There isn't much that’s disturbing in this life than a serial killer, because they’re predators in the purest sense of the word. Some of them have racked up frightening body counts, while others were just so gruesome and bazaar that just a handful of murders were enough to make an entire country rather uncomfortable at night. These are 12 of the most famous and downright disturbing serial killers.
Theodore Robert Bundy (November 24, 1946 – January 24, 1989)
Ted Bundy — who doesn't know that name? Kids growing up today have no idea who he even was, but the name itself is still part of our everyday vocabulary as a name for potential murderers and dangerous psychotics. He spent four years on a killing spree that cost at least 29 people their lives, with an upper ceiling of possibly 100. Not only did he kill his victims in the most violent way he could manage at the time, but he didn’t care whether they were alive or dead when he raped them. He was executed in Florida.
Andrei Romanovich Chikatilo (October 16, 1936 – February 14, 1994)
This man was so evil that he even looked like a demon. He was nicknamed “the Rostov Ripper” for killing at least 52 women and children between 1978 and 1990 in the Ukraine. He was a monster, raping his victims before stabbing them to death. He was executed in 1994 by a single gunshot to the back of the head.
Jeffrey Dahmer (May 21, 1960 – November 28, 1994)
When Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested, police found a human heart in his freezer, a human head in the fridge and several more throughout the apartment, severed hands and penises, human skulls (of which many were being used to craft an altar), vats of acid full of corpses, and photographs of mutilated bodies on all the walls. The word insane could barely cover what Dahmer was, but killer, rapist, child molester, necrophilia and cannibal all fit pretty well. He was convicted in 1992 of 15 counts of murder, and given 957 years in prison and was killed by a fellow inmate in 1994.
John Wayne Gacy, Jr. (March 17, 1942 – May 10, 1994)
Much like Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Jr was an American serial killer who set standards for horror. Known as “the Killer Clown” due to his job as a clown at children’s parties, Gacy’s modus operandi was to rape and murder young boys - and he was convicted of doing it 33 times. He was put to death by lethal injection in 1994.
Donald Harvey (April 15, 1952 – Present)
Mr. Harvey fancied himself “the Angel of Death,” and that’s what he called himself while killing a suspected 87 victims over a 20-year period. While working as a hospital orderly, Harvey would slowly murder his victims by poisoning them arsenic, cyanide, or insulin (in large doses). If he was feeling particularly wrathful, he would resort to actual violence; he had suffocated some victims, and had once even punctured internal organs by repeatedly stabbing a patient with a coat hanger. He’s currently serving a life sentence.
Pedro Alonso López (October 8, 1948 – Present)
López is nothing short of a true monster, and the scariest part about him is that he’s not in prison. He was once convicted of killing 110 girls, but he was somehow released after serving only 14 years. Even worse, at the time of his conviction, he was suspected of raping and murdering a far greater number than what had been proven in court. His nickname was “the Monster of the Andes.”
Anatoly Onoprienko (July 25, 1959 – Present)
Onoprienko killed 52 people in 6 years, forming a large cross on the Ukrainian map and his usual weapon of choice was a hunting rifle. He claimed to have been driven by several voices in his head. He was found with the rifle on him, when he went to trial in 1999. He’s serving life in prison.
Alexander Pichushkin (April 9, 1974 – Present)
Pichushkin was called “the Chessboard Killer,” because he was attempting to kill as many people as there are squares on a chessboard. He claimed to have killed 63, but officials didn't think it likely that he had racked up over 50 and he wound up getting convicted of 48 — mostly homeless men that he lured with vodka. He’s now serving life in prison.
Gary Leon Ridgway (February 18, 1949 – Present)
Called “the Green River Killer,” Ridgeway was convicted of 48 murders after a 16-year spree up in Washington State - though he claimed to have killed closer to 100. He only targeted women, and he would torture and rape his victims before strangling them with rope or fishing line. He practiced necrophilia on his victims as well.
Harold Frederick “Fred” Shipman (January 14, 1946 – January 13, 2004)
Harold Shipman earned the nickname “Doctor Death” by being one of the absolute most prolific serial killers of all time - by killing his patients. He was a general practitioner who would kill his victims by lethal injection, and while he’s been positively linked to 250 deaths, the real number is suspected to be much higher. He hung himself in a jail cell while serving a life term, in 2000.
Ahmad Suradji (1951 – July 10, 2008)
Ritualistic killer; he claims he was “visited” by his father in a dream. His father told him that he needed to kill 70 women and drink their saliva to “become a healer,” he with his 3 wives as assistants he began this quest. He and his wives would capture their victims, then bury them up to their heads in sand and proceed to strangle them with a cable. They killed 42 women over an 11-year period. Suradji was put to death by firing squad in 2008.
