In the fall of 1888, five prostitutes were savagely murdered in the poor, Whitechapel area of London. The murderer was never found. Jack the Ripper occupies a unique place in the history of crime, and the identity of the killer is still the subject of fantastic speculation. Journey to the heart of a century-old mystery for a chilling look at the darkest aspect of humanity.
She was a lonely waitress longing for excitement and romance. He was a volatile ex-con who vowed he would never go back to prison. Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow found each other in the slums of Dallas and for two years they led a notorious gang on a murderous crime spree covering five states.
In 1965, Albert DeSalvo confessed to being the Boston Strangler, who had killed 13 women in a year-long rampage that had terrorized the city. But there have always been doubts about the validity of DeSalvo's confession and conviction. WHO WAS THE REAL BOSTON STRANGLER? chronicles the controversy surrounding the case.
His crimes shocked the nation and paralyzed Los Angeles with fear. In two nights in 1969, Charles Manson and a ragged band of followers rewrote the standards of criminal brutality, killing seven people including actress Sharon Tate in the cruelest ways imaginable. When the killers were finally caught, the nation was introduced to the small, bizarre, excon who was the guru of a ragtag family.
He was a charismatic man who seduced women with good looks, quick wit and abundant charm. But he was also a tormented soul who was compelled to kill. In a gruesome four-year span, Bundy became one of the most feared and prolific serial killers in U.S. history. Even after his execution, questions remain. Who was he and how many did he kill?
On January 17, 1977, Gary Mark Gilmore was executed by a firing squad in Draper, Utah. The execution ended the life of a man who had killed at least two people and who had spent 18 of his 36 years behind bars for various offenses. He became known as the murderer who fought the justice system to ensure he would be executed quickly.
For over a year, David Berkowitz held a city hostage to fear claiming the lives of six people in a killing spree that resulted in the largest manhunt in the history of New York. When he was finally caught, the nation was shocked to discover that the face of terror was a postal worker who smiled sweetly for the camera.
He is one of history's most psychotic killers, a man who emerged from a normal suburban upbringing with a sickening hunger that could not be slaked. The incredible case of Jeffrey Dahmer captured headlines and imaginations worldwide. The appalling details of his crimes were as disturbing as they were compelling, but what drove him to commit such hideous acts?
Aileen Wuornos was arrested after a year long killing spree that ended with seven men dead. Wuornos's arrest sparked worldwide media frenzy. She was one of a rare breed - a female serial killer, she was quickly labelled as the "Highway Hooker" or the "Damsel of Death." But in time, there were those who came to see her in a different light. Aileen Wuornos, some believe, is loss a cold-blooded killer than a woman victimized so often during her tragic life, that she was finally driven to fight back. At the heart of her story stands one fundamental question: was she born a killer, or made one?