Read The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers Online
Authors: Michael Newton
Tags: #True Crime, #Murder, #General, #Serial Killers
Ray, David Parker (1939– ); Hendy, Cindy Lee SEX: 31 M/2 F RACE: B TYPE: T MOTIVE: GC
(1959– ); Yancy, Dennis Roy (1972– )
DATE(S): 2001–02 VENUE: Neke, Nigeria VIC-
SEX: M/F RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex./Sad.
TIMS: 36+
DATE(S): 1996–99 VENUE: Elephant Butte, N. Mex.
MO: Police investigating ritual murders seized 36
VICTIMS: 14+ alleged
human skulls in raids on cult shrines, arresting 33
MO: Kidnapped and sexually abused women in a pri-magic practitioners; press reports state that “only vate torture chamber; Hendy accused Ray of 14
strangers are sacrificed” to local deities
murders; Ray also suspected of killing male
DISPOSITION: Defendants charged with unlawful
coworker in Arizona, in 1988; Yancy confessed
possession of human remains; trial results unre-strangling a 22-year-old woman in the torture cham-ported
ber
DISPOSITION: Yancy pleaded guilty on one count of Orji, Clifford (?– ); Tahiru (?– ) second-degree murder and received a 20-year senSEX: 2 M RACE: B TYPE: T MOTIVE: PC-non-
tence, December 1999; Hendy received a 36-year specific
DATE(S): 1998–99 VENUE: Lagos, Nigeria VIC-
term as Ray’s accomplice, May 12, 2000; Ray
TIMS: Several
received a 224-year sentence for abducting and tor-MO: Cannibals arrested in the act of cooking a mur-turing two women in 1996 and 1999, Sept. 20,
dered woman at their home beneath an urban
2001; Ray’s daughter Glenda received two and a bridge; remains of other victims found at the scene half years as accomplice to her father, December DISPOSITION: Unknown
2001
Penn, Thomas Lee (1948– ), William (1941– ) Reserve Police Battalion 101
SEX: Two M RACE: B TYPE: T MOTIVE: CE-
SEX: 550M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: GC-
felony
extremist
DATE(S): 1966 VENUE: Richmond, Va. VICTIMS:
DATE(S): 1942–43 VENUE: Poland VICTIMS:
Six confessed
38,000+
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The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers
MO: Mobile Nazi murder squad operating as “police”; life term plus 20 years on two murder counts, plus casualty figures represent bare minimum officially assorted lesser charges, August 2003
acknowledged
DISPOSITION: Two executed and two imprisoned for Sims, Mitchell Carlton (1960– ); Padgett, Ruby Car-3–8 years, 1958; five more imprisoned for 5–8 years, olyn (1965– ) AKA: The Killing Team
1968; six others convicted without being sentenced; SEX: M/F RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: Sad./CE
additional cases dismissed
DATE(S): 1985 VENUE: S.C./Calif. VICTIMS: Three MO: Torture-slayers of Domino’s Pizza employees in Romano, John Joseph (1958–2002); Woodruff, David robberies
Wayne (1959–2002)
DISPOSITION: Sims condemned in both Calif. and SEX: 2 M RACE: 2H TYPE: T MOTIVE: CE/PC
S.C.; Padgett imprisoned
DATE(S): 1985–86 VENUE: Oklahoma City, Okla.
VICTIMS: Two
Smith, Harold Glenn (1966– ); Cravey, Michael Gene MO: Fatally stabbed a 52-year-old jeweler during rob-
(1967– ); Rivera, Shannon (1969– ); Tosh, Mar-bery and a 63-year-old personal acquaintance
tin Wayne (1969– ); Trimmer, John-Michael DISPOSITION: Romano executed Jan. 29, 2002;
Alexander (?– )
Woodruff executed Jan. 31, 2002
SEX: 4 M/1 F RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: GC-
cult
Ruiz, Paul (1948–97); Denton, Earl Van (1950–97) DATE(S): 1985 VENUE: Houston, Tex. VICTIMS:
SEX: 2 M RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: CE
Four suspected
DATE(S): 1977 VENUE: Ark. VICTIMS: Six
MO: Satanists who committed sadistic human sacrifice MO: Escaped convicts; shot male victims while at large DISPOSITION: Life term for Smith on one count, DISPOSITION: Both condemned, 1980; both executed 1986; 60 years for Trimmer, 1986; life term for Jan. 8, 1997
Cravey, 1987; 25 years for Tosh, 1987; 15 years for Rivera, 1987
Sach, Amelia (1873–1902); Walters, Annie (d. 1902) SEX: 2 F RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: CE
Spesivtsev, Sasha (1970– ); Spesivtsev, Lyudmilla (?– ) DATE(S): 189?–1902 VENUE: London, England
SEX: M/F RACE: W TYPE: S MOTIVE: Sex./Sad.
