12 Killers Who Custom-Built Devices for Their Crimes

Dr. Henry Howard Holmes built the ultimate murder castle.He was born May 16, 1861, in New Hampshire as Herman Webster Mudgett. Mudgett married young, had a child, and studied medicine. He also started petty insurance scams. His marriage broke apart, and he left his wife and child, though he never officially divorced. Holmes moved across the East Coast, leaving towns due to suspicious reasons.

Mudgett moved to Chicago in 1886. Worried his past actions might catch up, he changed his name to Henry Howard Holmes. Holmes got a job at the drugstore owned by the soon-to-be-widowed Elizabeth Holton. Holmes impressed Holton with his hard work. She agreed to sell him the drugstore. Holmes planned to pay for the pharmacy in installments, but Elizabeth Holton quickly vanished. Holmes claimed she moved to California. He bought the lot across the street and quickly built what he called the "World's Fair Hotel" ahead of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. Locals called it "The Castle."

The Castle's bottom floor housed Holmes's drugstore and other shops. The upper two floors looked like a hotel but held something much worse. Holmes built doors that opened only from the outside. He fitted rooms with gas jets and a vault that sealed airtight. Chutes led from these rooms to a basement lab. Holmes murdered single women who came for the World's Fair. He killed a mistress who became pregnant and demanded marriage. He also killed random people to collect life insurance money. Holmes murdered the mistress's young child.

Holmes kept tubs of corrosive acid in his basement to remove victims' skin. He sold the resulting skeletons to medical schools and supply companies. Holmes's boldest move involved luring two wealthy sisters from Texas. He swindled them out of property and murdered both. He locked one in his vault and killed her with gas; he likely used chloroform on the other.

After the fair ended, Chicago faced a financial downturn, and creditors aggressively pursued Holmes. He fled Chicago with a partner, Benjamin Pitezel. Holmes began a long journey through Texas, St. Louis, Philadelphia, and Toronto. Along the way, he murdered Pitezel in an insurance scam. He killed three of Pitezel's children. Finally, he was arrested in Boston in November 1894. By then, Chicago police examined the gruesome remains in the Castle. These included human bones in cellar lime pits, bloody clothing, and scratch marks in the vault, probably from Holmes's victims.

Holmes was connected to the deaths of up to 200 people. Philadelphia hanged him for murdering Benjamin Pitezel on May 7, 1896.

David Parker Ray built a 'Toy Box' that included a gynecological table.David Parker Ray, a serial killer, targeted prostitutes and teenaged girls. He lured them into a vehicle, subdued them, and drove them to a remote place in southern New Mexico. Ray built a special torture chamber he called the "Toy Box." This mobile home held $100,000 worth of sex toys, torture tools, restraints, and a gynecological examination table. Ray placed a mirror over the table so victims watched his sadism, which sometimes lasted for days.

On March 22, 1999, Cynthia Vigil, an Albuquerque prostitute, escaped her restraints while Ray worked. She subdued Ray's female accomplice and fled the "Toy Box." Clad only in a dog collar and chains, the beaten, bloody woman ran to a nearby home, prompting a police call. Police arrested Ray and several others. Ray faced indictment for crimes against Vigil and another woman. After a plea deal, he received a 224-year prison sentence. Ray died of a heart attack in prison before murder charges could be filed, despite suspicion in the deaths of up to 40 people over forty years.

Leonard Lake and Charles Ng.Two ex-Marines, Lake and Ng lived with survivalist paranoia. They had violent fantasies involving rape, mental and physical torture, and murder. Lake also focused on the John Fowles novel.The CollectorAfter renting a cabin in rural Wilseyville, California, Lake built a concrete and wooden bunker. The bunker had underground cells, peepholes, and two-way mirrors. Lake wrote in diaries discovered by police that nuclear war was coming. He believed he would survive in the bunker and repopulate the world with his female sex slaves. He called this process 'Operation Miranda' after the female victim in.The Collector.

When Ng left federal prison, he contacted Lake. Lake encouraged him to go to Wilseyville. Together, they started a crime spree of robbery, rape, and murder. Their savagery and violence were notable. They killed people without selection; they lured or abducted men, women, infants, and entire families to Wilseyville and murdered them. Gunshots killed the men and children fast. Women took longer. Videotape showed Lake and Ng tormenting female victims after police began investigating the duo and the bunker for a different issue.

June 2, 1985, Ng shoplifted an item at a hardware store in San Francisco. He ran from the scene. Lake was detained. Police searched his car and found an illegally modified pistol with a silencer and identification. Several sets of IDs were also in the car, which was listed as stolen.

