas from 1918 to 1919 | |
| Bag murders | 1975–1977 | 6 | 6 | NY | Murders and dismemberment of gay men in Lower Manhattan, whose body parts were wrapped in garbage bags and thrown into the Hudson River; convicted murderer Paul Bateson was a prime suspect in the killings, but never charged | |
| Bigfoot Killer | 1975 | 7 | 7 | MI | Raped and murdered sex workers in Detroit; nicknamed derived from the suspect's large hands and feet | |
| Boca Raton murders | 2007 | 3 | 3 | FL | Three unsolved murders of women committed at the Town Center Mall in Boca Raton, Florida in 2007 | |
| Boston Strangler | 1962–1964 | 13 | 13 | MA | 1960s deaths of thirteen women (five young, eight older), mostly with their own stockings as ligature. Albert DeSalvo confessed to the murders, but was never indicted; DNA evidence tested in 2013 suggested his guilt in one of the cases | |
| Bouncing Ball Killer | 1959–1960 | 6 | 7+ | CA | Series of murders targeted towards elderly women in Los Angeles; convicted murderer Raymond Ward Clemmons confessed to the murders, but he was never charged due to a lie detector proving he was being untruthful | |
| Bra murders | 1967–1971 | 5 | 5 | CT | Strangulations of five sex workers in Stamford, Connecticut; schizophrenic preacher Benjamin Franklin Miller was prosecuted for the crimes, but acquitted by reason of insanity, leaving his true guilt in question | |
| Castration serial murders | 1980–1986 | 2 | 5+ | WY, PA, UT, GA, CT | Series of murders of men who were shot in the back of the head and then castrated post-mortem | |
| Charlie Chop-off | 1972–1974 | 4 | 4 | NY | Murders of five boys in Manhattan in 1972 and 1973. A mental patient confessed to one slashing death. Four stabbings also involving mutilation remain unsolved | |
| Chicago Strangler | 2001–2021 | 55 | 75+ | IL | Raped and strangled predominantly African-American prostitutes and other vulnerable women in Chicago; could possibly be multiple serial killers | |
| Cincinnati Strangler | 1965–1966 | 7 | 7 | OH | Raped and strangled seven mostly elderly women in Cincinnati, Ohio, between 1965 and 1966; Cab driver Posteal Laskey Jr. is commonly believed to be culprit | |
| Cleveland Torso Murderer | 1935–1938 | 12 | 20+ | OH, possibly PA and CA | Also known as the "Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run"; responsible for 12–13 murders in the Cleveland, Ohio area in the 1930s | |
| Colonial Parkway Killer | 1986–1989 | 8 | 8 | VA | Believed to have murdered at least eight people in Virginia between 1986 and 1989; left three couples dead and one couple missing and presumed dead. In January 2024, authorities announced that at least two of the murders had been conclusively linked to an official suspect, Alan W. Wilmer Sr., a local fisherman who died in 2017. Wilmer was also iden | |
| Columbus murders | 1965–1966 | 3 | 3 | OH | Three fatal shootings committed in Columbus and West Jefferson | |
| Connecticut River Valley Killer | 1978–1987 | 7 | 7+ | MA, NH, VT | Stabbed at least six women to death in New England in the 1980s, severely injured one | |
| Cumminsville Killer | 1904–1910 | 5 | 5 | OH | Murdered and mutilated women in the Cincinnati neighborhood of South Cumminsville | |
| Dayton Strangler | 1900–1909 | 6 | 6 | OH | Murdered five women and one man in Dayton, Ohio, in the early 20th century; one man was wrongfully convicted for the murders | |
| Denver Prostitute Killer | 1975–1995 | 17 | 27 | CO | Abducted, raped and strangled young girls and women around Denver and its various suburbs | |
| Denver Strangler | 1894–1903 | 3 | 5 | CO | Strangled three prostitutes in Denver in ten weeks; also thought to be responsible in two more murders | |
| Doodler | 1974–1975 | 6 | 16 | CA | Sketched then stabbed to death gay men in San Francisco, California in the 1970s | |
| Dr. No | 1981–1990 | 9 | 9+ | OH, IL, NY, PA | Suspected of raping and strangling prostitutes alongside the Interstate 71; his first suspected victim is Marcia King, who was identified in 2018. Samuel Legg III, a trucker, has been arrested and charged but thus far (as of 2020) is incompetent to stand trial. He is receiving psychiatric treatment while they try to restore competency. | |
| Eastbound Strangler | 2006 | 4 | 4 | NJ | Murdered four women near Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 2006. | |
| Edgecombe County serial killer | 2005–2009 | 10 | 11 | NC | Murders of nine women and disappearance of another since 2005 around Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Antwan Pittman has been convicted in one case | |
| Essex County prostitute killings | 1993–1998 | 14 | 15 | NJ | Murders of at least fourteen women involved with prostitution in Essex County, New Jersey. Multiple perpetrators are suspected, and in 1998 Harrison Hogue was arrested for one of the murders but was ruled incompetent to stand trial. | |
| Flat-Tire murders | 1975–1976 | 12 | 35 | FL | Killed young girls and women in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties by offering help with fixing their car tires, before he sexually assaulted them and drowned them in canals | |
| Flint Serial Slasher | 2009–2010 | 5 | 5 | MI, OH, VA | Stabbing attacks against mostly small-framed African-American men, with the main area being Flint, Michigan; an Israeli national, Elias Abuelazam, has been convicted in one of the murders and remains the prime suspect in the other four | |
