RHIANNON EDWARDS

For many years I have been interested in the criminal mind, and enjoy applying psychology to matters of a forensic nature.

It seems I became interested in serial killers as part of my early obsession with horror, I had been watching horror movies and collecting them for a good portion of my life and soon became particularly enthralled by stories of actual horrors throughout history - which logically tied into killers and madmen.

I began to research actual topics of murder as well as the paranormal voraciously, my focus always drawn back to publicly "unsolved" cases such as that of Jack the Ripper and The Zodiac Killer.

Over time my interests in this area have broadened from serial killers, to outlaws, organized crime, and more.

I research in many different fields, most of my ideas taking written form, resulting in numerous essays, articles, and other projects.

Finally, a while back I recognized the opportunity to write for serial killer calendar's magazine - which has been an awesome experience. 

By Rhiannon Edwards 
 

  Murderabelia can range from merchandise based on serial killers such as comic books, trading cards, and action figures – to items from the killers themselves which may include autographs, letters, or in some cases even pieces of hair. The average Joe may wonder, “why would anyone want these things, let alone pay for them?” This is a portion of the discussion in the search for reasoning behind our obsession with murderabelia and true crime. What is it that draws so many of us into this fanaticism? Many aspects are involved in answering that question.

   Infamy seems to be a protruding idea behind the allure in murderabelia. It is obvious that we have a certain obsession with celebrity as it is, and so “fame” comes into the picture. People yearn to own an artifact that someone famous once owned, because of the fact that the person has done amazing things and brought themselves to a level of Godliness. Talented enough to bring a kind of entertainment very few can in such a way, we see these people as rare, as inhuman. People seem to think that to touch a celebrity would be like touching Heaven itself.  And then we turn ourselves to the existence of Infamy. Both fame and infamy are extremes in our society, and with them you have achieved a status that no seemingly average person could ever amount to. As with celebrities meeting a Godly level, those who are infamous seem to meet a level of hellishness the equivalent to “evil”. With murderers, there is a definite fascination in the fact that they were capable of doing what they have done, and a fascination in the idea that they actually did something that very few of us could potentially do. Allusions made to the famous, for those who are infamous, seem to be quite logical when you pinpoint them in contrast with one another. They contrast as opposites, but compare in every single aspect that we’re aware of when we go out into the world. A natural push towards those higher up on the scales of greatness inclines us to automatically be magnetized to any form of greatness, even that which harbours negativity. It’s the strangely whimsical aspect of inhumanity found in all of those who seem to defy the expectations of life that leaves anyone in awe to the possibilities present in our world. That being said, it is not difficult to fathom a direction towards the act of murder and those who commit it.

The idea that notoriety in which killers gain is so often confused with celebrity seems to be disturbing to people who realize just what they are looking at, when in actuality for reasons already stated, it is a completely sensible point to embrace. It is often what we do that makes us who we are, and when what we do is beyond the realm of normality concerning majority concepts, we become recognized. These people become examples, precedents for anything alike thereafter which roams out of what is considered “average”. In many ways we attach to these peoples’ lives like moths to light in search of why they are the way they are and how they became so different, in them we look for a focus, and from that focus develop an obsession with something understandably fascinating whether it be friendly or malicious. These people we give our attention to, become inhuman because we pin that title to them, we make them abnormalities of the human condition, treating them much like lab rats and hoping that someday we may become something more than we currently are, without a care what exactly it ranges in but a longing desire to reach something that is outside the boundaries that we have been told we are restrained in. We outwardly express, or sometimes only subconsciously feel an admiration for anyone who may defy nature by in fact being an extreme of one or more aspects in our fundamental nature as beings of this planet.

