10 Serial Killers Who Were Never Caught
Updated by Brittany Vincent
While it may come as a surprise to anyone who isn’t a true crime buff, there are an alarmingly high number of serial killers who have never been caught, managing to commit one of the most taboo acts over and over again and remain free.
Given that taking a life is unfathomable for most people, it's hard not to be fascinated by the unimaginable, depraved acts committed by these monsters. And while this type of eerie story is becoming less common—studies show that the number of serial killers is rapidly declining—below are 10 serial killers who terrified the public over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries.
The Alphabet Murders : Between 1971 and 1973, an unknown killer struck three times. The female victims each had a first and last name that started with the same letter as the town where their bodies were found, leading these killings to be dubbed “The Alphabet Murders”:
Carmen Colón was found near Churchville. Wanda Walkowicz was discovered in Webster. Michelle Maenza was sighted in Macedon.
Over the years, police have questioned several suspects, but have never been able to establish a solid link between any of them and the three murders.
Axeman of New Orleans : New Orleans was terrorized for a year at the turn-of-the-ceuntry by a man who would break into homes via the back door and then attack the inhabitants with an ax or straight razor. He never took any items or committed sexual assault, and the police never ascertained his true motivations. Strangely, a letter attributed to him stated that he wouldn't kill anyone that played jazz in their homes.
There were 12 recorded attacks by the Axeman, which left six dead and six injured. The terror ended as abruptly as it began, though: after the last attack on October 27, 1919, the city never heard from him again.
The Babysitter Killer (aka The Oakland County Child Killer) : Over a yearlong period between 1976 and 1977, someone kidnapped four children in and around the Oakland County, Michigan area and later murdered them. This triggered what was at the time the most extensive murder investigation in U.S. history, but authorities have still failed to arrest a suspect.
Cleveland Torso Murderer : This Cleveland killer is named for the brutal approach he took to disposing of his victims, who were often found dismembered. The killer preyed on the downtrodden and homeless, causing the police to burn down his hunting grounds, the shantytowns in Kingsbury Run, after which he disappeared. His last victim is thought to have been killed in 1938.
Ibadan Forest House of Horrors : In 2014, a group of motorcycle taxi drivers were searching for a missing friend and stumbled upon a terrible sight in the Ibadan, Nigeria forest. Tucked among the trees was a dilapidated building filled with corpses. A group of individuals had been killing people and butchering their bodies. Fortunately, 15 of the group's prisoners were found alive. When questioned, they stated their captors were government officials (or people posing as such) but this remains contested.
Jack the Ripper : Arguably the most famous serial killer, Jack the Ripper haunted the slums of Victorian London's East End. He was named for the rage with which he killed his victims, and despite his relatively low body count at an estimated five women, he remains one of the most studied on our list.
The Long Island Serial Killer Over a period of twenty years, between 1996 and 2010, someone killed and dumped almost 20 people on the South Shore of Long Island, New York. Most of these victims were sex workers who advertised on Craigslist, making this a decidedly digital-age crime. Unfortunately, aside from a belt found alongside one of the victims, there's little evidence as to the killer's identity.
Pedro Lopez : Pedro Lopez is the sole killer on this list whose identity is known—and he's also the most prolific, by far. He confessed to the murders of over 250 people, and it's thought that the total could be even higher. He was arrested in 1980 in Ecuador and served 18 years before being released on bail, but absconded and hasn't been seen since. Interpol is currently seeking his arrest for a 2002 murder.
Servant Girl Annihilator : This strangely nicknamed serial killer preyed on victims in Texas in the mid-1880s. There's a theory that this killer and Jack the Ripper are the same person due to their similar targeted victims, however, no definitive link has ever been established between the two.
Zodiac Killer : The Zodiac Killer is famous for the ciphers he sent to various California newspapers. While only five murders were confirmed, he claimed to have killed 37 people. Some of the coded letters he sent have gone unsolved, which is a major reason why he remains in the public consciousness decades after going silent.
