Serial killers are real-life nightmares.

Some of the most fascinating people are the evilest. Serial killers have been a widespread phenomenon and dominating news stories for decades. The intrigue of learning the stories behind these renowned criminals has continuously drawn audiences in. With the popularity of Netflix’s Dahmer and books like Helter Skelter, there’s no question that people are hungry for more—and there’s plenty to choose from. 

There are an array of shows, books, documentaries, and more about serial killers real and fictionalized. Read about Jack the Ripper’s anonymous rampage through London in the 1880s or how they finally discovered the identity of the Zodiac Killer in recent years. If you’re a fan of true crime in any capacity, there’s something out there about serial killers for you.

Here are some chilling places to start: 

Peruse the stories before for even more unsettling facts about serial killer.

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The Brutal Murder Spree of John Norman Collins

Known as the Ypsilanti Ripper, the Michigan murderer beat and strangled seven women between 1967 and 1969.

Mary Ann Cotton: A Serial Killer in Long Skirts

How did England’s first female serial killer manage to poison three husbands and 11 children before being caught?

These 5 Infamous Serial Killers Were The Cause of Their Own Capture

Parking tickets, floppy disks and escaped victims helped catch these murderers and bring them to justice.

Deadly Love: 5 Women Who Married Serial Killers

Some had no idea about their husbands’ crimes. Others clearly did.

7 Eerie Facts About Murderers

And how one television show saved an innocent man.

Date with the Devil: Paul John Knowles, the Casanova Killer

With his devilish good looks, he brought new meaning to the term 'lady killer.'

Unsolved Murder: Did Alaskan Serial Killer Robert Hansen Kill Beth van Zanten?

Though Robert Hansen admitted to murdering seventeen people, Beth van Zanten was not one of them.

The Little-Known Serial Killer Who Murdered 23 Men

Ronald J. Dominique, dubbed the Bayou Strangler, went on a decade-long murder spree in rural Louisiana.

Richard Chase: The Serial Killer Who Drank the Blood of His Victims

In the late 1970s, the "Vampire of Sacramento" brutally murdered six people in less than a month.

9 Facts About Charles Manson and the Manson Family That Will Shock You

The reality of the Manson Family was even stranger and more terrifying than you may think.

Dangerous Duos: Sickest Serial Killer Couples Ever

These killers stopped at nothing to prove their twisted love.

James Dale Ritchie: A Serial Killer Caught By Chance

He seemed like a common criminal, until police uncovered the grisly truth.