Disturbing Letters From Serial Killers

The Zodiac Killer.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s,Zodiac Killer.The Zodiac Killer terrorized the San Francisco Bay area. Five murders were confirmed as the Zodiac's work, but letters supposedly from him claimed nearly 40 murders. His identity remains unknown.

Who it was sent to:
The Zodiac (or an impostor) sent thiscreepy Halloween cardtoSan Francisco ChronicleReporter Paul Avery covered the Zodiac case for the paper when he received this in 1970.

Creepiest part:
"Peek-a-boo you are doomed."

Donald Harvey.
Donald HarveyHarvey served as an orderly in Ohio and Kentucky hospitals during the 1970s and 1980s. He found ways to poison at least 30 patients. A co-worker nicknamed him "Angel of Death" because he seemed always near when a patient died.

Who it was sent to:
Harvey sent this long letter to someone who wrote to him in prison.

Creepiest part:
Thismorbid jokeHarvey included this in the letter: "Lord, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, change the things I can and the wisdom to hide the bodies of those people I had to kill because they pissed me off."

H. H. Holmes.
It is unknown how many people Holmes killed.HolmesHolmes was very meticulous. He confessed to 27 murders but people believe he killed nearly 200. Most murders happened during the 1893 World's Fair at his infamous "murder castle," a Chicago hotel filled with death traps.

Who it was sent to:
From prison, Holmes arranged for his confession letters to publish only in thePhiladelphia Inquirer.

Creepiest part:
"I was bornwith the devilin me. I could not help the fact that I was a murderer, no more than the poet can help the inspiration to sing.

Albert Fish.
An unassuming, grandfatherly looking man, Fishwas actually a serial killer, kidnapper, and cannibal.Fish confessed to three murders in the 1920s but later claimed he killed at least 100 children.

Who it was sent to:
Fish sent this letter anonymously in 1934 to the family of Grace Budd, a 10-year-old girl he killed, cooked, and ate in 1928. The letter explained how he became a cannibal and how he killed Budd.

Creepiest part:
"Ichoked her to death, then cut her in small pieces so I could take my meat to my rooms.

John Allen Muhammad And Lee Boyd Malvo (Beltway Snipers).
In October 2002, sniper attacks hit the Washington, DC, metro area along busy roads. The duo killed 17 people.John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvoduring three weeks of terror.

Who it was sent to:
This four-page extortion letter likely came from Muhammad and was left in the woods near Ashland, VA, after a shooting. The letter showed how the snipers failed to contact authorities and demanded $10 million to stop the killings.

Creepiest part:
"P.S. yourchildren are not safeanywhere at any time."

Jack the Ripper was the serial killer dubbed by the British press.
The British press dubbed the serial killer."Jack The Ripper"The killer killed and mutilated at least five women in Whitechapel, London, in 1888. Nobody knows the killer's identity.

The letter was sent to the Central News Agency of London.
This letter, known as the "Dear Boss" letter,"Dear Boss" letterThe letter went to the Central News Agency of London. Ripper scholars argue if the real killer or an imposter sent this. The writer details how he killed and planned to use a victim's blood to write.

Creepiest part:
"I saved some of the proper red stuff in a ginger beer bottle over the last job to write with but it went thick like glue and I cant use it. Red ink is fit enough I hope ha. ha."

Gary Ridgway
In 1918 and 1919, at least eight people in New Orleans, mostly Italian immigrants or Italian-Americans, died from a mysterious man with an ax.mysterious man with an axThese victims were killed with axes they owned. This makes things worse; the Axeman's identity stays unknown.

The letter was addressed to "
On March 13, 1919, the Axeman sent a letter to "Esteemed Mortal"Esteemed Mortal", was published in New Orleans newspapers. He wrote that he would kill again on March 19, 15 minutes after midnight, but would spare anyone listening to jazz music. Many parties happened that night to scare the Axeman, and no murders occurred.

Creepiest part:
"At will I could slay thousands of your best citizens, for I am in close relationship with the Angel of Death."

Gary Ridgway
The most prolific serial killer in the United StatesRidgway was a truck painter. He admitted killing 70-85 women in Washington during the 1980s and 1990s before DNA testing caught him in 2001. The media gave him an alias after his first victims appeared near Washington's Green River.

