These serial killer conundrums continue to baffle authorities and amateur sleuths the world over. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most unsettling mysteries involving serial killers.
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00:00 "Hello, this is Melvin Valli. Who am I speaking with?"
00:05 "This is the Zodiac speaking."
00:09 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most upsettingly fascinating mysteries involving serial killers.
00:16 "To me this is the greatest true crime story that hasn't been told."
00:21 Number 10. The West Mesa Bone Collector.
00:24 Back in February 2009, a woman was walking in the West Mesa area of Albuquerque, New Mexico when she stumbled across a human bone.
00:32 A subsequent investigation unearthed the remains of 11 women, all of whom had been killed between 2001 and 2005.
00:40 "Other missing person cases may be tied to it."
00:42 "We do have seven girls that are still missing, and those investigations continue to be worked."
00:48 While there have been other possible motives put forward, most believe this to be the work of a serial killer.
00:54 This theorized killer is known as the West Mesa Bone Collector, and they have never been identified.
01:00 "Any closer? I wouldn't say that we're any closer, unfortunately."
01:06 "Acting Lieutenant of the Violent Crimes Division, Holly Anderson, knows that is a frustrating update, but the community is trying to help police."
01:14 A number of suspects have been put forth. Much circumstantial evidence linked one person to the murders, and they stopped after that suspect died in 2006.
01:23 But circumstantial evidence is just that, and nothing conclusive has been proven.
01:28 "Do you believe they're going to solve this case?"
01:30 "Mm-hmm, yeah. Give them enough time, I think they will."
01:35 Number 9. The Axeman of New Orleans.
01:38 For 17 months between May 1918 and October 1919, the city of New Orleans was plagued by a vicious serial killer.
01:46 Known only as the Axeman, he left six people dead, and a further six injured.
01:52 It's largely believed that the killings were racially motivated, as most of the Axeman's victims were of Italian descent.
01:58 Some also believe that the killings were musically motivated.
02:02 The Axeman endorsed jazz music, and in one letter claimed he would spare the customers of local jazz halls.
02:08 "A letter from the Axeman was sent to the Times-Picayu, and it was post-dated 'From Hell.'"
02:18 A scholar named Richard Warner posits that the Axeman was a man named Frank Mumphrey, who owned a struggling jazz business and hoped to bolster interest in the music.
02:27 Alas, these are mere theories, as the Axeman was never caught.
02:32 Number 8. Manchester Pusher?
02:34 Since 2007, dozens of people have died in the canals and waterways of Greater Manchester.
02:40 60 deaths were recorded between 2008 and 2016, and the Greater Manchester Police believe that no foul play is involved.
02:48 "The rate of deaths around Manchester in the canal is highly suspicious."
02:54 According to Detective Chief Inspector Pete Marsh, the leading theory is that these individuals became intoxicated and drowned after falling into the water.
03:02 Others are not as convinced, including Birmingham City University's Craig Jackson, who argues that a killer has been pushing people into the canals.
03:11 This theory was seemingly bolstered on April 10, 2018, when a cyclist was pushed into the city's Bridgewater Canal by an unseen assailant.
03:19 Luckily, the cyclist survived.
03:21 So what do you think? Accidents or a killer?
03:25 "Every time a body is found or turns up in water, the rumors and the speculations will continue."
03:33 Number 7. The Smiley Face Theory
03:35 "Do you think if this thing would go to court that you could get someone convicted?"
03:40 "Yes."
03:41 The United States might have its own drowning killer, at least according to the divisive Smiley Face Theory.
03:46 Between the late 1990s and 2010s, more than 40 young men have been recovered from various bodies of water throughout the Midwest.
03:53 Like the Manchester police, most experts believe these were tragic alcohol-related drownings.
03:59 But two retired New York detectives and a criminal justice professor believe the deaths are linked.
04:04 According to them, all the victims shared a similar profile, and Smiley Face graffiti had been found near various potential dumping grounds.
04:12 "We've been tracking these guys for 12 years now. And there's males and females in this organization."
04:17 "This is a well-structured, organized group which sells spread out in major cities across the United States."
04:23 The theory has been met with much criticism, with the FBI saying they have not recovered "any evidence substantiating the theory."
04:31 "I don't know who they are, I don't know what they're looking at, I'm not aware of any of their evidence."
04:36 Number 6. The Monster of Florence
04:39 The Monster of Florence sounds like something out of an urban legend.
04:42 The monster attacked during New Moons and would kill intimate couples in wooded areas around Florence, Italy.
04:48 The killings ended in 1985, with the killer sending a body part to the state prosecutor.
04:53 Three men have come under questioning for the killings.
04:56 One was convicted in 1994, but the finding was controversial, and he was acquitted two years later.
05:02 Two others were later convicted of the crimes, indicating that the monster in actuality was not only one man, but a group of conspirators.
