Table of Contents
The list of the top ten serial killers in the United States is not short. Here are some of the most famous: David Berkowitz, Lyda Southard, John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Aileen Wuornos. Which of these serial killers is your favorite? Read on to discover the reasons why you should choose them. Listed below are some interesting facts about these killers.
Jeffrey Dahmer
Jeffrey Dahmer, born on May 21, 1960, is an American serial killer. He murdered seventeen men between 1978 and 1991, using a variety of methods including rape, dismemberment, necrophilia, and cannibalism. He also killed himself, so his victims’ deaths are still unsolved. Jeffrey Dahmer has become one of the most notorious killers in US history.
The FBI investigated Dahmer’s murders, offering to provide laboratory services and identification services to the Milwaukee police. Dahmer had a history of homicides in his area. He even kept a few victims’ body parts and photographs for display. It is unknown what prompted him to commit such horrific acts. However, there are some disturbing facts about Dahmer that have made him one of the top 10 serial killers in the US.
David Berkowitz
Countless victims are dead after David Berkowitz killed three people in the New York City area over three years. The first victim was 19-year-old college student Virginia Voskerichian, who was shot twice on March 8 in Manhattan. The bullet that killed her was identical to the one Berkowitz used in his first murder. Berkowitz is a white man in his early 20s with black hair, a medium build, and average height.
The first police sketch of Berkowitz’s face was obtained by an eyewitness. Police were able to find his car after finding a series of parking tickets. A thorough search of Berkowitz’s vehicle and records led to his arrest.
Lyda Southard
In the early 1900s, Lyda Southard was one of the most depressing people in the Northern Rocky Mountains. She had five husbands, one brother-in-law, and a child all die of “flu.” At the time, forensics was not as advanced as it is now, and authorities largely believed her stories about the flu. But in the 1930s, arsenic poisoning and a life insurance policy were found to be the culprits.
Known as the “Black Widow,” Lyda Southard was born in Keytesville, Missouri. She took seven different married names before settling on Lyda Southard. She also went by many other names, including Flypaper Lyda, The Black Widow, and Anna E. Shaw. Her crimes were so horrific that she was convicted and sentenced to ten years to life. Unfortunately, she had already escaped from prison when her sentence expired. She had already suffered several heart attacks before her death. Her body was a mess from exposure to arsenic.
John Wayne Gacy
John Wayne Gacy was born in 1942. He owned several Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants in the suburbs of Chicago and was a member of a local chapter of the US Junior Chamber.
During his trial, Gacy pleaded insanity, but the jury was not convinced. He was sentenced to death. While the jury was deliberating on Gacy’s guilt, the show is sure to provide viewers with fresh insight into his crimes. Gacy’s crimes have become a cause for public debate, as he has never shown remorse towards his victims.
Carroll Cole
Cole’s crimes began at an early age and quickly escalated. His teenage years were filled with drunkenness and petty theft arrests. After dropping out of high school, he joined the Navy and was later discharged for stealing pistols. His crimes were quickly attributed to his “anti-social personality.” He spent three years in a mental institution and was later released. After returning to San Diego, Cole killed two more women. His psychiatric evaluation concluded that he was a violent psychopath. He then moved to Dallas and married an alcoholic prostitute.
After his first murder, Cole turned to cannibalism. His confession sparked a public outcry and a national manhunt. He later killed three more people in a matter of eleven days in Dallas. At the time, he was considered a “casual suspect” by police and only confessed to three of the murders. In 1981, he was sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole in the future. However, he changed his mind before he was sentenced to life in prison.
Joel Rifkin
In 1991, Rifkin began a landscaping business and used a job site to hide the bodies of his victims. He would pick up prostitutes in New York and strangle them. He also removed their personal belongings. Rifkin is suspected of killing seventeen women over four years. Police found a book by Green River Killer in Rifkin’s bedroom, which he claimed was his own.
In a 2011 interview with CBS, Rifkin admitted that he had murdered fifteen women between 1989 and 1993. His victims included Bresciani, Julie Blackbird, Barbara Jacobs, Yun Lee, Mary Ellen DeLuca, and Iris Sanchez. While his criminal record reveals he killed many women, his lawyers argue that he had a mental illness that prevented him from being an effective killer.