Many serial killers throughout history have seemed completely normal. To the outside world, these men and women were just as average as the next person. These kinds of characters are fascinating, and are often the inspiration for criminals on legal TV shows, as their seemingly normal nature seemed bizarre in comparison to their crimes. They were neighbors, friends, family members, parents, children, classmates, and peers in every sense of the word. They went to church, had common jobs, and even participated heavily in their community. Anybody who took a quick glance at their lives would see nothing out of the ordinary. But take a deeper look into their lives and you’ll see a dark, sinister person lurking underneath the mask of normality. These men and women secretly took pleasure in killing innocent people.
This list covers some of the most run-of-the-mill-seeming people who turned out to be cold-blooded psychopaths. Some of these serial killers actively tried to improve their communities by working in churches and outreach programs. A few of these serial killers looked like upstanding family men and women, with smiling children and seemingly perfect marriages. No one suspected them. That’s why the revelation that they were secretly murderers was so shocking.
This list answers the question, “What are the most normal looking serial killers in history?” These killers did the best job of hiding their true nature from the outside world.
Ted Bundy was known to all who knew him as a charming man. He was a volunteer at a suicide hotline and a college graduate. However, he was known to have killed at least 36 women throughout the 1970s.
H.H. Holmes is famous for murdering tourists during the World's Columbian Exposition, with anywhere between 27 to 130 victims to his name. However, he was also a pharmacist. Surely none of the patients that depended on his services had any idea that he had a torture dungeon in his basement.
Age: Dec. at 34 (1861-1896)
Birthplace: Gilmanton, New Hampshire, United States of America
John Wayne Gacy was a shoe salesman, active in his community, and even entertained children as a clown. Little did the community (or his wife) know, Gacy was raping and murdering young men in his spare time. He was executed in 1994.
Age: Dec. at 52 (1942-1994)
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
Although technically a spree killer, not a serial killer, Andrew Cunanan is famous for murdering five people, including Gianni Versace, the famous fashion designer. Cunanan had an IQ of 147, making him a genius. His classmates remembered him as a charming and smart student.
Richard Angelo was a well-respected nurse, volunteer firefighter, and even an Eagle Scout. His obsession with being seen as a hero lead him to poison his patients in order to revive them. He ended up killing several people by injecting them with toxic and paralyzing drugs.
Poland's famous serial killer Karl Denke was an active member of his community and even an organist in church. Surely, the people who bought meat from him didn't know they were actually purchasing human flesh. Denke killed and ate at least 30 people.
