NationStates Jolt Archive

In the spirit of the U.K. unsolved murder thread, who is your favorite U.S. serial killer? There are plenty of fascinating examples, picking shouldn't be too difficult. ;)

Zodiac! Zodiac! Zodiac!

http://www.zodiackiller.com/

Lizzie Borden

Uh... I don't really have a favourite...

...except fictional ones...

http://www.freesmileys.org/emo/ad/cry.gif...I'm scared...http://www.freesmileys.org/emo/sad001.gif

*Flees*

Lizzie Borden

Not a serial killer.

Freddy Krugar

Richard Chase "The Vampire of Sacramento"
http://www5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~madison/murder/images/chase_1.jpg

Freddy Krugar

Real serial killers. :D

I'm partial to Richard "Nightstalker" Ramirez myself.

http://i9.tinypic.com/2wqfkmx.jpg

Though for body count you can't beat the combination of Otis Toole and Henry Lee Lucas.

herman mudgett aka hh holmes.

the first and still the best US serial killer.


Enter Herman Mudgett. A charming swindler and ingenious crook who would stop at nothing to make a dollar. His greed and cunning made his life nothing but a maze of forgery and fraud. Countless numbers of victims lost not only their money but their lives in a morbid killing machine he called his Castle.

In Chicago, he schemed his way into owning a conjoined row of turreted, three story buildings. The ground floor was dedicated to shops, the top floor to Mudgett's office and private apartments. But in between the floors he had built a nightmarish maze of 100 windowless rooms, stairways to nowhere, secret doors, and chutes that led to a torture room and mortuary in the basement. The Castle opened its doors as a hotel in time for the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893.

Herman Mudgett, now the owner of a grand hotel, placed newspaper advertisements offering women lucrative work or advantageous marriage in a large city. Being that he was handsome and suave, pretty applicants, one after another, responded to the ads. Mudgett persuaded each of them to bring him all she possessed, as he wooed her into captivity.

Over a period of three years, Herman Mudgett has a steady stream of gullible young women taking residence in the Castle, which proved to harbor a warren of soundproof, escape proof death chambers. Peepholes were everywhere. Doors were wired to activate a buzzer if the prisoners opened them. Gas lines in these chambers permitted Mudgett to asphyxiate an inmate whenever he felt the urge to off them.

Some of the women were taken below stairs while they were still alive only to be tortured if he felt they still had riches to be revealed. Once they were dead, he had many ways to dispose of the body. A metal door in the dirt floor gave access to a large lime pit. Behind one wall was a furnace hot enough to serve as a crematorium.

It was not murder, but fraud, that led to the serial killer's undoing. While he was in custody, part of the Castle caught fire and burned. Despite some of the charred ruins, police were able to find evidence of slaughter to a toll of 100 men, women and children.

Herman Mudgett was tried for murder and he confessed to 28 killings and an additional six attempted homicides. He stated that at times he would kill even if money was not involved. "I committed this and other crimes for the pleasure of killing my fellow beings to hear their cries for mercy."

Mudgett was hanged on May 7, 1896. At his request, his body was placed in a pine casket, embedded in cement and buried 10 feet under another two feet of cement. His wishes were to be safe from grave robbers and medical science.


for a more complete read:

http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/history/holmes/index_1.html

Got to be H. H. Holmes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._H._Holmes

The guy built a hotel that served as a factory for killing people, he was a proper serial killer and not one of these amateurs.

*shudder* I was just reading an article about Son of Sam. Apparently, he has become religious and has a significant following of people who view him as an apostle...creeeeeeeeepy!

I like the Zodiac Killer myself.

Ted Kaczynsky

Ted Kaczynsky

zuh?

zuh?

The UNA-bomber

Ted Kaczynsky

Boring. Oooh, I mailed a bunch of bombs and had my manifesto published. How does that compare with people who perform perverse acts of rape, mutilation and cannibalism?

The UNA-bomber

ahh. Was it me or was the drawing of him didn't look anything liked him?

gacy - dp represent!

Ed Gein was rather scary. Making clothes out of women's skins...

Ted Kaczynsky

i don't think he technically counts as a serial killer, due to the fact that his attacks were ideological in nature

i don't think he technically counts as a serial killer, due to the fact that his attacks were ideological in nature

I've got a book called the encyclopedia of serial killers that lists those who kill for ideology or for money as serial killers as well as the crazies who kill for fun. Apparently according to some folks you only need to rack up a body count over a period of time to be a serial killer.

Got to be H. H. Holmes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._H._Holmes

The guy built a hotel that served as a factory for killing people, he was a proper serial killer and not one of these amateurs.

the man even killed his assistant by setting up a fraudulent life insurance scheme. unfortunately for the assistant and his family the fraud consisted of holmes killing him and collecting the insurance rather than pretending he died and splitting the money.

I've got a book called the encyclopedia of serial killers that lists those who kill for ideology or for money as serial killers as well as the crazies who kill for fun. Apparently according to some folks you only need to rack up a body count over a period of time to be a serial killer.

sweet, then i change my vote. dubya it is.

TIPS FOR SERIAL KILLERS : George Carlin

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Because I enjoy following the exploits of serial killers, I'm always hoping they never get caught. So I've compiled a list of suggestions to help them stay on the loose longer; that way they can provide me with maximun entertainment.
TO THE KILLERS: If you're looking for some form of perverted attention and publicity I can't help you. But if you just want to kill a lot of people, one by one, I'm your guy: Here's how you can maximize the time it will take the police to apprehend you.

- Make sure your victims are not all the same types. Kill a variety of people : tall, short, fat, thin, male, female, rich, poor, young, old. But don't kill them in any particular order. Do two old men in a row, then do a young woman, then a teenage boy. Mix blondes and brunettes and long and short hair. Dont bother with hookers.

- Vary the types of locations where you grab your victims and vary the times of day.

- Try to do the work in heavily populated areas where there are more muderers to begin with.

- If at all possible, travel around the country and kill each victim in a different state. Never kill two people in the same city within a year. And don't travel in a straight line. Randomness is your greatest ally.

- Kill each of your victims in a completely different manner: Do some really weird ones, and then do ordinary ones. Sexual, non-sexual ,ritual, non-ritual. Don't specialize. Patterns are your enemy.

- Don't write notes to the police taunting them in any way. It's dumb.

- Don't save newspaper clippings. In fact, dont even read the newspaper accounts.

- Start watching CSI shows on CBS and the 'LAW AND ORDER' shows on NBC. Every now and then you will pick up a valuable peice of information that will help you be less sloppy.

Be smart and stay alive. Some of us are counting on you.

the man even killed his assistant by setting up a fraudulent life insurance scheme. unfortunately for the assistant and his family the fraud consisted of holmes killing him and collecting the insurance rather than pretending he died and splitting the money.

He was a god among serial killers. People don't seem to mention him thought, maybe because he was last century.

TIPS FOR SERIAL KILLERS : George Carlin

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Because I enjoy following the exploits of serial killers, I'm always hoping they never get caught. So I've compiled a list of suggestions to help them stay on the loose longer; that way they can provide me with maximun entertainment.
TO THE KILLERS: If you're looking for some form of perverted attention and publicity I can't help you. But if you just want to kill a lot of people, one by one, I'm your guy: Here's how you can maximize the time it will take the police to apprehend you.

- Make sure your victims are not all the same types. Kill a variety of people : tall, short, fat, thin, male, female, rich, poor, young, old. But don't kill them in any particular order. Do two old men in a row, then do a young woman, then a teenage boy. Mix blondes and brunettes and long and short hair. Dont bother with hookers.

- Vary the types of locations where you grab your victims and vary the times of day.

- Try to do the work in heavily populated areas where there are more muderers to begin with.

- If at all possible, travel around the country and kill each victim in a different state. Never kill two people in the same city within a year. And don't travel in a straight line. Randomness is your greatest ally.

- Kill each of your victims in a completely different manner: Do some really weird ones, and then do ordinary ones. Sexual, non-sexual ,ritual, non-ritual. Don't specialize. Patterns are your enemy.

- Don't write notes to the police taunting them in any way. It's dumb.

- Don't save newspaper clippings. In fact, dont even read the newspaper accounts.

- Start watching CSI shows on CBS and the 'LAW AND ORDER' shows on NBC. Every now and then you will pick up a valuable peice of information that will help you be less sloppy.

Be smart and stay alive. Some of us are counting on you.

Serial killers are nuts to begin with, its a thrill for them so I don't see them not doing any of the above. Patterns are what make a serial killer! It is what makes them feel safe. Then they decompensate, speed up their killing, make mistakes and get caught. Usually get caught anyway.

Serial killers are nuts to begin with, its a thrill for them so I don't see them not doing any of the above. Patterns are what make a serial killer! It is what makes them feel safe. Then they decompensate, speed up their killing and get caught. Usually get caught anyway.

Party pooper. :p

I'd do it, except I don't think I could kill them. Way too final. I'd probably be more like that Serial Tickler in Florida. :)

Party pooper. :p

I'd do it, except I don't think I could kill them. Way too final. I'd probably be more like that Serial Tickler in Florida. :)


Hey, I think they wouldn't be as fascinating if they varied how they killed. It is those patterns they follow that marks them as an oddity and a horror to the rest of society. Somehow a killer changing his signature just isn't as interesting.

Have you ever read the book Darkly Dreaming Dexter? The novel is about a serial killer who only kills evil people. You could try that. ;)

He was a god among serial killers. People don't seem to mention him thought, maybe because he was last century.

that doesn't quite explain it. people in the states still talk about jack the ripper, and he was across an ocean and a century back.

Hey, I think they wouldn't be as fascinating if they varied how they killed. It is those patterns they follow that marks them as an oddity and a horror to the rest of society. Somehow a killer changing his signature just isn't as interesting.

Oh, I disagree. I think that if they caught someone who had killed hundreds of people over decades and the reason he had never been caught until now is that he was able to avoid the patterns of your average serial killer I think the public would be absolutely horrified at the ramifications. :)

All the rest are amateurs compared to my man H.H. Holmes. The guy had a secret torture chamber built under his hotel, operated it for years, and no one noticed. How much more hardcore can you get?
Two honorable mentions,though

First, to the ever so ballsy Fritz Haarmann, who didn't just settle for killing and eating vagrants: No, he also sold the human flesh to his neighbors as "horse flesh." Not only that, but he was on very good terms with the police, to whom he played the role of undercover informant during his killing spree.
Second, to Peter Kurten, who's last words were: "After my head has been chopped off, will I still be able to hear, at least for a moment, the sound of my own blood gushing from my neck? That would be the pleasure to end all pleasures."

Oh, I disagree. I think that if they caught someone who had killed hundreds of people over decades and the reason he had never been caught until now is that he was able to avoid the patterns of your average serial killer I think the public would be absolutely horrified at the ramifications. :)

Shipman managed hundreds and he did follow a pattern. He was just that good.

that doesn't quite explain it. people in the states still talk about jack the ripper, and he was across an ocean and a century back.

the fascination with jack the ripper stems from him never getting caught. that allows for endless speculation as to who he was and how he avoided discovery.

All the rest are amateurs compared to my man H.H. Holmes. The guy had a secret torture chamber built under his hotel, operated it for years, and no one noticed. How much more hardcore can you get?

i want to know what serial killers were getting away with before the creation of professional police forces and proper investigative techniques

Oh, I disagree. I think that if they caught someone who had killed hundreds of people over decades and the reason he had never been caught until now is that he was able to avoid the patterns of your average serial killer I think the public would be absolutely horrified at the ramifications. :)

http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/lucas/confess_1.html

Henry Lee Lucas killed hundreds. He didn't follow a pattern. Sometimes worked alone, sometimes with his pal Otis. Raped some victims, not others. Robbed some, not others. Killed people he knew, killed strangers. Used guns sometimes, knives other times.

i want to know what serial killers were getting away with before the creation of professional police forces and proper investigative techniques

H. H. Holmes didn't just randomly kill people. He built a hotel designed specifically for torturing and kill people without being seen and took out life insurance policies on half he victims with himself as the beneficiary.

All the rest are amateurs compared to my man H.H. Holmes. The guy had a secret torture chamber built under his hotel, operated it for years, and no one noticed. How much more hardcore can you get?
Two honorable mentions,though

First, to the ever so ballsy Fritz Haarmann, who didn't just settle for killing and eating vagrants: No, he also sold the human flesh to his neighbors as "horse flesh." Not only that, but he was on very good terms with the police, to whom he played the role of undercover informant during his killing spree.
Second, to Peter Kurten, who's last words were: "After my head has been chopped off, will I still be able to hear, at least for a moment, the sound of my own blood gushing from my neck? That would be the pleasure to end all pleasures."