Lake sensed the situation ended. He wrote a note naming Ng, apologized to a relative, and then took a cyanide pill with water. Lake died four days later. Ng fled to Canada, faced imprisonment, and the US deported him in 1991. It took eight more years to convict Ng of 12 of the 25 murders he and Lake committed.

Ng routinely filed motions about his eyeglasses, the food he received, and his demand to practice origami in his cell. The court sentenced him to death; he now stays on San Quentin's Death Row.

From February to October 2002, two males acted.John Muhammad, age 42, and Lee Malvo, age 17, These two caused many sniper attacks across America, hitting the Washington, DC area especially. These attacks caused panic in Virginia, Maryland, and They targeted the nation's capital.The fall of 2002 saw these attacks. Eyewitnesses first claimed a white van or white box truck shot people. A high-powered rifle killed ten and wounded three. Law enforcement struggled because no one saw such a weapon near the crime scene.

Investigators found John Muhammad was a suspect, possibly driving a dark blue Chevy Caprice. Police blocked the location in a Maryland rest stop on October 24, 2002. They arrested Malvo and Muhammad, who were sleeping in the car. The Caprice had special modifications: contents removed so someone could lie in the trunk and fire through a rear hole. A Bushmaster semi-automatic got a precision sight, making it work up to 550 yards, or five and a half football fields. Malvo claimed he shot every time, but he admitted he did it because he knew a minor shot was easier.

Muhammad was convicted of murder in Virginia and executed November 10, 2005. Malvo serves several life sentences in a Virginia prison.

John Wayne Gacy used a torture rack and a homemade garrote.Gacy killed at least 33 boys and young adults in the Chicago area before his arrest in December 1978. Gacy cruised streets for young gay prostitutes, then abducted victims by pretending to be a deputy sheriff. He also lured teenagers to his home with offers of work, alcohol, or marijuana.

Gacy used various methods to put victims in handcuffs and restraints. His favorite trick was the "John Wayne Gacy used a handcuff trick.He faked escaping handcuffs (using the key after turning his back on the victim) and asked the victim to try it. If the victim struggled to get free, Gacy would hold up the key and state, "The trick is you need the key."

Gacy brutalized and raped the victim in many ways. Then, Gacy strangled them with a rope tied to a stick acting as a garrotte. Rarely, Gacy stopped this process to save the victim's life. On May 22, 1978, Gacy lured 26-year-old Jeffrey Rignall into his car by promising a joint. Inside, Gacy shoved a chloroform-soaked rag into Rignall's face until he passed out. Rignall woke up inside Gacy's home, restrained in a device Gacy called his "rack"—a wooden board held by chains with holes for a head and arms. Gacy stood naked before him, showing him sex toys and tools, explaining his plan.

Rignall suffered hours of rape and sexual torture. He later woke near a statue in Lincoln Park. He stayed in a hospital for six days, but police dismissed his story as unbelievable and did nothing. This mirrors other cases where young gay men who accused Gacy faced inaction from authorities. Finally, in December 1978, Gacy confessed after ties connected him to the disappearance of 15-year-old Robert Piest and items found in his home revealed evidence. The exhumation of dozens of bodies in his home's crawl space shocked the nation.

Gacy died on May 10, 1994, at Stateville Correctional Center, Illinois.

Ted Bundy outfitted his VW Bug with a rape kit.He is one ofthe most infamous serial killersin US history. He confessed to at least 30 murders across seven states. He likely killed many more women; the exact number remains unknown.

Bundy used a simple method to abduct women. Usually on crutches, with one arm in a sling and the other holding books, Bundy would approach a woman, often near a college library. He asked if she could help him carry his books to his car. The car sat in a spot Bundy chose carefully—a 1970s VW, the Everyman car that looked ordinary. Many women were drawn to the smooth, well-dressed, attractive man and lowered their guard.

As they neared the car, Bundy suddenly pulled a tire iron from his sling and struck the victim unconscious. Seconds later, the girl was handcuffed and put in the VW. Bundy removed the front seat so no one saw a body on the floor, then left. The car held a full "rape kit" with restraints, ski masks, stockings, screwdrivers, flashlights, rope, and gloves. Months or years passed before some of these victims' remains surfaced in remote parts of Oregon and Washington State. Some remains were never found.

Bundy changed his method after moving to Utah. He would target women at shopping malls. Bundy claimed to be a police officer, saying a car had been broken into. He then asked them to go with him to the police station. Bundy murdered several Utah teenagers using this trick until one victim escaped. The investigation then led to his arrest.