VICTIMS: “Numerous”
DATE(S): 1991–97 VENUE: Novosibirsk, Siberia
MO: “Baby farmers” who killed infants of unwed VICTIMS: 80 alleged
mothers
MO: Mother-son cannibal team; Sasha raped/killed DISPOSITION: Hanged together, 1902
underage girls to “cleanse” society; mother lured victims to their apartment and helped him cook/eat Schaeffer, Gerrit C. (?– ) wife (?– )
the victims
SEX: M/F RACE: W TYPE: S MOTIVE: PC-
DISPOSITION: Sasha ruled insane and committed to domestic
asylum for life, Oct. 4, 1999; Lyudmilla sentenced to DATE(S): 1951–58 VENUE: Rotterdam, Netherland
13 years as accomplice to murder and for forcing VICTIMS: Four
some victims to eat human flesh
MO: Married couple; killed newborn infants at home DISPOSITION: Life sentences for both, 1959
Starkweather, Charles Raymond (1938–59); Fugate, Caril Ann (1943– )
Sifrit, Benjamin (1978– ); Sifrit, Erika (1978– ) SEX: M/F RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: PC-nonSEX; M/F RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: CE-
specific
felony
DATE(S): 1957–58 VENUE: Nebr./Wyo. VICTIMS:
DATE(S): 2001–02 VENUE: Pa./Md. VICTIMS:
11
Three alleged
MO: Teenage thrill killers on Midwest rampage
MO: Husband-wife team who robbed and murdered a DISPOSITION: Starkweather executed in Nebr., June 25, couple in Ocean City, Md.; prime suspects in the 1959; Fugate sentenced to life, 1958 (paroled 1976) slaying of a woman and beating of her boyfriend in Bedford County, Pa.
Taborsky, Joseph L. (1924– ); Culombe, Arthur DISPOSITION: Benjamin received a 38-year term on (1923– )
one count of second-degree murder, plus burglary, SEX: 2 M RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: CE-assault and other charges, July 2003; Eric received a felony
452
Appendix B: Team Killers
DATE(S): 1951/55 VENUE: Conn. VICTIMS:
DISPOSITION: Ten defendants condemned, June
Seven
2000; five others received life prison terms; one sen-MO: Taborsky killed his first holdup victim in 1951; tenced to 15 years
teamed with Culombe four years later for a series of robbery-murders
Undisclosed
DISPOSITION: Taborsky condemned, 1951; acquitted SEX: 3 M RACE: Unk. TYPE: T MOTIVE: PC-at retrial after chief witness went insane; life terms nonspecific
for both, 1956
DATE(S): 2000 VENUE: Germany VICTIMS: Two
MO: Sons of U.S. soldiers stationed in Germany, aged
“Taxhali Hotel Gang”
14, 17, and 18 at the time of their murder spree in SEX: 5 M RACE: A TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex./Sad.
February 2000; dropped stones on passing cars from highway bridges, killing two persons and injuring DATE(S): 2000 VENUE: Lahore, Pakistan VIC-four
TIMS: “Several”
DISPOSITION: All three convicted of murder on Dec.
