Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, Zodiac Killer — do these dreadful names creep you out? These are just a few of America’s worst criminals, whose twisted behavior forever scarred the country.
Even though they have been convicted — or escaped — these criminals have found a way to live on in U.S. society, as their tales are told again and again in books, films and through the rising interest in true crime. In this article, we’ll share with you 10 of the worst offenders of the last 80 years and their legacy.
Ted Bundy
Ted Bundy (US serial killer) admitted to killing at least 30 women in seven states in the 1970s – though most likely much more. He was a feisty, manipulative, well-known guy who tricked his victims by pretending to be ill or needy. For his crimes, he was executed in Florida via electric chair in 1989.
Jeffrey Dahmer
Dahmer was known as the “Milwaukee Cannibal.” Between 1978 and 1991, he murdered 17 men and boys. Necrophilia, cannibalism & decapitation made him one of the scariest serial killers ever. Dahmer’s case rocked the country and raised questions about police work and the treatment of minorities. He was sentenced to 16 life terms in 1992 – but was beaten to death by another inmate in 1994.
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John Wayne Gacy
Gacy (the “Killer Clown”) was found guilty of murdering 33 youth men and boys in Chicago between 1972 and 1978. Gacy kidnapped and beat his victims, most of whom he buried in his crawl space. His crimes were made doubly bad by the fact that he was a well-respected businessman and local volunteer. He was arrested in 1978, sentenced to death in 1980 & given a lethal injection in 1994.
Richard Ramirez (The Night Stalker)
Ramirez was living, r**ing, and killing in California since the mid-80s. He terrorized L.A. and San Francisco with his arbitrary, brutal and Satanic acts. Ramirez was ultimately captured in 1985, and his arrest and trial became sensational to the point of terrifying. He was convicted in 1989 and died in prison in 2013.
David Berkowitz
David Berkowitz terrorized New York City between 1976 and 1977, shooting people at random and sending letters to the police bearing the sign “Son of Sam.” He killed six people and wounded a number of others, causing panic in the city. He was arrested in 1977 & is in jail serving six consecutive life sentences.
Aileen Wuornos
One of America’s few female serial killers, Wuornos killed seven men in Florida between 1989 and 1990. Her trial drew significant media attention as she argued that she was being self-defensive when the facts were the opposite. The tragic life of Wuornos has inspired a number of films and documentaries – including an oscar for Charlize Theron for portraying her. She was executed in 2002 by lethal injection.
The Zodiac Killer
This homicidal serial killer murdered dozens in Northern California in the late 1960s and early ’70s. Zodiac Killer sent anonymous letters and codes to the newspapers, teasing the police and the public with clues as to his identity. The Zodiac Killer never turned up despite numerous investigations, and his identity remains one of the longest-running mysteries in US crime history.
Charles Manson
Charles Manson ran the Manson Family cult in the late 1960s, coaxing his followers into the infamous Tate-LaBianca massacres of 1969. This ability to get others to commit crimes without actually being part of their executions made him such a recognizable figure. Manson’s tangled philosophy and charisma left an ominous impression on American society.
James “Whitey” Bulger
Whitey Bulger was a Boston mob boss and leader of the Winter Hill Gang who escaped arrest for 16 years. He was engaged in various crimes, ranging from drugs to murder — Bulger served as an FBI informant, establishing a fraught relationship with authorities. He was finally arrested in 2011 after spending years on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow
Even though Bonnie and Clyde’s crimes began at the turn of the 1930s, they continued to dominate the press into the decades following their deaths. They robbed banks and assassinated policemen; their bloody exploits left them among the most notorious of US criminals.
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