Life Killers

Damian Rzeszowski is a Polish man convicted in connection with a multiple homicide in Jersey, Channel Islands, in 2011. The incident involved the deaths of several members of his family and others in a single event. The case gained widespread attention due to the scale of the violence and the domestic context. Rzeszowski was later convicted of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Daniel Charles "Dan" Howard, a former Idaho State Police trooper, murdered his wife Kendy Howard at their home in Athol, Idaho, on February 2, 2021, before staging the scene to make her death appear to be a suicide. Howard initially told police that Kendy had shot herself in the bathtub, but investigators found inconsistencies at the scene and later concluded that he had strangled her before placing her body in the bathtub and firing a gunshot into her mouth. After a two-year investigation, Howard was charged with murder and convicted of second-degree murder and domestic battery in March 2024. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole in May 2024.

Daniel Krug is an American man convicted of the 2020 murder of his wife in Topeka, Kansas. The case became widely known due to the elaborate and sustained deception he created to conceal the crime, including fabricating a false stalker narrative to mislead investigators. He was later arrested, convicted, and sentenced to a lengthy term of imprisonment.

Danny Johnson became one of Columbus, Ohio's most notorious domestic killers after murdering his girlfriend, 46-year-old Cathleen "Kit Kat" Howatt, at a homeless encampment near the Scioto River in April 2016. The killing followed a violent altercation witnessed by nearby residents who had become accustomed to Johnson's abuse of Howatt. Following a jury trial in 2017, Johnson was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 15 years.

David Carl Kinney became known in true crime and financial crime reporting after being convicted of murdering his longtime friend Brad McGarry in a case prosecutors described as motivated by greed, deception, and financial manipulation. Investigators alleged Kinney killed McGarry to gain control over money, property, and personal assets while attempting to conceal the crime through elaborate fraud and identity-related schemes. The case attracted widespread attention because of the calculated nature of the killing and the extensive efforts allegedly used to cover up McGarry’s disappearance after the murder. Prosecutors argued Kinney continued exploiting the victim’s identity, finances, and personal accounts after the killing, turning the case into both a homicide investigation and a major fraud prosecution. The combination of betrayal, financial exploitation, and post-murder deception made the case particularly disturbing to investigators and the public.

David Tronnes became one of Florida's most notorious domestic killers after murdering his wife, Shanti Cooper-Tronnes, inside their Orlando home in 2018. Prosecutors alleged Tronnes killed Shanti after their marriage deteriorated amid financial disputes and his obsession with renovating their home for profit. He then attempted to disguise the homicide as an accidental fall during construction work. Following a lengthy investigation and trial, Tronnes was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.

Derek Joseph Daigneault murdered his 26-year-old cousin, Mandy Rose Reynolds, in Texas in April 2023 after staying at her San Marcos apartment while on felony probation with an active warrant. Daigneault shot Reynolds in the head, placed her body inside a large plastic storage container, transported it to Robinson and set it on fire. Her body was initially burned beyond recognition, but her dog Titan remained at the scene, and his microchip helped investigators identify Reynolds. Daigneault was arrested in Kansas after fleeing from police in Reynolds' stolen car and was convicted of murder in November 2024. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, and his conviction and sentence were affirmed by the Texas Tenth Court of Appeals in April 2026.

Dr. Robert Bierenbaum became one of New York’s most infamous domestic killers after being convicted in the murder of his wife, Gail Katz, in a case widely known as “The Private Pilot Wife Disappearance.” A respected plastic surgeon and licensed private pilot, Bierenbaum was accused of killing Gail in 1985 before disposing of her body in a manner prosecutors argued exploited his aviation knowledge and access to aircraft. The case generated enormous public attention because Gail Katz vanished without a trace, leaving investigators with no body and little physical evidence for years. Prosecutors later argued Bierenbaum murdered his wife during escalating marital conflict before flying her body out over the Atlantic Ocean and disposing of it from a private aircraft. The combination of professional status, aviation-related body disposal allegations, and decades-long mystery made the case one of the most heavily discussed no-body homicide prosecutions in New York criminal history.