Following his arrest in 2001, Ridgway wrote letters to his wife almost daily. He wrote a letter revealing the truth to her when he finally confessed to the police.
Following his 2001 arrest, Ridgway wrote letters to his wife almost every day. He wrote a letter revealing the truth to her when he finally confessed.

Creepiest part:
"I made a prayer to God I will stop killing if I don’t get caught, I had to live with all that in me all those years. I couldn't tell you. I was like an alcoholic dry for a time. Then fell off the wagon. I miss you so much."

John George Haigh
In the 1940s, HaighHaigh killed six people and dissolved their bodies in acid. This English killer murdered for money for a lavish life. At his trial, he claimed insanity, saying drinking his victims' blood made him mad. The court rejected his claim, and he received a death sentence.

Haigh wrote this
Haigh wrote this letter to his girlfriend, Barbara Stephens, after she visited him in prison.

Creepiest part:
"How foolish of you to ask why I hadn't murdered you. Of course I had millions of opportunities I know that. But the idea, never crossed my mind I wouldn't have hurt a hair on your head."

Jeffrey Dahmer appeared in the list 'Disturbing Letters From Serial Killers'.
Between 1978 and 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer was active.Jeffrey Dahmer killed 17 men and teenage boys. He performed cannibalism and necrophilia on his victims' corpses.Jeffrey Dahmer killed 17 men and teenage boys. He often performed cannibalism and necrophilia on his victims' bodies.

Dahmer wrote this letter to the judge in 1989.
Dahmer wrote this letter to the judge in 1989.Dahmer wrote this letter to the judge in 1989.Dahmer asked for release after ten months in prison for a child molestation conviction. He called his actions deplorable and promised to become a better person. Dahmer left prison in March 1990 and killed 13 more people.

The creepiest part is Dahmer's quote: "The world has enough misery in it without my adding more to it."
"The world has enough misery in it without my adding more to it."

Dennis Nilsen was a British Jeffrey Dahmer.
Dennis Nilsen was often called the British Jeffrey Dahmer.Dennis Nilsen was a civil servant. Over five years starting in 1978, Nilsen killed at least 12 young men and kept their bodies.Dennis Nilsen killed at least 12 young men and preserved their corpses during a five-year period starting in 1978.

Dennis Nilsen wrote this letter to himself six weeks after his arrest.
Nilsen wrote this 'self-appraisal letter' to himself after his arrest. Nilsen's letter was cold and thoughtful, unlike other killer confessions.

The creepiest part is Nilsen's feeling: "I have felt that since my teenage days that I am a creative psychopath."
"I have felt that since my teenage days that I am a creative psychopath."Nilsen identified himself as a creative psychopath.Nilsen wrote: "I have felt that since my teenage days that I am a creative psychopath."

Jane Toppan was a murderous nurse.
Jane Toppan was a nurse in Massachusetts during the late 19th century.Jane Toppan was a nurse who murdered patients in Massachusetts during the late 19th century. Toppan tested morphine and other opiates on patients to study nervous system effects. She also claimed sexual pleasure from watching her patients die.

Jane Toppan wrote this letter as an open statement to the press.
This letter was sent as an open statement to the press.Jane Toppan sent this statement to the press.Jane Toppan was found guilty of murder by insanity and sent to a mental institution.

The creepiest part is Toppan's statement: "That is my ambition. To have killed more people. More helpless people than any man or woman who has ever lived."
Toppan stated, "That is my ambition. To have killed more people. More helpless people than any man or woman who has ever lived."

Richard Ramirez was a figure in the early 1980s.
In the early 1980s, Richard Ramirez struck fear into suburban Los Angeles residents.Ramirez engaged in home invasions and murder.Ramirez created fear among Los Angeles suburbs through home invasions and killing.

Ramirez wrote to Bill Geerhart, a writer and humorist.
Bill Geerhart, a writer and humorist, wrote to celebrities, politicians, and criminals in the 1990s, claiming he was a young boy named Billy. In his letter to Ramirez, Geerhart mentioned dropping out of school, and a friend suggested he ask Ramirez.

The creepiest part is Geerhart's advice: "You should stay in school. Send pictures."
"You should stay in school. Send pictures."Geerhart wrote: "You should stay in school. Send pictures."Geerhart wrote: "You should stay in school. Send pictures."

