Most Fascinating Unsolved Serial Killer Cases of the 20th Century Poll

[STANDREID]

Anyone who's seen "The Town That Dreaded Sundown" would definitely vote for this as number one or two!!!

As per The Town That Dreaded Sundown Wiki page, MGM is scheduled to remake this movie starring Jennifer Lopez and Brad Pitt. Several years ago a British director was said to be remaking this film but that project apparently fell through.

 

[iron_angel]

I voted others. Although this serial killer was known for his 24+ murders, he had never been charged as he was already on the run. The way he eluded the authority, never to be heard of again always fascinated me. His murders arent unsolved as he is known for them but what is unvolved is his where-abouts after he flew from his country during WW1 and how many more murders he was responsible for and I'm talking about Bela Kiss

If we are talking merely about unsolved murders with an unknown assaillant then I would have to go with the Zodiac as well as the Toronto angel of death from the very early 80's

 

[Tober]

Zodiac takes it (so far); he is thrilled.

 

[STANDREID]

If he's still living and sees it, I'm sure that's true.

 

[STANDREID]

Cleveland Torso Slayer.

Just the fact that not only did he never get caught, only TWO (three if you count possible victims) of his/her TWELVE (fifteen possible) victims were even identified.

I'm with you.

 

[STANDREID]

Well, one away from nice round numbers.

 

[STANDREID]

Ah - perfect!

 

[Snoods]

Since I've lived in south Texas all my life and my family had a beach house in Galveston, of course I've always been tremendously interested in the Texas Killing Fields. And what about the Monster of Florence? 16 murders, all couples that were parked in their cars "making out" over a period of about 20 years in Florence, Italy. Really interesting book about it.

 

[Snoods]

Is the 2011 film Texas Killing Fields based on or inspired by this case? If so, have you seen it and is it any good?

Yes, the movie Texas Killing Fields is inspired by the case. It is pretty good, you should see it. Scares the bejeebies out of me because this person or persons has never been caught. You know the guy who founded Texas Equusearch, Tim Miller? His daughter Laura was a Texas Killing Field victim.

Lol of course I'm fashionably late to this thread, per my usual! Just noticed it and had to put in my :twocents:

 

[STANDREID]

I think there's still a standing conviction in the Monster of Florence case. Of course, many don't believe in the conviction.

 

[txsvicki]

The Texas Killing Fields, the original night stalker, and the one who abducted children and fed them a favorite food before death. I've never heard of most on the list and too squeamish about serial killers to look them up.

 

[Snoods]

I think there's still a standing conviction in the Monster of Florence case. Of course, many don't believe in the conviction.

Oh wow really? I knew there had been a few people arrested and released, but I didn't realize there was still a standing conviction. Sorry about that. You probably know this but the prosecutor was the same guy that prosecuted Amanda Knox. An interesting fact.

 

[Snoods]

The Texas Killing Fields, the original night stalker, and the one who abducted children and fed them a favorite food before death. I've never heard of most on the list and too squeamish about serial killers to look them up.

Has anyone heard about the Missing Texas 40? Not believed to have any connection with the Texas Killing Fields, these unsolved murders are all in the Montgomery county and Liberty county area and are believed by many to be connected. Very interesting article article about it. http://www.missingpersonsofamerica.com/2012/03/missing-texas-forty.html

And I believe the guy who fed the kids their favorite food is the one called the babysitter killer on the poll. That was super creepy. And I agree with a lot of people here that the Zodiac is a puzzler as well.

 

[STANDREID]

And I believe the guy who fed the kids their favorite food is the one called the babysitter killer on the poll. That was super creepy.

Yes, that's correct.

 

[starry1]

I went with Axman because the most interesting to me was in the late 1880s, the Austin Servant Girl Annihilator.

 

[Hnyvek32]

That's a toughie, but I think I'm going to have to go with the Coast Fiend Killer that preyed on (mostly) young women in the San Diego, CA area in the 1930s or the unidentified axe murderer of Villisca, IA in 1912. Both of these are fascinating not only for the crimes attributed them, but for the possibility of crimes that they might well have been involved in as well. Most notably the Black Dahlia case and the string of axe slayings between Colorado Springs and Illinois, respectively.

 

[STANDREID]

Yes, the "Coast Fiend" gets some coverage although not a lot. It is an entry in Still at Large.... by Michael Newton as San Diego murder - California (1931-36)

 

[STANDREID]

Well, all have a voter although one is still on their lonesome.

 

[STANDREID]

Apparently California serial killers generate the most interest although I'm not sure why.

 

[Foxfire]

Imo, Kenneth McDuff(TX), Otis Toole(FL), and Henry Lucas(TX) are 3 of the worst. The numbers are so many. It is difficult to classify the worst.. Serial Killers seldom tell the truth or give up all their victims. Investigators/prosecutors rarely reveal the complete victim totals to prevent scaring the bejeezus out of the public, imo.. The most notorious serial killers have never been identified, imo. In 2004, a state LEO contacted the FBI BAU2 and alerted them that there was an extremely high number of females being located near interstates. The FBI began the Highway Trucker SK iniative in 2009. 500 victims and 200 POIs & suspects were connected via FBI VICAP. That was 4 years ago. Not sure what the totals are now.

Highway Serial Killings
New Initiative on an Emerging Trend
http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2009/april/highwayserial_040609

The Long Island Serial Killer is nicknamed 'LISK'..

If you think about it, the total number of active serial killers has grown tremendously in the USA since 2005 when a serial killer was redefined and the total victims were lowered from 3 to 2 by the FBI BAU2 symposium attendees. It would be logical to conclude that Chicago, and other cities with gang wars, drivebys, and increasing homicides rates would have an abnormal rate of serial killers, jmo.

http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/serial-murder/serial-murder-1
Behavioral Analysis Unit-2
National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime
CIRG - FBI
http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/serial-murder/serial-murder-1

Serial Murder Symposium 2005

The different discussion groups at the Symposium agreed on a number of similar factors to be included in a definition. These included:

• one or more offenders
• two or more murdered victims
• incidents should be occurring in separate events, at different times
• the time period between murders separates serial murder from mass murder

In combining the various ideas put forth at the Symposium, the following definition was crafted:

Serial Murder: The unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender(s), in separate events.