The earth has seen many notorious criminals walk on its surface. Some are so brutal, that they leave a scar in society. People do bad things that affect society around to a level where it leaves behind traumas, fright, and illness. Crimes of these people range from robbery to murder, from cannibalism to dealing drugs. It’s hard to tell what their motive is, whether it is for their livelihood or if it is something they are doing as a hobby.
Such are these 10 people who have marked their names in history as the most notorious criminals. They have been the reason for sleepless nights for many people, causing panic and fright.
10 Notorious Criminals
1. Ted Bundy
America saw fear and distress among its citizens in the 1970s in the name of Ted Bundy. Many young women held Ted Bundy, also known as Theodore Bundy, responsible for their rape and murder. Initially refusing to proclaim himself guilty for decades, Bundy finally accepted his charges. Accordingly, he confessed to having killed 30 women from 1974 to 1978. However, the exact amount of his victims are still unclear. They electrocuted Bundy in 1989.
2. Ted Kaczynski
Ted Kaczynski was a Harward student and mathematics prodigy. However, he decided to leave this lifestyle behind to live what he called a primitive lifestyle. The government gave Ted the name “Unabomber”. As his approach to a primitive life led to the loss of life of 3 people and 25 injured in a nationwide mail bombing. He justified his action by stating that “he believed to be advancing modern technology and the destruction of the natural environment”. The court sentenced him to 8 life sentences without parole. Eventually, on June 2023, Ted was declared dead with the cause being suicide.
3. Charles Manson
Member of the Manson Family, Charles Manson was a rampant criminal and cult leader in America in the mid-1960s. Manson’s cruel actions involve the murder of actress Sharon Tate, the Crowe shooting, the Hinman murder in 1969, and many others. Police apprehended Manson and his followers on December 1st, 1969 for their conviction of 9+ first-degree murders. Subsequently, Manson was rushed to the hospital in 2017 due to sickness. The doctors pronounced him dead on November 19, 2017.
4. Al Capone
Popularly known as Scarface, Al Capone was a notorious criminal in the pretense of a businessman. Capone was a member of Chicago Outfit, a criminal organization and he head the organization for 7 years. Throughout his years of reign, Capone has been responsible for some serious criminal activities. Furthermore, Capone was arrested in Chicago in 1932, at the age of 33. Capone’s failing health led him to his demise in 1947.
5. John Wayne Gacy
Notorious Serial Killer and Rapist, John Wayne Gacy was young boys’ nightmare in America in the late 1960s. The police gave him the name “Killer Clown” because of Gacy’s performances as a clown in public. Gacy initially refused to plead guilty to the rape and assault of 33 young boys but was convicted. The court sentenced Gacy to death row for 14 years. The executioners went ahead with the process on May 1994. They proclaimed Gacy dead on May 10, 1994.
6. Jesse James
Jesse James was termed to be an American outlaw, bank, and train robber. He was also the leader of the James – Younger Gang. The gang was of outlaws who did robberies and guerilla movements during the American Civil War. The Union soldiers and Civil abolitionists charged James and his fellow members with torture. His crimes involve the Centralia Massacre of 1864. Robert Ford shot James on the back of his head in 1882 ultimately leading to his demise.
7. Jeffrey Dahmer
Milwaukee Cannibal or Milwaukee Monster would be a rather apt name for this criminal. Causing unrest in American society from 1978 to 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer was responsible for the deaths of 17 males. His offenses also included necrophilia, cannibalism, and the permanent preservation of body parts. Dahmer reportedly was sane during his trial despite being diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder and other mental illnesses. The court sentenced Dahmer to 16 terms of life imprisonment. Christopher Scarver beat him to death in 1994.
8. Aileen Wuornos
After being abused by her grandfather all throughout her childhood, Aileen Wuornos took to street prostitution for survival. Aileen was an American serial killer who reportedly murdered 7 men who were her clients. She pleaded her innocence by claiming that the men she murdered tried to force her and rape her. And that her actions were for self-defense. The court sentenced Aileen to death by lethal injection and she passed away in 2002.
9. Pablo Escobar
Founder of the Medellin Cartel, Escobar was a drug lord, a narcoterrorist, and a politician in Columbia. People feared him and named him the “king of cocaine”. Escobar earned himself the title of the richest criminal in history. Constant chase by the Columbian police with his cartel being the target of destruction, Escobar faced constant threats by the Police, the US government, and His rival cartel as well. Escobar was engaged in gunfire with the Police when he was shot dead in 1993. The body of Escobar has gun wounds all over his torso and feet.
10. Richard Ramirez
Richard Ramirez was an American serial killer who was named the night stalker, the Walk-in Killer, and the Valley Intruder. Experiencing abuse in childhood by his father, Ramirez started following gorey and cruel ideologies. Ramirez had strong beliefs in Satanism and the Occult and by the time of 22, he was frequently inhaling cocaine. Under the influence of drugs, his crimes started as burglaries which later proceeded to murder, rape, and assault. The court convicted him to a death sentence. Ramirez suffered from “chronic substance abuse and chronic hepatitis C viral infection”. Eventually, he succumbed to death in 2013.
Many of these criminals have been a popular reference in the current entertainment scene. With increasing biopics on these criminals’ lives, the world is getting aware of the story behind every notorious criminal has been.
