serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

is typically a person who murders three or more people, in two or more separate events over a period of time, for primarily psychological reasons.A serial killer is most commonly defined as a person who kills three or more people for psychological gratification; reliable sources over the years agree. See, for example: * * * * * There are gaps of time between the killings, which may range from a few days to months, or many years. This list shows all known serial killers from the 20th century to present day by number of victims, then possible victims, then date. In many cases, the exact number of victims assigned to a serial killer is not known, and even if that person is convicted of a few, there can be the possibility that they killed many more. Organization and ranking of serial killings is made difficult by the complex nature of serial killers and incomplete knowledge of the full extent of many killers' crimes. To address this, multiple categories have been provided in order to more accurately describe the nature of certain serial murders. This is not a reflection of an individual's overall rank, which may or may not vary depending on personal opinion concerning the nature and circumstances of their crimes. The fourth column in the table states the number of victims definitely assigned to that particular serial killer, and thus the table is in order of that figure. The fifth column states the number of possible victims the killer could have murdered. Some of these crimes are unsolved, but are included because they are the work of a serial killer, despite nobody being caught. This list does not include mass murderers,

spree killer A spree killer is someone who commits a criminal act that involves two or more murders or homicides in a short time, in multiple locations. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics defines a spree killing as "killings at two or more locations ...

s, war criminals, members of

democidal Democide is a term coined by American political scientist Rudolph Rummel to describe "the intentional killing of an unarmed or disarmed person by government agents acting in their authoritative capacity and pursuant to government policy or high ...

governments, or major political figures, such as

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

, Francisco Franco,

Hideki Tojo Hideki Tojo (, ', December 30, 1884 – December 23, 1948) was a Japanese politician, general of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA), and convicted war criminal who served as prime minister of Japan and president of the Imperial Rule Assistan ...

, Suharto,

Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...

, or Pol Pot.

Serial killers with the highest known victim count

The most prolific modern serial killer is arguably Dr.

Harold Shipman Harold Frederick Shipman (14 January 1946 – 13 January 2004), known by the public as Doctor Death and to acquaintances as Fred Shipman, was an English general practitioner and serial killer. He is considered to be one of the most prolif ...

, with 218 probable murders and possibly as many as 250 ( see "Medical professionals", below). However, he was actually convicted of a sample of 15 murders. Excluding these "Medical professionals and pseudo-medical professionals", with their ability to kill simply and in plain sight, and Serial killer groups and couples (below), this list is a compilation of modern serial killers currently with the highest verifiable murder count.

Serial killers with 15 to 30 victims

This part of the list contains all serial killers with 15 to 30 proven victims who acted alone and were neither medical professionals nor contract killers.

Serial killers with 5 to 14 proven victims

This part of the list contains all serial killers with five to fourteen proven victims who acted alone and were neither medical professionals nor contract killers.

Serial killers with fewer than five proven victims

This part of the list contains all serial killers with fewer than five proven victims who acted alone and were neither medical professionals nor contract killers.

Medical professionals and pseudo-medical professionals

}). , - ,

Marcel Petiot Marcel André Henri Félix Petiot (17 January 1897 – 25 May 1946) was a French medical doctor and serial killer. He was convicted of multiple murders after the discovery of the remains of 23 people in the basement of his home in Paris during W ...

, , 1926–1944 , 26 , 63 , Active 1926 and from 1942 to 1944. Petiot is suspected of having killed up to 63 in total. Executed in 1946. , - , Arnfinn Nesset , , 1983 and earlier , 22 , 27–138+ , Norwegian

nurse Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...

and most prolific known serial killer in Scandinavian history, convicted in 1983 of poisoning at least 22 patients with Curacit; however he initially confessed to 27 murders; later he retracted his confessions and claimed he had killed 138 patients. Was released from prison in 2004 after serving 21 years, the maximum punishment possible by Norwegian law. , - , Roger Andermatt , , 1995–2001 , 22 , 22 , Known as the "Death-Keeper of Lucerne"; nurse who killed 22 patients; most prolific Swiss serial killer in history; sentenced to life imprisonment. , - ,

Maxim Petrov Maxim Vladimirovich Petrov (russian: Максим Владимирович Петров, born 1965) is a Russian serial killer, convicted for the killing of 11 people in St Petersburg between 1999 and 2000. Petrov, nicknamed Doctor Death by the ...

