1. Dr. Harold Shipman (United Kingdom)

Nicknamed “Dr. Death,” Shipman was a seemingly respectable family physician who lethally injected a suspected 218 patients between 1975 and 1998. His victims were mostly elderly women, whom he killed by administering excessive doses of diamorphine.

2. John Wayne Gacy (United States)

John Wayne Gacy was a businessman in his community and even performed as a clown at local parties. However, Gacy had a sinister side, luring 33 young boys and men to his home between 1972 and 1978 under the pretense of construction work, then murdering them.

3. Richard Ramirez, aka the “Night Stalker” (United States)

Ramirez went on a terrifying crime spree in Los Angeles and San Francisco from June 1984 to August 1985. His gruesome crimes, which included burglary, sexual assault, and 13 murders, instilled widespread fear. His sadistic streak included torturing his victims and forcing some to “swear to Satan” during the attacks.

4. Andrei Chikatilo (Soviet Union)

Known as the “Butcher of Rostov,” Chikatilo was convicted of the murder of 53 women and children between 1978 and 1990 in the Soviet Union. He was known for his brutal and sadistic methods, which included mutilation.

5. Alexander Pichushkin (Russia)

Also known as the “Chessboard Killer,” Pichushkin aimed to kill as many people as there are squares on a chessboard. He managed to murder 48 people, mostly homeless men, in Moscow’s Bittsevsky Park before he was caught in 2006.

6. Dennis Rader, aka “BTK” (United States)

The “Bind, Torture, Kill” (BTK) Killer haunted Wichita, Kansas, for nearly 18 years with his brutal murders of ten people. Rader’s sadistic pleasure came from the fear and control he had over his victims before ultimately taking their lives.

7. Gary Ridgway, aka the “Green River Killer” (United States)

Active for over two decades, Ridgway confessed to murdering 71 women, although estimates suggest the number could be much higher. Most of his victims were sex workers or runaways whom he strangled and disposed of in or around the Green River.

8. Pedro Rodrigues Filho (Brazil)

One of Brazil’s most prolific killers, Rodrigues Filho, was convicted for killing 71 people, but he claimed the real number was over 100. His victims were primarily drug dealers, criminals, and prison inmates, including his father, who he killed and then cut out a piece of his heart.

9. Yang Xinhai (China)

Known as the “Monster Killer,” Yang Xinhai used hammers and shovels to brutally murder 67 people between 2000 and 2003. His attacks, often carried out on entire families in rural villages, make him one of China’s deadliest killers.

10. Ted Bundy (United States)

Perhaps one of the most well-known serial killers, Ted Bundy, was an articulate and charismatic man who used his charm to lure an estimated 30 young women to their deaths in the 1970s. Bundy’s heinous acts, which included necrophilia and decapitation, epitomize sadistic behavior.

While the above criminals represent some of humanity’s darkest aspects, they also serve as a reminder of the importance of vigilance and societal safeguards. By acknowledging the existence of such extreme maliciousness, society can work to prevent such horrors in the future.