Top 10 Scariest Real-Life Killers You've Never Heard Of
#10: Gerard John Schaefer
In his mugshot, Gerard John Schaefer looks like an everyday man: his hair combed to the right and a friendly smile plastered on his face. However, a second glance may be warranted after learning that he potentially killed 30 people throughout the 60s and 70s. Schaefer was a Florida sheriff's deputy when he kidnapped two teenage women and tied them to a tree in the forest. The women escaped after Schaefer received a call on his radio. Sadly, Susan Place and Georgia Jessup—whom he kidnapped two months later— weren’t so lucky. They were kidnapped, tied to a tree, and then killed. In 1973, Schaefer was given two life sentences, but he’s suspected of having over 30 victims.
#9: Vickie Dawn Jackson
While quite a big name in Texas, Vickie Dawn Jackson never gained national attention, despite killing at least 10 people in a three month span from December 2000 to February 2001. Working as a nurse in North Texas, Jackson used a paralyzer called mivacurium chloride on her elderly patients, which prevented their ability to breathe. The deaths didn’t raise any red flags owing to the age of the patients, but alarm bells started ringing once administrators noticed the missing mivacurium chloride. They came to suspect Jackson, as she was often the last person reported in the victims’ rooms before their deaths. A syringe used to administer mivacurium chloride was eventually found in her trash can, and she was subsequently charged and sentenced to life in prison.
#8: Ronald Dominique
Those from Louisiana may recognize Ronald Dominique as The Bayou Strangler, a serial killer who killed at least 23 men and boys between 1997 to 2006. Dominique frequented gay bars around Houma (HOH-muh), Louisiana, and would tie up and assault the men he took home. He would then kill them to ensure their silence. In 2006 however, a survivor of Dominique’s contacted the police to voice his suspicions about the man. Dominique was arrested after DNA matched him to recovered corpses, putting an end to his crimes.
#7: Israel Keyes
Between 1998 and 2001, Israel Keyes served in the United States Army. Fellow soldiers described him as a quiet alcoholic who would down entire bottles of whiskey. After leaving the military, Keyes began a criminal life committing bank robberies, burglaries, and arson. He also killed at least four people, although he’s suspected of a further seven. Perhaps his most famous victim is Samantha Koenig (KOH-nig). The 18 year old was kidnapped from work, assaulted, and killed, her body left in a shed while Keyes went on a family vacation. Upon returning, he applied makeup to her body so she could pose for a ransom photo. Keyes was caught using her debit card and arrested, but he took his own life while awaiting trial.
#6: The Long Island Serial Killer
Top 20 Scariest Real Life Killers You've Never Heard Of
It’s not often that modern day serial killers go unidentified, but the Long Island Serial Killer remains an exception. Also given other names like the Craigslist Ripper and Gilgo Beach Killer, the Long Island Serial Killer is suspected of killing up to 16 people between 1996 and 2010. Ten victims have been officially linked to the Long Island Serial Killer, as their remains were found in December 2010 and the spring of 2011. Of the ten, four were escorts who had advertised through Craigslist. Although there have been several suspects of note, the killer’s identity ultimately remains unknown.
#5: Salvatore Perrone
Nicknamed The Son of Sal, Staten Island man Salvatore Perrone turned his frustrations with life into a bloody killing spree. His wife had left him and his business was failing, leaving him broke. In 2012 he began roaming the streets of Brooklyn and entering stores with Middle Eastern merchants. Arriving at closing time when the stores were empty, Perrone shot and killed three merchants with a sawed-off rifle. After police searched his home, they found a 12-gauge shotgun, ammunition, and duct tape. He also carried around a so-called “kill kit” that included switchblades, a serrated knife, bleach, and latex gloves. Perrone was convicted of all three killings and sentenced to 75 years to life in prison.
#4: Lydia Sherman
An old-timey serial killer also known as the Derby Poisoner, Lydia Sherman lived in the eastern United States between 1824 and 1878. She seemingly had no regard for human life - not even her own children. She reportedly killed three husbands with arsenic in a span of seven years, and disposed of eight children the same way—six of them being her own. All of these deaths were officially attributed to typhoid fever at the time, with no one being any the wiser to Sherman’s secret life as a serial killer. Sherman’s crimes eventually caught up to her, however, and she was sentenced to life in prison. She died of cancer at 53 in 1878.
#3: Amelia Dyer
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When it comes to 19th century serial killers, few are as prominent - or as sick - as Amelia Dyer. But even then, her name has mostly been lost to time. Living in Victorian England, Dyer was a baby farmer - an old practice in which people took in orphaned children in exchange for money. Unfortunately, Dyer had depraved ulterior motives for doing so. She killed the children she adopted, and while Dyer has only been officially linked to six deaths, her body count is often theorized to be somewhere between 200 and 400. If that’s true, it would make Dyer one of the most prolific killers in history. Dyer was finally caught in 1896 and hung at London’s Newgate Prison. Her last words? “I have nothing to say”.
#2: Patrick Mackay
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In his early 20s, Englishman Patrick Mackay became obsessed with Nazism. He was also a heavy drinker and drug user, and he claims to have committed his first killing by drowning a homeless man in the River Thames. A few years later, on March 21, 1975, he fatally attacked a priest with an axe. Following Mackay’s arrest, he became the prime suspect in dozens of killings, most of which occurred after the victim was robbed. Mackay has been officially tied to three deaths, but he personally claims to have killed 11. He was sentenced to life in prison and remains there to this day. Before we unveil our top pick, here’s a dishonorable mention. Clementine Barnabet (barna-bet) She Claimed to Have Committed 35 Murders with the Help of a Hoodoo Charm
#1: Karl Denke
This man’s lack of mainstream attention is baffling, considering the extent and severity of his crimes. Accurately known as The Forgotten Cannibal, Denke was a Prussian man who killed up to 42 homeless people between 1903 and 1924 and ate their remains. Denke was a well-liked organist at his local Lutheran church and ran a food shop that sold various kinds of meat. Yeah, you know where this is going. It’s speculated that Denke served human meat to his loyal customers. Denke was caught in 1924 but took his own life before questioning could begin. When police searched his home, they found countless body parts, including 16 femurs, 120 toes, 65 feet, and 150 pieces of ribs. His motivation, and much of his grisly story, remains unknown.
