Motivations - Power Control

Rex Heuermann became one of America’s most infamous alleged serial killers after being charged in connection with the Gilgo Beach murders on Long Island. The architect from Massapequa Park shocked the United States because prosecutors alleged he secretly murdered multiple women for years while outwardly living as a married family man and successful New York professional. The Gilgo Beach investigation became one of the most heavily publicized serial killer cases in modern American history after human remains were discovered along Ocean Parkway near Long Island’s South Shore. Authorities later accused Heuermann of targeting vulnerable women, particularly sex workers, before allegedly carrying out murders over an extended period while avoiding detection for more than a decade.

Grant Amato became infamous after murdering members of his own family inside their Florida home in 2019 following an escalating financial and psychological obsession with an online cam model. The case shocked the United States because investigators uncovered extreme levels of deception, addiction, theft and fantasy-driven behavior leading up to the killings. The murders later became one of the internet era’s most heavily discussed family annihilation cases due to the bizarre combination of online obsession, financial ruin and emotional isolation surrounding Amato’s motive. Extensive documentaries, podcasts and streaming coverage transformed the case into a major true crime phenomenon focused on digital addiction and parasocial relationships.

Herman Webster Mudgett, better known as H.H. Holmes, became one of America's earliest infamous serial killers after carrying out a series of murders during the late nineteenth century. Operating from a specially designed building in Chicago that later became known as the "Murder Castle," Holmes used deception, fraud, and false identities to lure victims. Although he confessed to 27 murders before his execution, historians believe the true number of victims remains uncertain. His case remains one of the most famous in American criminal history.

Richard Francis Cottingham became one of the most infamous serial killers in American history after murdering numerous women and girls in New York and New Jersey between 1967 and 1980. Known as the "Torso Killer" because several victims were dismembered, Cottingham targeted women he encountered in hotels, bars, and areas associated with sex work. Following his arrest in 1980, he was convicted of multiple murders and later confessed to additional killings, making him one of the most prolific identified serial killers in the northeastern United States.

Dennis Andrew Nilsen became one of the United Kingdom's most infamous serial killers after murdering at least 15 young men and boys in London between 1978 and 1983. Often referred to as the "Muswell Hill Murderer," Nilsen lured vulnerable victims to his home before strangling them and keeping their bodies for extended periods. His crimes were uncovered only after human remains blocked drains at his apartment building, leading to one of Britain's most shocking homicide investigations.

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.

Jeffrey Dahmer is one of the most disturbing figures in American criminal history, often dubbed the “Milwaukee Cannibal.” Between 1978 and 1991, he carried out a series of brutal murders involving necrophilia, cannibalism, and body preservation. His crimes shocked the world not only for their severity, but for how long he evaded capture.