What about John Wayne Gacy, whose last words before being put to death were: "Kiss my ass". Simple, eloquent, moving. :)

that doesn't quite explain it. people in the states still talk about jack the ripper, and he was across an ocean and a century back.
It's all in the name. I mean, set them side by side:
H.H. Holmes____or____Jack the Ripper
Now which one of those looks more interesting? One of them looks like the name of an english detective with a nasty stutter, and the other name is, well, it's Jack the FUCKING Ripper.
Like everything else in life, success at serial killing is all about branding and gaining quick, easy name recognition.

No John Wayne Gacy? The contractor and neighborhood birthday clown turned rapist/murder of 33 men and boys who he buried in the crawlspace under his house?

John Gacy (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7b/Johnwaynegacyclown.jpg)

http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/lucas/confess_1.html

Henry Lee Lucas killed hundreds. He didn't follow a pattern. Sometimes worked alone, sometimes with his pal Otis. Raped some victims, not others. Robbed some, not others. Killed people he knew, killed strangers. Used guns sometimes, knives other times.

Groovy. :)

No John Wayne Gacy? The contractor and neighborhood birthday clown turned rapist/murder of 33 men and boys who he buried in the crawlspace under his house?

John Gacy (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7b/Johnwaynegacyclown.jpg)

Hey, I forgot a couple. Only certain amount of space on the poll and it seems people would rather call me a sick bastard then vote for a killer. ;)

Hey, I forgot a couple. Only certain amount of space on the poll and it seems people would rather call me a sick bastard then vote for a killer. ;)

You sick bastard! You forgot John Gacy! ;)

You sick bastard! You forgot John Gacy! ;)

You will have to allow me to apologize. I was more interested in Son of Sam. The man was so looney toons it is amazing he managed to function in society at all.

What about John Wayne Gacy, whose last words before being put to death were: "Kiss my ass". Simple, eloquent, moving. :)

You sick bastard! You forgot John Gacy! ;)

now that's what i'm talking about

that doesn't quite explain it. people in the states still talk about jack the ripper, and he was across an ocean and a century back.

You're right. 70 years after Jack the Ripper, there was a new prostitute loving serial killer named Jack the Stripper on the loose in London. Neither was ever caught. Jack the Ripper killed 5 people over a 10 week period. Jack the Stripper killed 8 victims over an almost 6 year period. Why is the Ripper remembered? Most likely because he wrote those awesome letters to the police and sent them half a kidney. Source: The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers 2nd Edition by Michael Newton. Copywrite 2006 New York.

H. H. Holmes didn't just randomly kill people. He built a hotel designed specifically for torturing and kill people without being seen and took out life insurance policies on half he victims with himself as the beneficiary.

which isn't really all that different to what some of the depraved rich and powerful had been doing for centuries. except for the insurance polices, which weren't exactly readily available.

which isn't really all that different to what some of the depraved rich and powerful had been doing for centuries. except for the insurance polices, which weren't exactly readily available.
120 Days of Sodom wasn't an actual historical document, you are aware of this, yes?
And Serial Killers back in the day were just as likely to get theres as modern killers. It's just that, at the time, you were torn apart by a violent mob, and so there was no paper work to fill out afterward.
In reality, the Police are absurdly incompetent (indicates Haarmann and Bundy, both of whom could have been stopped any number of times during their "careers"), an incompetence that is only matched by that of the criminals whom they pursue.

no Albert Fish?! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Fish) He was freaking crazy, and he was the first US serial killer a lot of the profiling is based on him, and....my husband is in a movie about him, but still, he was crazy.

no Albert Fish?! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Fish) He was freaking crazy, and he was the first US serial killer a lot of the profiling is based on him, and....my husband is in a movie about him, but still, he was crazy.

I think I'd like more info on this movie. :)

John Wayne Gacy, because there's a song about him.

John Wayne Gacy, because there's a song about him.

There is a TV movie on the Son of Sam. :)

120 Days of Sodom wasn't an actual historical document, you are aware of this, yes?

but people like erzsébet báthory really did exist

And Serial Killers back in the day were just as likely to get theres as modern killers. It's just that, at the time, you were torn apart by a violent mob, and so there was no paper work to fill out afterward.

yeah, sure

but people like erzsébet báthory really did exist

yeah, sure
And Bathory, as I recall, got killed in a rather nasty fashion, despite her having social status and wealth and their not being a regular police force in the area.
For someone who delights so much in hauling down the myths of fascism's effectiveness, you certainly seem enthralled with the myth of modern-day criminal justice system.

