Let’s be real, true crime stories can be equal parts chilling and morbidly fascinating. But what’s even more unsettling? Knowing that some of history’s most infamous killers are still alive today, whether behind bars or, in a few terrifying cases, still unidentified and free.
I’ve dug into the dark corners of criminal history to bring you this sobering list. These aren’t just names from a documentary; they’re real people who caused unimaginable pain. And yes, some walk among us. Buckle up, this one’s heavy.
Dennis Rader (BTK Killer)
Active: 1974–1991 | Status: Serving 10 life sentences in Kansas
The ultimate double-life killer. By day, he was a church-going dad and Boy Scout leader. By night? A predator who tortured and murdered 10 victims. His arrogance got him caught in 2005 when he asked police if they could trace a floppy disc (spoiler: they could).
Gary Ridgway (Green River Killer)
Active: 1980s–90s | Status: Prisoner in Washington State
America’s most prolific serial killer, convicted of 49 murders (though he claims up to 80). Ridgway targeted vulnerable women around Seattle, dumping their bodies in remote woods. He avoided the death penalty by leading police to remain, and he still assists in searches today.
Joseph DeAngelo (Golden State Killer)
Active: 1974–1986 | Status: Life without parole in California
A former cop who terrorized California with 13 murders, 50+ r*pes, and 100+ burglaries. He evaded capture for 40 years until DNA genealogy unmasked him in 2018. Now 79, he’s in prison, but the trauma he caused lives on.
Read more: The Chameleon Killer: Terry Rasmussen
David Berkowitz (Son of Sam)
Active: 1976–1977 | Status: Prisoner in New York
Claimed a demonic dog ordered him to kill. His 1977 NYC shooting spree left 6 dead and a city paralyzed. Now 70, he’s found religion in prison, but victims’ families still wait for real remorse.
Edmund Kemper (Co-Ed Killer)
Active: 1964–1973 | Status: Incarcerated in California
A towering intellect (IQ 145+) who murdered 10 people, including his mother. Chillingly articulate, he dissects his crimes in interviews like a professor. At 75, he’s a “model prisoner” but no less unsettling.
Charles Cullen (Killer Nurse)
Active: 1988–2003 | Status: Serving life in New Jersey
He poisoned 40+ patients in hospitals, calling it “mercy.” His access to meds made him invisible for years. Now 64, he’s a case study of how trust can be weaponized.
Paul Bernardo (Ken & Barbie Killer)
Active: 1990–1992 | Status: Life sentence in Canada
With his then-wife Karla Homolka, he tortured and murdered teens, including Karla’s sister. Videos of their crimes shocked Canada. Bernardo, 59, remains in a maximum-security cell.
The Zodiac Killer
Active: 1968–1974 | Status: Unknown
California’s cipher-obsessed phantom killed 5+ victims and taunted police with coded letters. He’s never been caught. If alive, he’d be 80–90 today. Could your quiet neighbor be him?
West Mesa Bone Collector
Active: 2000s | Status: Unidentified
Buried 11 women in the New Mexico desert. Their remains weren’t found until 2009. With modern forensics failing to ID the killer, they could still be out there, aged 50–70.
Connecticut River Valley Killer
Active: 1980s | Status: Unknown
Murdered 7+ women across New Hampshire and Vermont. His knowledge of backroads suggests local ties. If he were 30 then, he’d be ~70 now and possibly free.
Wayne Williams (Atlanta Child Murderer)
Active: 1979–1981 | Status: Serving life in Georgia
Linked to 28+ murders of Black children and young men. Controversy still swirls around his conviction. At 66, he denies all crimes but remains behind bars.
Rosemary West
Active: 1970s–1987 | Status: Prisoner in the UK
With husband Fred, she tortured and murdered 12+ girls in their “House of Horrors.” Victims were buried under floorboards. Now 70, she’ll die in prison, but her victims never got to live.
Karla Homolka
Active: 1990–1992 | Status: Free since 2005
Paul Bernardo’s ex-wife actively participated in murders, including her sister’s. A controversial plea deal freed her after 12 years. She’s believed to be remarried with kids, living under aliases.
Lucy Letby
Active: 2015–2016 | Status: Whole-life sentence in the UK
A neonatal nurse who murdered 7 infants and attacked 6 more. Her notes revealed twisted motives. At 34, she’s Britain’s most reviled female killer and will never be released.
Beverly Allitt
Active: 1991 | Status: Psychiatric hospital in the UK
Nicknamed the “Angel of Death,” she killed 4 children and harmed 9 more in her hospital ward. Diagnosed with Munchausen syndrome by proxy, she’s 55 now, outliving the babies she destroyed.
Why This Haunts Me
It’s jarring to realize monsters aren’t just folklore, they’re real people who shopped for groceries, attended barbecues and smiled at neighbors. Some are locked away, yes. But others? They blend in. They’re someone’s quiet coworker, that reclusive grandpa, or the nurse who seemed so kind.
The Zodiac and West Mesa killers prove justice isn’t guaranteed. And Karla Homolka’s freedom? A gut punch.