, , 2000–2002 , 12 , 19 , Doctor who killed his patients in

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

. Suspected of 19 murders. , - , Ann Arbor Hospital Killer , , 1975 , 10 , 10 , Poisonings of 10 patients at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in 1975. Filipino nurses Filipina Narciso and Leonora Perez were tried for the crimes. , - , Ludivine Chambet , , 2012–2013 , 10 , 10 , Known as "The Poisoner of Chambéry"; nurse's aide who poisoned elderly patients; sentenced to 25 years imprisonment. , - , Petr Zelenka , , 2006 , 7 , 21 , Killed his victims with a lethal injection of heparin from May to September 2006. Ten people survived his murder attempt. Suspected of up to 14 additional murders. , - , Orville Lynn Majors , , 1993–1995 , 6 , 130 , LPN in Vermillion County Ind., Preyed on elderly patients—thought to have killed many of them with injections of potassium chloride. Sentenced to 360 years in Indiana. , - , Efren Saldivar , , 1989–1997 , 6 , 50+ , Respiratory therapist who killed six patients, possibly as many as 120. , - ,

Christine Malèvre Christine Malèvre (born January 10, 1970) is a former nurse who was arrested in 1998 on suspicion of having killed as many as 30 patients. She confessed to some of the murders, but claimed she had done so at the request of the patients, who were ...

, , 1998 and earlier , 6 , 30 , Nurse who killed

terminally ill Terminal illness or end-stage disease is a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and is expected to result in the death of the patient. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as cancer, dementia or advanced h ...

patients claiming that they had asked her to help them die, something denied by their families. Sentenced to 12 years in prison for six murders and suspect of 30. , - ,

Antoinette Scieri Antoinette Scieri (1890-1968) was a French nurse convicted of murdering her elderly patients. Scieri was born in Italy and studied nursing at Doullens during World War I. She was arrested and imprisoned for fraud and theft in 1915 for stealing v ...

, , 1924–1925 , 6 , 12+ , Nurse who poisoned her elderly patients. Death sentence was commuted to life in prison and she died in prison. , - , Ahmad Ahmadi , State flag of Persia (1907–1933)

Imperial State of Iran Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, T ...

, 1931–1944 , 6 , , Responsible for killing political prisoners at

Qasr prison The Museum of the Qasr Prison ( fa, موزه‌ زندان قصر ''muze-ye zendān-e qasr'') is a historical complex in Tehran, Iran. Formerly referred to as the Qasr Prison ( ''zendān-e qasr'', "Mansion prison"), it was one of the oldest poli ...

during the reign of

Reza Shah , , spouse = Maryam Savadkoohi Tadj ol-Molouk Ayromlu (queen consort) Turan Amirsoleimani Esmat Dowlatshahi , issue = Princess Hamdamsaltaneh Princess Shams Mohammad Reza Shah Princess Ashraf Prince Ali Reza Prince Gholam Reza P ...

. , - , Frans Hooijmaijers , , 1970–1975 , 5 , 259 , Nurse who was convicted for killing five patients at a hospital in

Kerkrade Kerkrade ( Ripuarian: ; li, Kirkraoj; german: Kerkrade or ''Kirchrath'') is a town and a municipality in the southeast of Limburg; the southernmost province of the Netherlands. It forms part of the Parkstad Limburg agglomeration. Kerkrade is the ...

, the Netherlands from 1970 to 1975, but was suspected to have killed approximately 259 people. , - , Miyuki Ishikawa , , 1946–1948 , 5 , 84 , Killed 84 newborn children at maximum. As a midwife, she killed infants born to parents unwilling to care for them during the prohibition of

abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pre ...

in Japan. Arrested in 1948, and sentenced to four years imprisonment in 1953 as final decision. , - ,

Kristen Gilbert Kristen Heather Gilbert ( Strickland; born November 13, 1967) is an American serial killer and former nurse who was convicted of four murders and two attempted murders of patients admitted to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Northamp ...