I think I'd like more info on this movie. :)

it's currently in post production.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0478329/

And Bathory, as I recall, got killed in a rather nasty fashion, despite her having social status and wealth and their not being a regular police force in the area.

you seem to have lost the plot here

For someone who delights so much in hauling down the myths of fascism's effectiveness, you certainly seem enthralled with the myth of modern-day criminal justice system.

more like distrustful of the ability of people lacking forensic science and devoted investigative groups (that don't rely on beating 'confessions' out of people, at least) to even get the right person for a single crime, let alone realize that there are serial killings going on.

And Bathory, as I recall, got killed in a rather nasty fashion, despite her having social status and wealth and their not being a regular police force in the area.

http://members.tripod.com/ahrens/serial/bathory.html

Certainly a serial killer to remember even if she isn't an American one.

According to this though she was just placed under house arrest and died naturally.

you seem to have lost the plot here
I was under the, apparently mistaken, understanding that we were discussing whether the wealthy nobles of a few centuries back could get away with brutal murders (such as the libertines in the 120 Days did).
You highlighted Bathory as an example, and I pointed out the fact that she got her shit sorted eventually. Sure, she had quite a while to do her deeds, but so do many modern serial killers.
more like distrustful of the ability of people lacking forensic science and devoted investigative groups (that don't rely on beating 'confessions' out of people, at least) to even get the right person for a single crime, let alone realize that there are serial killings going on.
Most 'serial' ciminals (whether professional burglars, hitman, mafiosos, murderers or rapists) are only ever convicted of a small proportion of their work. Moreover, they only get found out because they screw up so severely that the Police can't help but notice what happened.
And Serial Killers were more likely to be noticed back in the time before trains, cars and planes made it easy for people to relocate on a moment's notice. Before modern transport, people tended to stay together in small villages, and would easily notice if their fellows suddenly started disappearing.
And modern forensics are useless until you've got a suspect. Sure, you can tell me that the killer has this DNA and that fingerprint, but until I've got a name and a face to put to that information, you might as well have nothing.

Ultimately, modern justice and forensics are no more likely to catch their man than at any other period. The main effect that our current system has is to protect people from falling victim to wrongful persecution.

Not a serial killer.

Thats only because she ran out of living victims before she was caught.

Geraldo Rivera.

I was under the, apparently mistaken, understanding that we were discussing whether the wealthy nobles of a few centuries back could get away with brutal murders (such as the libertines in the 120 Days did).
You highlighted Bathory as an example, and I pointed out the fact that she got her shit sorted eventually. Sure, she had quite a while to do her deeds, but so do many modern serial killers.

nah, it went like this:

H. H. Holmes didn't just randomly kill people. He built a hotel designed specifically for torturing and kill people without being seen and took out life insurance policies on half he victims with himself as the beneficiary.
which isn't really all that different to what some of the depraved rich and powerful had been doing for centuries. except for the insurance polices, which weren't exactly readily available.

120 Days of Sodom wasn't an actual historical document, you are aware of this, yes?

the effectiveness of empiricism followed a different path of posts

Most 'serial' ciminals (whether professional burglars, hitman, mafiosos, murderers or rapists) are only ever convicted of a small proportion of their work. Moreover, they only get found out because they screw up so severely that the Police can't help but notice what happened.

yeah, and?

And Serial Killers were more likely to be noticed back in the time before trains, cars and planes made it easy for people to relocate on a moment's notice. Before modern transport, people tended to stay together in small villages, and would easily notice if their fellows suddenly started disappearing.

except, of course, there were ships and horses and just plain walking, and trades where such motion was normal. and i'd hardly call, for example, paris in 1400 or babylon in 1700 bce small villages. people have been living with tens and hundreds of thousands of their fellows for the entirety of the history of civilization.

