Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

Who is the scariest multiple murderer in your opinion? Why that one?

(The way to win this one is to convince others on the site to change their answers -- "I used to think Manson was the scariest, but after reading your explanation I agree Pee Wee Gaskins is far worse.")

The Ice Man - Kuklinski. His interviews just give me the chills. He would kill anyone with no compunction whatsoever. And he had a short fuse - if you pissed him off, he would kill you. He almost didn't seem human.

Bob Berdella - The Kansas City Butcher. He was a sexual sadist who would torture his victims before killing them. Sometimes the torture lasted weeks and, in one case, six weeks. Besides the torture, I think it's the length of time he held his victims captive that really gets to me. How can anyone spend weeks with another person and not see them as a fellow human being - feel no empathy at all and continue to torture them? Watching an interview with him, you get the sense the guy has no soul. He is beyond scary.

OMG, that guy was atrocious. But if I knew for sure that Pee Wee Gaskins were telling the truth, I would have to count him as even worse that Bob Berdella. Because as far as I know, Bob never made a living victim watch him cook and eat a part of that same victim. When I add to that the dreadful patience Pee Wee had, and the years he put into careful plotting when he wanted to take out an enemy -- that is one scary little dude. And we know THAT really happened.

But the BBQ story puts him over the top. The trouble is, serial killers lie like rugs and the police were never able to prove that happened. Which doubtless helped them sleep better at night. Cheesus Grits.

I haven't read Pee Wee's book. Half afraid to. The price for second hand copies also stops me (like stops me cold)!

Shelley wrote: "I haven't read Pee Wee's book. Half afraid to. The price for second hand copies also stops me (like stops me cold)!"

I did an interlibrary loan request and read it that way. In retrospect I'm really glad I don't have that book in my house. The co-author, Wilton Earle, later said he is positive that writing that book with Pee Wee gave him cancer.

Fishface wrote: "Shelley wrote: "I haven't read Pee Wee's book. Half afraid to. The price for second hand copies also stops me (like stops me cold)!"

I did an interlibrary loan request and read it that way. In ret..."

Yikes! Wow, cancer. Hmmmm.....thinking I won't read it. lol

The serial killer with a high IQ, good-looking and with social skills is the scariest. So a Ted Bundy.
Anyone who eats body parts.
Dennis Nilsen who kept corpses for companionship until the victims turned green - obviously wasn't into witty repartee.

Agree with Helston. Anyone that eats body parts. A few days ago I saw a pic on the internet of a belt Ed Gein made from nipples. To me that is the worst.

Koren wrote: "Agree with Helston. Anyone that eats body parts. A few days ago I saw a pic on the internet of a belt Ed Gein made from nipples. To me that is the worst."

It seems Ed was quite creative. If you have the stomach for it, here is a site that shows some of his creations:

Des Nilsen couldn't tolerate a lot of disagreement which is why he didn't start the conversation -- if that's the word -- until after they were dead.

It's a hard question to answer. I think as a type, the scariest would be the killer who lets you know that he has you trapped so that you can't escape and that he intends to torture you while you are trapped. So I can go along with all the people who nominate Bob Berdella. Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris get at least an honorable mention because the tape recording of their torture session is so sadistic and cruel. (For what it's worth, Bittaker had one of the highest IQs among serial killers.) An important intangible would be the killer who had the ability to seem most menacing. That's hard to determine, since most of these people aren't interested in revealing their personalities. There's enough anecdotal evidence about Ted Bundy that we can conclude that at least several people found him unusually menacing. So, I guess I'd give Berdella first place, with several others coming up a close second, third, fourth, etc.

Koren wrote: "Koren wrote: "Agree with Helston. Anyone that eats body parts. A few days ago I saw a pic on the internet of a belt Ed Gein made from nipples. To me that is the worst."

It seems Ed was quite creat..."
Arrgh! Why did I look?!

Because you want you remind yourself of how decent and pure the rest of the world is, that's why! Be comforted that he did most of this to people who were safely dead before he broke into their graves...

Fishface wrote: "OMG, that guy was atrocious. But if I knew for sure that Pee Wee Gaskins were telling the truth, I would have to count him as even worse that Bob Berdella. Because as far as I know, Bob never made ..."

I keep thinking about this question and I can't really come up with a solid answer. But on the topic of Gaskins, even if he didn't actually do it... the fact that he came up with that and claimed that he did it in and of itself is pretty messed up and definitely still at least puts him up near the top.

That's a good point.

I've been reading a book that looks at the childhood of a few serial killers in an attempt to analyze why they ended up doing the things they did, as well as looks at their MO. There was a short section on David Parker Ray, and after reading even just the small, but graphic, bits that the author shared... I think he and his partners are comfortably nestled into the number one spot on my personal list of scariest multiple murderers. The idea of them kidnapping the women they took and bringing them back to "the toy box" and then telling them what he planned to do to them before making them watch their own torture was enough to ensure that I will most definitely being having nightmares tonight.

