Explore Killers

Israel Keyes became one of America's most infamous serial killers after carrying out a series of meticulously planned murders across multiple states between 2001 and 2012. Unlike many serial offenders, Keyes travelled extensively, buried "kill kits" years in advance, and deliberately selected victims with no personal connection to him. Although he confessed to eight murders, investigators believe the true number of victims may never be known due to his suicide before revealing the full extent of his crimes.

Justin Jason Keeding, widely known as the “Little Merchant Killer,” became one of the more notorious robbery-murder offenders of the early twentieth century after being linked to violent attacks against rural merchants and storekeepers. Operating during the 1920s, Keeding allegedly targeted isolated business owners in smaller communities, earning his nickname through repeated attacks connected to robbery and financial gain. The case generated significant regional media attention during the era because of the fear surrounding traveling offenders targeting small-town businesses. Authorities portrayed Keeding as a violent drifter willing to kill during robberies, while newspapers sensationalized the crimes through dramatic reporting common during the period. His eventual death in 1926 closed a violent criminal chapter that remained part of regional crime history for years afterward.

Jeffrey Dahmer is one of the most disturbing figures in American criminal history, often dubbed the “Milwaukee Cannibal.” Between 1978 and 1991, he carried out a series of brutal murders involving necrophilia, cannibalism, and body preservation. His crimes shocked the world not only for their severity, but for how long he evaded capture.

Joel David Rifkin became one of the most infamous serial killers in American history after murdering at least 17 women in New York between 1989 and 1993. Most of his victims were women involved in sex work or struggling with substance abuse, many of whom initially disappeared without attracting widespread attention. Rifkin's crimes ended following a routine traffic stop that led police to discover the body of his final victim in his vehicle. He was later convicted of multiple murders and sentenced to more than 200 years in prison.

John Wayne Gacy was an American serial killer and sex offender who murdered multiple victims in Illinois during the 1970s. He became widely known for maintaining a public image as a community figure while committing crimes in secret. Gacy’s case gained notoriety due to the scale of his offences and the contrast between his outward persona and his actions. He was later convicted and sentenced to death, becoming one of the most infamous serial killers in U.S. history.

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.

Lawrence Sigmund Bittaker became one of the most infamous serial killers in American history after murdering five teenage girls alongside accomplice Roy Lewis Norris during a five-month period in Southern California in 1979. Operating from a customized van that became known as the "Murder Mac," the pair targeted runaway and hitchhiking teenagers before killing them and disposing of their bodies in remote mountain areas. Bittaker was convicted of five murders and sentenced to death, remaining on California's death row until his death in prison in 2019.

Leonard Thomas Lake became one of the most infamous serial killers in American history after operating a secluded compound in Wilseyville, California, with accomplice Charles Ng during the early 1980s. Investigators believe the pair murdered at least 11 people, although the true number of victims may be significantly higher. Their crimes came to light in 1985 following Lake's arrest for shoplifting, leading police to uncover buried human remains, extensive video recordings, journals, and evidence documenting one of the most disturbing serial murder investigations in United States history.