    There is also, quite obviously, an appeal in the horror presented by such crimes. Society thrives on the macabre and twisted aspect of history; through books, films, museums, and other such documentations of things which frighten us. There can be an interest in horror traced back generations, horrors which bring us together and have us evaluate what should singularly invoke feelings of terror within us. Comparable to feelings of joy, outrage, or sadness, fear is an emotion we share and often assess through outlets in entertainment and even true crimes brought to us in daily news. We collect instances of particular situations which stir such feelings within us, we have an array of depressing movies we can view, or of happy family photos, and then of course even terrifying and shocking news articles reviewing the acts of menacing sociopaths. Individuals possess these items as they hold memories and stories that instill certain ideas which differ depending on the subject, and ultimately all form together to create a summary of our general nature. Items such as these are triggers that allow an easier expression to occur of different thoughts we have buried inside, and are often not questioned as we seem to have a mutual understanding of that even if we do not openly seem aware of it. Murderabelia can act as this, simply a trigger for a group of ideas which we are all inclined to have from time to time. An interest in true crime and murderabelia stands as something which people naturally accommodate due to the ability of our minds to range in variety, and to explore in a versatile manner. This explanation covers a more general attraction to the idea of murder.

There are those who do not share the obsession many do with murderabelia and true crime, which springs controversy as people express unhappiness with the “glorification” of violent acts. Some have called the buying and selling of murder related merchandise sick, speaking of “profiting off the deeds of a serial killer” as mentioned by many reporters covering the often revived story of it’s popularity.

MurderAuction.com, a major source for murderabelia has been a target of much of this disagreement. Founded by Tod Bohannon, who has called the items in question “serial killer artifacts”, he also has stated that these items are much like any sort of collection one might have. Along with this, many people have also confirmed what was earlier discussed, that these “artifacts” are much like those that you may accommodate from any celebrity, bringing in how important the comparison of infamy and fame really is whilst dealing with our interest in true crime. Speaking of collecting “infamous artifacts” really dissects the nature of this obsession and reveals how basic and harmless it truly is.

Despite that fact, there have been requests to have these items banned. In an attempt to render the selling and purchase of murderabelia more difficult to come by, laws have been applied to particular places which take on the situation. A prominent law being that of the “Son of Sam” law, which is designed to keep criminals from profiting off of their crimes and often extended to others who are involved as well – but primarily focuses on stopping criminals from landing book and film deals.

News sources such as WBZTV and CBS seem to ask only one question after hearing about the merchandising of murder, that being “how do we stop this?” It’s easy to see that people distributing information on this trend often overlook it’s popularity or the reasoning behind it, in favor of seeking a “solution” to it. A solution that needn’t be a priority, as the subject detailed isn’t necessarily a problem. Were these individuals to truly realize what’s going on, they would see it is a completely natural and inevitable phenomenon. In restricting murderabelia and intrigue in true crime, you might as well withhold entertainment in any idea. Tackling something that is a part of society and has been for ages is not something that must be or should be done. The topic of debate may be ghoulish and undesirable to think about for some, but it is still a highly integrated part of society and will always surface regardless of what may be done to keep it at bay. In our “obsession” with this idea of crime, the intent is not to, as many reporters refer to it as, “cash in on killers”. In fact, there is no central intent to it at all. Our country partakes in this as a personal interest, and as those interested have no problem immersing themselves in the subject, it is obvious it is not something we feel should be shameful or seen as “horrible” even though it often is by those who believe they have more adequate tastes. To take a liking to true crime is similar to getting involved in any “alternative” interest, such as any subject that may touch on the darker corners of life. The difference is that although some may have trouble admitting it, a liking for murderabelia is not as alternative as it seems, it is quite popular and as many people one can find who detest it, many more will most likely be very attracted to the prospect.

By Rhiannon Edwards 
 

Throughout history, millions have killed. From that we determine categories of killers, there are some who kill at war, and some who kill at random. It is true that killers take on all shapes and sizes, many different demeanors, and have an array of different methods. When you pinpoint serial killers, it’s simple to see all of them the same. We separate them according to their motives but often think that all were equally brutal in their crimes. However, this is not the case. It can be said that there are some killers, who take that extra step… committing acts that bring them from man, to monster. Some killers bring a style to the table that others can’t ignore, that leaves a mark and places them aside from the rest. Some killers are far from troubled or apathetic, looking at what they have managed to do we can say that they are evil incarnate. With that said, who then crosses this line into such depths the farthest? Who can we peg, as the most evil?

