Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down The Worst Serial Killers Of All-Time

People Break Down The Worst Serial Killers Of All-Time
Kyle Johnson/Unsplash

History has shown us the sinister capabilities of mankind, especially serial killers.

The most terrifying thing about them is that murderers can be anyone in our midst–from a seemingly "friendly" acquaintance or a complete stranger who seems to have a good reputation in their community.

You never know if you're an eventual target or someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

While there are sadly countless evildoers in the world, there are still those who continue to haunt us long after they've been caught.


Curious to hear from strangers online, Redditor Relative_Plantain_29 asked:

"Who do you think is the worst serial killer in history?"

These were not the brightest, but nonetheless, despicable.

Plumbing Problem

"Dennis Nilsen. He lived in a London apartment building. The way he disposed of bodies was grinding them up and sending them down the plumbing. Eventually the drains for the building clogged and someone called and complained so a plumber was called to the building. The plumber ended up finding the sewer line for the building clogged with ground human meat."

"Twist: it was Dennis Nilsen who called to complain about the plumbing issue."

– Clcooper423

Dead Giveaway

"'Worst' like really bad at it? Peter Goebbels really wasn't anywhere near sophisticated and quite dumb. On his days off he'd find a woman in a secluded place and then choke them. He was immediately caught because he accidentally left his ID at a crime scene."

– shaka_sulu

Some thought those who have targeted children were the most contemptible.

Gilles de Rais

"Gilles de Montmorency-Laval (Gilles de Rais). Dude killed, assaulted, and ate 100-200 children between 1432 and 1440."

– transzient

"Moon Maniac"

"Albert Fish is disgusting. Read his wiki and it’s baaaaad."

– MontStuart

The Killer Clown

"John wayne gacy legit a serial killer there couldn't be anything worse than this."

– Time_Restaurant_9776

Milwaukee Cannibal

"Jeffery Dahmer for me, he did some truly awful and stomach turning things."

– lonesomeartis

Not The Nurturing Type

"Amelia Dyer. She pretended that she was caring for/adopting out babies from unwed mothers, but really she was just taking the money the mothers provided and killing all the babies. She got away with the scheme for 30 years and she is estimated to have killed up to 400 infants—through neglect/starvation, strangulation, and possibly other means. She just changed names and moved towns when someone got suspicious."

– qwertyuiiop145

Castle Of Terror

"Possibly Elizabeth Báthory? She was a Hungarian noblewoman who lived in the 1500s in a castle and was reputed to have tortured and killed more than 600 young women and girls."

"She was an utterly sadistic creature who thanks to her large wealth & status (which in Medieval feudal Hungaria, pretty much afforded her almost total power over the people in the lands under her care), was able to terrorize the local population unchecked for a very long time. Towards the end, she didn't even bother hiding the bodies (they were simply dumped around the castle to rot in plain sight) but young women in the local area had no power to resist her calls to the castle. The only thing that tripped her up in the end was when she killed a girl she had summoned to her court to sing for her but hadn't realized that the girl actually came from a relatively high status family. Upon their daughter disappearance, it was this noble family who then forced open an investigation at the castle, whereupon the horrifying scale of the psycho noblewoman's years-long killing spree became apparent."

– Creative_Recover

Some thought the methods by which killers committed their unspeakable acts of horror were among the worst

Taking Sight

"Andrei Chikatilo. Reading the dudes wiki pages made me cringe with horror multiple times. Something about stabbing people in the eyes before you kill them is reaaaaal gross to me"

– MonkeyDDeclan

Household Tools Were Weapons Of Choice

"The Tool Box Killers did some absolutely horrific things to their victims as well."

– Greystorms

Lady Killer

"Possibly Elizabeth Báthory? She was a Hungarian noblewoman who lived in the 1500s in a castle and was reputed to have tortured and killed more than 600 young women and girls."

"She was an utterly sadistic creature who thanks to her large wealth & status (which in Medieval feudal Hungaria, pretty much afforded her almost total power over the people in the lands under her care), was able to terrorize the local population unchecked for a very long time. Towards the end, she didn't even bother hiding the bodies (they were simply dumped around the castle to rot in plain sight) but young women in the local area had no power to resist her calls to the castle. The only thing that tripped her up in the end was when she killed a girl she had summoned to her court to sing for her but hadn't realized that the girl actually came from a relatively high status family. Upon their daughter disappearance, it was this noble family who then forced open an investigation at the castle, whereupon the horrifying scale of the psycho noblewoman's years-long killing spree became apparent."

