Died Naturally Custody Killers

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.

Myra Hindley became one of the United Kingdom's most notorious child killers after participating in the Moors Murders with Ian Brady between 1963 and 1965. Together, they abducted, sexually assaulted, tortured, and murdered five children before burying several victims on Saddleworth Moor in northern England. Hindley's role in the murders, coupled with her decades of denied parole and widespread public hatred, cemented her place as one of Britain's most reviled criminals.

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.

Richard Ramirez, known as the “Night Stalker,” was an American serial killer who carried out a series of murders and attacks across California between 1984 and 1985. His crimes were marked by unpredictability, extreme violence, and a lack of a consistent victim profile. Ramirez created widespread fear due to the random nature of his attacks and his ability to evade capture for an extended period. He was later convicted of multiple murders and sentenced to death, becoming one of the most infamous serial killers in U.S. history.

Richard Benjamin Speck became one of America's most infamous mass murderers after murdering eight student nurses during a single night in Chicago, Illinois, on July 13–14, 1966. The attack at a South Side townhouse generated worldwide attention and became one of the most notorious crimes in American history. Speck was convicted of eight counts of murder and sentenced to death, although his sentence was later commuted to imprisonment following changes to U.S. capital punishment laws. He died in prison in 1991.

Robert Black was a Scottish serial killer and paedophile convicted of the kidnapping, rape, and murder of four girls aged 5 to 11 in the United Kingdom between 1981 and 1986. As a long-distance delivery driver, he exploited his mobility to abduct victims from different regions, subjecting them to horrific sexual assaults before killing them and disposing of their bodies far from the abduction sites.

Robert Alan Durst was an American real estate heir who became one of the most notorious criminal figures in the United States. His life was associated with the disappearance of his first wife, Kathleen “Kathie” McCormack, the murder of his longtime friend Susan Berman, and the death and dismemberment of his Texas neighbor Morris Black. Durst was convicted only of Berman's murder. He was acquitted of Black's murder but convicted of dismembering his body and tampering with evidence. He was never convicted in connection with McCormack's disappearance. Durst's wealth, unusual behavior, false identities and repeated involvement in investigations made him a subject of intense media attention for decades. His case received renewed international attention through the HBO documentary series The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst. Durst was arrested in 2015 and convicted of first-degree murder in 2021. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole and died in prison in January 2022.

Robert Hansen became one of Alaska’s most infamous serial killers after abducting women, flying them into the wilderness and hunting them before murdering them. Nicknamed “The Butcher Baker” because he outwardly lived as a quiet family baker while secretly committing brutal murders, Hansen terrorized Anchorage and surrounding areas throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. The case shocked investigators because Hansen appeared to be an ordinary husband, business owner and outdoorsman while hiding a sadistic double life. Authorities later discovered he targeted vulnerable women, particularly sex workers and dancers, before using Alaska’s remote wilderness as a personal hunting ground. His crimes became one of the most disturbing serial murder cases in American history and inspired numerous books, documentaries and films.