| Fort Myers Eight murders | Mid-1990s | 8 | 8 | FL | The remains of eight adult men discovered murdered in a wooded area in Fort Myers, Florida, on March 23, 2007. The men are believed to have been at the location since the mid-1990s. Convicted murderer and serial rapist Daniel Conahan has been named as the prime suspect | |
| Frankford Slasher | 1985–1990 | 8 | 9 | PA | Allegedly responsible for nine murders in the Frankford neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Leonard Christopher was convicted of one murder; another murder was committed in same style while he was incarcerated; believed to still be at large | |
| Freeway Phantom | 1971–1972 | 6 | 6 | DC | Raped and strangled six young women and girls in Washington, D ., in the early 1970s, dumping their bodies by freeways | |
| Gold Sock Killer | 1973 | 3 | 3 | FL | Strangled a woman and two teenage girls with socks in Broward County, Florida between July and August. | |
| Golden Years Murders | 1990–1996 | 13 | 13+ | VA | Murders of elderly women in Richmond, Virginia; murderer Leslie Burchart was convicted for some of the killings, but his guilt is disputed | |
| Great Basin Killer | 1983–1997 | 4 | 4+ | WY, UT, NV, ID | Allegedly responsible for the "Great Basin Murders", in which young girls and women were raped and killed across the Great Basin area; initially consisting of nine supposed murders, those have since been solved and attributed to different perpetrators | |
| Gulf Killer | 1971–1979 | 16 | 16+ | FL | A series of unsolved murders that occurred primarily in Pasco County, Florida in the 1970s; likely multiple killers | |
| Gypsy Hill killings | 1976 | 5 | 5+ | CA | Known as the "San Mateo slasher"; five unsolved killings, of young women in San Mateo County, California, during early 1976; in 2014, the FBI named Rodney Halbower as a person of interest in the Gypsy Hill killings; as of 2018, he has been convicted in two of the murders | |
| Hog Trail Murders | 1993–1996 | 6 | 11 | FL | Mutilated bodies of young men found in Charlotte County, Florida; thought to be linked to Daniel Conahan, who was charged and convicted of one of the murders | |
| Harbor City serial shootings | 1993 | 3 | 3 | CA | Shot four black men from his Jeep, three of them fatally | |
| Honolulu Strangler | 1985–1986 | 5 | 5 | HI | Raped and strangled five young women in Hawaii in 1985 and 1986 | |
| I-45 Killer | 1980 | 0 | 4+ | TX | Strangled four known victims in 1980 and sexually assaulted some. Two of the four women have never been identified. | |
| I-70 killer | 1992–2001 | 6 | 9+ | IN, MO, KS TX (suspected) | Killed and robbed six store clerks around the Midwestern United States | |
| I-70 Strangler | 1980–1991 | 12 | 12+ | IN, OH | Killed gay men and dumped their bodies near I-70; suspected serial killer Herb Baumeister is considered the prime suspect in the case | |
| Jeff Davis 8 | 2005–2009 | 8 | 8 | LA | The bodies of eight women were found in swamps and canals surrounding Jennings, Louisiana. Originally thought to be a serial killer, but multiple suspects may be involved | |
| Little Rock serial stabbings | 2020–2021 | 3 | 3 | AR | Random stabbing murders against strangers that occurred in Little Rock, Arkansas | |
| Lone Woman Murders | 1943–1949 | 9 | 12+ | CA | Over nine unsolved femicides committed in Los Angeles that involved sexual mutilation, including the famous Black Dahlia murder | |
| Main South Woodsman | 2002–2004 | 3 | 5 | MA | Murdered prostitutes picked up from Worcester's Main South neighborhood, dumping the bodies in various towns across the state and neighboring Maine. Convicted murderer Alex Scesny is considered the prime suspect, but has never been charged. |
References
- Contemporary Perspectives on Serial Murderhttps://books.google.com/books?id=0yfoJz6jHwkC&pg=PA1
- Burkhalter Chmelir 2003, p. 1.
- Morton 2005, p. 4, 9.
- "Radford/FGCU Annual Report on Serial Killer Statistics: 2023"https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373258117_RadfordFGCU_Annual_Report_on_Serial_Killer_Statistics_2023
- Tampa Bay Timeshttps://www.newspapers.com/clip/37529069/dna-solves-two-murders-police-say/
- The Tampa Tribunehttps://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tampa-tribune-ans-sentence-goes-fro/38079165/
- "Man convicted of 3 NY killings gets 75 to life"https://www.newstribune.com/news/2012/jan/17/man-convicted-3-ny-killings-gets-75-life/
- "Eddie Adams – Killer of the Prohibition Era – Legends of America"https://www.legendsofamerica.com/20th-eddieadams/
- WKBNhttps://www.wkbn.com/news/27-investigates/sitting-on-death-row-stanley-adams/
- Longmont Times-Callhttps://www.timescall.com/2013/05/30/boulder-county-sheriffs-detective-closes-case-on-1982-stabbing-of-boulder-woman/
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1995/09/21/us/illinois-executes-man-who-killed-3-for-inheritance.html
- Killer Photographer: The True Story of Rodney Alcala
- wwwhttp://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/alix1200.htm
- The News & Observerhttps://www.newspapers.com/clip/104383343/herman-allen/
- Indiana Death Rowhttp://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/row/allenh.htm
- The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers
- The Statehttps://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article14358374.html
- Newspapershttps://www.newspapers.com/image/645520513/
- The Charlotte Observerhttps://www.newspapers.com/clip/100980236/admitted-serial-killer-will-never-be-eli/
- The Oklahomanhttps://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2008/10/23/slaying-details-emerge-in-tulsa/61520062007/