There has been interest in the topic recently, of just how we can determine the most evil serial killer and why they earn their placement.

There are killers I have discovered throughout the world who deserve a placement on this list. However this in particular is a compilation of those few serial killers who; through specific acts of torture, unique hedonistic methods, and brutal reasoning, we can come to the conclusion might just be the most evil serial killers in American History thus far. 
 

It's evil enough to kill another human being,

But to kill your loved ones is an incomprehensible act that can't be ignored.

With this, Belle Sorenson Gunness is added to the list at number 5. Mother, lover, and serial killer.

Known as "one of America's most profligate known female serial killers,"

it is said that Belle is estimated to have killed both of her husbands and all of her children. She is known to have killed most of the men she has been involved with, and her two daughters, Myrtle and Lucy. Her apparent motives involved collecting life insurance benefits. This is one of the killers that hit close to home, for the fact that considering your family…it is difficult to think that you might sacrifice them for money in such a way. Belle cared very little for who she killed, regardless of their status in her life. To her, the children and the lovers were worthless unless they could bring her profit.

Reports estimate that she killed more than twenty people over several decades and got away with it, many people claim that her body count may have reached over one hundred. She makes this list for key reasons; One of those reasons being her targets – all supposed “loved ones” who she shamelessly slaughtered for some extra cash, another being the fact that like most serial killers she did not feel any remorse…this presents the fact that her killing was mainly for money and out of annoyance, she also grew to care nothing about what she had to do in order to keep herself content. This of course is only one example of cases where mothers have killed those closest to them, and fathers as well. It is a longstanding trend. What is unique about this case in comparison to the others is that Belle was not mentally unstable, just plain ruthless. In many situations where the mother has killed, it was out of instants of delusion and misguided thinking. Belle’s murders were a landmark concerning one who would be so bold as to willfully and proudly make family just for the chance to kill them off. 
 

Topping the brutality of Belle, we come to our number 4 placement, filled by none other than the infamous Dennis Rader, also known as the BTK strangler.

Bind, torture, kill. With torture in his name you couldn’t have expected him not to be on this list. Dennis Rader is well known for his acts of torture on his victims, and one serial killer who enjoyed this method to an extreme, making it one of the pillars of what he stood for.  Rader bound, tortured, and killed his victims, making sure to cover all aspects of his art. He would strangle his victims until they lost consciousness, but it never ended there. Rader would then let them revive, and promptly strangle them again. He would repeat this pattern many times, forcing them into a near-death state all the while becoming sexually aroused at the visual created of their struggles. Often the final step of his killings would include Rader strangling them to death, which would be followed with masturbation where he would ejaculate into an article of their clothing to end things off, usually their underwear. BTK’s idea of a step by step process to putting his victims through hell before he finally ended their lives is something that was an influence to many killers later on, being something he prided himself in and something that set him apart from other murderers of the time. Aside from being influential, his methods were extremely sadistic and applied to a hedonistic mindset. All of this was very much a game, some work involved of course, but resulting ultimately in enjoyment and successful completion of his desires which he would blatantly throw in the faces of law enforcement. When you look at it that way, you can see that Rader went a step further in his indifference towards human beings and chose to deal with ending their lives in a lighthearted and so, grizzly fashion.  

