Top 5 Most Notorious Serial Killers

A serial killer is an individual who murders people in cold blood, purely for psychological reasons. There are usually multiple murders committed over a period of time, which can range from a few days to several years. Serial killers may be despised by the society, but their cases and interviews are widely published in the media and are among the most read news stories. To dwell more on the subject, here’s a quick overview of the top five most notorious serial killers of all time.

Luis Garavito – A Colombian national, Luis Garavito has been convicted of torturing, raping and killing 138 boys and teenagers. The crimes were committed during the period from 1992 to 1999. Due to the horrific nature of his crimes, Luis Garavito is also called as La Bestia (‘The Beast’). The number of murders could be even higher based on new information that Luis continues to provide. Luis used to target homeless children and lure them away with the promise of work and by giving small gifts such as cash or candy. After he was caught, Luis was sentenced to jail for 1,853 years.

Pedro Lopez – A Colombian, Pedro Lopez was found to be guilty of raping and killing 110 girls. However, as per his own claims, the numbers of killings could be more than 300. The crimes were committed across Colombia, Peru and Ecuador between 1969 and 2002. After he was caught in Ecuador, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison. However, he was released early after 14 years for good behavior. Pedro came back to Colombia, where he was charged with an old murder case. He was later released on bail, and since then he is absconding.

Javed Iqbal – A Pakistani national, Javed Iqbal was convicted for sexually abusing and killing 100 boys. After killing his victims, Javed would dismember them and dissolve the body parts in acid. He would later dump the remains in a river. The crimes were committed between 1998 and 1999. In 1999, he surrendered himself to police and confessed to his crimes. The judge passed an order that he will be hanged, his body cut into 100 pieces and dissolved in acid. However, Javed allegedly committed suicide in his prison cell before the order could be executed.

Mikhail Popkov – A Russian, Mikhail Popkov is convicted of sexually assaulting and killing 78 women. The crimes took place between 1992 and 2010. For his brutal crimes, Mikhail Popkov is referred to as ‘The Werewolf’. He worked as a police officer and used to lure his victims with the promise of free ride. Later, he would sexually assault the victims and mutilate their bodies. Mikhail is currently serving double life sentences. He could not be executed because Russia does not allow capital punishment.

Daniel Camargo Barbosa – A Colombian, Daniel Camargo Barbosa is convicted of sexually assaulting and killing 72 girls. The crimes were committed between 1974 and 1986. Daniel would target poor girls and lure them away with the promise of money. He took his victims to the jungle and raped and killed them. After he was arrested, he was sent to 16 years in jail. While serving his jail term, he was stabbed to death by Geovanny Noguera, a relative of one of the victims.