05:10 Number 5. The Alphabet Killer
05:13 When it comes to M.O.s, the Alphabet Killer had one of the most unusual.
05:17 Three people were killed around Rochester, New York between 1971 and 1973.
05:22 Their first name started with the same letter as their surnames, and their bodies were dumped in a town that started with that same letter.
05:29 Carmen Colon was found in Churchville, Wanda Walkowicz in Webster, and Michelle Maenza in Macedon.
05:35 Investigators combed through 800 potential suspects, but were unsuccessful in finding the culprit, and they remain unknown to this day.
05:44 Four key suspects have been put forth, but no one was ever charged owing to a lack of strong physical evidence.
05:51 "What kind of person would have committed this crime in this way for these reasons?"
05:57 Number 4. Bible John
06:00 One of the most notorious criminals in Scottish history, Bible John killed three women in Glasgow between February 1968 and October 1969.
06:08 "There was nothing different about them, they were just women. Pure unfortunate lambs who were led to the slaughter by this guy."
06:18 He met all of his victims at the Berraland Ballroom, an entertainment venue in the heart of the city.
06:23 The man would charm the women at the venue and offer to take them home, where he would proceed to assault and kill them.
06:29 He earned the nickname Bible John owing to his propensity for quoting scripture, particularly the story of Moses.
06:36 "Bible John was a new sort of thing. Even in a sometimes violent city, he represented a new sort of random, motiveless, invisible murder, and he introduced new fears."
06:46 A massive manhunt was launched to catch the killer, with thousands of witness statements taken and potential suspects interviewed.
06:53 But after his last victim in 1969, the killer apparently vanished from history.
06:59 Number 3. The Cleveland Torso Murderer
07:02 This unknown killer has various monikers, each one related to their grisly M.O.
07:07 One name is the Cleveland Torso Murderer, as they were known to dispose of victims' body parts in public areas in the city.
07:14 Another name is the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run, as victims were found in the impoverished neighborhood of the same name.
07:20 Whoever this was killed at least 13 people between 1934 and 1938, drawing the attention of the famed Elliot Ness.
07:28 Unfortunately, his prowess could not solve the case's many mysteries.
07:33 "Ness never recovers from his failure in Cleveland.
07:40 His first marriage breaks up, subsequent marriages are not successful."
07:45 Not only has the killer never been identified, but neither have all of the victims.
07:50 "The official police file disappeared. It's gone. No one can say exactly when or how it happened, but it's gone."
07:56 Number 2. The Zodiac Killer
07:59 Many different facets have combined to make the Zodiac Killings the most notorious unsolved crime in American history, or at least one of them.
08:07 "As terrifying as Zodiac's official rap sheet was, in reality, he may have been even deadlier."
08:13 "This guy is just a killer, and you have no motive."
08:16 The true body count is unknown. The number of victims is at least 5, but may be as high as 37.
08:23 "The real concern that I have is that he doesn't do this again. I would like to see people save this experience."
08:32 He taunted the police and media through various letters. He also played with the public by leaving behind various cryptograms, two of which remain unsolved to this day.
08:42 The Zodiac Killer is a staple of pop culture, popping up in numerous movies and TV shows.
08:47 "Is that true?"
08:48 Some of the greatest minds in criminology have attempted to crack this elusive case, but all to no avail.
08:55 "In 1974, he writes his last letter indicating he has killed 37 people."
08:59 "The Zodiac Killer has never been found."
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09:18 Unfortunately, solving crimes back in the 19th century was even more of a tall order.
09:27 They didn't have the benefits of modern criminology, let alone the technology.
09:31 And it's all because of this that Jack the Ripper was able to elude capture.
09:35 "The police investigation, generally speaking, was handled as well as it could be. It's difficult to know what else they could have done."
09:44 "They basically just did everything that they possibly could, but there were no clues."
09:50 Active in 1888, Jack killed five women in the London district of Whitechapel, leaving them in public areas.
09:57 "The murders shocked the Victorian world with their brutality, and the world's most famous serial killer came into being."
10:05 And like the Zodiac Killer, Jack may have corresponded with the authorities.
10:09 George Lusk of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee was sent the famous "From Hell" letter,
10:13 which was purportedly written by Jack and contained half of a human kidney.
10:18 Over a century later, Jack the Ripper remains a mystery and the target of amateur sleuths the world over.
10:25 "As a consequence, the murders are now turned almost into a street pantomime."
10:31 "And five sordid East End murders became an international phenomenon."
10:35 "And the unknown miscreant responsible for those murders was elevated to the realm of legend."
10:40 Do you have answers to these mysteries? Let us know in the comments below.
10:45 "I need to know who he is. I need to stand there. I need to look him in the eye. And I need to know that it's him."
10:55 [music]