Dennis Rader was the BTK killer.
From 1974 to 1991, the BTK killer committed 10 home invasion murders in Wichita, KS.The BTK killer, named for his method of binding, torturing, and killing victims, committed 10 home invasion murders in Wichita, KS between 1974 and 1991.Dennis Rader, named for his method of binding, torturing, and killing victims, committed 10 home invasion murders in Wichita, KS. After thirteen years of silence, BTK sent letters to police in 2004, leading to his 2005 arrest. Dennis Rader was a respected Wichita community member.

Rader sent this poem to Anna Williams.
Dennis Rader sent this poem to Anna Williams.Dennis Rader sent this poem to Anna Williams.Dennis Rader waited in her home one night for two months, ready to kill her. She escaped. Lucky for her, she was out dancing with friends. After hours of waiting, Rader quit and left.

Creepiest part:
"Oh, Anna, Why Didn't You Appear? T'was a perfect plan of deviant pleasure so bold on that Spring night."

Who she was:
In the late 1800s, Belle GunnessBelle Gunness used personal ads to find victims. She swapped letters with lonely bachelors. After enough time, she told them to visit her (preferably with their savings). When suitors visited her Indiana farm, she killed them and kept their money. Reports state she killed over 40 people between 1884 and 1908 before disappearing.

Who it was sent to:
Various men across the Midwest, including Andrew Helgelein, received letters. Gunness communicated with (and later killed) at least 40 men, plus her own children.

Creepiest part:
In the letter to Helgelein, Gunness told him: "But, my dear, do not say anything about coming here..." This helped her hide his murder.

Who he was:
PanzramPanzram claimed he killed 21 people in the 1920s. Though these crimes lacked confirmation, he received a 25-year sentence in Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary for other offenses. He finally received the death sentence after killing a laundry foreman in Leavenworth. While waiting to be hanged, his last words were, "Yes, hurry it up, you Hoosier bastard! I could hang a dozen men while you're screwing around!"

Who it was sent to:
During an earlier prison stay, Panzram befriended a guard named Henry Lesser. Lesser gave Panzram writing material. The two frequently sent each other letters like this one while Panzram was in Leavenworth.

Creepiest part:
Panzram detailed his philosophy on life, "For all of these things I am not the least bit sorry. I have no conscience so that does not worry me. I don't believe in man, God nor the Devil. I hate the whole damned human race including myself."

Who he was:
ShipmanShipman was a respected English doctor. He poisoned elderly patients with fatal doses of diamorphine. He forged his patients' wills to inherit large sums of money. He started this practice in the 1970s and was not discovered until 1998. He was found guilty of 15 murders, but an official inquiry found he killed over 200 people.

Who it was sent to:
Before killing himself in prison in 2004, Shipman wrote many letters to two friends. In 2010, 65 of these letters reached the public. The letters showed Shipman's superiority complex and he often mocked the police and justice system, claiming they could not prove anything about him.

Creepiest part:
"The police complain I'm boring. No mistresses, home abroad, money in Swiss banks, I'm normal. If that is boring I am.

Who he was:
Israel Keyes operated in the late 1990s and early 2000s.KeyesKeyes traveled across the United States seeking victims. He left murder kits in cities to plan future killings. Investigators think Keyes killed eight to twelve people.

Who it was sent to:
This was Keyes's suicide notereiterated Keyes's enjoyment of killing and his dislike for normal people.

Creepiest part:
"You may have been free, you loved loving your lie, fate had its own scheme, crushed like a bug you still die,"

Who she was:
One of England's most notorious serial killers,Amelia Dyer murdered an estimated 400 children over twenty years in Victorian England.DyerDyer pretended to be a "baby farmer" taking care of unwanted infants. She actually killed the babies and kept the money parents gave her.

Who it was sent to:
Below is an excerpt from a poemwritten while Dyer served time in prison for her crimes.

Creepiest part:

"By nature, Lord, I know with grief, I am a poor fallen leaf, shriveled and dry, near unto death, driven with sin, as with a breath...."

Who they were:
The "Bloody Benders"The Bloody Benders were a family of serial killers. They ran an inn and general store in Southeast Kansas in the early 1870s. The Benders' inn attracted travelers to their deaths. The building's isolation helped keep suspicions away. Only 11 victims of the Benders' hospitality are known.

Who it was sent to:
Advertisements, such as one claiming Kate Bender had psychic powers to cure illness, appeared in Kansas newspapers to lure more victims.

Creepiest part:
The promise that Kate Bender "can heal all sorts of diseases.