That family definitely deserves a place near the top of anyone's list of People Too Messed Up To Stay In Decent Society. Say, which book is that you're reading, Caitlin? I never heard of one that discussed David Parker Ray's childhood...

SERIAL KILLERS AND THEIR MO: The Shocking Strategies Serial Killers Use To Murder And Get Away With It

There wasn't a whole heck of a lot about his childhood. I think the section on his may have been the shortest of the four killers discussed. Advanced warning though, the book was definitely not all that great... but luckily is pretty short lol.

The fact that there's disagreement between subject & verb in the title tipped me off immediately! :)

I noticed that too.

😂 It's what I get for browsing the books in the free section. He talks about Edmund Kemper too and all out contradicts himself saying at the start that his victims weren't surrogates for his mother (even though Kemper himself claimed they were) and then says the opposite at the end of the chapter.
Needless to say, it's not on my recommend list lol.

Caitlin wrote: "I've been reading a book that looks at the childhood of a few serial killers in an attempt to analyze why they ended up doing the things they did, as well as looks at their MO. There was a short se..."

So, have you come to any conclusion about why serial killers do what they do??

I have, but I came to them before I read the book lol. In my opinion, based on everything I've read and all the documentaries I've read and such, it differs from one to the next, especially where the so called "trigger" that gets them started is concerned. And, obviously there's some way that they differ from the rest of as far as mental makeup is concerned, given that most of us go through some pretty "triggering" stuff in life and end up not becoming serial killers. For some of them, I think really do do it simply because they enjoy it... which is terrifying to say the least.

Caitlin wrote: "I have, but I came to them before I read the book lol. In my opinion, based on everything I've read and all the documentaries I've read and such, it differs from one to the next, especially where t..."

So, you definitely feel violent psychopaths are different from the rest of us, perhaps in brain chemistry or structure, but have been subjected to one or more triggers that turn them from passive a-holes into violent ones?
That's my feeling, from things I have read and/or listened to over the years.

Hari wrote: "So, you definitely feel violent psychopaths are different from the rest of us, perhaps in brain chemistry or structure..."

For the most part, yes. I suppose there are times here and there where there maybe isn't a trigger. Maybe they get a little too curious and give in to their urges or that curiosity and then find it enjoyable and that leads them to continue. Which I think is something you'd be most likely to see in violent psychopaths. For serial killers, spree killers, etc. who aren't psychopaths though, I do believe that there's almost always something that ends up sort of pushing them over the edge, if you will. And that, yes, there is something about their brain chemistry that's a contributing factor that has a negative impact on their ability to deal with whatever that trigger is in a more rational and acceptable way, or at least less... murdery way, like the rest of us would.

I've picked up quite a few books recently that have been written by retired FBI agents, a couple of them who worked within the behavioral science unit which actually studies this stuff (the mental makeup and behavior of these individuals who commit violent crimes) in an attempt to better understand why it is that they commit those crimes. Once I get around to reading them I'll try to recommend a few if you're interested.

Thanks, Caitlin, I'm always reading books that offer theories about why some psychopaths live quietly in society without breaking laws, even if they don't have much in the way of conscience while other psychopaths have give in to their compulsions with impunity.

My own reccy in that subgenre is The Psychopath Inside: A Neuroscientist's Personal Journey into the Dark Side of the Brain.

But honestly, the best book I've ever read on the subject was Hunting Humans: The Rise of the Modern Multiple Murderer. It seriously explains everything without taking you down the rabbit hole of brain architecture the way Fallon does. And Leyton's book explains much, much more.

Thanks, Fishface.
I have the book by Fallon on my tbr shelf already and put the one by Leyton there just now.

Fishface wrote: "Who is the scariest multiple murderer in your opinion? Why that one?

(The way to win this one is to convince others on the site to change their answers -- "I used to think Manson was the scariest,..."

The scariest killer to me is Joseph DeAngelo also known as The East Area Rapist, The Original Nightstalker, and the Golden State Killer. Read the book by Richard Shelby, the way the guy would go into the house weeks before, leave rope inside the house, he would also call her years later and say he is going to kill you. Its so spooky. Also theres a podcast 3 part episode by unresolved on youtube about this guy. Listen to it when you turn the lights out and about to go to sleep. Ive fallen asleep only to wake up to a nightmare of the original night stalker in my room choking me.

Oh, that guy is a real dream date.

K.A. wrote: "The Ice Man - Kuklinski. His interviews just give me the chills. He would kill anyone with no compunction whatsoever. And he had a short fuse - if you pissed him off, he would kill you. He almost d..."

He took credit for a lot of murders he didn't commit.

I highly recommend The Ice Man by Philip Carlo. It is a great read.