Top 5 Serial Killers by Number of Victims
7 min read
Hi!
Here is your weekly dose of “Everything Strange,” literally a list of everything strange happening around us. So let’s start with
Today's Strange History (July 22, 2020)
Grenades: Exactly 103 years ago, today in 1917 British bombed German lines at Ypres, Belgium. 4,250,000 grenades were used.
Lightning: In 1918, lightning killed 504 sheep in Utah's Wasatch National Park.
Public Enemy No. 1: Today in 1934, American gangster John Dillinger was shot & killed by FBI agents outside Chicago's Biograph Theatre. He was active during the Great Depression and operated with a group of men known as the "Dillinger Gang" or the "Terror Gang" which was accused of robbing 24 banks and 4 police stations, among other crimes.
Final Solution: In 1942, for the first time Warsaw Ghetto Jews (300,000) were sent to Treblinka Extermination Camp and later gassed to death.
Milwaukee Cannibal: Exactly 29 years ago, today in 1991 serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer confessed to killing 17 men in 1978.
El Patrón: In 1992, Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar escaped from his own luxurious private prison, La Catedral.
OJ Simpson: Today in 1994, former NFL running back, broadcaster and actor O.J. Simpson pleaded "Absolutely 100% Not Guilty" of murder.
Dictator's Son: In 2003, former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s sons, Qusay and Uday Hussein were killed after a 3-hour firefight with U.S. forces in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. After his sons death, Saddam Hussein recorded a tape addressing Iraqi citizens.
Cassette: Exactly 4 years ago, today in 2016 Japan’s Funai Electric announced that they will manufacture world's last video cassette that month.
Lost Submarine: In 2019, French submarine Minerve S647 was rediscovered off the coast of Toulon, France, after disappearing in 1968 with loss of 52 crew. The wreck was found at a depth of 2,350 m broken into 3 main pieces scattered over the seabed. Although Minerve's sail was destroyed, identifying the wreckage was possible, as the letters "MINE" and "S" (from Minerve and S647 respectively) were still readable on the hull.
What is today?
Today i.e. 22nd July is
🥭 Mango Day
🌭 Hot Dog Day
🌴 Hammock Day
🤤 Creme Brulee Day
😋 Penuche Fudge Day
Strange Case of the day: Top 5 Serial Killers by Number of Victims
5. Daniel Camargo Barbosa
Victims in Country: Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil (alleged)
Proven Victims: 72
Possible Victims: 180
He was a Colombian serial killer and is believed to have raped and murdered up to 180 young girls.
He was raised by an abusive stepmother, who punished him and sometimes dressed him in girls' clothing to make him a victim of ridicule in front of his peers.
In 1984, he escaped from Gorgona prison (known as the Colombian Alcatraz) in a primitive boat after carefully studying the ocean currents. The authorities assumed that he died at sea and the press reported that he had been eaten by sharks.
Again victims started to pop up in Ecuador.
In 1986, he was arrested only a few minutes after he had murdered a 9-year-old girl named Elizabeth.
As per Barbosa, he raped & killed virgins "because they cried".
He said he wanted revenge on woman's unfaithfulness. He hated them for not being what he believed women were supposed to be.
He was imprisoned with another infamous serial killer Pedro López (I will talk about him in a few mins)
In 1994, at the age of 64, Barbosa was stabbed to death in prison by a nephew of one of his victims.
4. Mikhail Popkov
Victims in Country: Russia
Proven Victims: 78
Possible Victims: 81
He is a Russian serial killer and rapist also known as "The Werewolf" and the "Angarsk maniac".
He sexually assaulted and murdered 78 women.
He was convicted of 22 murders in 2015 and confessed to 59 additional homicides 3 years later.
He was then convicted for 56 of the 59 additional homicides.
For 3 killings, the police could not find proof.
Popkov received a second life sentence.
There were calls for Popkov to be executed, but this was unavailable as capital punishment is not allowed in Russia.
3. Javed Iqbal
Victims in Country: Pakistan
Proven Victims: 100
Possible Victims: 100
He was a Pakistani serial killer who confessed to the sexual abuse and murder of 100 boys, ranging in age from 6 to 16.
Iqbal strangled the victims, dismembered the corpses and dissolved them in acid as a way to conceal the evidence.
He was found guilty and sentenced to death in the same manner that he killed the boys - being strangled first, then cut into a hundred pieces infront of the parents of the victims, and then be dissolved into acid.
He committed suicide before the sentence could be carried out.
2. Pedro López
Victims in Countries: Colombia, Peru, Ecuador
Proven Victims: 110
Possible Victims: 300+
He is a Colombian serial killer also known as the Monster of the Andes.
He was sentenced for killing 110 young girls.
He was arrested in 1980 but was freed by Ecuador's government at the end of 1998.
In an interview from his prison cell, López described himself as "the man of the century" and said he was being released for "good behavior."
He was rearrested as an illegal immigrant and handed over to Colombian authorities, who charged him with a 20-year-old murder.
He was declared insane and held in the psychiatric wing of a Bogotá hospital.
In 1998, he was declared sane and released on $50 bail, subject to certain conditions.
Interpol has released an advisory for his rearrest by Colombian authorities over a fresh murder in 2002, and he is currently wanted by the police.
His whereabouts are unknown.
1. Luis Garavito
Victims in Countries: Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
Proven Victims: 138
Possible Victims: 172-300+
He is a Colombian rapist and serial killer also known as La Bestia ("The Beast") or Tribilín (named after the Disney character "Goofy")
In 1999, he admitted to the rape, torture and murder of 138 boys and teenagers.
Till today, Garavito continues to confess to more murders.
The Guinness Book of World Records listed another Colombian, Pedro López (which I talked about) - as the largest-scale serial killer of modern times; however, in terms of the number of confirmed victims Garavito tops the list followed by López.
He has been sentenced to 1853 years and 9 days in prison.
So will end today’s strangeness here. And in no way, am trying to glorify these cowards; am just stating you the facts to start a discussion about 'why' they kill. As always, please give me feedback on email. What do you want more or less of? Other suggestions? Let me know! Just email me at StrangeButTrue@substack.com
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