– Creative_Recover

House Of Horrors

"H.H. Holmes. He built a literal murder castle."

– JwSatan

Elusive Malaise

"Cancer. They still haven't caught him."

– Poorly-Drawn-Beagle

For Pure Entertainment

"The Toy Box Killer wasn't the most prolific but he is probably up there with the most terrifying. The way he took his time with his victims and how much he enjoyed it. Most people haven't even heard of him, either."

– Badger_1066

Zodiac Killer

"The dude taunted the police with series of letters Claimed he killed more Made a f*king language that only he would understand and mailed the police Most of the letters aren’t still decoded and so far the ones said to decoded isn’t 100% sure Source: Based on what I’ve seen so I can’t say for sure if he did send the letters"

"But other than that -He hasn’t been caught. -Clean crime scene as he was able to escape swiftly without giving valuable evidence which could lead to his arrest. -Still no definite answer on who the zodiac killer is. Still no solid suspects."

– Scoobys_panacake

The Ripper Of Rostov

"Andrei Chikatilo. Over 200 confirmed victims over 30 years. Avoided Soviet police became he was a government employee and never suspected. This was pre-DNA days. Finally caught, they put him in a cage for his trial. He was sentenced to death."

– otcconan

People glorify sadistic torture scenes in movies.

There's something thrilling about watching a crazed masked killer on the loose on the screen because audiences who love horror films can take comfort in the fact they will come out of the experience with their lives intact.

But the real monsters are not of the Michael Myers and Freddie Krueger variety.

The notorious, real-life killers previously mentioned can outrank any of these boogeymen as "the worst," any day.


More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Joanna and Chip Gaines
Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images

HGTV Stars Respond To Backlash From Christian Fans For Casting Same-Sex Couple In Their New Series

Back in 2016, home renovation and lifestyle power couple Joanna and Chip Gaines faced accusations of anti-LGBTQ+ bigotry. The criticism stemmed from their attendance at a Waco, Texas church that preached against LGBTQ+ equality and basic human rights.

At the time, the couple owned and operated Magnolia Homes, a remodeling and design business in Waco, Texas, and their HGTV program Fixer Upper was a hit. After the show ended in 2018, the couple created their own Magnolia Network in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery in 2020 to create original content and air other home and lifestyle programs.

Keep ReadingShow less
screenshots from video of JD Vance at Disneyland
@janekleeb/X

JD Vance Called Out For Hypocrisy As He Visits Disneyland With His Family Amid Boos

On Saturday, one-time vehement Trump critic turned MAGA Republican convert Vice President JD Vance went on vacation to Disneyland in blue state California, despite Disney World in red state Florida being closer to Washington D.C. and in the middle of MAGA territory.

The administration of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump is currently engaged in a face-off with California over occupying forces sent by Trump to Los Angeles, which is about 50 miles from Anaheim where Disneyland is located, making Vance's choice even more questionable.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Joe Biden
Mandel Ngan/Pool/Getty Images; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Joe Biden Calls Out 'Liar' Trump Over His Claims About Biden's Use Of Autopen For Pardons

Speaking to The New York Times, former President Joe Biden called President Donald Trump a "liar" over claims that Biden's pardons are "void" because they were done by autopen, a conspiracy theory heavily promoted by Republicans who've already suggested many times that Biden was not mentally fit while in office.

In the final hours of his presidency, Biden issued a series of preemptive pardons, including ones for his relatives, all members of the House committee that investigated the January 6 attack—such as former Congresswoman Liz Cheney—and several of Trump’s most prominent adversaries, including General Mark Milley and Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nancy Mace
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Rep. Nancy Mace Gets Brutal Reminder On X After She Tried To Praise Trump For 'Rebuilding' The U.S.

South Carolina Republican Representative Nancy Mace was fact-checked by an X Community Note after she tried to praise President Donald Trump for "rebuilding" the country, when she herself voted against President Biden's 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

The IIJA authorized $1.2 trillion in funding and the increased federal spending in recent years has improved U.S. ports, roads, parks, and other services in a country that civil engineers have long said spends too little on infrastructure.

Keep ReadingShow less
black Lamborghini parked in front of a boutique
Danilo Capece on Unsplash

Surprising Things Poor People Learned When Dating Someone Rich

There are life lessons learned through adversity. Some of them are actual survival skills while others are about managing expectations and disappointment.

But some people face very few hardships in their lives due to the power of money.

Keep ReadingShow less