In recent years, there has been a massive influx of true-crime titles. Streaming platforms, such as Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, and others, keep on updating their catalog with some extraordinary non-fiction stories. There’s no doubt that society has always been captivated by serial killers. But the fascination has now reached a whole new level.
With streaming platforms releasing projects based on real-life criminals, viewers have found an easier way to know about some of the most notorious serial killers of all time. Make no mistakes, the US has seen a plethora of serial killers in its history. And some of them have managed to terrorize the nation in the most brutal way possible.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane and get to know more about some of the most notorious serial killers in US history.
Jeffrey Dahmer
The infamous serial began his killing spree in 1978. He was just 18 years old when he killed his first victim. For almost 13 years, Dahmer terrorized the streets of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and murdered several young men. However, in 1991, his crime spree finally stopped when one of his victims escaped and led the authorities straight to Dahmer’s apartment. The authorities searched his apartment and found visual evidence of mutilated bodies. In total, Dahmer killed 17 young men between 1978 and 1991.
He also committed cannibalism and necrophilia in many cases. The jury found Dahmer guilty of multiple charges, and he received 16 consecutive life sentences.
John Wayne Gacy
Before becoming a serial killer, John Wayne Gacy was an unsuspected member of the community. He worked in the field of construction and even dressed up as a clown at birthday parties. However, things got darker when people got to know about his reality. Upon his arrest, the investigation revealed that Gacy raped, tortured, and murdered 33 young men in Illinois.
Popularly known as the Killer Clown, Gacy faced conviction for his crimes and received a death sentence. At the time, his conviction for 33 murders covered the highest number of homicides in the legal history of the United States.
Samuel Little
Over the decades, the US has seen several prolific serial killers. However, no one has ever been more lethal than Samuel Little. The killer went undetected for more than three decades and admitted to killing 93 victims in different states between 1970 and 2005. The authorities captured Little in 2012 and were able to convict him for killing three women in the 1980s. The FBI has been able to confirm Little’s involvement in at least 60 murders, making it the largest number of confirmed victims for any serial killer in US history.
Little was serving a life sentence when he died at the age of 80. There’s no doubt that Samuel Little is one of the most notorious serial killers in US history.
Ted Bundy
Ted Bundy is one of the most talked-about serial killers of all time. There have been several projects about the killer and his crimes. Bundy used to lure his victims with his good looks and intelligence. He sexually assaulted and killed over 36 women across five US states between 1974 and 1978. In 1979, the court sentenced Bundy to death for killing two college students and his other crimes.
Since his death, Ted Bundy has been popular in pop culture and the subject of several movies and TV shows.
David Berkowitz
Berkowitz, aka Son of Sam, killed six people and injured many others. After his arrest, David Berkowitz revealed that the devil used to tell him to kill people. The authorities got to know more about the cult, Sons of Sam, and how they operated. In 1977, just 11 days after murdering his last victim, the police apprehended Berkowitz after a massive manhunt.
He is currently serving his six-consecutive life sentence at the Shawangunk Correctional Facility in New York.
