Where as most killers commit their crimes, due to rage or some similar motive, what makes serial killers so terrifying is that they kill purely for the fun of it. Not to mention, that they’re good at it too. Most serial killers plan out their killings beforehand, and are smart enough not to be caught long enough to cause havoc. These serial killers, however managed to outsmart the authorities to the point where they got away scot free.
Charlie Chop-Off
Charlie Chop-Off operated from 1972 to 1974, kidnapping and murdering black children. In total he killed five with his usual modus operandi, but the sixth and last murder was different. He botched the kidnapping, and left the child for dead instead of killing him. His moniker comes from his practice of removing the male’s privates. A man named Erno Soto pleaded guilty to the murders, but the authorities weren’t convinced. He was too mentally deranged to be taken seriously, and although he likely committed the sixth murder, he probably wasn’t the killer. The real Charlie Chop-Off was never caught, and may still be roaming America today. Just one of the many loose serial killers in America right now.
The Axeman
Decades ago, residents of New Orleans were terrorised by a man nobody had ever seen and lived. They only knew of his name, Axeman, named as such because he would kill his victims with their own axe. He haunted Louisiana from 1918 to 1919, but was never caught. In almost every case the killer would remove a panel from the back door with a chisel, break into the house, murder one or two of the people inside with their own axe, and then leave. He never removed a single item from the house, even the panel he took off was left on the floor near the door. His motives were unknown, but considering the nature of the act, the most likely explanation is bloodlust.
Stoneman
The killer prowled the streets of Calcutta, India. He was looking for homeless people, alone. He found his first victim sleeping in a poorly lit area, alone. Standing over his body, he gripped the stone in his hand, and bashed it over the homeless man’s head. Six months later, he had killed twelve more people. He used the same method for each of the killings. The authorities brought in a host of suspects for questioning, but couldn’t move any further than that. Although the killings eventually stopped, the killer was never caught, instead he’s free to roam India, or perhaps he left India, perhaps he’s somewhere near you.
The Moonlight Murderer
The Moonlight Murderer spent 10 weeks hunting down unsuspecting bystanders on the weekends when the moon was glowing. The town of Texarkana went into a panic, people were terrified of the killer whose names included Phantom Killer, and Phantom Slayer. Police patrolled the streets at night, men armed themselves to the teeth, shops reported selling out of guns, ammunition, and locks. The entire town was on alert, and yet the killer was never caught. He killed a total of 8 victims in only 10 weeks, but the killings stopped after that. Perhaps, he considered the town was on too high an alert for him to be able to get away with it, or perhaps he just revelled in the chaos he caused, and felt he had done enough. Now he’s simply one of America’s lost serial killers.
The Bone Collector
On February 2, 2009 a woman walking her dog found a bone in the desert; it belonged to a human. She called the police, who launched an investigation, the result of which was shocking. The bodies of 11 people, all female aged 15 to 32. The Bone Collector, kill his victims and then bury them in a desert in Albuquerque. 11 bodies were found buried, most of them were involved with drugs and sex work. A serial is mostly likely the culprit for these murders. The authorities had several suspects, but none of them were proven to be the culprit, one of them had even been killed himself.
The Atlanta Ripper
The Atlanta Ripper is a serial killer responsible for killing 15 women from Atlanta in the US. The killings took place in 1911. One body was found only 25 yards from her home, with her throat slit. The death was reported in the Atlanta Constitution with the headline “Negro Woman Killed; No Clue to Slayer.” She was a black woman, as were all of his other victims. They were all in their early 20’s and murdered in the same manner. Like most serial killers his victims all shared certain traits.
Frankford Slasher
A slasher roamed the streets of Frankford sexually assaulting, and then killing his victims. This spree lasted for 5 years, ending in 1990. Most of the evidence pointed towards it being a middle aged white man, but they couldn’t pin down who it was. A black man who worked in a fish market was arrested and sentenced to life in prison, but there wasn’t any evidence to support him being the killer, and the killings continued even after he was arrested. The real killer was never caught, and simply went on living his life. Now he’s likely an old man, living around people who have no idea of his real history.
The Honolulu Strangler
The Honolulu Strangler was the first ever serial killer to strike Hawaii. In only one year starting in 1985, five women were killed by the Honolulu Strangler. The first victim, Gail Purdy, was last seen by a taxi driver at 12:00 am. The next day she was found dead in an embankment, with her hands behind her back. It was discovered that she had been raped before she was killed. She worked at a video shop which sold pornographic films, and two women were stabbed to death there only a year earlier. The victim’s husband believed her working there was connected to her death. A team of 27 people was put together by the Honolulu Police Department.
They thought they had caught the killer when a man came forward to provide information. The informant’s ex-wife and girlfriend provided the police with evidence that the man had a bondage fetish, and had slept with them while their hands were tied behind their backs. He was interrogated, and failed the polygraph test. Not to mention, his girlfriend mentioned that on nights they argued he would storm out, and that these were the nights when the killings happened. However, a woman came forward and provided an alibi for him. The real killer was never caught.
Jack the Stripper
This serial killer’s method of killing was similar to the famous Jack the Ripper. The murders took place in London, and all the victims were prostitutes. The bodies were found completely stripped in or near the River Thames. Scotland Yard put on one of the largest manhunts in history, yet the killer still evaded capture. There were 8 known victims, and 7,000 suspects. Having to investigate this many suspects made the case seem almost impossible. However, after a crucial piece of evidence was found outside of factory estate in Acton, police announced that the amount of suspects had been cut down to 20, even though this wasn’t actually true. However, it worked. After that announcement the killings stopped.
Original Night Stalker
From 1979 to 1986, 50 women were raped, and 12 murdered by a man nicknamed, the Original Night Stalker. He was one of the worst serial killers California had ever seen. Although they had many suspects, all of them were innocent. In fact police in California are still looking for him, just in 2016 they announced a $50,000 reward for his capture, and plan to put up billboards all over the country to publicise the hunt. Unfortunately, if he’s eluded capture this long, he’ll likely never be caught.