1. Gary Ridgway
Known as the "Green River Killer," Gary Ridgway strangled at least 71 women in Washington state during the 1980's and 90's. His first five victims were discovered in the Green River, which is how he earned his nickname. He was finally arrested after DNA evidence linked him to several missing women, and he took a plea bargain to avoid the death penalty. In exchange, Ridgway agreed to disclose the location of all of his victim's bodies.
Ridgway would pick up prostitutes and runaways, earn their trust by showing them a photo of his son, and then strangle them either with his bare hands or with ligatures. He would often return to the bodies to have sex with them or arrange them in various poses. Despite having an IQ of only 82, Ridgway managed to avoid being caught for over a decade until he was finally caught in November of 2001.Ridgway is still alive and serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole in Washington state.
2. Ed Gein
Though Ed Gein only confessed to two murders and does not fit the typical definition of "serial killer," his horrific acts have made him the inspiration for countless horror stories, including Norman Bates from Psycho, Leather face from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Jame Gumb from The Silence of the Lambs.
Ed Gein lived in Wisconsin with his mother and brother. He was suspected of murdering his brother, but police could not prove it. After his mother died, Gein began visiting the local cemeteries, digging up bodies of middle aged women who he thought resembled his mother, and assembling a "woman suit"out of their skin. He eventually killed two local women,and when police came to his home to investigate they found body parts everywhere.
Police discovered human noses, vulvae, skulls made into bowls, skin masks, human heads in sacks, lamps and chairs upholstered in human flesh, organs in the refrigerator, and a belt made of human nipples.
Gein was arrested in 1957 and spent the rest of his life in a mental hospital after being ruled criminally insane. He died of heart failure and cancer in 1984 at the age of 77
3. Henry Lee Lucas
Once listed as America's most prolific serial killer, Henry Lee Lucas killed at least 350 people over the course of twenty years, though he confessed that he was involved in up to 600 murders. Lucas was the inspiration for the movie Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer.
After murdering his own mother, Lucas spent 10 yearsin jail but was eventually released due to overcrowding. Once he got out, he became a drifter in the southern states of the U.S., making friends with Ottis Toole, a man who would become his accomplice in over 108 murders and other crimes.
In 2001, Lucas died in prison of natural causes at the age of 66.
4. Aileen Wuornos
One of the few female serial killers on record, Aileen Wuornos was a prostitute who murdered at least seven men between 1989 and 1990. Actress Charlize Theron won a Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Wuornos in the movie Monster.W
Wuornos lived a life of abuse and neglect, having a baby at age 15 (who was put up for adoption) and engaging in an incestuous relationship with her brother. She was briefly married and spent time in jail for petty robberies and assault. Eventually she fell in love with a woman and supported them both by turning tricks as a prostitute. During her years of prostitution Wuornos shot and killed seven men who she claimed were trying to harm her during their sex sessions.
Wuornos was arrested in 1991 and confessed to the murders three days later. She was killed by lethal injection in 2002.
Known as the "Green River Killer," Gary Ridgway strangled at least 71 women in Washington state during the 1980's and 90's. His first five victims were discovered in the Green River, which is how he earned his nickname. He was finally arrested after DNA evidence linked him to several missing women, and he took a plea bargain to avoid the death penalty. In exchange, Ridgway agreed to disclose the location of all of his victim's bodies.
Ridgway would pick up prostitutes and runaways, earn their trust by showing them a photo of his son, and then strangle them either with his bare hands or with ligatures. He would often return to the bodies to have sex with them or arrange them in various poses. Despite having an IQ of only 82, Ridgway managed to avoid being caught for over a decade until he was finally caught in November of 2001.Ridgway is still alive and serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole in Washington state.
2. Ed Gein
Though Ed Gein only confessed to two murders and does not fit the typical definition of "serial killer," his horrific acts have made him the inspiration for countless horror stories, including Norman Bates from Psycho, Leather face from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Jame Gumb from The Silence of the Lambs.
Ed Gein lived in Wisconsin with his mother and brother. He was suspected of murdering his brother, but police could not prove it. After his mother died, Gein began visiting the local cemeteries, digging up bodies of middle aged women who he thought resembled his mother, and assembling a "woman suit"out of their skin. He eventually killed two local women,and when police came to his home to investigate they found body parts everywhere.
Police discovered human noses, vulvae, skulls made into bowls, skin masks, human heads in sacks, lamps and chairs upholstered in human flesh, organs in the refrigerator, and a belt made of human nipples.
Gein was arrested in 1957 and spent the rest of his life in a mental hospital after being ruled criminally insane. He died of heart failure and cancer in 1984 at the age of 77
3. Henry Lee Lucas
Once listed as America's most prolific serial killer, Henry Lee Lucas killed at least 350 people over the course of twenty years, though he confessed that he was involved in up to 600 murders. Lucas was the inspiration for the movie Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer.
After murdering his own mother, Lucas spent 10 yearsin jail but was eventually released due to overcrowding. Once he got out, he became a drifter in the southern states of the U.S., making friends with Ottis Toole, a man who would become his accomplice in over 108 murders and other crimes.
In 2001, Lucas died in prison of natural causes at the age of 66.
4. Aileen Wuornos
One of the few female serial killers on record, Aileen Wuornos was a prostitute who murdered at least seven men between 1989 and 1990. Actress Charlize Theron won a Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Wuornos in the movie Monster.W
Wuornos lived a life of abuse and neglect, having a baby at age 15 (who was put up for adoption) and engaging in an incestuous relationship with her brother. She was briefly married and spent time in jail for petty robberies and assault. Eventually she fell in love with a woman and supported them both by turning tricks as a prostitute. During her years of prostitution Wuornos shot and killed seven men who she claimed were trying to harm her during their sex sessions.
Wuornos was arrested in 1991 and confessed to the murders three days later. She was killed by lethal injection in 2002.
I used to think these people only exist in Movies
ReplyDeleteThey really do exist....another list is coming up
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