With Jack the Ripper and Ted Bundy serving as the poster children for serial murderers, keeping track of assassination sprees has become a sick pastime for some of the world's darkest hobbyists.
Obviously, U.S. media tends to focus on American serial killers, but the truth remains that there are thousands of serial murderers across the globe who have never received as much attention. And if you ask me, that's what makes them even more terrifying.
Here are 13 of the world's deadliest serial killers you've likely never heard of.
1. Alexander Pichushkin — The Chessboard Killer
Country: Russia
Pichushkin became known as the Chessboard Killer following his arrest when dates for all his alleged murders were found written on a chessboard. He was convicted in Moscow of killing 48 people in 2007. Because of the severity of his killings, Russia briefly considered reinstating the capital punishment.
2. Luis Alfredo Garavito — The Beast
Country: Colombia
Garavito has a corroborated kill counting of 137 people, but from sketches drawn in prison, the real number is expected to be somewhere in the 300 s. His victims were boys ranging from ages eight to 16. He would offer the children gifts and fund and then take them on long walks before raping and murdering them.
3. Mary Ann Cotton
Country: England
Marry Ann Cotton was famous for killing three of her four husbands and cashing in on their insurance policies. In total, she is suspected of having 21 victims, most of whom were children. Her weapon of selection was arsenic. She was arrested, convicted, and executed in 1873.
4. Peter Kurten – – The Vampire of Dusseldorf
Country: Germany
Kurten's murderous rampage targeted women and young girls. His preferred methods of killing were stabbing, strangulation, and bludgeoning his victims with a hammer. His motives for more than nine murders were sexual gratification and striking back at an oppressive society…which is ironic in the worst way.
5. Tsutomu Miyazaki — The Little Girl Murderer
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Country: Japan
In the span of one year, Miyazaki killed four little girls ranging from ages four to seven by strangulation. Upon his arrest, he was convicted and sentenced in 1997, but he would not be executed until over a decade subsequently in 2008. It is believed that his murders were inspired by Japanese anime and pornography.
6. Robert Pickton
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Country: Canada
Pickton received the longest criminal sentence for assassination that Canadian officials have ever issued. He is suspected of killing roughly 49 victims. This former pig farmer's preferred method of murder was strangulation with a small metal wire. He was eventually caught because of his own carelessness.
7. Francisco Antonio Laureana — The San Isidro Rapist
Country: Argentina
Over a six-month span, Laureana was responsible for the rapes and slayings of 15 females. He killed his victims every Wednesday and Thursday evening. Upon apprehend, he was murdered in a police shootout after he exposed a concealed handgun he was carrying in his bag.
8. Pedro Pablo Nakada Ludena — The Apostle of Death
Country: Peru
Ludena's murderous spree was his attempt at purging countries around the world of drug addicts, prostitutes, lesbians, and offenders. His weapon of choice was a handgun equipped with a silencer that he made out of a pair of slippers. His official slaying counting is 17, but he claims to have killed over 25 people.
9. Countess Elizabeth Bathory — The Blood Countess
Country: Hungary
Known as the Blood Countess, this murderer is recognized as one of the most prolific female assassins of all time. At one time, it was suspected that she and four contributors were responsible for over 650 demises. She was accused of committing a variety of torturous acts as well as practicing vampirism.
10. Thug Behram — The King of the Thugs
Country: India
The leader of a practicing Oudh cult, Behram is believed to have been responsible for an estimated 930 deaths. Most of his murders were committed by strangulation with a ceremonial Rumal cloth. Not much is known about his killings, but we do know that he was hanged in 1840.
11. Amelia Dyer
Country: England
Dyer was considered a “kid farmer.” She would look after children for money until they could be adopted. Under her care, an unknown number of infants succumbed, causing physicians to become suspicious. She had a previous conviction of child forget and had expended many months in and out of mental institutions. When seven small infants were fished out of the Thames, Dyer was eventually arrested and charged for her crimes.
12. Dennis Nilsen
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Country : England
Nilsen received his victims by picking up male students and homeless humen from local bars. He killed at least 15 people and was known to preserve their dead bodies for sexual acts. His crimes were discovered after his attempt at disposing of human remains caused his drainage to become clogged.
13. Leonarda Cianciulli — The Soap-Maker of Correggio
Country: Italy
Leonarda Cianciulli earned her moniker after she murdered three women and used their remains to induce soap and teacakes. She began her murderous soap production after was found that her son had joined the Italian Army during World War II. In order to protect her child, she believed she had to perform human sacrifices.
Well if anyone needs to reach me this evening, they'll have no trouble. After putting together that listing, it's not like I'll be able to sleep or anything!