Convicted for assault, Bundy moved to Colorado for his murder trial. He escaped a county jail, flew to Chicago, and reached Tallahassee, Florida. There, Bundy assaulted five college women, killing two terribly. After murdering a 12-year-old, Florida arrested Bundy on February 15, 1978, in Pensacola, Florida, while driving a Volkswagen Beetle. Florida executed him on January 24, 1989.

Gary Heidnik had an IQ of 130.Gary HeidnikHeidnik never finished high school. He joined the army, served honorably discharged in 1962, and moved to Philadelphia. His family had a history of suicide and mental illness. Gary frequently attempted suicide and stayed in psychiatric hospitals for several times.

Heidnik became smart enough to start his own church in 1971, naming it the United Church of the Ministers of God. By the mid-Eighties, he gained a small fortune. He persuaded a Filipino woman, Betty Disto, to move to the US and marry him. Heidnik already had a record for raping and assaulting a mentally disabled woman he kept locked in a basement storage room. He left a mental institution in 1983. In 1984, Betty Disto left her marriage to Heidnik after finding out he was with three other women, but she became pregnant with his son.

By late 1986, Heidnik seemed completely unhinged. He started luring or kidnapping women into his normal-looking Philadelphia row house. He would drug them, then drag them to his cellar. Chains and restraints held the women half-naked there. Heidnik also dug a deep pit in the basement. He punished his captives by putting them in the pit and covering it with a weighted slab. After repeated assaults and only occasional meals, one captive died. Heidnik cut up her body with a chain saw, boiled the remains, and fed them to his dogs.

In March 1987, Heidnik became angry at the resistance of one captive, Deborah Dudley. He threw her into his basement pit. Heidnik filled the pit with water and electrocuted her by forcing an uninsulated electrical cable into the pit. Five days later, one of Heidnik's more compliant victims convinced him to let her visit her family briefly. Believing her completely controlled, Heidnik allowed it, and the woman immediately called 911.

Gary Heidnik was arrested March 24, 1987. He claimed insanity and said he was a cannibal, but his church success proved he was sane. The state of Pennsylvania executed him July 6, 1999, for kidnapping, rape, and murder.

Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris.These two violent felons met while in California prison. They spent years planning to kidnap and rape young girls after they were released. They started their plan in early 1979.

Bittaker bought a 1977 GMC van. He modified it for their crimes. He put a raised, blanket-covered mattress over a bed frame to hide someone waiting for a victim. Tinted rear windows blocked sight. They added custom lights, a sound system, coolers, and tools. They called the van "The Murder Mac."

Between June and October 1979, Norris and Bittaker abducted five teenaged girls from Southern California streets. They lured or dragged them away. They drove the girls in "The Murder Mac" to the San Gabriel Mountains. There, they raped the girls, photographed them with a Polaroid camera, and brutally murdered them, tossing bodies into canyon ravines.

An ex-con friend of Norris and Bittaker got worried about Bittaker's advances toward his teenaged daughters. He reported them to the police. The police arrested the pair. Norris pleaded guilty and testified against Bittaker. The court sentenced Bittaker to death in 1981. Over forty years later, he...is still alive.He remains on San Quentin's Death Row.

Dean Corll.Corll lived in Houston, Texas. He started recruiting teenaged boys in the Houston area in the early Seventies. Corll ran a candy company across from a school. He also put a pool table in his business to draw local youth. Using cash and favors, Corll built ties with Elmer Henley and David Brooks. After his candy business failed, Corll took a job as an electrician for the Houston Lighting and Power Company. Corll, with Henley and Brooks, then began abducting teenaged males from a poor neighborhood.

Corll promised these boys a party and alcohol, driving them to his house. They drank until they passed out. Corll tricked them into putting on handcuffs, or overpowered them if they resisted. At some point, they found themselves chained to Dean's "torture board," a plywood sheet with holes and manacles attached with chains. If they were lucky, the next part took only hours instead of the days Corll sometimes spent before shooting the victim with a pistol. Corll and his partners then wrapped the body in plastic and buried it near one of four spots.

Dozens of murders occurred until August 8, 1973. Corll became enraged when Henley brought a female guest to his home. He waited until his three young guests passed out. Then, Corll put them all in restraints. He told Henley he would kill all three. However, the teenager convinced him that he would murder and rape the female if released. Corll relented and freed Henley. Minutes later, Henley shot Dean Corll six times, killing him.

