Straight Killers

Bradley Murdoch became one of Australia’s most infamous killers after murdering British backpacker Peter Falconio in the Northern Territory Outback in 2001. The case shocked Australia and the United Kingdom due to the remote desert setting, the disappearance of Falconio’s body and the terrifying survival story of Falconio’s girlfriend, Joanne Lees. Murdoch was portrayed as a violent drug-running truck driver with links to criminal networks across remote Australia. His conviction became one of the country’s most high-profile murder cases, inspiring documentaries, books and films while generating decades of speculation about what truly happened in the Outback. Murdoch maintained his innocence until his death from throat cancer in 2025, never revealing the location of Falconio’s remains.

Brendan Banfield was convicted of the aggravated murders of his wife, Christine Banfield, and Joseph Ryan in Fairfax County, Virginia, on February 24, 2023. Prosecutors said Banfield and the family's au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, were having an affair and devised a scheme to lure Ryan to the Banfield home and make it appear that he had killed Christine before being killed himself. Banfield was convicted in February 2026 of two counts of aggravated murder, firearm use and child endangerment. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole in June 2026 and has since filed notice of an appeal.

Brian Steven Smith is a South African-born convicted murderer who was found guilty of killing two Alaska Native women, Kathleen Jo Henry and Veronica Abouchuk, in Anchorage, Alaska. The case became known as the “Memory Card Murders” after a sex worker stole Smith's cellphone and discovered footage of Henry being tortured and killed. She copied the footage to an SD memory card and gave it to police, providing the breakthrough that connected Smith to the murders. Smith was convicted of all 14 charges against him in February 2024 and sentenced to 226 years in prison.

Bruce McGregor Davis was a prominent member of Charles Manson's Family who was convicted for his involvement in the 1969 murders of musician Gary Hinman and Spahn Ranch worker Donald "Shorty" Shea. Davis joined Manson's group during the late 1960s and participated in crimes committed around the period of the notorious Tate-LaBianca murders, although he did not participate in those killings. After spending more than a year as a fugitive, Davis surrendered in 1970 and was convicted in 1972 of two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder and robbery. Originally sentenced under California's indeterminate life-sentence system, he has spent decades in prison, where he became a born-again Christian, pursued higher education and repeatedly sought parole.

Bruce Koklich became known in true crime coverage after being convicted in connection with the disappearance and presumed murder of his wife, millionaire real estate broker Jana Koklich, in Michigan. The case generated major media attention because Jana vanished without a trace in 2009, leaving investigators to pursue a homicide prosecution despite never recovering her body.

Carol Ann Kopenkoskey is an American woman convicted of the 2012 murder of her husband in Michigan. The case involved a long-term marriage that ended in a planned domestic killing carried out in a secluded location. She later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to a lengthy prison term.

Chad Guy Daybell was convicted of murdering his first wife, Tammy Daybell, and Lori Vallow Daybell's two children, Joshua "JJ" Vallow and Tylee Ryan, in Idaho. The children disappeared in 2019 and their remains were discovered buried on Daybell's Rexburg property in June 2020, months after Tammy had died under circumstances initially considered natural. Prosecutors argued that Daybell and Vallow Daybell used their religious beliefs about "zombies" and evil spirits to justify eliminating people they regarded as obstacles to their relationship and plans for a new life. A jury convicted Daybell of three counts of first-degree murder and related conspiracy and fraud charges in May 2024 and sentenced him to death. He remains on Idaho's death row.

Chad Doerman murdered his three young sons, Clayton, Hunter and Chase Doerman, at the family's home in Monroe Township, Ohio, on June 15, 2023. Doerman shot seven-year-old Clayton, four-year-old Hunter and three-year-old Chase with a rifle in what prosecutors described as execution-style killings. His wife and stepdaughter were also injured during the incident. Doerman was initially charged with multiple counts of aggravated murder, kidnapping and felonious assault and faced the possibility of the death penalty. In August 2024, he pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated murder and two counts of felonious assault and was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences without parole, plus 16 years for the assault convictions.