Serial killers are often judged by the number of their victims, and some have claimed an extraordinarily high number of lives. Here is a list of serial killers who are among those with the highest confirmed or estimated number of victims:
1. Pedro Alonso López (Colombia/Ecuador/Peru) Victims: 110 confirmed, potentially over 300 Known as the “Monster of the Andes,” López preyed on young girls and was convicted for the murders of 110 girls but claimed to have killed many more.
2. Luis Garavito (Colombia) Victims: 138 confirmed, possibly over 300 Known as “La Bestia” (“The Beast”), Garavito targeted young boys and confessed to the rape, torture, and murder of 138 children.
3. Harold Shipman (United Kingdom) Victims: 250+ confirmed A British doctor who used his medical knowledge to kill his patients, making him one of the most prolific serial killers in terms of confirmed deaths.
4. Javed Iqbal (Pakistan) Victims: 100 confirmed Iqbal confessed to the murders of 100 young boys and provided detailed evidence of his crimes.
5. Mikhail Popkov (Russia) Victims: 78 confirmed Known as “The Werewolf,” Popkov, a former policeman, raped and killed women over a span of two decades.
6. Daniel Camargo Barbosa (Colombia/Ecuador) Victims: 72 confirmed Barbosa targeted young girls, primarily in Ecuador, and was known for his brutal methods.
7. Pedro Rodrigues Filho (Brazil) Victims: 71 confirmed Known as “Pedrinho Matador” (“Killer Petey”), Rodrigues Filho was responsible for a series of murders, many of which were other criminals.
8. Yang Xinhai (China) Victims: 67 confirmed Known as the “Monster Killer,” Yang confessed to the murders of 67 people during a spree across several provinces.
9. Gilles de Rais (France) Victims: 80-200 estimated A 15th-century nobleman and former companion-in-arms of Joan of Arc, de Rais was executed for the murders of possibly over 100 children.
10. Herman Webster Mudgett (H.H. Holmes) (United States) Victims: 27 confirmed, possibly up to 200 Holmes confessed to 27 murders, but his total number of victims could be significantly higher due to his extensive activities, including constructing a “Murder Castle” filled with traps and hidden rooms.
These killers are notorious for the sheer number of their victims, and their heinous acts have left a lasting impact on the societies they terrorized.