Henley received six 99-year terms. Brooks got life. They still serve these terms in separate Texas penitentiaries.

Robert Berdella.Berdella was an American serial killer. He lived in a bad place. He likely admitted he was strange. He ran Bob's Bizarre Bazaar in Kansas City, Missouri. This store sold items like human skulls, occult objects, and weird merchandise. He lived in a quiet neighborhood and joined the local neighborhood watch.

The situation ended in April 1988. A naked man jumped from Berdella's second-story window. The man, a male prostitute named Chris Bryson, wore only a slave collar. Bryson pounded on a neighbor's door, who called the police. Berdella tortured Bryson for five days. The welts and bruises on Bryson's body proved his story. Robert was arrested minutes after he returned home.

Police first charged him with sexual assault. Then, they examined Berdella's belongings. Officers found many Polaroids of naked, bound men in great distress. Later, they found some photos in Berdella's basement. He bound them to a mattress and shocked them with alligator clips on an electrical device. An intricate diary detailed the torture, chemicals, and sexual abuse Berdella used on his victims.

Berdella eventually pleaded guilty to murdering six young men. He testified in detail about what he did and how he disposed of their bodies. He dismembered them and put them in plastic bags. He placed these bags curbside and watched them get hauled away. His honesty earned him a life sentence, which ended when he died of a heart attack in 1992. A Kansas City millionaire later bought the house and tore it down.

Description of 'Robert Ben Rhoades Used His Long-Haul Truck as a Mobile Murder Center' in the list '12 Killers Who Custom-Built Devices for Their Crimes'Robert Ben RhoadesHe was arrested and charged with various sex crimes.

An investigation of his truck showed the cab had custom anchor points for handcuffs and shackles. He carried a briefcase with sharp tools and whips. A home search revealed photos of young, naked girls in bondage. One photo showed 14-year-old Regina Walters, a runaway who vanished with her boyfriend.

Rhoades later admitted to killing her and received a life sentence in Illinois. He also pleaded guilty to the deaths of a hitchhiking couple from Utah. Rhoades has only five murders legally linked to him, but he is believed to have committed up to 50 murders over 15 years.

In 2002, Maury Traviswasn't getting the reaction he wanted. The Ferguson, Missouri, waiter appeared like a friendly neighbor, a cheerful person often seen washing his car. Neighbors likely would have been shocked to learn Maury had served time for armed robbery. That happened years before. They would have been especially shocked to find Travis now prowling the St. Louis area, abducting female prostitutes and taking them to his home in a quiet suburb. wasn't quite getting the reaction he was looking for. The Ferguson, Missouri, waiter seemed like a friendly neighbor and cheerful person frequently seen washing his car in his driveway. Neighbors probably would have been surprised to learn that Maury had done time for armed robbery. But that was years ago. They would have been especially shocked to find out that Travis was now spending his time prowling around the metropolitan St. Louis area, abducting female prostitutes and bringing them into his home in a quiet suburban area.

Once Travis took these women into his basement, they were not going to escape. Travis had a video camera already set up, with restraints attached to the wall and bolted into the cellar's support column. These blood-covered restraints and spatters on the wall would be the only reminders of the women who briefly occupied Travis's property. That and the videotapes that he made and kept hidden behind a wall. Travis had killed as many as 20 of these women in a two-year period, dumping them in empty lots and remote areas.

Travis grew frustrated by the lack of attention these killings got. The whole region should have been shaking with fear on the front page. So, he acted himself. He found an address online, printed the map, and sent it to a St. Louis newspaper reporter. He sent a note claiming anonymously he killed 17 women and number 17 was at where he marked an "X."

Police took the information. A body was found. An investigation started. It took time. The FBI got involved. A couple of Internet vendors coordinated. They located Travis's computer IP address. This pinpointed his physical location.

On June 7, 2002, police arrested Travis at this address. They searched his home thoroughly, focusing on the basement, where blood evidence was clear. Some officers talked with Travis. Others watched the videos. The videos showed Travis with victims chained to walls or basement pipes. One woman was murdered on tape. Others gave names, then faced bondage and sexual abuse.

Travis was friendly but quiet during talks with detectives. He kept that attitude until he hanged himself in his jail cell on June 10, 2002.

Twelve years later, Travis made news again. His mother, the owner of the house where the killings happened, rented it out. A tenant recognized her home in a TV show. She confronted the landlord. The landlord told her she had a lease and she didn't have to share the property's past. The St. Louis Housing Authority finally stepped in. The tenant broke the lease and moved out.