The 10 most prolific serial killers in US history – and how they were finally caught

Advances in DNA, forensic science and information-sharing eventually brought many of America’s most notorious serial killers to justice after years of evading capture

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The United States is home to some of the world’s most infamous serial killers, including some of the most shocking murders ever.  Here are the 10 murderers with the highest confirmed victim counts.

Every year, there are around 15,000 recorded homicides. Although serial killers account for only a tiny percentage, the crimes committed by these offenders are particularly gruesome and heinous, making them hard to forget. 

For years, and in some cases, decades, a small number of serial killers managed to evade arrest, allowing them to target dozens of victims across different states. Because the majority  preyed on vulnerable people whose disappearances initially attracted little attention, this allowed them to continue killing long before advances in forensic science and DNA technology finally led to their capture.

The crimes committed by these offenders have had a lasting impact on criminal investigations and public consciousness. Their cases changed the way detectives investigate serial crime, highlighting the importance of sharing intelligence between police forces and demonstrating the value of forensic advances, particularly DNA evidence, in linking unsolved murders separated by years or even decades.

The FBI defines a serial killer as someone who murders three or more people in separate incidents over a period of time. While most are stopped long before they reach double figures, a handful amassed victim counts that remain almost impossible to comprehend.

Here are 10 of the most prolific serial killers

10. Larry Eyler – 19 confirmed victims
Known as both the “Interstate Killer” and the “Highway Killer”, Larry Eyler murdered at least 19 young men and teenage boys across four states between 1982 and 1984. Sentenced to death in Illinois, he died from AIDS-related complications in 1994 while on Death Row.

9. William Bonin – 21 confirmed victims
William Bonin, dubbed the “Freeway Killer”, raped, tortured and murdered at least 21 boys and young men between 1979 and 1980, leaving many of their bodies near California freeways. He was executed by lethal injection in 1996.

8. Patrick Kearney – 21 confirmed victims
Known as the “Trash Bag Killer”, Patrick Kearney murdered at least 21 men between 1962 and 1977, often targeting hitchhikers before disposing of their bodies in rubbish bags. Investigators believed he may have claimed additional victims.

7. Earle Nelson – 22 confirmed victims
One of America’s earliest serial killers, Earle Nelson murdered at least 22 women in just 16 months between 1926 and 1927. Known as the “Gorilla Killer”, he travelled across the western United States targeting boarding house owners.

6. Ronald Dominique – 23 confirmed victims
Nicknamed the “Bayou Strangler”, Ronald Dominique confessed to murdering 23 young men in Louisiana. He lured victims with promises of work before sexually assaulting and killing them. His arrest in 2006 received relatively little attention because it came soon after Hurricane 

5. Ted Bundy – 30 confirmed victims
One of the world’s most infamous serial killers, Ted Bundy confessed to murdering 30 women across seven states between 1974 and 1978. Investigators have long suspected his true victim count was significantly higher.

4. John Wayne Gacy – 33 confirmed victims
John Wayne Gacy appeared to be a respected businessman and community figure, but between 1972 and 1978 he abducted, sexually assaulted and murdered at least 33 young men and boys. Most of his victims were buried beneath his suburban Chicago home.

3. Donald Harvey – 37 confirmed victims
Hospital orderly Donald Harvey, often called the “Angel of Death”, was convicted of murdering 37 patients in his care during the 1970s and 1980s. He later claimed to have killed as many as 87 people, primarily using poison. Harvey died in prison in 2017 after being assaulted by another inmate.

2. Gary Ridgway – 49 confirmed victims
Known as the Green River Killer, Gary Ridgway murdered at least 49 women in Washington state between 1982 and 1998. After his arrest, he confessed to dozens of killings, although investigators believe the true number of victims may be even higher.

1. Samuel Little – 60 confirmed victims
Recognised as the most prolific confirmed serial killer in US history, Samuel Little was linked by the FBI to at least 60 murders and is believed to have killed as many as 93 women between 1970 and 2005. He targeted vulnerable women across multiple states and evaded capture for decades before DNA evidence connected him to the crimes. Little died in prison in 2020 while serving multiple life sentences.