The world has known countless killers and criminals, but few whose vile acts are so devastating and inhumane that they still haunt the public to this day.

Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview.
One of the lesser-known serial killers, William Bonin, was nicknamed “The Freeway Killer”. Like the “Night Stalker” Richard Ramirez and the “Hillside Stranglers” Angelo Buono Jr. And Kenneth Bianchi, Bonin employed the vast Los Angeles and Orange County freeway systems to pick up his victims and later dispose of their bodies.

From Ed Gein, who is the inspiration behind horror classics like Psycho, Silence of the Lambs, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre to Jack the Ripper, whose identity to this day still eludes police, the world has been marred by a nasty past.

Juan Corona was at one point known as America’s worst serial killer for the brutal murders of 25 farm workers in Sutter County in 1971. He was sentenced to 25 concurrent life sentences and is. According to Cheryl W. Thompson of the Washington Post, this brutal serial killer operated around Washington D.C. During the ruthless early 1970s, when the homicide investigators in the area were up to their eyebrows in murder cases. Nevertheless, this particular serial killer stood out.

Society's morbid curiosity with the crimes of charismatic leaders who take the vulnerable under the wing and men and women who have committed hideous crimes have caused these names to be etched into history.

These are the most notorious serial killers and cult leaders in history.

The Zodiac Killer

One of the most notorious killers of all time, the Zodiac Killer is yet another serial criminal who has managed to elude police for decades. Google drive how to see folder size.

The unknown serial killer operated in Northern California from 1968 to the early 1970s. He taunted police and the press by sending cryptograms to the Bay Area press – only one of which has been definitively solved. While only five murders are confirmed to be his, the killer claimed to have killed 37.

California Serial Killers 70's

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Charles Manson

One of the most famous cult leaders of all time, Charles Manson was the leader of a group of young people in California during the late 1960s. He called his cult “The Family.”

Manson’s family committed a series of nine murders in July and August 1969, most notable were the murders that took place on the night of August 9, 1969, which included the murder of pregnant actress Sharon Tate.

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Charles Edmund Cullen: The Angel of Death

Dubbed “The Angel of Death,” Charles Edmund Cullen is believed to be the most prolific serial killer in American history.

His exact victim count is not known, but he confessed to murdering 40 of his patients while working as a nurse at various hospitals. Experts believe that his actual victim count could be in the hundreds.

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Ailene Wuornos

While working as a prostitute between 1989 and 1990, Aileen Wuornos murdered seven men in Florida by shooting them at point-blank range. She claimed that all of her victims either raped her or attempted to rape her.

Her story was told in the 2003 film Monster, where Charlize Theron portrayed Wuornos.

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Jack the Ripper

Jack the Ripper, the name given to this unidentified killer, was active in the Whitechapel district in London in 1888. His victims were usually female prostitutes, whose throats were cut before he mutilated their abdomens. Due to the precision of the way in which organs were removed from three of his victims, it’s believed he may have had surgical knowledge. He earned himself the title “Jack the Ripper” after a letter was written by a person claiming to be the famed serial killer.

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Jeffrey Dahmer: The Milwaukee Cannibal

Jeffery Dahmer committed the rape, murder, and dismemberment of 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991. He also committed necrophilia and cannibalism.

At the time of his arrest, police discovered the preserved body parts of several of his victims within his home.

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Jim Jones

James Warren Jones was an American religious leader whose name has now become synonymous with the phrase “Don’t drink the Kool-Aid.”

Born in 1931 in Indiana, he founded the People’s Temple in the 1950s, proclaiming himself a messiah. He went on to found a socialist utopia in Jonestown, Guyana in the ‘70s, where, on November 18, 1977, he became responsible for the mass suicide and mass murder of over 900 remaining members of his cult.

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John Wayne Gacy

Active between 1972 and 1978, Gacy sexually assaulted, tortured, and murdered 33 teenage boys and young men. 26 of his victims were buried in the crawl space of his Cook County, Illinois home.

Gacy was also known for dressing up as “Pogo the Clown,” leading to him being dubbed the “Killer Clown.”

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Ed Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield

Known as the Butcher of Plainfield, Ed Gein only ever confessed to two killings, but it was his other crimes that made him an infamous killer. Gein exhumed corpses from graveyards and fashioned body parts into furniture, household items, and other keepsakes.

Gein has been the inspiration behind countless movies, including Psycho, Silence of the Lambs, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

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Andrei Chikatilo: The Butcher

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Nicknamed 'The Butcher of Rostov,' Andrei Chikatilo was convicted of the murder of 53 women and children in Russia between 1978 and 1990.

'When I used my knife, it brought psychological relief. I know I have to be destroyed. I was a mistake of nature,' he once said.

Did you know that some of history’s most notorious serial killers once lived, died, and committed their grizzly crimes in San Francisco?

The name of the Zodiac Killer has become infamous across the world. Whereas, he is far from the only deranged murdered San Francisco’s residents have had to deal with.

In this article, we will take a look at 7 of the most notorious serial killers in San Francisco’s history. Some of them still haven’t been caught… So watch your back!

7 Most Notorious Serial Killers in San Francisco

7 Most Notorious Serial Killers in San Francisco

1. Zodiac Killer

The Zodiac Killer is the pseudonym of a serial killer who operated in the San Francisco area in the 1970s.

His deeds have been compared to those of the notorious Jack the Ripper himself – and for good reason.

Did you know that he gave himself the name Zodiac in a series of letters he sent to the press back in the 70s?

“I like killing people because it’s so much fun,” read one of the letters.

He demanded that his letters be printed on the front page of Bay Area newspapers… Or he would kill again.

The Zodiac Killer was clearly trying to build a reputation for himself – which makes him one of the creepiest criminals on this list (as if his suspected body count of 37 did not accomplish that already).

His first victims were a young teenage couple who had decided to use “Senior Ditch Day” to go sunbathing.

It turned out that killing couples was Zodiac’s thing. He attacked two more right after this, successfully killing 2 out of 4 of his targets.

While there have been many speculations about his identity, the Zodiac Killer has managed to evade the authorities to this day.

2. The Doodler

The Doodler is believed to have been responsible for no less than 14 deaths in the gay community of San Francisco.

He liked to sketch his victims before the slayings, hence his nickname “The Doodler.”

His first victim, Geral Cavanaugh, was found lying face-up at Ocean Beach, San Francisco.

He died of stab wounds to his front and back – a gruesome and painful death for sure.

Another one of his victims, Joseph “Jay” Stevens, a “female impersonator,” died of similar wounds shortly after. It is believed that they met at a gay club where The Doodler liked to pick up his victims.

The identity of The Doodler was also never discovered.

However, in February of 2019, the authorities released more evidence (a new police sketch and an audio recording) to the public in hopes of finally moving the cold case forward.

3. The Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Killer

The serial k

The Zodiac Killer

California Serial Killers 70's

Charles Manson

Charles Edmund Cullen: The Angel of Death

Ailene Wuornos

Jack the Ripper

Jeffrey Dahmer: The Milwaukee Cannibal

Jim Jones

John Wayne Gacy

Ed Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield

Andrei Chikatilo: The Butcher

Table of contents

7 Most Notorious Serial Killers in San Francisco

1. Zodiac Killer

2. The Doodler

3. The Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Killer

Famous Serial Killers In California