15 Serial Killers You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
When it comes to serial killers, names like Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer are permanently etched into public consciousness. Their crimes, trials, and eventual fates have been covered extensively in documentaries, books, and even Hollywood films. But for every infamous name, there are many others whose horrifying acts slipped through the cracks of mainstream attention.
From a killer who turned her victims into soap to a man who buried “kill kits” across the U.S., these 15 lesser-known serial killers are as terrifying as they are obscure.
1. Israel Keyes (United States)
- Operating Years: 2001–2012
Israel Keyes was a calculated and methodical killer. He traveled across the U.S., burying “kill kits” in remote locations that he would later use to execute his murders. Keyes avoided detection for years by choosing victims at random and using his kits to minimize evidence. His name remains relatively unknown because of his effort to avoid media attention, even in custody.
2. Clementine Barnabet (United States)
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- Operating Years: 1911–1912
A teenager from Louisiana, Clementine Barnabet claimed to have murdered 35 people as part of a voodoo cult. Her victims were often found with their skulls crushed, and she claimed her actions were part of religious rituals. Due to the time period and lack of detailed records, many details about her crimes remain speculative, adding to the mystery.
3. Katherine Knight (Australia)
.jpeg "Katherine Knight")
- Operating Years: 2000
Katherine Knight shocked Australia when she murdered her partner, John Price, in 2000. After killing him, she skinned his body, cooked parts of him, and prepared a meal she intended to serve to his children. Her gruesome crime remains one of the most shocking in Australian history, though it receives little attention internationally.
4. Anatoly Slivko (Soviet Union)
- Operating Years: 1964–1985
Slivko was a youth club leader in the Soviet Union who lured boys into deadly “experiments,” promising adventure and camaraderie. He filmed his crimes, which involved asphyxiation and dismemberment. Due to the USSR’s controlled media environment, his crimes weren’t widely publicized outside the region.
5. Leonarda Cianciulli (Italy)
- Operating Years: 1939–1940
Known as the "Soap-Maker of Correggio," Cianciulli murdered three women and used their bodies to make soap and teacakes. She claimed her actions were intended to protect her family from a curse. Overshadowed by the chaos of World War II, her crimes went largely unnoticed outside Italy.
6. Pedro Alonso López (Colombia/Ecuador/Peru)
- Operating Years: 1970s–1980s
Dubbed "The Monster of the Andes," Pedro López confessed to killing over 300 girls across Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Despite his staggering victim count, he remains relatively unknown due to the rural areas where he operated and the limited international media coverage of his crimes.
7. Jane Toppan (United States)
- Operating Years: 1880s–1901
Jane Toppan, a nurse in Massachusetts, killed at least 31 patients by poisoning them with morphine. She later confessed that she killed for the thrill and sexual satisfaction it brought her. Her crimes, predating modern media, have been largely forgotten despite her chilling motivations.
8. Herbert Mullin (United States)
- Operating Years: 1972–1973
Believing he was preventing earthquakes, Herbert Mullin killed 13 people in California during a year-long spree. His bizarre motive and the proximity of his crimes to the Zodiac killings caused him to be overshadowed by more infamous cases in the same region.
9. Joachim Kroll (Germany)
- Operating Years: 1955–1976
The "Ruhr Cannibal," Joachim Kroll murdered and cannibalized at least 14 people over two decades in West Germany. He was eventually caught when police discovered human remains clogging his plumbing. Despite his gruesome crimes, his name is not widely recognized outside Europe.
10. Harpe Brothers (United States)
- Operating Years: Late 1700s
Micajah and Wiley Harpe, known as the Harpe Brothers, are considered America’s first documented serial killers. Operating on the frontier, they killed indiscriminately, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. Their exploits are often dismissed as folklore, obscuring their historical reality.
11. Charles Edmund Cullen (United States)
- Operating Years: 1980s–2003
Cullen, a nurse in New Jersey, confessed to killing 40 patients, though experts believe the number could be in the hundreds. Using his position to administer lethal doses of medication, he flew under the radar for decades, making him one of the most prolific yet unknown killers in U.S. history.
12. Elizabeth Bathory (Hungary)
.jpeg "Elizabeth Bathory")
- Operating Years: Late 1500s–early 1600s
Known as the "Blood Countess," Bathory allegedly tortured and killed hundreds of young girls, bathing in their blood to preserve her youth. While some historians debate the accuracy of these claims, her story is one of the most horrifying in European history.
13. Carl Panzram (United States)
- Operating Years: 1900s–1920s
Panzram was a drifter who murdered over 20 people and claimed to have raped over 1,000 men. His confessions, documented in his autobiography, were largely ignored during his lifetime, but they reveal a man consumed by anger and hatred.
14. Tamara Samsonova (Russia)
- Operating Years: 2000–2015
Dubbed the "Granny Ripper," Samsonova killed and dismembered her tenants in St. Petersburg. Her chilling diary detailed her crimes, but the lack of international media coverage has kept her relatively obscure.
15. H. H. Holmes (United States)
- Operating Years: 1890s
H. H. Holmes constructed a “Murder Castle” in Chicago during the 1893 World’s Fair. Filled with trapdoors, secret passages, and gas chambers, the building was designed to facilitate his murders. Despite the sensational nature of his crimes, Holmes is often overshadowed by more recent killers.
Conclusion
These 15 killers may not have achieved the notoriety of others, but their crimes are no less horrifying. From cult rituals to calculated precision, their stories reveal the many faces of human depravity.
Which of these stories shocked you the most? Share your thoughts in the comments, and stay tuned for more chilling true crime and paranormal content!
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