Straight Killers

Steve "Clem" Grogan was a member of Charles Manson's Family who participated in the 1969 murder of Spahn Ranch worker and stuntman Donald "Shorty" Shea. Already living and working around the ranch before becoming closely associated with Manson, Grogan joined Manson and fellow Family member Bruce Davis in the attack on Shea after Manson came to believe the ranch hand was an informant. Grogan was convicted of first-degree murder in 1971 and initially sentenced to death, but the trial judge reduced his punishment to life imprisonment. Years later, Grogan cooperated with authorities and led investigators to Shea's concealed remains. He was paroled in 1985, becoming the first Manson Family member convicted of murder to be released from prison.

Susan Denise Atkins was one of Charles Manson's earliest and most devoted followers and participated directly in the Tate-LaBianca murders that left seven people dead over two nights in August 1969. At the Tate residence, Atkins helped restrain the victims, fatally stabbed actress Sharon Tate and wrote the word "Pig" on the front door using Tate's blood. She also participated in the murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca the following night. Convicted in 1971 of seven counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, Atkins was initially sentenced to death before her punishment was reduced to life imprisonment after California temporarily abolished capital punishment. She remained incarcerated until her death from brain cancer in 2009.

Ted Bundy was an American serial killer who murdered multiple young women across several U.S. states during the 1970s. His crimes became widely known due to his ability to use charm and deception to gain victims’ trust. Bundy evaded capture for years, escaped custody twice, and carried out further killings before his final arrest. He was later convicted and sentenced to death, becoming one of the most infamous serial killers in modern criminal history.

Timothy Gordon Hyder murdered his fiancée, Natalie "Dawn" Du'Mee, at their home in St. Cloud, Florida, on December 1, 2024, after she told him she no longer wanted to marry him and returned her engagement ring. Hyder retrieved a .357 Magnum revolver and shot Du'Mee in the back of the head before instructing her daughter to call 911. He admitted the shooting to investigators and said he had "snapped." Hyder was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder in May 2025 and sentenced to life imprisonment. He remains incarcerated in Florida.

Timothy Ray Jones Jr. was convicted of murdering his five children in South Carolina in 2014 before transporting their remains across several states. Jones, who had become their primary caretaker following the breakdown of his marriage, killed Merah, Elias, Nahtahn, Gabriel and Abigail Jones at the family home near Lexington. He then drove through several states before leaving them in a rural area near Camden, Alabama. Police detained Jones at a checkpoint in Mississippi, and he later directed investigators to the location. In 2019, he was convicted of five counts of murder and sentenced to death, a sentence upheld by the South Carolina Supreme Court in 2023.

Timothy McVeigh was an American domestic terrorist responsible for the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Motivated by anti-government ideology, he carried out a large-scale bombing targeting a federal building. He was arrested shortly after the attack, convicted on multiple federal charges, and executed in 2001.

Tommy Lynn Sells became one of America's most infamous serial killers after murdering victims across numerous states over nearly two decades. Nicknamed the "Coast-to-Coast Killer," Sells confessed to dozens of murders, although investigators have verified only a portion of his claims. He was convicted of the 1999 murder of 13-year-old Kaylene Harris in Texas and sentenced to death. Sells was executed in 2014.

Vince Marinello became known in true crime coverage after murdering his wife, sports anchor and television personality Trina Edwards Marinello, in a case that shocked Louisiana media circles. Prosecutors alleged Marinello strangled Trina inside their home in 2017 before attempting to stage and conceal aspects of the crime while creating what investigators later described as a disturbing “murder checklist.” The case generated widespread media attention because Trina Edwards Marinello was a well-known New Orleans sports journalist and former television anchor. Investigators later uncovered evidence suggesting Vince Marinello researched homicide methods, evidence concealment, and post-crime planning before the killing. The “murder checklist” allegations, combined with the couple’s deteriorating marriage and Marinello’s deceptive behavior after the homicide, turned the case into one of Louisiana’s most infamous domestic murder prosecutions.