Mental Profile - Sadism

Allan Joseph Legere, known as the "Monster of the Miramichi," was a Canadian serial killer, rapist and arsonist who murdered five people in New Brunswick between 1986 and 1989. Already serving a life sentence for the 1986 murder of shopkeeper John Glendenning, Legere escaped from a hospital in May 1989 and spent seven months terrorising the Miramichi region, murdering Annie Flam, sisters Donna and Linda Daughney, and Catholic priest James Smith. He was captured in November 1989 following a massive manhunt and convicted of the four murders in 1991, with DNA evidence playing a major role in the prosecution. Legere remained imprisoned for the rest of his life and died at Edmonton Institution in March 2026.

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.

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.

Charles Chi-Tat Ng became one of the most infamous serial killers in American history after participating in a series of kidnappings and murders with Leonard Lake at a secluded compound in Wilseyville, California, during the early 1980s. Investigators linked the pair to at least 11 murders, although the true number of victims may never be known. Following one of the longest extradition battles and murder trials in California history, Ng was convicted of 11 murders and sentenced to death.

Pedro López became one of the deadliest serial killers in modern history after confessing to the murders of hundreds of young girls across Colombia, Ecuador and Peru during the 1970s and 1980s. Nicknamed “The Monster of the Andes,” López terrorized vulnerable communities throughout South America by targeting poor and isolated children, many of whom disappeared without immediate investigation. His crimes shocked the world not only because of the staggering number of alleged victims, but also because López appeared calm and cooperative while confessing to investigators. Despite claiming responsibility for hundreds of murders, he ultimately served a relatively short prison sentence before disappearing after his release, creating ongoing fear and controversy surrounding his whereabouts and possible later crimes.

David Parker Ray became one of the most infamous serial offenders in American history after constructing a soundproof torture chamber inside a trailer on his property in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Known as the "Toy-Box Killer," Ray was convicted of kidnapping, torture, and sexual offences against multiple women. Although investigators suspected he murdered numerous victims over several decades, no homicide convictions were ever secured because no bodies were recovered. His crimes remain among the most disturbing criminal investigations in modern American history.

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.

Mikhail Viktorovich Popkov, known as the "Angarsk Maniac" and "Werewolf," is a former Russian police officer who murdered women across the Irkutsk region between 1992 and 2010. He typically approached women at night in his police vehicle, offering them rides before taking them to isolated locations where he sexually assaulted and murdered them using weapons including knives, axes, screwdrivers and ropes. Popkov was arrested in 2012 after DNA testing connected him to the killings and was subsequently convicted in multiple trials. By 2026, courts had established his responsibility for 91 murders and three attempted murders, making him one of Russia's most prolific serial killers. He is serving life imprisonment in a special-regime prison in Mordovia.