“To me, this world is nothing but evil, and my own evil just happened to come out ’cause of the circumstances of what I was doing.” – Aileen Wuornos, accused of having killed seven men.
What makes a serial killer tick has been a mystery, a topic of research for years. Some say that it is an illness, while some say that it is because of childhood experiences. We may not quite understand why killers kill, but one thing we have learnt is that most serial killers are quite charming. In fact, they use their charm to build trust in their victims and seduce them into their fatal ploy. Now, that’s something.
We bring you a few of the most enigmatic serial killers known to us:
1. Charles Shobhraj a.k.a. The Serpent a.k.a. Bikini Killer
Accused of having drugged and killed over a dozen western tourists in Asia, Charles Shobhraj had a way with his victims. His charm didn’t stop at entrapping his victims. Even in jail, he had quite a female fan following. He married his lawyer’s daughter while serving time in Nepal.
The charming killer has won the attention of filmmakers as well. Randeep Hooda portrays this enigmatic character in Main Aur Charles, releasing on Friday, 30th October, 2015. Can’t wait to watch it!
2. Richard Ramirez a.k.a. Night Stalker
By the age of 29, Ramirez had already killed 13 people. He was charged with 13 murders, 5 attempted murders, 11 sexual assaults and 14 burglaries. But all of this didn’t deter his female admirers, one of whom wrote him over 75 love letters in 3 years and eventually married him.
3. Ted Bundy
Bundy is considered to be the most charming serial killer in history. He raped and mutilated many women. He confessed to having killed 30, though the exact number remains unknown. His modus operandi was to plaster his forearm arm and approach women in parking lots asking for help. He would then take them to an isolated place where he would mutilate and rape them and have sex with their corpses. Presenting the handsome necrophilic psychopath.
4. Paul John Knowles a.k.a. The Casanova Killer
This breathtakingly gorgeous man is classified as a ‘ spree killer.’ He was first sent to jail at the age of 19 for theft. However, after that he spent six months in jail every year on some account or another. He is accused of having killed 19 people. His method of murder – strangulation.
5. Jeffrey Dahmer a.k.a. Milwaukee Cannibal
Dahmer killed, mutilated, cooked, ate and had sex with the dead bodies of around 17 men and boys. His last potential victim figured out his game and alerted the police, who caught him. He was beaten to death by a fellow inmate two years after imprisonment.
6. Vera Renczi
Vera had a way with men from a very young age. She took her first lover at the age of 15 and was often seen with older men. Accused of 38 murders, Vera’s first was her husband who she poisoned with arsenic when she suspected him of cheating on her. The rest of the murders were similar. Each time she took a lover, she began to get suspicious and would kill him.
7. Charles Manson
Cult leader and head of the Manson family, a quasi-commune of the original hippie generation of California, Charles Manson killed 9 people over a period of five weeks. When he went to prison, his followers and fans were undeterred and rather disappointed.
8. Hiroshi Maeue a.k.a The Suicide Website Murderer
There is a disturbing trend in Japan. There are websites on which lonely people who are afraid of dying alone sign pacts with strangers to die together. Maeue, who suffers from paraphillic psychosexual disorder, had a strong urge to ‘watch a face in agony.’ He lured his victims with the promise of dying together, but instead killed them and watched them die.
9. Robert Ben Rhoades
Robert’s victims were hitchhikers. He would offer them a ride, charm them and seduce them. He would then take them to his torture chamber (yes, he had a torture chamber!) where he would rape, torture and kill his victims.
10. Dennis Nilsen a.k.a. The Kindly Killer
Known as the British Jeffrey Dahmer, Nilson was a killer and a necrophilliac. He would take men out on dates and seduce them to come back home with him. He would then kill them and preserve their bodies, which he would place at various spots in his house. He killed because he was lonely. He was convicted on six counts of murder and two of attempted murder.
Hope you sleep well tonight!