Modus Operandi - Blunt Force

Rodney James Alcala became one of America's most infamous serial killers after murdering at least eight women and girls between 1971 and 1979, although investigators believe he may have killed well over 100 victims. Nicknamed the "Dating Game Killer" after appearing on the television show The Dating Game during his killing spree, Alcala used his charm and photography hobby to lure victims before murdering them. He was convicted in multiple states and died on California's death row in 2021.

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.

Charles "Chase" Merritt murdered his business associate Joseph McStay, Joseph's wife Summer, and their young sons Gianni and Joseph Jr. after financial problems developed around the water-feature business Merritt worked on with Joseph. The McStay family disappeared from their Fallbrook, California, home in February 2010, beginning a mystery that lasted more than three years until their remains were discovered in shallow graves in the Mojave Desert near Victorville. Financial records, cellphone evidence and other circumstantial evidence eventually focused the investigation on Merritt, who was arrested in 2014. A jury convicted him of four counts of first-degree murder in June 2019, and he was formally sentenced to death in January 2020.

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.

Christopher Gregory Davis murdered his boyfriend, 56-year-old Barry Schmalbach, in Cape Coral, Florida, after Schmalbach planned to end their relationship in July 2023. Although Schmalbach's body has never been recovered, investigators built an extensive circumstantial case showing Davis using his boyfriend's financial accounts, purchasing items associated with concealing and disposing of a body, renting an isolated property under a false identity and attempting to dispose of tools. In June 2025, a Lee County jury convicted Davis of second-degree murder, tampering with evidence and eight identity-related offences. He was sentenced to life imprisonment plus 45 consecutive years.

Chandler Michael Halderson murdered his parents, Bart and Krista Halderson, at their home in Windsor, Wisconsin, in July 2021 as his father began uncovering years of deception about his education, employment and future plans. Halderson killed and dismembered his parents, attempted to destroy and conceal their remains, and then reported them missing while claiming they had travelled to the family's cabin. Investigators dismantled his story through forensic evidence, digital records and location data that connected him to sites where remains were recovered. A jury convicted Halderson of both murders in January 2022, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Gareth Pursehouse is an American man convicted of the 2020 murder of his ex-girlfriend in Los Angeles, California. The case involved a targeted attack following a prior relationship. He was later convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Bradley Clifford is a British convicted murderer responsible for a fatal road-rage killing in Enfield, North London, in 2017. His crime involved a sustained and deliberate act of violence following a perceived slight, resulting in the death of an 18-year-old victim. He was later convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, with the case highlighting how rapidly uncontrolled anger can escalate into lethal violence in a public setting.