The perverted moustache , the swastika on the forehead , the unhealthy look … we would like to think that serial killers have fairly recognizable characteristics. Except that in practice, who says psychopath does not necessarily mean sociopath. On the contrary, many are not at all anti-social and seem to blend in particularly well with the crowd.
Their only common point? The lack of empathy. And they are often very well trained to hide this. So it could be your neighbor, your colleague, your doctor… When it comes to serial killers, you should absolutely not trust appearances. And to prove it, we have concocted a Top 6 of these charismatic, attractive and jovial serial killers whose sordid and bloodthirsty hobbies no one suspected. If you are a fan of true crime, here we go!
6. Eugène Weidmann: “The assassin with the velvet gaze”
Born in Germany in 1908, Eugène Weidmann decided to go and live in Paris in . This man used his good looks and his ability to speak English to seduce his victims. He then took them to a villa in Saint-Cloud, rented by 2 of his companions. The victims were killed and then buried, once all their material goods had been recovered. Even if Weidmann's criminal motivations remain unclear, his murderous impulses are said to have claimed 6 victims, and his charm many more!
Eugène Weidmann is famous for having been the last condemned person in France to be guillotined in public, in 1939. After him, all death sentences were carried out out of sight.
5. Jane Toppan: The Nurse Who Killed Her Patients
Nearly 90% of homicides worldwide are committed by men, so it makes sense that the most notorious serial killers are men. But murder is not a gender-specific issue, and Jane Toppan's presence in our Top 10 is proof of that.
Jane Toppan was an American nurse nicknamed “Jolly Jane” by her peers because of her enthusiastic attitude in everyday life. None of them could have guessed that she experimented with certain drugs (Morphine, atropine, etc.) on her patients before deliberately poisoning people she knew, such as her first victim: her adoptive sister, Elizabeth Brigham in 1902.
She said of the murder:
“I took her in my arms and watched with joy as she breathed heavily before she succumbed.”
The young serial killer later confessed to killing at least 31 people. She was not convicted of her crimes but sent to Taunton State Hospital where she spent the rest of her life.
To learn more about the most famous serial killer: an American YouTuber explains it very clearly (subtitles available if you don't understand English!), click here .
4. Ted Bundy: The Charismatic Serial Killer
Perhaps the most famous serial killer, everyone who knew Ted Bundy described him as a charming, good-looking, and extremely charismatic man. A law student with a degree in psychology, he also volunteered for an organization that helped and supported suicidal people. Perhaps this is due to a fascination with death, but you have to admit that Ted seems pretty nice when you look at it that way...
Yet, during the 70s, he kidnapped and raped at least 36 young women before killing them, also mixing a good dose of necrophilia into the mix. We say “at least” because this serial killer is officially associated with 36 homicides, but some experts estimate that Bundy would have made nearly a hundred victims. And we must admit that seen like that, Ted seems less nice…
To learn more: Victoria Charlton, a Quebec YouTuber passionate about True Crime, made a video about this serial killer, click here to see it!
3. John Wayne Gacy: The Murderous Clown
John Wayne Gacy was born on March 17, 1942 in Chicago, United States. A simple shoe salesman, he was highly regarded by those around him. He formed a happy couple with his wife, and was even hired several times as an entertainer disguised as a clown to entertain children in hospitals. This is what earned him the nickname “Killer Clown”.
At the age of 9, he was sexually assaulted by his neighbor and family friend, who kept quiet about the incident. This trauma, a source of unhappiness throughout his life, led him to torture, rape and then kill 33 young men between 1972 and 1978, the year of his arrest. His wife had doubts when she found teenage clothes in her husband's wardrobe, but it was the police who took charge of finding their origin. Tried for his crimes, this serial killer was sentenced to death in 1994.
To find out more: if this character intrigues you as much as it does us, don't hesitate to watch this video by Victoria Charlton about him, it's here .
2. Karl Denke: The Cannibalistic Serial Killer
Now let's talk about Karl Denke, a benefactor of his community who helped the homeless, a man of faith and even a church volunteer at the beginning of the last century in what would become present-day Poland.
On December 21, 1924, screams came from his apartment and a homeless man accused Denke of attacking him with a pickaxe. The judge in charge of the case placed him in pretrial detention, which provoked anger and protests from his neighbors, for whom such acts on the part of Karl Denke were unthinkable.
The police decided to search the home of this serial killer and found 420 teeth and 880 human bones and remains, as well as human meat ready to be consumed or preserved for later consumption. It is estimated that from 1903 to 1924, Karl Denke killed and ate about thirty people. Enjoy your meal ;)
To find out more: if you still have an appetite, we invite you to consult its Wikipedia page, right here !
1. Mikhail Popkov: The investigator of his own murder
Mikhail Popkov is one of Russia's most prolific serial killers, with more victims than the famous serial killers Chikalito and Pishushkin. Popkov is on our list because he was a police officer in the city of Angarsk, a seemingly upright figure, described by his colleagues as very good-natured.
Over a 6-year period, from 1994 to 2000, 20 brutal and violent murders of young women were recorded. The homicides were all committed with knives, but the weapons used varied, from knives to bats, hammers to screwdrivers. The serial killer pretended to investigate his own crimes in order not to arouse suspicion.
It was not until 2012 (18 years after his first murder) that the genetic fingerprints found on the victims' bodies incriminated Popkov. After his life sentence, Popkov confessed to having committed 80 similar murders. He stopped killing because of his sexual impotence, which occurred following a venereal disease. No Viagra in Russia?
To find out more: an article containing an explanatory video on this serial killer is available on the Figaro website: go see it !
You want to continue tracking down murderers? But you want the glorious detective who solves the case to be you. Well, you're going to go looking for the murderer of a Woodlock University student, Henry COLEMAN, accompanied by the detective in charge of the case.