And modern forensics are useless until you've got a suspect. Sure, you can tell me that the killer has this DNA and that fingerprint, but until I've got a name and a face to put to that information, you might as well have nothing.

yeah. it gives slightly more info and is slightly more useful than that.

what about that surgeon dude who had a complex/castle built for him in America, late19thc/ early 20thc. He claimed to have killed 128 people and said that he had the face of a demon.

the effectiveness of empiricism followed a different path of posts
So all you were trying to prove is that there have been crazy people with money for as long as both have existed?
I guess I did get lost in there. Point conceded.
yeah, and?
And when you've caught a man in the act of the crime, it hardly takes modern science to figure out that he might have be the one responsible.
And, my point is that, in modern justice and in ancient times, people are only punished for a very small portion of their actual crimes. Whatever CSI and Sherlock Holmes might expect you to believe, Police work is more about luck than anything else.
except, of course, there were ships and horses and just plain walking, and trades where such motion was normal. and i'd hardly call, for example, paris in 1400 or babylon in 1700 bce small villages. people have been living with tens and hundreds of thousands of their fellows for the entirety of the history of civilization.
Walking can only carry you so far, horses are expensive, and ships are only as good as your proximity to a sizable body of water.
People are more likely to uproot and isolate themselves in the current culture than ever before. One can't simply "go missing" when they live with their family members ("Hey, Ted, didn't your brother used to live here?").
yeah. it gives slightly more info and is slightly more useful than that.
Not so much. The primary purpose of DNA and fingerprinting is to compile databases and prove that certain suspects weren't involved in a situation. You can't match someone to their DNA without already having them in the lab and having proved to a judge that you have sufficient cause to suspect them already, a feat that is especially difficult in the case of tracking a serial killer where all you know about them is that they probably reside in a general area.

My vote goes to Richard Ramirez. That sick fucker scared the shit out of most of Southern California when I was a teenager. I still remember having a heavy wooden rod and a knife next to my bed in case anyone decided to try coming through my bedroom window.

The cheers when that group of people caught and beat the shit out of him were nigh deafening.

Lizzie Borden

not a serial killer, and never proven guilty.

I'm a personal fan of Aileen Wuornos, the first female serial killer

My vote goes to Richard Ramirez. That sick fucker scared the shit out of most of Southern California when I was a teenager. I still remember having a heavy wooden rod and a knife next to my bed in case anyone decided to try coming through my bedroom window.

The cheers when that group of people caught and beat the shit out of him were nigh deafening.

Yay! Another night stalker fan!

The Zodiac will always have a special place in my heart. I like Gacy too simply because he was a sick fuck, even by serial standards.

You will have to allow me to apologize. I was more interested in Son of Sam. The man was so looney toons it is amazing he managed to function in society at all.

Son of Sam? :confused:

Gotta go with the famous serial killers from my hometown, H.H. Holmes and John Wayne Gacy.

Although the capture of the 'Night Stalker' by gang-beating him within an inch of his life is probably the most satisfying conclusion to any of these, next to the execution of Albert Fish..

In the spirit of the U.K. unsolved murder thread, who is your favorite U.S. serial killer? There are plenty of fascinating examples, picking shouldn't be too difficult. ;)

The Green River Killer. I spent most of my youth following his life.

Son of Sam? :confused:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_of_Sam

My personal favorite is the Truckee River killer from Reno 911. He and Trudy Weigel, they're just...

Bah, American killers suck.

I go with Jack the Ripper.

Uh... I don't really have a favourite...

[SIZE="2"]...except fictional ones...


How can you forget Hannibal Lector?!
Are you missing part of your pre-frontal lobe or something...wait a minute

Ah the Zodiac really facinated me for a while. He stilll kind of does. But how can you forget John Allen Muhammad and John Lee Malvo the D.C. Snipers.

How can you forget Hannibal Lector?!
Are you missing part of your pre-frontal lobe or something...wait a minute

Son of Sam and the Zodiac Killer are tied for my personal favorites. But really there are so many of the crazies it is hard to keep track.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_serial_killers#USA

A list of U.S. serial killers but also shows ones from around the world.

Yay! Another night stalker fan!

Damned straight. That screwball is scary! Unlike nutjobs like Gary Ridgeway or Bundy, he didn't seem to have a particular type of person he went after. Everybody was worried about where he'd show up.

. But how can you forget John Allen Muhammad and John Lee Malvo the D.C. Snipers.

they bore me to be honest. Not very memorable

Gotta go with the famous serial killers from my hometown, H.H. Holmes and John Wayne Gacy.

so, where abouts in chicagoland are you from?

How can you forget Hannibal Lector?!
Are you missing part of your pre-frontal lobe or something...wait a minute
Lector? That pussy? All he ever does is lie around and chew on the scenery until someone gets annoyed and captures him in the desperate hope that slapping that gimp mask on him will just make him shut up.

I'm partial to Ramirez - crazy as all hell and with a fairly respectable body count. Other than that Henry Lee Lucas and Charles Ng were pretty awesome.

