8 Serial Killers Who Were Never Caught

1. The Frankford Slasher

From 1985 to 1990 there were nine murders in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Frankford where the victim was sexually assaulted and then brutally stabbed. It seemed clear that it was the work of a single serial killer, especially since several of the victims were reported to have been seen with a middle-aged white male shortly before their attacks. In a bizarre twist, after the murder of eighth victim, Carol Dowd, authorities arrested Leonard Christopher, a black male that worked at the fish market near the location of Dowd’s murder. He didn’t fit any witness description and there was little to no evidence of his involvement, yet he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. The case against Christopher actually being the Frankford Slasher became even less viable on September 6, 1990, months after Christopher had been arrested, when Michelle Dehner was killed in the exact same way as the other victims. It would have been impossible for Christopher to commit her murder so it seems as though the Frankford Slasher is still out there somewhere.

2. The West Mesa Bone Collector

In February 2009, the remains of 11 different women were found buried in a large desert area of Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was discovered that all the women were prostitutes and the murders were believed to have been committed by a single serial killer known as the West Mesa Bone Collector. The victims ranged in age from 15 to 32 and all disappeared from 2003 to 2005. No official suspect has ever been identified despite several violent men being connected to, or near, the bone dumping area. There’s no way to connect any of them since there have been no witnesses or even a single strand of DNA.

3. The Rainbow Maniac

From February 2007 to August 2008, 13 gay men were murdered in Brazil in an area called Paturis Park. All the victims were males between the ages of 20 and 40 who died as a result of gun shots to the head. Authorities also suspect that the Rainbow Maniac is responsible for several other deaths in nearby areas and may be a former police officer. While a suspect, former police officer Jairo Francisco Franco, was reported to have been arrested in 2008, he was never convicted and the crimes remained unsolved.

4. The February 9 Killer

In one of the most bizarre unsolved cases, The February 9 Killer was known to have gained entry into his victim’s homes by getting them to open their front door and forcing his way into their homes. He would do this every February 9th. His victims were all Hispanic women, including a 29-year old woman who was six months pregnant. As of 2011 the case was declared cold as no evidence or witnesses could link a killer to the crimes. The police have said that they have a DNA profile of the killer, but it did not result in any matches, which means there’s a good chance he will never be captured if he chooses never to strike again.

5. The Monster of Florence

Between 1968 and 1985 the Monster of Florence is believed to have committed 16 different murders. He would almost always attack couples and kill them using a .22 caliber pistol. While some believe Antonio Vinci, who was a relative of 2 of the other suspects, is the real killer, there is nowhere near enough evidence to charge him with the crime. Police have desperately tried to solve the case as they have arrested suspects for the murders, only to see the killer strike again while their suspect is in custody. Since it’s been nearly 30 years since the Monster of Florence’s last kill, it seems as though his work is done and that, if he’s still alive, will live the rest of his life a free man.

6. The Babysitter

From 1976 to 1977 residents of Oakland County, Michigan were tormented by a serial killer who was responsible for the deaths of at least four children across the area. The unknown killer would abduct and murder young children and then leave their bodies in several different locations across the county. Parents were terrified to let their children go to school without being accompanied by an adult and soon the county was overcome by terror and fear. Authorities have several theories or suspects in the case, but nothing has ever been proved. Some even theorize that The Babysitter could have actually been John Wayne Gacy since he was in Michigan during the time of the murders and fit a description of a man seen with one of the victims. While it may seem plausible, DNA tests were conducted in 2013 that proved Gacy was not involved in the murders. The case remains open to this day.

7. Stoneman

The Stoneman may be India’s most horrific serial killer, as he is believed to have murdered 13 homeless people over the span of six months. He received the nickname Stoneman as he would find beggars sleeping by themselves in an isolated area and bash them in the head with a stone. The police weren’t sure if the murders were being committed by one individual or if copycats were emulating the original crime. The killer didn’t limit himself to just one area, as the killings took place in both Bombay and Calcutta. Authorities decided to cast a large net in hopes of catching the killer, so they brought in dozens of suspects with anyone that remotely had a chance of being the killer being brought in for questioning. While none of the men were charged, the murders came to an abrupt stop which means the killer was either brought in for questioning or heard about the aggressive investigation and stopped his killings. Even if the murders stopped, that means the killer is still out there and escaped charges.

8. The Phantom Killer

Over the course of ten weeks in 1946, The Phantom Killer was suspected to have been responsible for eight attacks and five deaths across Texarkana. Every attack occurred on the weekend, which resulted in the town being filled with fear and completely locked down at dusk. It was basically in a state or martial law since the killer was known to have struck late at night. While over 400 suspects have been arrested in regards to the case, the Phantom Killer was never captured. 

This guy met a serial killer and he almost fell in love with him. Read more here.