MO: Gay killers lured men to isolated sites, then mur-22, 2000; received prison terms ranging from seven dered them
to eight and a half years, based on age at time of DISPOSITION: Unknown
murders
Thugs AKA: Sons of Death
Undisclosed
SEX: M RACE: A TYPE: N MOTIVE: GC-cult
SEX: 4 M RACE: A TYPE: T MOTIVE: CE-
DATE(S): c. 1250–1852 VENUE: India VICTIMS:
felony
Two to four million
DATE(S): 2000–01 VENUE: Yunan Province, China
MO: Worshippers of Kali; robbed/murdered male vic-VICTIMS: Nine
tims throughout India, typically strangling and muti-MO: Robbed 10 women, killing nine
lating chosen prey; British authorities claimed DISPOSITION: All executed on June 5, 2001
40,000 victims in 1812 alone; one Thug, Buhram, confessed 931 murders at his 1840 arrest
Undisclosed
DISPOSITION: 4,500 cultists convicted of various SEX: 3 M RACE: A TYPE: T MOTIVE: CE-crimes, 1830–48, with 110 condemned for murder; felony
cult allegedly defunct in 1852, although occasional DATE(S): 2001 VENUE: Sichuan Province, China
reports of “thuggee” were logged as late as 1867
VICTIMS: 15
MO: Robbed 17 taxis, killing 15 drivers
Tison, Gary Gene (1936–78); Donald (1958–78), Ray-DISPOSITION: All three executed, June 5, 2001
mond (1959– ), Ricky (1958– )
SEX: 4 M RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: CE
Undisclosed
DATE(S): 1967/78 VENUE: Ariz./Colo. VICTIMS:
SEX: 3 M/1 F RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE:
Seven
CE/PC
DATE(S): 2001–02 VENUE: Zhytomyr, Ukraine
MO: Career criminal and convicted cop-killer who VICTIMS: Six
escaped from prison with aid of three sons and fel-MO: Husband and wife, with wife’s brother and a low inmate RANDY GREENAWALT, killing seven
male friend, who robbed, tortured, and cannibalized hostages while at large
women in woods outside town; arrested while trying DISPOSITION: Donald killed in shoot-out with police, to collect ransom on their last victim
Aug. 7, 1978; Gary found dead in Ariz. desert, Aug.
DISPOSITION: Charged with six murders and 20+
22, 1978; Raymond and Ricky condemned, 1979
robberies; disposition unknown
(commuted to multiple life terms on appeal, 1992) Undisclosed
Undisclosed
SEX: 30M/F RACE: B TYPE: T MOTIVE: GC
SEX: 16M RACE: A TYPE: T MOTIVE: CE
DATE(S): 2003–04 VENUE: Anambra State, Nigeria DATE(S): 1996–98 VENUE: Jinzhong, China VIC-VICTIMS: 50+
TIMS: 28
MO: Police raids on local magic shrines in August MO: Gang murdered migrant workers and concealed 2004 reveal 20 human skulls and 50 corpses, many corpses in staged mine cave-ins; collected $62,000 in with genitals and other “magic” organs missing fraudulent life insurance claims
DISPOSITION: Unknown
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The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers
Wardlaw, Virginia (?–?); Martin, Caroline Wardlaw (d.
MO: Black racist cult; alleged victims include cult 1913); Sneyd, Mary Wardlaw (?–?)
defectors and opponents, “white devils” killed at SEX: 3 F RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: CE
random, and at least two children dead from
DATE(S): 1900s VENUE: South U.S. VICTIMS:
abuse/neglect within cult
Three
DISPOSITION: Member ROBERT ROZIER confessed
MO: Sisters who killed family members for insurance multiple murders in Fla.; Yahweh and six disciples DISPOSITION: Mary acquitted at trial; Virginia died convicted on federal conspiracy charges, 1992
in jailhouse hunger strike; Catherine ruled insane, died in asylum, 1913
Young, Robert (d. 1980); Wright, Blanche (1959– ) SEX: M/F RACE: B TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex./CE
Wells, Roland (1971– ); Wells, Angela (1972– ) DATE(S): 1974/80 VENUE: New York City VIC-SEX: M/F RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: CE-
TIMS: Four
felony
MO: Young raped/killed female burglary victim; on DATE(S): 1997–2001 VENUE: Peoria, Ill. VIC-parole, teamed with Wright as contract killers TIMS: Three suspected
DISPOSITION: Young killed in shootout with
MO: Husband-wife team who killed a 20-year-old intended victim, Feb. 1980; Wright drew 18 years acquaintance for his $1,800 tax refund check; in to life on one count + 15 years to life for two addi-prison, Roland confessed the murder of another man tional murders
in 1997; suspected of a third man’s death in 1998
DISPOSITION: Angela pleaded guilty and turned
Zhang Jun, et al.
state’s evidence on Oct. 29, 2001, receiving a 40SEX: 10 M/4 F RACE: A TYPE: N MOTIVE: CE-
year sentence; Roland convicted on her testimony felony
and sentenced to life imprisonment
DATE(S): 2000 VENUE: China VICTIMS: 28
MO: Criminal gang that killed 28 victims in 20+ armed Yahweh Ben Yahweh (1935– ) et al. AKA: Hebrew robberies; female gang members were all lovers of Israelites