Serial killers have really made the lime-light in the past couple of years. From television to books and films, there is hardly a place we cannot find them. Whether they are portrayed as monsters or heroes, we cannot get enough of them and their ghastly deeds. Unfortunately, these fictional characters give rise to a multitude of serial killer myths, and most of us could not pinpoint a true serial killer simply by looking at them. The simple, appalling truth is that they can be anyone, anywhere and you will never suspect them. The following killers may in fact be living near you.
10. The Long Island Serial Killer – USA (10-14 Victims)
Several remote beach towns have become the dumping grounds of the Long Island Killer over the past 15 years. As the killer has been active for many years, his techniques have evolved as he gains confidence. At first, victims were dismembered and their body parts scattered at various locations. The more recent victims, on the other hand, were found intact. All of them were dumped unburied, underneath thick brush, very close to the roadways. According to FBI profilers, the elusive killer premeditates his attacks, and he may have ties to law enforcement as he clearly displays and advanced knowledge of police procedures. He’s also very familiar with the south shore of Long Island.
9. Gay Serial Killings – South Africa (9 Victims)
Nine gay men have been murdered in South Africa during the past year. It seems like the killer meets the men online, gains their trust, and murders them after being invited into their homes. Activists have asked all gay men to be extremely vigilant when they invite strangers into their homes. Amid accusations of incompetence, the police only recently confirmed that the killings form part of a serial killer investigation. They also believe a gang or copycat killers are targeting men in Johannesburg and Cape Town, as three suspects have already been arrested. However, the killings have continued unabated.
8. The Jennings Killings – USA (8 Victims)
Jennings, Louisiana has been stuck in a state of perpetual terror since May of 2005. Eight women since then have been found murdered, all dumped close to the small town’s back roads. All the women had two things in common: they hung out at a one-room bar on the wrong side of town, and they all had issues with substance abuse. The local residents firmly believe one of the town’s police officials is involved in the murders, and the rumors have led to countless conspiracy theories of cover-ups and twisted politics.
Jennings police have so far been weary of full on admitting that they have a serial killer on their hands, as the women were from different races and the methods by which they were sadistically murdered were different each time. However, the similarities listed above make this an epidemic that the cops simply cannot ignore for very much longer.
7. Edgecombe County Serial Killer – USA (10 Victims)
In Edgecombe County, North Carolina, ten black women have disappeared since 2005 — nine have since been found murdered. All the women and one man (a cross-dressing male found dismembered) were involved in sex trades and had issues with substance abuse. The killer, also known as “The Seven Bridges Killer,” is almost certainly still at-large. A man named Antwan Maurice Pittman was convicted of one of these murders in 2011, and some suspect him of being the Seven Bridges Killer, but the majority consensus is that it’s not him.
Bitter local residents feel that police sat on this case for too long, quite possibly due to the still-hostile relationship between law enforcement and African Americans living in the area. They believe many lives could have been saved had the police acted sooner.
6. Kigali Prostitute Killer – Rwanda (15 Victims)
Since July 2012, 15 prostitutes have been horrifically murdered in the town of Kigali, Rwanda. All of them were found strangled and, in the most notorious murders, three women were killed in broad daylight after entering their home with two men. It has been speculated that the killings were motivated by squabbles over money, or possibly motivated by revenge after a HIV/AIDS contamination.
Neighbors of one victim claimed that the words “I will stop once I have killed 400 prostitutes” were carved into her stomach, but police have dismissed it as a rumor. In September 2012, however, the Rwanda National Police declared that two suspects were arrested, but the investigations were still ongoing.
5. Mexicali Ripper – Mexico (44 Victims)
The multitude of female murders in Mexicali since 2008 have shown such remarkable similarities that officials now firmly believe that a serial killer, or possibly multiple serial killers, are actively targeting women in the city. Some are even speculating that the killings may be the work of an entire family. Of those murdered, only two were not prostitutes or addicts. In some of the cases, the victims were dismembered, and their remains were dumped in desolate spots.
Mexican officials are usually shy to admit the existence of a serial killer due to the vast number of organized crime-related murders; this changed in July 2011 when the attorney general confirmed these murders were not drug or crime related, but definitely the work of a madman.
4. The Smiley Face Killer – USA (200+ Victims)
Although many believe the Smiley Face Killer to be nothing more than an urban legend, the frightening number of young men drowning all over the USA has finally been noticed by the FBI. In each of the 200+ cases, a young man disappeared after a late night of partying, and was found drowned after a certain time. The Smiley Face theory came about when two retired NY detectives examined the evidence and found graffiti depicting the smiley face at many of the drowning sites. They then proposed that the nationwide drownings were not accidental, but rather the work of a serial killer. Investigations by other police forces have disputed this theory however, claiming that alcohol is the main culprit. Be that as it may, families and friends of the deceased have questions that nobody can answer, and until someone does, the death toll just keeps on climbing.
3. The Highway Serial Killings – USA (450+ Victims)
Here’s a case where the serial killer isn’t one person, but quite possibly a whole industry. In 2004, the FBI announced the “Highway Serial Killings Initiative,” after ViCAP analysts discovered patterns in female bodies dumped off US highways. Most of the 450+ victims were involved in the sex trade or otherwise had high-risk lifestyles, and were picked up at truck stops or service stations. Long haul truck drivers became the immediate suspects; to date, at least 10 suspects have been arrested in connection with some of the murders. Unfortunately, hundreds of these killings remain unsolved and more murders occur every month. Apart from truck drivers, the FBI also believes that these killers may be people who need to use the highways daily, due to their specific occupations.
2. The Karachi Child Killer – Pakistan (15 Victims)
A particularly vicious child killer is on the prowl in Mobina Town, Gulshan-e-Iqbal. Five children have already disappeared this year, of which three bodies turned up and two are still missing. In 2012, eight of the 10 reported missing children were found murdered, all of whom had been raped and horrifically tortured as well. The killer gets so carried away during the murders that some of the children have been found with their organs gouged out and their necks torn open.
According to the Madagascar National Helpline, there has been a sharp rise in abductions and murders in Karachi, with more than 190 reported cases of missing children since January. Most of the reported cases came from Mobina Town, Sachal Goth, Mehmoodabad and Sharea Faisal.
1. The Predator of Ciudad Juarez – Mexico (500+ Victims)
Ciudad Juarez is believed to be the most dangerous city in the world. Apart from being the home base for various drug cartels, it has a long history of barbarous crimes committed against women. Since 1993, more than 500 women have died at the hands of vicious killers. Many of these cases have been solved, and the perpetrators jailed, though those were usually members of gangs, cartels, and various cults. Something, or someone, far more sinister lurks to this very day. Roughly a third of these murder cases are so similar, that they can only be the work of a serial killer. Unfortunately, this killer has not been found, and the female disappearances and murders continue to escalate to this very day.
17 Comments
Central Wisconsin has a few look alike-s doppelganger ten most wanted men here and
and because of the problems of weather and earthquakes, forest fires and so on I wouldn’t go in any woods alone anymore because we don’t have that problem here and our state is a good hide out scenario in Wisconsin, back to the olden days again like in the 1920s… …, but what the heck if they match all the descriptions and they have others with different colored look the same in their own family , man they could play some real big games on the people and the police! The D.Phil. show had a doppelganger look alike a few years ago, it was reported to his web site I guess but to no avail!~! another item…take along look at all the pictures in the your papers people are all starting to look all alike and its kind of scary in a way, so you almost can’t trust whom you speak to anymore!~
I was physically, verbally, mentally and emotionally abused by my father and sexually abused by a great uncle. I am not an abuser, nor would I maim or mutilate anyone. I don’t deny haveing trust issues. I can spot an abuse victim because I have been there. I was married twice and also divorced twice, apparently I was too trusting! I have seen many things in my life. I believe the smiley faced killer to be a white male, skinny, brown hair, kind of reminded me of a young kris kristoferson, the way his hair, mustache and beard, almost six foot or above, he wears a camoflage military coat, not digital. I saw him deposit a type of black suitcase in the ditch and a smiley face drawn with a stick in the dirt. Saw it between wakeing and sleeping. I am not a physic. I just sometimes see things past, present and future things.If this helps great. By the way I do not like anyone denigerating anyone else. That woman was plainly saying she did not recognize an abuser because she was conditioned to it, and that people shouldn’t ignore these things, say something! God gave you a voice use it!
get over it.
It’s truly scary thinking about how many serial killers we’ve come in contact with & just never knew that we did..Folks goes missing everyday & they are someplace on the planet dead or alive..There’s no telling where they are or where they’re buried at, they may be buried off the side of a road you drive down everyday & we have no idea they are..Just too many missing folks for there not too be multiple serial killers in the neighborhoods we live in..
I believe that more funding should be provided for the Law enforcement Units that investigate these serial killings. The FBI has very highly intelligent investigators, profilers, psychiatrists and the best Crime Labs as well as Forensic Teams. These cowards who are murdering to get some kind of gratification , have to be stopped. I personally know,someone who was murdered viciously, they stabbed her over 80 times as well raped and tortured, it is still unsolved since November of 1991 in Miami Lakes ,Florida her name was Lina Fernandez. Anyone with information please contact Miami Dade Police Dept.
Good list, thanks. It’s not right to push guilt on the FBI’s BAU group. Due to lack of govt. funding, there is only 1 BAU group to handle the entire country. Every person needs to be more alert and outspoken when they see behavior that most of us know are the classic childhood traumas that most of the caught serial killers seem to share. In addition, as adults, they are typically solitary or have autonomous jobs, (they work alone) and they cannot stay in a long term relationship. There are always exception…..
I speak as a survivor of a brutal rape and torture in 1986. Some time later, I married, what I thought was a very kind, compassionate, charming prince. Instead, he turned into a very physically sadistic mysoginist. The more cruel and painful, the more intense his pleasure became. This went on for 12 years until the authorities finally intervened.
I am by no means a martyr; surviving isn’t always easy and even after years of therapy, some wounds will never completely heal. Only good thing that came out of those things is the ability to read someone very quickly.
With all that being said, the BAU can lock onto predators quickly; it’s usually all the “red tape” that holds up an investigation. Criminal suspects have more rights than their victims, living or dead.
It’s all our responsibility to keep each other safe, keep your eyes open and work with the authorities when you suspect foul play.
How many women did Dennis Rader terrorize and it went unreported and/or ignored?
How many times and years did the FBI know that Gary Rideway was The Green River Killer but HAD TO WAIT for him to screw up royally before they could get the appropriate warrant.
The authorities knew Gacy was their man but had to wait forever for the appropriate warrant….. To much red tape….
This one is really pathetic…. Dahmer building stunk so horribly of decomposing flesh but no one in the building called the health or police department……
When your at a truck stop, gas station, park, mall or strip mall pay attention to what is happening around you. Get a bad feeling, get help or offer help.
You never know whose life you might save!
I’m sorry you went through such horrors, but please do not stereotype introverts who are self-employed and single as serial killers!
None of the killers you mentioned were self-employed or working from home. Gacy worked in a restaurant. Ridgway and Dahmer worked in factories. Rader probably did work alone much of the time installing security systems and later catching dogs, but he’s the only one of those you mentioned who did. If you want to make an occupational generalization, you might say these guys all worked unskilled or trade jobs, but that’s the most they had in common in that department, and you certainly can’t cast all people in blue-collar jobs as serial killers.
As for long-term relationships, three of the four killers you referenced were married. Two of them even had kids! So you really can’t use marital status to generalize, either.
What strikes me about your comment is that the very guy who abused you came off as a “kind, compassionate prince charming” when you met him. So you should know from experience that sickos can easily masquerade as normal, even upstanding people.
Here are the real factors that are associated with psychopathy:
1. History of childhood abuse.
2. History of violence toward animals, children, and/or women (basically anyone weaker than they are).
3. Lack of empathy.
4. Lack of moral compass (pathological lying, manipulation, repeated sexual infidelity, criminal activity).
And that’s pretty much it. Serial killers are as likely to be charming and gregarious as they are to be loners. They are as likely to work with other people as they are to work alone. They are as likely to be married as not. You can’t infer anything about a person just because they’re quiet and reserved, work alone, or haven’t married. In fact, it’s quite discriminatory and dangerous to go around saying that you can. Introverts and singles already face a lot of prejudice just for deviating from cultural norms, and it’s both unfair and inaccurate to compound it by lumping them in with murderers!
The homicidal triad is as follows. Cruelty to animals, Fire starting, and wetting the bed until late, even adolescence. the cruelty to animals and firestarting can start in early childhood.
Further studies have suggested that these behaviors are actually more linked to childhood experience of parental neglect, brutality or abuse. Some argue this in turn results in “homicidal proneness”.[6] The “triad” concept as a particular combination of behaviors linked to violence may not have any particular validity – it has been called an urban legend. – Wikipedia
Jesse J get some facts before spewing crap.
So we should go around our lives being on the alert to spot serial killer victims, or their remains ? Are you insane ?
This woman is insane. She sounds like wife which will soon be my ex wife. She claimed I tried to kill her with a knife. She claimed her ex husband tried to also kill her and was abusive. Now shes on welfare. Exactly what she wanted. Always a victim. I guess i should have bought her two carat earrings instead of one.
how the hell can you tell in mexico, i dont even think its a crime to commit murder there!
Glad you included the smiley faced killer…those deaths are not easily explained as mere drowning…and the Juarez murders…why have these things gone on so long…often it seems serial murders get caught by accident rather than sleuth work.
“Over the past several years, law enforcement and the FBI have received information about young, college-aged men who were found deceased in rivers in the Midwest. The FBI has reviewed the information about the victims provided by two retired police detectives, who have dubbed these incidents the “Smiley Face Murders,” and interviewed an individual who provided information to the detectives. To date, we have not developed any evidence to support links between these tragic deaths or any evidence substantiating the theory that these deaths are the work of a serial killer or killers. The vast majority of these instances appear to be alcohol-related drownings. The FBI will continue to work with the local police in the affected areas to provide support as requested,” said Supervisory Special Agent Richard J. Kolko, Washington, D.C.
I know one of the dead boys from La Crosse WI, he wasn’t drinking when his friends left him…nor was he a drinker. I have another acquaintance whose son was drugged and murdered at a Frat house, colleges are notorious for covering up crimes or explaining them away…it’s probably worse than we think.
I love the site’s new look!
Good job guys.
Seriously scary list…
Thank you, Mike.