“[I c]ut one of my belts in half, slit these halves in six strips about 8 inches long. I whipped his bare behind till the blood ran from his legs. I cut off his ears, nose, slit his mouth from ear to ear. Gouged out his eyes. He was dead then.” The words of number 3 on the list, Albert Fish. What else did he do to this victim? He engaged in continuing the knifing of this boy, and ultimately “made a stew out of his ears, nose, pieces of his face and belly.” Albert Fish is best known for the intricate and unbelievable murders of children. Just how many children he had killed, no one can know for sure. He was quite literally a stereotype of the “boogeyman”. For quite a long time he got away with it, due to his silent and gentle exterior to people around him. Who would ever think that this man was capable of so nonchalantly killing two birds with one stone, play time and dinner. His acts have been heavily publicized since the day he was found to have murdered, and for good reason. Fish, through his psychotic religious delusions, took hold of his human ability to kill and used it on one of the more innocent creatures on this earth, children. Unlike Belle Gunness who took the number 5 spot, these were not his own kin. That however, does not make the killings at hand any less gruesome. What stands out about his crimes is the way he killed, the disturbing reasons behind the killings, and also what he did with the bodies. The astonishing revelations we make about him can turn up from reading or hearing his descriptions of the murders and how he reacted towards them. He salivated with the thought of his actions, no true remorse found, and despite what he claimed to have forced him to commit these acts – the glory was often in what he was able to make of young bodies.

“At frequent intervals I basted his behind with a wooden spoon. So the meat would be nice and juicy. In about 2 hours, it was nice and brown, cooked through. I never ate any roast turkey that tasted half as good as his sweet fat little behind did.”

What do we make of this? When one not only enjoys the torture of fellow human beings, but the torture of children, and then not only that aspect, but the ability to physically consume those he has tortured – cooking them proudly as if he had discovered the most expensive of roasts on sale. To most cannibals, human meat makes an increasingly better meal than that of what you can purchase at the store.

Albert Fish enjoyed his work, he would never regret one moment of it. Making a sadistic lifestyle look easy to incorporate into his daily schedule, he is by far one of the most evil serial killers in America for blatantly ruling out of his mind what makes his acts so cruel and unusual to us, allowing a mindset that sees the torture of an innocent as a necessity in order to satisfy his common needs. 
 
 

As we reach the penultimate spot on the list, number 2, we must now really consider aspects of all prior killers mentioned on this list and somehow come up with who can possibly top all of them as well as accommodate all of their methods in one. Who could get away with killing more people than the others mentioned? Who could possess the ability to find even more unique ways of torture and murder…and therefore the charm to lure victims into such a trap?

The answer is in who is depicted to be the first true serial killer in American History, Herman Mudgett, better known under the alias of “Dr. Henry Howard Holmes”.

Very rarely would his lovers and hotel guests leave his presence alive, and if they ever had they would leave seriously and indefinitely scarred for life. Holmes would torture, and kill his victims. One way of doing this would be to lock them in soundproof bedrooms which were fitted with gas lines that allowed him the luxury of asphyxiating them at any given time. Others were locked in a huge bank vault which was near his office, where he could sit back comfortably and listen as they screamed, panicked, and then eventually suffocated from their struggles. His killing extended to “patients” who died as a result of his abortion procedures, no doubt intended to lead them to their demise. The whimsy of his obscure and indecent methods do not end there. With little respect for the lives of the humans he was able to take without much trouble, he used their dead bodies to strange extents not often dealt with by many other killers you will have heard of. These bodies went by a secret chute to the basement, and afterwards some were meticulously dissected, stripped of flesh, crafted into skeleton models, and then actually sold to medical schools – this includes the corpses of the women dying of their abortions, which were processed and also sold. There were some bodies cremated, and some placed in lime pits for destruction. Holmes also possessed two giant furnaces, as well as pits of acid, and various poisons to use at his leisure. One of the most alarming gadgets of torture and death which he owned was a stretching rack, allegedly in order to create a race of “giants” and other such experimentation. Medical school proved beneficial to him, allowing him to sell off his left over skeletons and the organs of victims with minimal difficulty. The existence of Holmes and his slayings is a mysterious one, we can estimate the number of his victims to be between 20 to 100, and some say even higher, which can only be based upon missing persons reports of the time and testimony of neighbors who reported seeing unusual events as well as young women accompanying Holmes into his hotel who never exited. The single verified number is 27, which is still an amazing amount to get away with – police however, had commented that “some of the bodies in the basement were so badly dismembered and decomposed, that it was difficult to tell how many bodies there actually were”. Again, counting the charm of this man, women were easiest to bring in, but this never stopped him from getting his hands on men and also children. What is so significant of these murders may not even be the ways in which they were tortured, or how their bodies were disposed of, but perhaps how dignified Holmes was able to act…and the composure kept during the entire process. This can signify that potentially, Holmes could have continued with his ways for years with ease. It is a disturbing thought that he had medical connections, and also that due to this it made killing and getting rid of bodies all the more simpler. These days although creative minds like that of his exist, they can never truly amount to the extent that brought all of this to be. It is obvious that, realizing what this man was capable of including the nature of his simply activity seeking induced crimes, he is a true candidate for one whom we may always see as one of the most evil human beings from the start that could be dealt with…

