10 Of The World’s Most Notorious Serial Killers

Recently, we addressed the issue of the furthering of the negative stereotypes and stigmas in relation to the truck driving community: Film & Literature Further Negative Stereotypes About Drivers. This inspired us to take a closer look at some of the most notorious serial killers in history – we profiled 10 of the most well known killers, only one of which had ties to the trucking industry.

Yorkshire Ripper | Peter Sutcliffe (June 2,1946 – Present)

Peter Sutcliffe, also known as the Yorkshire Ripper is one of Britain’s most well known serial killers – he’s also one of the only serial killers who was known to be a truck driver for a tire company called T. & W.H. Clark (Holdings Ltd.). However, although he was employed as a truck driver it was short-lived as he worked there for less than a year. Peter was sentenced to life in prison for murdering 13 women, and attempting to murder 7 more. His victims were primarily prostitutes. He would batter them with hammer, and stab them in the chest or abdomen with a screwdriver. He is currently being housed at a high-security hospital near London – in 1984 he was transferred there from prison when he had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.Doctor Death | Harold Frederick “Fred” Shipman (January 14, 1946 – January 13, 2004)

Harold Shipman is possibly one of the most prolific serial killers in history. He was a general practitioner, and he was found guilty of committing over 250 murders by lethal injection. Most of his victims were female. In 2000, he was sentenced to life in prison and he hung himself in his cell four years later.

Javed Iqbal (1956 – October 8, 2001)

Was convicted of molesting, raping, and murdering over 100 children (the exact number is not known) – primarily small boys. He would strangle and dismember his victims, after that he would dispose of the bodies by placing them in vats of acid. Javed committed suicide in a Pakistani prison in 2001.

The Monster Killer | Yang Xinhai (July 1968 – February 14, 2004)

In four years, Yang was found guilty of murdering 67 people. He began his criminal career as a thief, and eventually began to rape and murder. He had a short reign of terror in China, and would brutally murder entire families using things like saws and axes. In 2004, he was put to death for his crimes.

The Chessboard Killer | Alexander Pichushkin (April 9, 1974 – Present)

Alexander was sentenced to life in prison for murdering 48 victims (however, death totals are believed to range up to 63). This Russian serial killer was known to record his murders on a chessboard – his goal was to commit one murder per square. Many of his victims were homeless men that he killed after luring them away with a bottle of vodka and then bludgeoning them with the bottle.

The Angel Of Death | Donald Harvey (April 15, 1952 – Present)

Donald was a hospital orderly who called himself the “Angel of Death.” He is the cause of anywhere between 36 and 57 deaths but gives himself credit for 87 deaths over the course of 20 years. He poisoned his victims with everything from insulin to arsenic and cyanide – all of them slow and painful. He was known to suffocate his victims, and even murdered one with a coat hanger.

Red Ripper | Andrei Romanovivh Chikatilo (October 16, 1936 – February 14, 1994)

Andrei is a Ukranian man who killed around 52 people between the years of 1978 and 1990 – most of his victims being women and children. He raped most of his female victims but was known to suffer from impotence. This lead him to further violence. He was know to stab his victims during the rape in order to achieve sexual gratification. He was shot and killed in 1994.

The River Man | Gary Leon Ridgeway (February 18, 1949 – Present)

Gary Ridgeway, also known as “The River Man” has claimed to have killed more than 90 women in Washington state – he was convicted of 48 murders. His methods were brutal, and he used cables, fishing line, and rope to strangle his victims after raping and torturing them. He was also known to indulge in necrophilia with the bodies of his victims. He has been serving his life sentence since 2003.

Ted Bundy | Theodore Robert Bundy (November 24, 1946 – January 24, 1989)

Ted Bundy is known to have killed 29 people, he confessed to over 30, but could possibly be responsible for over 100 deaths between 1974 and 1978. He would strangle and beat his victims to death, he was also known to rape his victims – whether they were alive or not. He was put do death in an electric chair in 1989.

Pogo the Clown or The Killer Clown | John Wayne Gacy, Jr. (March 17, 1942 – May 10, 1994)

John Wayne Gracy, also known as “Pogo the Clown” and “the Killer clown” raped and murdered 33 young boys in the course of six years. 27 of those bodies were found in the crawl space of his home after his arrest, more were eventually found in a nearby river. He was employed as a clown and worked as an entertainer at children’s birthday celebrations. He was killed in 1994 by means of lethal injection.

Sources
GQ
Herald Sun
Manolith
Wikipedia