Also, despite only a minimal body count, Ed Kemper deserves a mention.

And ahem, where is Dahmer?

I've got a book called the encyclopedia of serial killers that lists those who kill for ideology or for money as serial killers as well as the crazies who kill for fun. Apparently according to some folks you only need to rack up a body count over a period of time to be a serial killer.
IIRC, killing more than three will have you pegged as a serial killer.
Though there must also be some sub-clause there, about the reasons for the murders. A mafia hitman, for example, would not be considered a serial killer.

I was going to go Ed Gein, due to his influence on popular culture - at least 3 movies* have been based on him (and that's not counting the movie[s] about him) and a cool song by Killdozer ('Ed Gein'). However, having read more about H.H. Holmes (whom I'd never heard of until this thread) I'm leaning more towards him.

*movies based (or using Ed Gein as reference model):
Psycho
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Silence of the Lambs

What about John Wayne Gacy, whose last words before being put to death were: "Kiss my ass". Simple, eloquent, moving. :)
Why am I not surprised that you, of all people, would know that?

Lector? That pussy? All he ever does is lie around and chew on the scenery until someone gets annoyed and captures him in the desperate hope that slapping that gimp mask on him will just make him shut up.

Besides, aren't we talking about real murderers? Hannibal doesn't qualify methinks.


Hey DCD, you've got another member to the club!!!

You're right. 70 years after Jack the Ripper, there was a new prostitute loving serial killer named Jack the Stripper on the loose in London. Neither was ever caught. Jack the Ripper killed 5 people over a 10 week period. Jack the Stripper killed 8 victims over an almost 6 year period. Why is the Ripper remembered? Most likely because he wrote those awesome letters to the police and sent them half a kidney.
Also, he could almost be seen as the start of the 20th Century. The one that started the whole 'serial killer' craze. By that I don't mean he was the first serial killer (doesn't even register on the sicko scale when compared to someone like Vlad the Impaler), but he was the first one sensationalised in the media, thus setting the standard for media/public obsession with killers from then on.

As for 'Jack the Stripper' - he needed a better name than that to be remembered. Not just blantantly rip off someone else. Needs to be short, pithy, memorable. Like 'The Yorkshire Ripper'. Trades on the 'Ripper' name, but changed enough to be remembered in it's own right.

Names for a serial killers:
One who kicks his victims to death:
'Jack the Slipper'.
One who beats them to death with a plastic dolphin:
'Jack the Flipper'
Instead of a dolphin, a fish:
'Jack the Kipper'
One who plays really bad impro jazz to his victims until they kill themselves out of desperation:
'Jack the Bebopper'

I'll stop now.

Your name is really fitting, oh demented one! ;)

so, where abouts in chicagoland are you from?

Deerfield/Buffalo Grove, that general area. One of my high school teachers used to frequent Gacy's ice-cream parlor/candy shop/whatever it was when she was a kid.

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/7268/zodiac1.jpg


Scariest d00d ever.

Albert Fish.

The man was fucked up.

Albert Fisch was the craziest.

Ed Gein was the nastiest.

But for my money....the scariest?

John Wayne Gacy.

(Im sure you can figure out why...)

but people like erzsébet báthory really did exist

It's arguable if she ever even killed anyone. Most historians think the whole thing was made out of the cloth to give people a reason for condemning her to a hellish life.

I like the Cleveland Torso Murderer, for no reason other than the name.

It's arguable if she ever even killed anyone. Most historians think the whole thing was made out of the cloth to give people a reason for condemning her to a hellish life.


I tend to see the stories about Vlad Dracul the same way. Every story about him, came from people who he fought against in various wars. I tend to wonder how much of what was said was based on fact and how much was propaganda.




Ed Gein was the nastiest.


I would call him the weirdest, not the nastiest. He killed two people, reportedly. The skins he used were dug from graves. That makes him a serious freak-job, but not a nasty one, my opinion.

Deerfield/Buffalo Grove, that general area. One of my high school teachers used to frequent Gacy's ice-cream parlor/candy shop/whatever it was when she was a kid.

ah. i'm from des plaines.

Why am I not surprised that you, of all people, would know that?

You shouldn't be. It is a good quote, glad he posted it. :)

Well, I suppose the people on NSG have made their vote. I am a sick bastard. I suppose I can live with that.










:D