Serial Killers

The true tale of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and the cunning serial killer who used the magic and majesty of the fair to lure his victims to their death....

From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Prairie Fires comes a terrifying true-crime history of serial killers in the Pacific Northwest and beyond—a gripping investigation of how a new strain of psychopath emerged out of a toxic landscape of deadly industrial violence.

Ted Bundy. John Wayne Gacy. Jeffrey Dahmer. The names of notorious serial killers are usually well-known; they echo in the news and in public consciousness. But most people have never heard of Israel Keyes, one of the most ambitious and terrifying serial killers in modern history....

Their names echo through true crime history like dark legends: John Wayne Gacy, the Zodiac Killer, Richard Ramirez, Aileen Wuornos, Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, and the Golden State Killer. Their infamous deeds have been exhaustively chronicled across every medium imaginable.

Examining murder from an insider’s perspective, Matt Murphy—a former senior deputy district attorney and current ABC News legal analyst—discusses cases from his career, how they strained his personal life, and how he found peace seeking justice for victims and their families.

Ann Rule was working on a story tracking the trail of victims left by a brutal serial killer. Little did she know the savage slayer she was hunting was the young man she counted among her closest friends....

For his victims, for their families and for the investigators tasked with finding him, the senselessness and brutality of the Golden State Killer's acts were matched only by the powerlessness they felt at failing to uncover his identity....

The Hunt is a chilling account of Robert Hansen's reign of terror. It delves deep into the psyche of a serial killer and captures the reality of his monstrous acts.

Little does Paul know, however, that the 1978 cold case he opens will take an unexpected turn, lead to other cases and killers he never knew about, and haunt him for his entire career.

A vivid, frightening novel collection of nine strange, dark, and mysterious stories, based on true events, from the mind behind the YouTube channel and hit MrBallen Podcast.

A masterful true crime account of the Golden State Killer - the elusive serial rapist turned murderer who terrorized California for over a decade....

In The Killer Across the Table, John E. Douglas, legendary FBI criminal profiler, number one New York Times best-selling author, and inspiration for Netflix’s Mindhunter, delves into the lives and crimes of four of the most disturbing and complex predatory killers....

In the most extraordinary journey Ann Rule has ever undertaken, she has spent more than two decades researching the story of the Green River Killer....

This Ultimate True Crime Case Collection contains disturbing accounts of some of the most brutal and bizarre true crime stories in history. Often told from the killer’s perspective, Green’s riveting narratives draw the listener into the real-life horror experienced by the victims....

From the detective who found the Golden State Killer, a memoir of investigating America’s toughest cold cases and the rewards–and toll–of a life solving crime....

Five devastating human stories and a dark and moving portrait of Victorian London - the untold lives of the women killed by Jack the Ripper....

The untold story behind the hit true crime podcast The Clearing, this unforgettable memoir traces one daughter’s moving quest to understand her larger-than-life childhood as she searches for the truth about her father, the serial killer Edward Wayne Edwards.

The shocking true-crime story of a U.S. Border Patrol agent turned serial killer, the four sex workers whom he mercilessly killed, and the upended border town of Laredo where his heinous crimes occurred.

In this fascinating & profoundly chilling account, Detective Kim Mager, a real-life version of Clarice Starling, reveals how she closed in on—and broke—one of Ohio’s most infamous serial killers.

From the FBI’s former assistant director, a shocking journey to the dark side of America’s highways, revealing the FBI Highway Serial Killings Initiative’s hunt for the long-haul truckers behind an astonishing 850 murders–and counting.

Vain and charismatic Walter Sickert made a name for himself as a painter in Victorian London. But the ghoulish nature of his art - as well as extensive evidence - points to another name....

On May 31, 1985, two days before her high school graduation, Shari Smith was abducted from the driveway of her family home in South Carolina....

Reverend Willie Maxwell was a rural preacher accused of murdering five of his family members for insurance money in the 1970s. With the help of a savvy lawyer, he escaped justice for years until a relative shot him dead at the funeral of his last victim....

In 1967, during the time of peace, free love, and hitchhiking, 19-year-old Mary Terese Fleszar was last seen walking home to her apartment in Ypsilanti, Michigan....

In the pantheon of serial killers, Belle Gunness stands alone. She was the rarest of female psychopaths, a woman who engaged in wholesale slaughter, partly out of greed but mostly for the sheer joy of it....

Caroline Fraser grew up in the shadow of Ted Bundy, the most notorious serial murderer of women in American history, surrounded by his hunting grounds and mountain body dumps, in the brooding landscape of the Pacific Northwest. But in the 1970s and ’80s, Bundy was just one perpetrator amid an uncanny explosion of serial rape and murder across the region. Why so many? Why so weirdly and nightmarishly gruesome? Why the senseless rise and then sudden fall of an epidemic of serial killing?

In this unforgettable memoir, the daughter of the "Happy Face" serial killer shares her poignant message of hope and the power of finding your voice. Melissa has told her story on several national talk shows and as the host of the LMN television series Monster in My Family. She continues to share in this updated edition of Shattered Silence, which features two new chapters. Uplifting and emotional, this book will inspire you to trust your intuition and speak out for truth as you face your own challenges and conquer your own obstacles.

In the quiet college town of Moscow, Idaho, the unthinkable happened. On a chilly November night in 2022, four University of Idaho students—Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin—were brutally murdered in their off-campus home. The shocking crime sent ripples through the nation, leaving a community in mourning and a country demanding answers. The Moscow Murders delves deep into the heart of this tragic event, exploring the lives of the victims, the intricacies of the investigation, and the arrest of Bryan Kohberger, a criminology Ph.D. student from a ...

By day, Gary Heidnik was a man of God with money, charisma, and a growing congregation. But behind closed doors, he was building a torture chamber by hand and filling it with women.

In 1819, a young man outwitted death at the hands of John and Lavinia Fisher and sparked the hunt for Charleston's most notorious serial killers. Former homicide investigator Bruce Orr follows the story of the Fishers, from the initial police raid on their Six Mile Inn with its reportedly grisly cellar to the murderous couple's incarceration and execution at the squalid Old City Jail. Yet there still may be more sinister deeds left unpunished, an overzealous sheriff, corrupt officials, and documents only recently discovered all suggest that there is more to the tale.

Death Within the Mountain Pines is a gripping and meticulously researched true crime account chronicling the long-awaited resolution of a harrowing cold case that haunted Colorado for nearly four decades. At the heart of the narrative lies the tragic story of Annette Schnee and Bobbie Jo Oberholtzer, two young women who vanished in 1982 in the remote mountainous region of Park County. Their disappearance and subsequent murders remained unsolved for decades, until groundbreaking advances in forensic science and genealogy finally led to the identification and conviction of Alan Lee Phillips. ...

Step into the chilling world of David Parker Ray, infamously known as the "Toy Box Killer." For decades, Ray operated a soundproof trailer dubbed the "Toy Box," where he subjected his victims to unspeakable horrors. This meticulously researched account delves into the depths of his crimes, exploring the twisted psychology behind his actions and the harrowing experiences of his survivors. Through detailed narratives and investigative insights, this book sheds light on the dark underbelly of human depravity and the resilience of those who survived. It's a haunting reminder of the evil that ...

Who needs horror stories when real life has serial killers, cults, and human soup? 20 of the world’s most disturbing real-life crimes - this isn’t fiction. It’s worse! Walk the haunted alleys of Cape Town, navigate Russia’s frozen wastelands, and venture down the shadowed river Thames - each tale expertly written for fans of true crime, murder mystery non-fiction, and gripping criminal investigations. The Iron Box Killer In 1910s Siam, the first documented serial killer in Thai history shocked a nation with his terrifying crimes. The Gatton Murders A peaceful Christmas night ...

The shadow of the serial killer has long haunted societies across the globe—figures both terrifying and fascinating, whose actions defy understanding and shake the very foundations of human decency. This book delves into the dark minds and twisted lives of some of the world’s most prolific serial killers—those individuals whose crimes left indelible marks on history and on the communities they shattered. From the chilling calculated cunning of killers who manipulated their victims, to those driven by compulsions so overwhelming they could not stop themselves, these stories expose the ...

On the morning of July 3, 1915, John Pierpont Morgan Jr., one of the most famous names in finance, was entertaining guests at his sprawling Long Island estate when the doorbell unexpectedly rang. An armed man forced his way inside. At the same time, authorities in Washington, DC, were investigating a shocking bombing at the US Capitol.

Sentenced To Hell is a gripping non-fiction account that pulls back the steel curtain on some of the most notorious and brutal correctional facilities across the globe. From the gang-controlled corridors of the Penitentiary of New Mexico to the icy isolation of Russia’s Black Dolphin, this book delivers a chilling journey into places where survival often outweighs justice, and fear governs every waking moment. With chilling detail and unflinching honesty, this book explores the harsh realities of life behind bars in institutions where violence is routine, corruption thrives, and human ...

Serial Car Thieves unfolds across multiple chapters, each peeling back layers on the individuals, gangs, systems, and societal factors that drive this phenomenon. Law enforcement’s painstaking surveillance and wiretaps painted a vivid picture of organized crime in motion, exposing how deeply entrenched the problem had become. The book explores the “chop shop economy,” where stolen cars disappear in hours through illicit dismantling and VIN-switching schemes. Corrupt mechanics, middlemen, and insurance fraud networks collaborate to erase paper trails, making recovery difficult and the ...

Memoirs of a Hitman dives deep into the chilling life and crimes of William Dean Wickline Jr., a man whose violent legacy left a lasting scar on Ohio’s criminal history. This investigative true crime narrative explores not just the grisly murders and criminal empire Wickline built, but also the shadowy underpinnings of his psyche, the social environments that shaped him, and the law enforcement struggles that ultimately brought him to justice. Born in 1952 to a troubled working-class family, Wickline’s early years were marked by domestic violence and emotional neglect. From an early age...

The Line Fire Arsonist: The True Story of Justin Halstenberg is a harrowing, meticulously researched exploration into one of California’s most chilling and destructive criminal minds. Written by investigative true crime author Elliot Christpher, this narrative delves deep into the life, crimes, and psychology of Justin Halstenberg—a man whose fires lit up the night sky and left behind charred landscapes, ruined lives, and a community scarred forever. From the smoldering ashes of the Keller Peak Line Fire to the quiet panic that gripped Southern California towns, Inferno Within ...

Delve into the chilling true-crime narrative of the Golden State Killer—one of California's most elusive and terrifying criminals. For over a decade, he committed at least 13 murders, 51 rapes, and over 100 burglaries across the state, evading capture through meticulous planning and a haunting ability to remain unseen. Known by various names—the East Area Rapist, Original Night Stalker, and Visalia Ransacker—his crimes spanned from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, leaving a trail of fear and unanswered questions. This book offers an in-depth exploration of the case, tracing the ...