The United States has been home to some of the worst serial killers in human history. These American serial killers have some of the highest number of victims in history, arguably making them the scariest human beings on the planet. Although there are many other prolific serial killers throughout the world, the United States has one of the largest groups of killers with 10 or more victims. Although some serial killers boast of hundreds of victims to their names, others have a more terrifying, if not lower number, of kills.
With the number of victims that each serial killer on this list has, it’s a wonder that these killers got away with it for as long as they could. Some of the killers had dozens of victims before anyone discovered that a single crime had been committed, while others were hunted by police for years.
Which serial killers in the United States had the highest number of victims? How did they get away with the crimes for so long? What was it that finally got them caught? This list features the most prolific serial killers in U.S. history.
The Most Prolific American Serial Killers,
Dean Corll
Dean Corll was never caught in his lifetime for the kidnapping, rape, torture, and murder of at least 28 boys in the early 70s. Corll, aka "The Candy Man," was killed in 1973 by an accomplice while committing the rape of his final victim. Only then were his crimes revealed. Since he was killed, his true number of victims is still unknown, although he may have had a connection to many other missing boys.
Donald Harvey
Donald Harvey once boasted of killing 87 people, even though the police have only connected 37-57 names to his crimes. While working in a hospital, he acted as a self-professed "Angel of Death" - he killed his victims with painful poisons in order to end their alleged suffering. He was caught in 1987 and sentenced to 28 consecutive life sentences in prison.
Gary Ridgway
Gary Ridgway, better known as "The Green River Killer," was responsible for the deaths of at least 49 proven victims, though he confessed to the murders of at least 71. However, the true number of victims is likely closer to 90 women. Ridgway strangled his victims and dumped the bodies in remote locations from 1982 to 2001. When he was caught in 2001, he was sentenced to life in prison.
Jane Toppan
Jane Toppan once said that it was her greatest wish that she'd have killed more people than any man or woman who ever existed. While she didn't quite reach her goal, Toppan's 31 murder victims in 1885-1901 earned her a place in serial killer history. She killed patients when she worked as a nurse, poisoned her landlords, and murdered her foster sister. When she was discovered in 1901, she was found not guilty by reason of insanity and spent the rest of her life in an insane asylum in Massachusetts. She died in 1938 at age 81.
John Wayne Gacy
John Wayne Gacy was best known as "The Killer Clown" because of his career as a professional clown entertainer. However, it was his rape and murder of at least 33 young men that earned him infamy. In Chicago, Gacy strangled his victims and then buried the bodies on or around his property. He was apprehended in 1978, sentenced to death, and executed by lethal injection in 1994.
Juan Corona
While Juan Corona was working on a fruit ranch in California, he murdered at least 25 of his fellow migrant workers. The victims were brutally attacked and buried throughout Sutter County fruit ranches. The police believe there may still be some bodies that have been yet to be discovered. In 1971, Corona was sentenced to 25 life sentences. He was denied parole for the sixth time in December 2011.
Patrick Kearney
Patrick Kearney, "The Trash Bag Killer," murdered between 21 and 43 young men. He'd pick his victims up from gay bars or as hitchhikers before raping and murdering them. He killed from 1965 until he was caught in 1977. He was sentenced to life in prison in California.
Ronald Dominique
At least 23 men were raped and murdered by Ronald Dominique in 1997-2006. He killed gay men that he thought would have sex for money. After assaulting them, he'd kill them in order to avoid being reported to the police. In 2008, Dominique pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to 8 life sentences.
Ted Bundy
Ted Bundy killed at least 30 women during his murderous streak in the early 1970s. Bundy kidnapped, killed, and raped his victims in Colorado, California, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Florida, and Washington. He was caught in 1978, sentenced to death, and executed in the electric chair in 1989.
Wayne Williams
As the main suspect in the Atlanta Child Murders, Wayne Williams is allegedly responsible for the deaths of at least 23 children. Williams, who was arrested for the murder of two adult men, denies his involvement, but he was convicted anyway in 1981. He was sentenced to life in prison, but is currently attempting to clear his name.