But not quite the most evil, not on this list anyway, because there is one more spot to be filled which is the number 1 placement.  

The serial killer most intensely bonded with his torture seeking methods and body count, is none other than one that to this day surprisingly not a lot of people are familiar with. His crimes are questionable, and often debated over in terms of accuracy and capability. What this man is proven to have done reveals a depravity so potent that it would be difficult to keep him off of this list from any angle you approach. This man is Donald "Pee wee" Gaskins, said to be the most prolific serial killer in South Carolina history.

Donald’s victims were both male and female, child and adult. His acts included cannibalism, various acts of torture, and ultimately killing of these victims. Anyone could have been a potential target for his brutalities. Saying this seems a vague and average thing amongst the ranks of serial killers, unless you know the details.

As a child Gaskins was treated with disdain by his family, and not well liked by his peers as he grew older. Often teased and punished, he quickly developed an intense hatred towards those around him and battled this on a daily basis. As time passed and the hatred stayed with him, Gaskins took part in criminal activities and as a result was punished in many ways including jail time and reform school. However, punishment could not control what had been unleashed within Gaskins so long ago. Something had been deeply rooted within him and could easily be provoked at any given time, which became most apparent when he was confronted on an undesirable subject and acted out by taking a hammer to the head of a girl, which split her skull. For this he was charged for attempted murder. If he was capable of this, what else could he wind up involved in?

Donald Gaskins was just beginning his reign of terror. To build a persona that others would fear, he shed the face value of his small stature and learned to intimidate through his actions, which started violent and increased in violence as time went on. Although he had followed through with an array of disturbing acts, there were specific instances that pegged him as infamous for the monster he was.

His “vision” into “bothersome feelings” as he described it, led him to his most well known crimes. One instance of these inclusions can be noted as his tendency to keep his mutilated victims alive for days. Perfecting his torture methods, he would sometimes also cannibalize their severed parts as they watched, or were forced to participate in the consumption of their own flesh. This rarity and horrific experiment in torture was committed without a second thought on Gaskins’ part, as he allowed himself the luxury to do whatever was necessary in order to satisfy his visions of cruelty.

Continuing with his sadistic rampage, he identified his highway murders as recreational killings whereas his serious murders were reserved for those he knew personally. A chilling look into how he dissected his habit of homicide. Although his acquaintances often found him to be mentally disturbed and so distanced themselves from him, there were those who were friendlier to Gaskins – which sadly did not protect them from meeting the fate he had conducted. A prime example of this being that of Doreen Dempsey, who was pregnant at the time. Accepting a ride from Gaskins, he had taken her on an unexpected route to an isolated area of the woods in order to inflict his plans upon her. After raping and killing Dempsey, he also managed to sodomize her baby which Gaskins would later sickeningly describe as the best sex of his life.

His massacre truly did not stop at merely women and men, as he had not only violated and taken the life of this child, but many others; crushing their necks, cutting their throats, stabbing them, poisoning, drowning, beating them to death and even shooting them execution style. All of this a picture of how worthless and objectified he was able to render an innocent soul in his mind.

