American Serial Killers
Overview
American serial killers have been responsible for some of the most notorious and extensively documented criminal cases in modern history. The United States has produced many of the world's most infamous serial killers, with offenders linked to hundreds of victims and investigations that captured national and international attention. From offenders who evaded capture for years to cases that sparked some of the largest manhunts in criminal history, American serial killers have left a lasting impact on communities across the country. Their crimes have shaped public perceptions of serial violence, generated decades of media coverage, and remain among the most studied criminal cases ever recorded. Many American serial killers continue to attract public interest long after their convictions, making them a significant part of both criminal history and true crime culture.
Historical Context
The history of American serial killers spans more than a century and includes cases that transformed criminal investigations, forensic science, and offender profiling. Throughout different eras, American serial killers targeted strangers, vulnerable victims, family members, and individuals whose disappearances often went unnoticed for extended periods. Some American serial killer cases remained unsolved for years before advances in DNA analysis, forensic technology, and investigative techniques finally identified those responsible. Other investigations exposed failures in communication between agencies, allowing offenders to continue killing before links between crimes were established. As a result, many American serial killers became the focus of landmark investigations that influenced policing practices throughout the United States and beyond.
What You'll Find
This collection of American serial killer profiles brings together offenders connected to some of the most significant serial murder cases in United States history. Featured profiles examine the offenders, victims, investigations, arrests, court proceedings, convictions, and sentences associated with each case. The collection includes both well-known American serial killers whose crimes became household names and lesser-known offenders whose actions devastated families and communities. Explore the profiles below to discover the cases, investigations, and criminal histories behind some of the most infamous American serial killers ever recorded.
Explore profiles of American serial killers, including details about their victims, investigations, convictions, sentences, and criminal histories.
American Serial Killers Listings
Roy Norris
Roy Lewis Norris became one of America's most infamous serial killers after murdering five teenage girls alongside accomplice Lawrence Bittaker during a five-month killing spree across Southern California in 1979. Working together in a customized van known as the "Murder Mac," the pair abducted vulnerable teenage girls before murdering them and disposing of their bodies in remote locations. After his arrest, Norris agreed to testify against Bittaker in exchange for avoiding the death penalty and was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Lawrence Bittaker
Lawrence Sigmund Bittaker became one of the most infamous serial killers in American history after murdering five teenage girls alongside accomplice Roy Lewis Norris during a five-month period in Southern California in 1979. Operating from a customized van that became known as the "Murder Mac," the pair targeted runaway and hitchhiking teenagers before killing them and disposing of their bodies in remote mountain areas. Bittaker was convicted of five murders and sentenced to death, remaining on California's death row until his death in prison in 2019.
Joel Rifkin
Joel David Rifkin became one of the most infamous serial killers in American history after murdering at least 17 women in New York between 1989 and 1993. Most of his victims were women involved in sex work or struggling with substance abuse, many of whom initially disappeared without attracting widespread attention. Rifkin's crimes ended following a routine traffic stop that led police to discover the body of his final victim in his vehicle. He was later convicted of multiple murders and sentenced to more than 200 years in prison.
Fred Waterfield
Fred Waterfield became one of Florida's most infamous serial killers after participating in a series of abductions and murders alongside his cousin, David Alan Gore, during the early 1980s. The pair targeted young women across Indian River County, with Waterfield acting as an accomplice in several kidnappings, sexual assaults, and murders. Following his arrest, Waterfield cooperated with investigators and testified against Gore, helping prosecutors secure convictions in one of Florida's most notorious serial murder cases.
William Devon Howell
William Devon Howell became one of Connecticut's most infamous serial killers after murdering seven women between 2003 and 2005. Most of his victims were vulnerable women struggling with addiction or involved in sex work in the Hartford area. Howell concealed six of the victims in a wooded location later dubbed the "Garden of Graves," making him the most prolific serial killer in Connecticut's recorded history.
Hadden Clark
Hadden Irving Clark became one of America's most infamous convicted murderers after killing six-year-old Michelle Dorr in 1986 and Laura Houghteling in 1992. Known for his erratic behaviour, cross-dressing, and extensive claims that he committed numerous additional murders, Clark has remained a controversial figure in criminal investigations. While many of his confessions have never been corroborated, his two confirmed murders continue to attract significant attention from investigators and true crime researchers.
Joseph James DeAngelo
Joseph James DeAngelo, known as the "Golden State Killer," became one of the most infamous serial offenders in American history after committing a series of murders, rapes, and burglaries across California between 1974 and 1986. A former police officer, DeAngelo evaded identification for more than 40 years before investigators used investigative genetic genealogy to identify and arrest him in 2018. His case transformed modern criminal investigations and demonstrated the power of forensic DNA technology in solving long-unsolved crimes.
Edmund Kemper
Edmund Emil Kemper III, known as the "Co-ed Killer," became one of America's most notorious serial killers after murdering ten people between 1964 and 1973, including his grandparents, six female college students, his mother's friend, and finally his own mother. His intelligence, willingness to discuss his crimes in detail, and extensive interviews with FBI profilers made him one of the most extensively studied serial killers in criminal psychology.