Straight Killers

Paul Kenneth Bernardo became one of Canada's most infamous serial killers after committing a series of violent sexual assaults and the murders of three young women between 1987 and 1992. Before his arrest, Bernardo was responsible for numerous unsolved sexual assaults in the Toronto area, earning the nickname the "Scarborough Rapist." Alongside his wife, Karla Homolka, he murdered Tammy Homolka, Leslie Mahaffy, and Kristen French. His conviction remains one of the most significant criminal cases in Canadian history.

Paul Edward Hicks became known in Ohio criminal cases after being convicted in 2025 for the 2001 murder of his estranged wife, Regina Rowe Hicks. The case remained unresolved for more than two decades before prosecutors finally secured a conviction, turning the investigation into one of the region’s most significant cold case homicide prosecutions. Born on July 18, 1955, in Willard, Huron County, Ohio, Hicks was accused of killing Regina during a period of marital separation and escalating personal conflict. Investigators later alleged he attempted to conceal the crime and avoid responsibility for years while the case remained unsolved. The eventual conviction drew major attention because of the extraordinary delay between the killing and the courtroom outcome, highlighting advances in investigative persistence, forensic review, and cold case prosecution strategies.

Peter William Sutcliffe, known worldwide as the "Yorkshire Ripper," became one of the United Kingdom's most infamous serial killers after murdering 13 women and attempting to murder seven others between 1975 and 1980. Operating across Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, Sutcliffe evaded capture for more than five years despite one of the largest police investigations in British history. His crimes generated widespread fear, exposed major investigative failures, and permanently changed homicide investigations in the United Kingdom.

Rabbi Fred Neulander became one of America’s most infamous religious figures convicted of murder after orchestrating the 1994 killing of his wife, Carol Neulander, in a case widely known as “The Synagogue Murder-For-Hire.” A respected rabbi and prominent spiritual leader in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Neulander shocked the nation after prosecutors alleged he hired hitmen to murder his wife while maintaining the outward image of a devoted husband and community figure. The case generated enormous national attention because of Neulander’s status within the Jewish religious community and the calculated nature of the murder-for-hire plot. Investigators later uncovered evidence involving secret affairs, financial motives, and hired attackers who staged the killing to resemble a burglary gone wrong. The combination of religious authority, hidden double lives, and contract killing allegations made the case one of the most notorious clergy-related murder prosecutions in modern American criminal history.

Rebecca Cleland became known in true crime coverage after being convicted in a conspiracy to murder her husband, Bruce Cleland, during what prosecutors described as a staged “reconciliation dinner” in California. Authorities alleged Cleland orchestrated the killing while pretending to repair the failing marriage, turning what appeared to be a private dinner meeting into a planned execution. The case generated major media attention because of the calculated betrayal involved and the prosecution’s claim that the reconciliation attempt was deliberately used to lure Bruce Cleland into a vulnerable situation before the murder occurred. Investigators later uncovered conspiracy evidence, relationship conflict, and communications tied to the plot. The shocking domestic deception and calculated setup turned the homicide into one of California’s more disturbing spousal murder conspiracy cases.

Richard Matthew Allen became one of America’s most heavily discussed accused killers after being arrested in connection with the Delphi murders in Indiana. The case became a worldwide true crime phenomenon because investigators released haunting audio and video evidence from the crime scene while the murders remained unsolved for years. Allen’s arrest shocked the public because he had lived quietly within the Delphi community for years while allegedly remaining hidden in plain sight. The investigation generated enormous online obsession, countless internet theories and massive media scrutiny, turning the Delphi murders into one of the most discussed American homicide investigations of the modern internet era.

Richard Beasley became known as the “Craigslist Serial Killer” after orchestrating a series of murders involving fake job advertisements posted online in Ohio during 2011. Prosecutors alleged Beasley used Craigslist employment listings to lure financially vulnerable men to isolated rural locations where they were robbed, shot, and buried in shallow graves. The case generated national attention because it exposed how online classified platforms could be exploited by violent offenders targeting strangers. Investigators later connected Beasley to multiple killings and attempted murders linked to the fake employment scheme. The horrifying combination of internet deception, execution-style murders, and burial sites hidden in wooded areas made the case one of the most infamous online predator serial killer investigations in modern American criminal history.

Richard “Rick” Church was 19 when he attacked the Ritter family home in Woodstock, Illinois, on August 21, 1988. Church had previously dated 17-year-old Colleen Ritter, but their relationship had deteriorated after he left for college. During the attack, Church stabbed Colleen and her younger brother Matthew and fatally stabbed Colleen's parents, Raymond and Ruth Ann Ritter. Church fled Illinois and became one of the country's most wanted fugitives, living under aliases and moving between several states for more than three years. His case was featured on America's Most Wanted as authorities attempted to locate him. In November 1991, a Utah police detective recognized Church while he was working at a restaurant. Church was arrested, returned to Illinois, pleaded guilty to the murders and attempted murders, and was sentenced to life in prison.