Serhiy Tkach (1952 – Present)
Serhiy Tkach was a Ukrainian police investigator who used his position to cover up the crimes; he killed 29 teen and pre-teen girls over a 2-year period — but that’s just what has been proven. He claims to have killed between 80 and 100 girls, and he enjoyed raping them first when he had the chance. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2005, with a minimum term of 983 years, making his possible release at around the year 2334, as he must serve a third of his sentence before being considered for release. He would be at the age of 1045 before he is ever released back into society again - Bird
Theodore Robert Bundy (November 24, 1946 – January 24, 1989)
Ted Bundy — who doesn't know that name? Kids growing up today have no idea who he even was, but the name itself is still part of our everyday vocabulary as a name for potential murderers and dangerous psychotics. He spent four years on a killing spree that cost at least 29 people their lives, with an upper ceiling of possibly 100. Not only did he kill his victims in the most violent way he could manage at the time, but he didn’t care whether they were alive or dead when he raped them. He was executed in Florida.
Andrei Romanovich Chikatilo (October 16, 1936 – February 14, 1994)
This man was so evil that he even looked like a demon. He was nicknamed “the Rostov Ripper” for killing at least 52 women and children between 1978 and 1990 in the Ukraine. He was a monster, raping his victims before stabbing them to death. He was executed in 1994 by a single gunshot to the back of the head.
Jeffrey Dahmer (May 21, 1960 – November 28, 1994)
When Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested, police found a human heart in his freezer, a human head in the fridge and several more throughout the apartment, severed hands and penises, human skulls (of which many were being used to craft an altar), vats of acid full of corpses, and photographs of mutilated bodies on all the walls. The word insane could barely cover what Dahmer was, but killer, rapist, child molester, necrophilia and cannibal all fit pretty well. He was convicted in 1992 of 15 counts of murder, and given 957 years in prison and was killed by a fellow inmate in 1994.
John Wayne Gacy, Jr. (March 17, 1942 – May 10, 1994)
Much like Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Jr was an American serial killer who set standards for horror. Known as “the Killer Clown” due to his job as a clown at children’s parties, Gacy’s modus operandi was to rape and murder young boys - and he was convicted of doing it 33 times. He was put to death by lethal injection in 1994.
Donald Harvey (April 15, 1952 – Present)
Mr. Harvey fancied himself “the Angel of Death,” and that’s what he called himself while killing a suspected 87 victims over a 20-year period. While working as a hospital orderly, Harvey would slowly murder his victims by poisoning them arsenic, cyanide, or insulin (in large doses). If he was feeling particularly wrathful, he would resort to actual violence; he had suffocated some victims, and had once even punctured internal organs by repeatedly stabbing a patient with a coat hanger. He’s currently serving a life sentence.
Pedro Alonso López (October 8, 1948 – Present)
López is nothing short of a true monster, and the scariest part about him is that he’s not in prison. He was once convicted of killing 110 girls, but he was somehow released after serving only 14 years. Even worse, at the time of his conviction, he was suspected of raping and murdering a far greater number than what had been proven in court. His nickname was “the Monster of the Andes.”
Anatoly Onoprienko (July 25, 1959 – Present)
Onoprienko killed 52 people in 6 years, forming a large cross on the Ukrainian map and his usual weapon of choice was a hunting rifle. He claimed to have been driven by several voices in his head. He was found with the rifle on him, when he went to trial in 1999. He’s serving life in prison.
Alexander Pichushkin (April 9, 1974 – Present)
Pichushkin was called “the Chessboard Killer,” because he was attempting to kill as many people as there are squares on a chessboard. He claimed to have killed 63, but officials didn't think it likely that he had racked up over 50 and he wound up getting convicted of 48 — mostly homeless men that he lured with vodka. He’s now serving life in prison.
Gary Leon Ridgway (February 18, 1949 – Present)
Called “the Green River Killer,” Ridgeway was convicted of 48 murders after a 16-year spree up in Washington State - though he claimed to have killed closer to 100. He only targeted women, and he would torture and rape his victims before strangling them with rope or fishing line. He practiced necrophilia on his victims as well.
Harold Frederick “Fred” Shipman (January 14, 1946 – January 13, 2004)
Harold Shipman earned the nickname “Doctor Death” by being one of the absolute most prolific serial killers of all time - by killing his patients. He was a general practitioner who would kill his victims by lethal injection, and while he’s been positively linked to 250 deaths, the real number is suspected to be much higher. He hung himself in a jail cell while serving a life term, in 2000.
Ahmad Suradji (1951 – July 10, 2008)
Ritualistic killer; he claims he was “visited” by his father in a dream. His father told him that he needed to kill 70 women and drink their saliva to “become a healer,” he with his 3 wives as assistants he began this quest. He and his wives would capture their victims, then bury them up to their heads in sand and proceed to strangle them with a cable. They killed 42 women over an 11-year period. Suradji was put to death by firing squad in 2008.
Serhiy Tkach (1952 – Present)
Serhiy Tkach was a Ukrainian police investigator who used his position to cover up the crimes; he killed 29 teen and pre-teen girls over a 2-year period — but that’s just what has been proven. He claims to have killed between 80 and 100 girls, and he enjoyed raping them first when he had the chance. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2005, with a minimum term of 983 years, making his possible release at around the year 2334, as he must serve a third of his sentence before being considered for release. He would be at the age of 1045 before he is ever released back into society again - Bird
