6 Terrifying Serial Killers and Their Disturbing Crimes

In this episode of Unscripted Company, we take a deep dive into the dark underbelly of human nature, plunging headfirst into the twisted world of history’s most terrifying serial killers.

Oct 15, 2024

Austin's forgotten nightmare: The Servant Girl Annihilator terrorized the city in the 1880s and might have been a precursor to Jack the Ripper.
Real-life horror movie villains: From the "Candy Man" who murdered 28 boys to Ed Gein, who turned human skin into home décor, these killers were as grotesque as it gets.
Jazz as a lifesaver: New Orleans’ Axeman promised to spare anyone playing jazz music one fateful night. The entire city turned into a jazz party—and no one died.

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6 Terrifying Serial Killers and Their Disturbing Crimes

We’re deep in spooky season, so naturally, we’ve got a topic that’ll make your skin crawl. In this episode, we stepped off the beaten path and into the disturbing world of serial killers you probably haven’t heard of—but whose crimes are every bit as terrifying as the big names. Forget Bundy and Dahmer; these twisted figures flew under the radar but left just as much blood in their wake. Ready? Let’s dive into the dark side of human nature.

1. The Servant Girl Annihilator (Midnight Assassin)

We kicked things off with the Servant Girl Annihilator—and yes, that name is as terrifying as it sounds. This guy had 1880s Austin, Texas, in a chokehold, sneaking into homes and brutally murdering young servant girls. They dubbed him the Midnight Assassin, which sounds like a Batman villain, but there was nothing fictional about this horror story. In total, eight people were butchered, and the killer? Never caught. Oh, and here’s the plot twist—some think he may have been the warm-up act for Jack the Ripper. Yeah, let that sink in.

2. Dean Corll (The Candy Man)

Next up, Dean Corll, aka the “Candy Man.” And no, not the urban legend with the mirror. This real-life nightmare from Houston was handing out candy to kids while secretly orchestrating a killing spree with the help of two teenage accomplices. Over three years, he kidnapped, tortured, and murdered at least 28 boys. His reign of terror ended when one of his accomplices finally turned on him and shot him dead. Corll’s sadistic tendencies make even the worst horror movie villains seem like amateurs. Stranger danger, indeed.

3. The Axeman of New Orleans

We then took a detour to New Orleans, where the Axeman was slicing his way through the city in 1918-1919. His weapon of choice? An axe (often belonging to his victims). His weirdest quirk? He promised to spare anyone playing jazz music on a specific night. Naturally, New Orleans turned into a massive jazz party that night, and guess what—no one died. The Axeman was never caught, and his letter to the press remains one of the strangest taunts from a killer in history. Who knew murderers could have playlists?

4. Robert Berdella (Kansas City Butcher)

Next, we visited Kansas City, where Robert Berdella, the “Kansas City Butcher,” was turning his flea market business into a front for something far darker. Berdella kidnapped and tortured young men for years, keeping meticulous “torture journals” as he carried out his horrific acts. His quiet life unraveled when one of his victims managed to escape, exposing the true horrors hiding behind his quirky flea market booth. Takeaway: never trust the guy selling "quirky" antiques.

5. Edward Theodore Gein (Butcher of Plainfield)

And just when you think things couldn’t get darker, meet Ed Gein—the twisted inspiration behind Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Silence of the Lambs. This guy didn’t just kill people—he turned their bodies into home décor. We’re talking lampshades, chairs, and a “woman suit” made from human skin. Gein’s crimes were rooted in a deeply disturbing obsession with his dead mother, and his DIY horror collection was both gruesome and bizarre. If you thought Pinterest had some weird ideas, you haven’t seen Ed Gein’s “projects.”

6. Charles Albright (The Eyeball Killer)

And finally, we couldn’t wrap up without mentioning Charles Albright, aka the “Eyeball Killer.” Albright was a Dallas man with a seriously unsettling obsession with human eyes. His victims? Shot in the head, then carefully and surgically relieved of their eyeballs. If that doesn’t make your skin crawl, the fact that this guy was a well-liked, charming local might. His creepy backstory (including taxidermy lessons gone wrong) only makes the whole thing more disturbing. How did he go from a local charmer to... well, that? We may never know.

Final Thoughts

What’s the takeaway here? Besides the obvious “don’t take candy from strangers” and “lock your doors,” it’s this: real-life horror is often more insidious than the movies. The scariest monsters? They’re the ones who blend right in—whether they’re handing out candy, running a flea market booth, or playing jazz at a neighborhood party. Keep your eyes open (pun very much intended), and maybe reconsider that quirky guy down the street.

🎧 Continue Listening: 6 Terrifying Serial Killers and Their Disturbing Crimes (YouTube)