🩸 Serial Killers Ranked by Kills — Worst Serial Killers (2026 Updated)
Global list of most prolific serial murderers, numbers of confirmed victims, details & context
Serial killers — individuals who murder multiple people over time — are among the most studied figures in criminology. While the number of victims can never be known with perfect certainty, some cases stand out for the sheer scale of documented killings. Below is an updated 2026 ranking of the worst serial killers in history based on confirmed or widely accepted victim counts, along with contextual details about their crimes.
🏆 Top Serial Killers by Confirmed Victim Count (Modern Era)
1) Harold Shipman (United Kingdom)
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Victims: ~250 confirmed (possibly more)
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Years Active: 1975–1998
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Country: England
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Profile: A trusted medical doctor who murdered mainly his patients via lethal injections. Thought to be the most prolific confirmed serial killer in recent history.
What made him notorious: Shipman used his position of trust to kill vulnerable elderly patients for years without detection.
2) Luis Garavito (Colombia)
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Victims: 193 confirmed (193+ if all confessions counted); up to 221 in some estimates
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Years Active: 1992–1999
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Country: Colombia (also Ecuador & Venezuela)
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Profile: Known as “La Bestia” (“The Beast”), Garavito targeted children, mostly boys aged 6–16.
Why he’s infamous: His scale of violence against minors made Garavito one of the deadliest serial killers in modern history.
3) Pedro López (Colombia / Ecuador / Peru)
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Victims: 110 confirmed; claims up to ~300+ victims (estimated in some sources)
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Years Active: 1969–1980
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Country: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Overview: Nicknamed “The Monster of the Andes,” López targeted young girls and drew attention for his testimony and cross‑border crimes.
4) Javed Iqbal (Pakistan)
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Victims: ~100 victims
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Years Active: 1998–1999
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Country: Pakistan
Profile: Iqbal confessed to murdering 100 boys, dissolving bodies in acid. He died in custody.
5) Mikhail Popkov (Russia)
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Victims: 78–83 confirmed
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Years Active: 1992–2010
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Country: Russia
Summary: Known as “The Werewolf,” Popkov was a police officer who murdered women after offering them rides.
6) Samuel Little (United States)
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Victims: 60–93+ (93 confessions with 60 confirmed)
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Years Active: 1970–2005
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Country: USA
Notoriety: The FBI has described Little as the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history based on confirmed victims.
7) Daniel Camargo Barbosa (Colombia / Ecuador)
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Victims: 72 confirmed (possibly 180+)
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Years Active: 1974–1986
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Country: Colombia / Ecuador
Background: Camargo strangled young girls across borders and was later killed in prison.
8) Pedro Rodrigues Filho (Brazil)
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Victims: 71 confirmed
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Years Active: 1967–2003
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Country: Brazil
Profile: Known as “Pedrinho Matador,” he killed many inmates and criminals — sometimes targeting violent offenders himself.
9) Kampatimar Shankariya (India)
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Victims: 70 confirmed
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Years Active: 1977–1978
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Country: India
Summary: Also known as “Kanpatimar,” he killed dozens in a short spree and was executed.
10) Yang Xinhai (China)
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Victims: 67 confirmed
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Years Active: 2000–2003
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Country: China
Profile: Dubbed “The Monster Killer,” Yang entered homes at night and slaughtered occupants in several Chinese provinces.
📊 Additional Notable Serial Killers
These figures had fewer than the top ten but remain notorious:
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Andrei Chikatilo (Soviet Union / Russia / Ukraine): Convicted of 52+ murders from 1978–1990.
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Gary Ridgway (USA – the “Green River Killer”): Convicted of 49; possibly more.
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John Wayne Gacy (USA): Convicted of 33 murders.
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Ted Bundy (USA): 30+ confirmed, possibly many more.
These killers illustrate a broad spectrum of serial homicidal behavior across cultures and decades.
🧠 How Serial Killers Are Counted
Victim counts are based on confirmed murders tied through evidence, confessions, or convictions. Some killers claim far more victims than officially documented — for example, Pedro López has claimed 300+ murders, but only ~110 are firmly confirmed through evidence.
🎯 Serial Killers by Region
While the United States has historically had the highest documented number of serial killers, with thousands of cases recorded over time, other countries have produced highly lethal killers as well.
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Latin America: Colombia and neighboring countries produced some of the highest kill totals.
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Europe: The UK and Russia have had influential and high‑victim cases.
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Asia: China’s Yang Xinhai stands as the most notorious in that region’s modern history.
🤯 Fun Facts & Trivia
📌 Serial Killers & Public Perception
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Despite being sensationalized in film and media, actual serial killers make up a tiny percent of all homicides globally. Media focus often amplifies a few infamous names.
📌 Female Serial Killers
Female serial killers are historically rarer (estimated around 12–15% of killers), often using less violent means like poison instead of direct violence — a contrast to many male counterparts.
📌 Longest Active Span
Samuel Little’s known murders span decades, from the 1970s to the 2000s, making his activity among the longest of any known serial killer.
❓ Did You Know?
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The term “serial killer” was popularized in the 1970s by FBI agent Robert Ressler.
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Some killers, like Shipman, evade detection for decades because of their occupation or social status.
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Serial killers have been subjects of numerous psychological studies, documentaries, and true‑crime media exploring motive and early life patterns.
🔑 Keywords
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