It’s the scariest time of year again, Halloween! But while you’re out partying with friends, keep in the back of your mind these 6 grisly murderers, who were never caught. You never know, they could be that cute girl dressed as a nurse, that friendly old man handing out candy, or even that funny author from your favorite comedy website…
1. Black Dahlia
Perhaps the most famous dramatization of the Black Dahlie
Black Dahlia was the nickhame given to Elizabeth Short, a young woman who was gruesomely killed in 1947. Short was discovered in a park, her body sliced in half at the waist and completely drained of blood. Her face was slashed from her ears to the corners of her mouth, giving her a horrific Glasgow smile.
The killer taunted the police, sending letters to the press. The Black Dahlia murder has become popularized by the dozens of films, books and studies done on it, all obsessed with finding the motivation and identity of the killer. Most famously, in the 2006 film “The Black Dahlia”, starring Josh Harnett, Scarlett Johansson and Hilary Swank.
2. Cleveland Torso Murderer
Eliot Ness, the man famous for going against Al Capone
Also known as the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run, this serial killer murderer at least 12 victims during the 1990s. Estimates range as high as 40 dead. The Torso Murderer got his name because he sometimes cut his victims’ torsos in half, always beheading and sometimes dismembering.
Eliot Ness, famous for leading the Untouchables against Al Capone, was unable to crack the case, and no-one else has come even close.
3. Zodiac killer
Think you can crack the indecipherable codes of a madman?
Active in the 1960s to the mid-1970s, the Zodiac killer gave himself his name, when he sent taunting letters to police and newspapers. The Zodiac killer murdered 7 people, despite huge manhunts. The Zodiac killer’s noteriety stems from the encrypted letters he sent out. Of the four cryptograms sent, only one has been decoded. The Zodiac killer has also been in pop culture, most notably in David Fincher’s “Zodiac” starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr.
4. Servant Girl Annihilator
She's coming for you...
With 16 known victims, the New York Times called the Servant Girl Annihilator “insane on the subject of killing women.” The Annihilator would break into houses at night, while the victims were asleep in bed. They would be dragged outside where they were horribly mutilated and killed. A huge police effort saw over four hundred men arrested on suspicion of the murders, although no-one was ever caught.
The only good news is that these murders happened in 1885, so the killer is definitely dead. Unless he’s coming back as a zombie, and waiting outside your window.
5. The Phantom Killer
The Phantom Killer was so enigmatic that eyewitnesses could not even agree on the color of his skin
Also known as the Moonlight Murderer, the Phantom Killer was responsible for five deaths in 1946. His appearance is the most frightening. Two surviving victims said he was a six foot man, wearing a white hooded mask with just the eyes cut out.
The Phantom Killer targeted lovers’ lanes, violently attacking and murdering those who crossed his path.
6. Women without a Face
What is her true face? Probably that Starbucks server, just waiting for you to slip up...
The only female on the list, the Women without a Face, also known as the Phantom of Heilbronn is a hypothesized serial killer. Her DNA has been found on crime scenes from 1993 to 2009, spanning three countries. Most frighteningly, the 15 crimes (6 of them murders) with her DNA found shows no pattern.
The Woman without a Face has no preferences, meaning she could easily be coming for you right now.