Gaskins had absolutely no regard and no consideration for any human life, other than his own, inflating his status in order to appreciate himself and committing acts which made him feel more powerful in his individual view. Having been possibly connected to over 100 murders, the few we have detailed stories on are enough to reveal this man’s nature and so enough to have him perceived as intensely evil in the eyes of those who see through his crimes. There’s a reason that Gaskins is sometimes referred to as the “Meanest Man in America”, from what I can see, he certainly fits the position. His unfathomable crimes stand notorious amongst serial killings due to their highly violent and unrelenting status, proving surreal and shocking to those who take the time to immerse themselves momentarily in his existence. Donald Gaskins is more than a maniac, and more than a sadist, he is America’s most evil serial killer. 

By Rhiannon Edwards 

     What drives one to kill? It can seem like a simple idea to assess but you will find it goes beyond what the majority can possibly fathom.

There are two categories of ultimate motives which seem to direct further motives of serial killers. A distinction between the psychopathic and the insane, which fosters a common misconception to this day.

Insanity can be defined as an “unsoundness of mind or lack of understanding” leaving one not responsible for their behavior and almost completely helpless. Whereas psychopathic tendencies relate to antisocial personality disorder which is “often manifested in; aggressive, perverted, criminal, or amoral behavior without empathy or remorse”. There are differences at hand which are significant and valuable as it is brought to our attention that Psychopathy is an easily attainable nature which often goes undetected or misjudged causing faulty treatment and hindered understanding of the psychopathic mind. Depending on if one is psychopathic or insane, there are significant differences in the further motives spawned from the foundations at hand.

     One who could be seen as insane may suffer delusions which trigger their acts, their motives may be clouded as they themselves don’t always understand what they are doing. If they are capable of realizing what they are doing, their motives may take on an unrealistic tone… rather than an urge to do something, a need to do it due to the fact there is a possible force behind it controlling them. Ed Gein who was considered schizophrenic at the time of his crimes was further motivated by an unhealthy relationship with his mother which brought him to feel conflicted about women and soon develop a particular psychosis leading him to commit the acts he did. Albert Fish being another example motivated initially by insanity, and then further by a religious psychosis enabling him to believe he was a Saint of sorts who had to do what he was doing, reasoning often that if his actions were wrong he would have been punished by an angel. Contrary to popular belief however, serial killers are very rarely insane or guided by these motives.

   Concerning the psychopathically motivated individuals, there are a number of further motives which have been recognized and repeated throughout the years which come into play such as Infamy and Revenge. Criminal psychologists Holmes and DeBurger note categories such as Missionary, Hedonistic, Gain-motivated, and Power/Control.

A simple example of one motivated in a missionary sense could be the mindset of particular infamous dictators like Adolf Hitler, who wanted those exterminated which did not meet the standards of his Aryan race ethic. Aileen Wuornos is considered a missionary killer due to her targetting patrons of prostitution.

Many serial killers are hedonistic, killing for sheer pleasure and often becoming addicted to this pleasure which fuels their continuation of murder, this includes killers such as Dennis Rader (the BTK strangler) who vastly enjoyed the hunt as well as the kill of his victims, and Jeffrey Dahmer who was satisfied with what he could do with the body after his victim was killed.

There are those who are influenced heavily by media depictions of serial killers and who grow to obtain a deep interest in them to an extreme point where they find they would like to achieve the success of a killer they have heard about. They often crave the fame or rather infamy which goes along with the act they commit, and they are motivated by this thoroughly as well as the power they seem to have during the process. Power and control, as mentioned, can take on a level of it’s own concerning types who seek to feel something they may have been restricted from at another time in their lives… or simply for those who dream of obtaining the kind of power others possess regularly in what seems to be an easier form. The power itself can prove an addicting motive and is often cited as one that a high number of  killers possess during their “reign of terror”.

The motives of a serial killer vary, and to most they confuse, but it is significant to note that a lot of motivations present are an average phenomenon seen amongst society but often simply expressed in different, more accepted ways. These motives presented, aside from other factors contributing, tend to be the main trigger in what allows any human being to kill.

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