Motivations - Religious

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.

Lori Norene Vallow Daybell became one of the most notorious criminal defendants in the United States after her two youngest children, Joshua "JJ" Vallow and Tylee Ryan, disappeared in Idaho in 2019. Their remains were discovered buried on the property of Vallow Daybell's fifth husband, Chad Daybell, in June 2020. Vallow Daybell was convicted in Idaho in 2023 of murdering both children and conspiring to murder Tammy Daybell, Chad's first wife, and was sentenced to three consecutive life terms without parole. She was subsequently extradited to Arizona, where she was convicted in 2025 of conspiring to murder her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, and her niece's former husband, Brandon Boudreaux. She received two additional consecutive life sentences with the possibility of parole after 25 years.

Brenton Harrison Tarrant became internationally known after carrying out the Christchurch mosque attacks on March 15, 2019. He attacked worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 51 people and injuring 40 others before being arrested by police. Tarrant later pleaded guilty to 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder, and one terrorism charge. In 2020, he became the first person in New Zealand to receive a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Vickrum Digwa became known in British criminal history after the murder of 18-year-old university student Henry Nowak in Southampton, England, on December 3, 2025. Prosecutors argued Digwa fatally stabbed the first-year University of Southampton student during a confrontation before attempting to portray himself as the victim when police arrived at the scene. The case attracted national attention because of the circumstances surrounding the stabbing and the controversy that followed. During the investigation and trial, prosecutors alleged Digwa falsely claimed Henry had attacked him and subjected him to racial abuse. The jury rejected those claims and convicted Digwa of murder. Public discussion later expanded beyond the killing itself to include the initial police response, which became the subject of significant scrutiny and debate across the United Kingdom.

Jim Jones was an American cult leader and founder of the Peoples Temple, best known for orchestrating the mass murder-suicide in Jonestown, Guyana, in 1978. He established a following based on religious and social ideals, eventually relocating his group to a remote settlement where he exerted extreme psychological control over members. Jones’ leadership became increasingly authoritarian and paranoid, culminating in the deaths of over 900 people, including children, after he directed followers to consume a poisoned drink. The incident remains one of the largest mass deaths in modern history and cemented Jones as one of the most infamous cult leaders of all time.

Susan Denise Atkins was one of Charles Manson's earliest and most devoted followers and participated directly in the Tate-LaBianca murders that left seven people dead over two nights in August 1969. At the Tate residence, Atkins helped restrain the victims, fatally stabbed actress Sharon Tate and wrote the word "Pig" on the front door using Tate's blood. She also participated in the murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca the following night. Convicted in 1971 of seven counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, Atkins was initially sentenced to death before her punishment was reduced to life imprisonment after California temporarily abolished capital punishment. She remained incarcerated until her death from brain cancer in 2009.