Crime Type - Sexual Violence

Colin Ireland became one of the United Kingdom's most infamous serial killers after murdering five gay men in London over a seven-week period in 1993. Seeking notoriety, Ireland later admitted he deliberately set out to become a serial killer after reading an article suggesting Britain had none. Nicknamed the "Gay Slayer," he targeted men he met in London pubs before strangling them in their own homes. His brief but deadly murder spree shocked Britain and remains one of the country's most disturbing examples of predatory serial homicide.

Frederick Walter Stephen West became one of the United Kingdom's most infamous serial killers after murdering numerous young women and girls between the late 1960s and 1980s. Working both alone and with his wife, Rose West, he targeted vulnerable victims, many of whom disappeared after visiting the couple's home at 25 Cromwell Street in Gloucester. The discovery of multiple bodies buried beneath the property exposed one of Britain's most shocking serial murder cases and permanently cemented Fred West's place among the country's most reviled offenders.

Florida Death Row inmate Wade Wilson is a convicted killer. Wade Wilson became one of America’s most widely discussed modern killers after murdering two women in Cape Coral, Florida, in 2019. The brutality of the crimes, combined with Wilson’s heavily tattooed appearance, courtroom behavior and extensive online fascination, transformed the case into a major true crime phenomenon across TikTok, YouTube and social media platforms. Wilson’s case generated enormous controversy because large online communities began obsessing over his appearance and personality despite the horrific nature of the murders. The viral attention surrounding the case reignited debates about “true crime fandom,” social media glorification of violent offenders and the ethics of internet-driven celebrity surrounding murder trials.

Stephen Port, widely referred to as the Grindr Killer, was a British serial killer who targeted young men he met through online dating platforms, particularly Grindr. Operating in London between 2014 and 2015, he used deception to lure victims to his home, where he drugged them with lethal doses of GHB before sexually assaulting and murdering them. Port’s crimes were marked by manipulation and calculated staging, often disposing of victims’ bodies in or near public areas and attempting to mislead police by planting false evidence. His actions exposed serious investigative failures by authorities, as opportunities to stop him earlier were missed. He was eventually arrested, convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Paul Kenneth Bernardo became one of Canada's most infamous serial killers after committing a series of violent sexual assaults and the murders of three young women between 1987 and 1992. Before his arrest, Bernardo was responsible for numerous unsolved sexual assaults in the Toronto area, earning the nickname the "Scarborough Rapist." Alongside his wife, Karla Homolka, he murdered Tammy Homolka, Leslie Mahaffy, and Kristen French. His conviction remains one of the most significant criminal cases in Canadian history.

Paul Charles Denyer became one of Australia's most infamous serial killers after murdering three young women in Melbourne's bayside suburb of Frankston between June and July 1993. His crimes created widespread fear throughout Victoria, leading to one of the state's largest homicide investigations. Following his arrest, Denyer pleaded guilty to the murders and was sentenced to life imprisonment with a non-parole period. He remains incarcerated and is one of Australia's most notorious convicted serial killers.

Gary Ridgway, known as the “Green River Killer,” is an American serial killer responsible for the murders of dozens of women in Washington State during the 1980s and 1990s. He targeted vulnerable individuals, often sex workers and runaways, and became one of the most prolific serial killers in U.S. history. Ridgway evaded capture for nearly two decades before advances in DNA technology led to his arrest in 2001. He later pleaded guilty to multiple counts of murder and received numerous life sentences, ensuring he would remain imprisoned for the rest of his life.

Darren Vickers is a British man convicted of the 1997 murder of eight-year-old Jamie Lavis in Greater Manchester, England. At the time, he worked as a bus driver, a role that placed him in a position of routine contact with the public, including children. The case gained significant attention due to the abuse of that position and the circumstances of the child’s disappearance. Vickers was later arrested, convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment.