Some of the worst serial killers in history are accounted for here on the list of America's most famous serial killers. Perhaps infamous is a better description of these convicted killers, but as their murderous exploits have captured, and continue to capture, the attention of the public, they remain known as famous serial killers.
The notable serial killers on this serial killers list include some of the most famous female serial killers in history as well as some as yet unknown serial killers who may still be walking among the general public. Many of these men and women served as inspirations for the best fictional serial killers ever and as a jumping off point for adults to scare children across the world into blind obedience.
Who are the worst serial killers in history? What are the most famous American serial killers? This list of notable serial killer from the US is a collection of some of the most grisly murders in history and, if you desire, you can cast your vote for the worst serial killers in US history.
http://www.ranker.com/list/worst-serial-killers/tool100,
Boston Strangler
Between 1962-64, The Boston Strangler claimed the lives of 13 women, mostly by strangulation, and always involving sexual assault. In late 1964, Albert DeSalvo was arrested for the rape of a woman (one of over 300 supposed victims) and fingered as the Strangler while incarcerated. He confessed to the murders, was never convicted, and died from a prison stabbing in 1973 while serving a life term for the rape charges.
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Gary Ridgway
Over the course of nearly 20 years, Gary Ridgway, known as "The Green River Killer", terrorized the areas surrounding the Green River in Washington's King County where he would lure, kill, and dispose of at least 49 victims before his capture in 2001. While the number of confirmed deaths numbers 49, Ridgway confessed to killing as many as 71 women in his interviews after capture. He is currently serving 480 years in a Washington prison without the possibility of parole.
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Jeffrey Dahmer
Between 1988-91, Jeffrey Dahmer killed 17 men in Milwaukee, WI before the escape of his would-be 18th victim led to his capture. Dahmer is perhaps best known for dismembering and consuming parts of his victims, many of which were found in his apartment at the time of his arrest. Dahmer died in prison as the result of a work detail beating in 1994.
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John Wayne Gacy
John Wayne Gacy, known as "The Killer Clown", raped, tortured, and murdered at least 33 boys and men between 1972-78 in Chicago, IL. He was discovered by the police to have 29 bodies hidden in the crawl space of his house, and admitted to having killed more men which he disposed of in the river. He was executed by lethal injection in 1994.
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Ted Bundy
Ted Bundy embarked on a five year killing spree in 1974 that would not end until his capture in 1979. Bundy confessed to 30 murders on his arrest, though authorities believe the actual death toll is somewhere around 100. He was executed by electrocution in 1989.
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Richard Ramirez
Richard Ramirez, "The Night Stalker", went on a killing spree in the Los Angeles area that claimed the lives of at least 13 and as many as 16 in a spree that included shootings, mutilations, and rapes of his actual and intended victims. He was caught in East LA after his mugshot was broadcast across Southern California and he was accosted by a mob in the process of attempting to steal a car. He was tried, convicted, and died at 53 awaiting execution at San Quentin Prison.
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The Son of Sam-David Berkowitz
David Berkowitz, the "Son of Sam" killer, claimed to be tormented by demons who spoke to him in the form of howling dogs in the neighborhood he lived. In 1976, Berkowitz claimed the first of his six victims, all of whom were shot without provocation, and would not stop until his arrest in 1977. He received a 365 year sentence for his actions.
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Original Night Stalker
Known as both the "East Area Rapist" and the "Original Night Stalker", the now dubbed "Golden State Killer" was responsible for at least 10 deaths and 50 rapes that spread from San Francisco to Orange County between the years of 1946-86. The killer remains at large to this day.
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The Zodiac Killer
The Zodiac Killer was responsible for at least five, and as many as 37, people in Northern California between December 1968 and November 1969. In this time the Zodiac, whose identity to this day is still unknown, sent menacing and cryptic messages to local newspapers in and around San Francisco, and continued to send ciphered messages to the newspapers after the killings had stopped. Though many books and articles have named possible suspects, the case remains open and unsolved.
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The Mad Butcher-Ed Gein
Also known as the "Plainfield Ghoul", Ed Gein claimed responsibility for the deaths of two women in 1954 and 1957. Both women were shot, dismembered, and kept for trophies in Gein's house and shed. He was tried and convicted for the murder of Bernice Worden and died in a mental facility in 1984.
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