Modus Operandi - Suffocation

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.

Donald McMillan Jr. murdered 62-year-old Helen Fiona Torbet in the Scottish Highlands in July 1993 after developing an obsession with her during her regular stays at his parents' guesthouse near Inverinate. After killing Torbet, McMillan concealed her body in the grounds of the property and maintained for months that she had left with another man. A lengthy missing-person investigation eventually focused on McMillan, who directed police to the burial site. He was convicted of murder in 1994 and sentenced to life imprisonment, later receiving a 15-year punishment part. McMillan remained imprisoned until his death in 2007.

Ruby Carolyn Padgett became known in American criminal history after being convicted of first-degree murder for her role in the 1986 robbery and murder of Pizza Hut delivery driver John Steven Harrigan in Las Vegas, Nevada. Although Mitchell Sims carried out the fatal shooting, prosecutors successfully argued that Padgett was an active participant in the kidnapping and robbery that led to Harrigan's execution. Convicted under California's felony murder principles, Padgett received a sentence of life imprisonment without parole. Often overshadowed by Sims, who became known as the "Pizza Hut Serial Killer," Padgett remains a convicted murderer whose participation was instrumental in one of the most infamous pizza delivery murders in the United States.

Anthony Todt became one of Florida’s most infamous family annihilators after murdering his wife, three children, and family dog inside their Celebration, Florida home in 2019. Prosecutors alleged Todt killed the family over several days before living alongside the decomposing bodies while attempting to avoid financial collapse, criminal exposure, and personal ruin. The case generated intense national media attention because Todt publicly presented himself as a successful physical therapist and family man before the murders were uncovered. Investigators later revealed mounting financial fraud allegations, insurance investigations, and severe personal pressures surrounding Todt before the killings. The horrifying circumstances inside the home, combined with Todt’s shifting explanations and bizarre courtroom behavior, made the case one of the most heavily discussed family annihilation murders in modern American true crime.

Sarah Boone became infamous after being accused of trapping her boyfriend inside a suitcase and leaving him to die during one of Florida’s most disturbing domestic homicide cases. The case gained international attention after investigators discovered cellphone videos allegedly recorded by Boone showing her boyfriend pleading for help while trapped inside the suitcase shortly before his death. Nicknamed the “Suitcase Killer” by media outlets, Boone drew intense public fascination because of the bizarre circumstances surrounding the crime and her repeated claims that the incident was an accident during a game of hide-and-seek. The disturbing video evidence, volatile relationship history and Boone’s unusual courtroom behavior later transformed the case into one of the internet’s most heavily discussed modern true crime stories.

Jason Marshall is a British serial killer who murdered Peter Fasoli in London before fleeing to Italy, where he murdered Vincenzo Iale and attempted to murder another man within weeks. Marshall used deception, impersonating a police officer or intelligence agent to gain his victims' trust before robbing and killing them. Convicted in both Italy and the United Kingdom, he is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 39 years.

Chris Watts is an American family annihilator who murdered his immediate family in Colorado in 2018. His case gained widespread attention due to the contrast between his outward image as a quiet family man and the calculated nature of his actions. Watts initially attempted to mislead investigators and the public before confessing. He later pleaded guilty to multiple counts of murder and received multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole.