Straight Killers

Joseph James DeAngelo, known as the "Golden State Killer," became one of the most infamous serial offenders in American history after committing a series of murders, rapes, and burglaries across California between 1974 and 1986. A former police officer, DeAngelo evaded identification for more than 40 years before investigators used investigative genetic genealogy to identify and arrest him in 2018. His case transformed modern criminal investigations and demonstrated the power of forensic DNA technology in solving long-unsolved crimes.

Joshua Stimpson is an English convicted murderer who killed his former girlfriend, 23-year-old university student Molly McLaren, in Chatham, Kent, on June 29, 2017. Stimpson and McLaren had met through Tinder and had been in a relationship for approximately seven months. After McLaren ended the relationship, Stimpson began repeatedly contacting and following her. She reported his behaviour to police, who warned him to stay away from her. On the morning of the murder, Stimpson followed McLaren to the gym at the Dockside shopping centre. After she left and returned to her car, he attacked her with a kitchen knife, stabbing her more than 75 times. She died at the scene. Stimpson was arrested at the scene and later charged with murder. He initially admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility but denied murder. A jury at Maidstone Crown Court rejected his defence and convicted him of murder in February 2018. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 26 years before parole consideration. His minimum term runs until 2044.

Karla Leanne Homolka became one of Canada's most infamous female killers after participating in the murders of her younger sister, Tammy Homolka, Leslie Mahaffy, and Kristen French alongside her husband, Paul Bernardo, between 1990 and 1992. Initially portrayed as a battered spouse, Homolka secured a controversial plea agreement before investigators discovered videotapes documenting her active participation in the crimes. She served 12 years in prison and was released in 2005, making her one of the most controversial offenders in Canadian criminal history.

Kevin West is an American convicted murderer and former battalion chief with the Camas-Washougal Fire Department in Washington. In January 2026, he was convicted of first-degree murder for strangling his wife, Marcelle "Marcy" West, inside their Washougal home in January 2024. Prosecutors proved West staged the killing as a medical emergency by falsely reporting that his wife had suffered a seizure. He was sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment in February 2026.

Kouri Richins became one of the most heavily discussed true crime defendants in the United States after prosecutors accused the Utah mother and real estate investor of murdering her husband, Eric Richins, with a fatal dose of fentanyl in 2022. The case exploded into national headlines after investigators revealed that Richins later published a children’s book about grief dedicated to helping children cope with the death of a parent, creating widespread public fascination and intense media scrutiny. Prosecutors alleged the killing was financially motivated and tied to marital conflict, property disputes, and life insurance concerns. The investigation quickly expanded beyond the poisoning allegations and into Richins’ business dealings, finances, deleted communications, and alleged attempts to obtain fentanyl before her husband’s death. The combination of an affluent family image, children’s grief book promotion, and accusations of secret financial pressure turned the case into a major modern true crime story followed closely across television, podcasts, social media, and online crime communities.

Kyle Clifford is a British man convicted in connection with a 2024 triple homicide in Hertfordshire, England. The case involved the killing of multiple members of a family following the breakdown of a personal relationship. He was later convicted and received a whole-life sentence, meaning he will remain in prison for the rest of his life.

Larissa Schuster became widely known after being convicted in the murder of her husband, Tim Schuster, in a case that became infamous as The Acid Barrel Murder. Prosecutors alleged Schuster killed her husband during escalating marital and financial conflict before attempting to dispose of his body using industrial acid inside large storage barrels at the family property in California with the help of James Fagone.

Lawrence "Larry" Rudolph, a prominent Pennsylvania dentist and big-game hunter, murdered his wife, Bianca Rudolph, while the couple were on a safari in Zambia in October 2016. Rudolph claimed Bianca accidentally shot herself while packing a shotgun before a hunting trip, and her death was initially ruled accidental. A lengthy international investigation later concluded that Rudolph deliberately shot Bianca to collect millions of dollars in life insurance and pursue a long-term extramarital relationship. In 2022, a federal jury convicted him of foreign murder and mail fraud, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder together with an additional term for fraud.