, , 1990–1996 , 5 , 70+ , Nurse at a

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

Veterans Medical Center who injected male patients with epinephrine, causing

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

s. Sentenced to life without parole. , - , Amy Archer-Gilligan , , 1910–1917 , 5 , 48+ , A nursing home proprietor believed to have poisoned as many as 60 patients from her homes and her second husband. Charged with five murders originally, this was lowered to just one following her admission of guilt, and was found guilty of second degree murder. Died in a mental hospital in 1962. , - , Sonya Caleffi , , 2003–2004 , 5 , 18 , Nurse who poisoned terminally-ill patients; sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. , - , Michael Swango ,
, 1981–1997 , 4 , 35–60+ , Medical Doctor who killed patients. , - , Kermit Gosnell , , 1989?–2010 , 4 , 100+ , Gosnell, who ran an

abortion clinic Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregnan ...

, was charged with eight and convicted of four murders. Three babies were born alive, then killed by cutting the infant's spine with scissors. One mother died due to complications. Testimony indicated hundreds of similar procedures carried out by Gosnell and his staff. , - ,

Edson Izidoro Guimarães Edson Isidoro Guimarães (born 1957) is a Brazilian nurse, nursing assistant and convicted serial killer. He confessed to five murders of which he was convicted of four, but is suspected of committing up to 131 in total. He claimed that he chose p ...

, , 1999 and earlier , 4 , 131 , Nurse who injected patients with potassium chloride or removed their oxygen mask. Confessed to five murders which he claimed to be mercy killings and was convicted of four in 2000; sentenced to 76 years in prison. He may have killed as many as 131 patients for money, as he was paid $60 for informing local

funeral home A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the dead and their families. These services may include a prepared wake and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for the funeral. Services ...

s of a patient's death so that they could contact the deceased's relatives first. , - ,

Richard Angelo Richard Angelo (born August 29, 1962) is an American serial killer who operated within Long Island and West Islip, New York. In 1989, he was convicted of murdering several of his patients and sentenced to 61 years to life in prison. Early life ...

, , 1987 , 4 , 25 , Known as "The Angel of Death". New York nurse convicted of four murders, linked to six other deaths. Suspected of killing up to 25 people. , - ,

Colin Norris Colin Campbell Norris (born 12 February 1976) is a serial killer nurse from Milton in Glasgow, Scotland, who murdered four "difficult" elderly patients and attempted to murder another in two hospitals in Leeds, England in 2002. Norris, who se ...

, , 2002 , 4 , 18 , Convicted of murdering four elderly women and attempting to murder another in two

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...

hospitals during 2002 while working as a nurse. He had injected the women, who were only in hospital due to broken hips, with massive overdoses of insulin. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 30 years in 2008. , - , Beverley Allitt , , 1991 , 4 , , Convicted of murdering four children and attacking another six in the

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...

hospital where she worked as a nurse. Given 13 life sentences. , - , Andrés Ulises Castillo Villarreal , , 2009–2015 , 3 , 12+ , Known as "The Chihuahua Ripper"; drugged, raped and then killed men in Chihuahua; sentenced to 120 years imprisonment. , - , Elfriede Blauensteiner , , 1981–1995 , 3 , 10+ , Known as "The Black Widow"; poisoned people for material gain; died from a brain tumor in 2003. , - , Benjamin Geen , , 2003–2004 , 2 , 12 , Nurse convicted in 2006 of murdering two patients and causing grievous bodily harm to another 15 at

Horton General Hospital The Horton General Hospital is a National Health Service hospital located on the Oxford Road, in the Calthorpe ward of Banbury. It is managed by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. History Pre-1948 The earliest part of the hospita ...

Banbury Banbury is a historic market town on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, South East England. It had a population of 54,335 at the 2021 Census. Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding area of north Oxfordshir ...

, Oxfordshire between 2003 and 2004. Induced illness in the patients with overdoses of drugs, in order to enjoy the 'thrill' of resuscitating them. Given 17

life sentences Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes ...

and ordered to serve at least 30 years imprisonment. 9 other cases were originally investigated. , - , Victorino Chua , , 2011 , 2 , 5 , Poisoned several patients at Stepping Hill Hospital with Insulin.

Serial killer groups and couples

Disputed cases

* ''Proven victims'' being either victims the serial killer was convicted of killing, victims declared by the killer in a detailed confession, or those whose status as a victim most scholars of the subject agree upon.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Serial killers * Lists by death toll serial victims