This list of critical evidence that led to the capture of serial killers is both intriguing and chilling. Here are some additional examples of notorious killers who were caught thanks to specific pieces of evidence:
1. **John Wayne Glover (The Granny Killer)** - Glover was caught after his fingerprints were found on a notepad at a crime scene. The notepad contained plans related to his attacks, directly linking him to the murders.
2. **Dennis Nilsen** - Nilsen was apprehended after human remains were discovered in a blocked drain near his home. The remains were traced back to him, leading to the discovery of multiple victims in his apartment.
3. **Robert Hansen (The Butcher Baker)** - Hansen was caught after a map was found in his home, marked with locations where bodies of his victims were later discovered. Additionally, jewelry belonging to the victims was found in his possession.
4. **Albert DeSalvo (The Boston Strangler)** - DeSalvo was identified as the Boston Strangler decades after his crimes through a DNA match. A water bottle discarded by his nephew provided the DNA evidence needed to link DeSalvo to the murders.
5. **The Yorkshire Ripper (Peter Sutcliffe)** - Sutcliffe was apprehended when police stopped him for having false license plates. In his car, they found tools matching the description of weapons used in the Ripper attacks.
6. **Alexander Pichushkin (The Chessboard Killer)** - Pichushkin was caught after a video recording showed him walking with his final victim, whose body was later found. The footage and items found on the victim linked Pichushkin to the crime.
7. **H.H. Holmes** - One of America's earliest serial killers, Holmes was captured after authorities found a missing person's belongings in his possession, leading them to his murder castle filled with incriminating evidence.
8. **Rodney Alcala (The Dating Game Killer)** - Alcala was apprehended after police found his photo collection of potential victims. DNA evidence and photographs of a victim's earrings he kept helped convict him.
9. **Samuel Little** - Little was arrested after DNA evidence linked him to three murders. Later confessions, backed by forensic evidence, confirmed his involvement in numerous unsolved cases across the United States.
10. **Israel Keyes** - Keyes was caught after using a victim's debit card, which allowed authorities to track his movements and eventually apprehend him. This led to the discovery of other crimes he committed.
These examples showcase how crucial forensic evidence and investigative diligence can be in solving cases and capturing dangerous criminals. If you'd like more information on any of these cases or further suggestions, feel free to ask!
1. **John Wayne Glover (The Granny Killer)** - Glover was caught after his fingerprints were found on a notepad at a crime scene. The notepad contained plans related to his attacks, directly linking him to the murders.
2. **Dennis Nilsen** - Nilsen was apprehended after human remains were discovered in a blocked drain near his home. The remains were traced back to him, leading to the discovery of multiple victims in his apartment.
3. **Robert Hansen (The Butcher Baker)** - Hansen was caught after a map was found in his home, marked with locations where bodies of his victims were later discovered. Additionally, jewelry belonging to the victims was found in his possession.
4. **Albert DeSalvo (The Boston Strangler)** - DeSalvo was identified as the Boston Strangler decades after his crimes through a DNA match. A water bottle discarded by his nephew provided the DNA evidence needed to link DeSalvo to the murders.
5. **The Yorkshire Ripper (Peter Sutcliffe)** - Sutcliffe was apprehended when police stopped him for having false license plates. In his car, they found tools matching the description of weapons used in the Ripper attacks.
6. **Alexander Pichushkin (The Chessboard Killer)** - Pichushkin was caught after a video recording showed him walking with his final victim, whose body was later found. The footage and items found on the victim linked Pichushkin to the crime.
7. **H.H. Holmes** - One of America's earliest serial killers, Holmes was captured after authorities found a missing person's belongings in his possession, leading them to his murder castle filled with incriminating evidence.
8. **Rodney Alcala (The Dating Game Killer)** - Alcala was apprehended after police found his photo collection of potential victims. DNA evidence and photographs of a victim's earrings he kept helped convict him.
9. **Samuel Little** - Little was arrested after DNA evidence linked him to three murders. Later confessions, backed by forensic evidence, confirmed his involvement in numerous unsolved cases across the United States.
10. **Israel Keyes** - Keyes was caught after using a victim's debit card, which allowed authorities to track his movements and eventually apprehend him. This led to the discovery of other crimes he committed.
These examples showcase how crucial forensic evidence and investigative diligence can be in solving cases and capturing dangerous criminals. If you'd like more information on any of these cases or further suggestions, feel free to ask!
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Short filmTranscript
00:00And that's often one of these eureka moments you have when you're looking at trace evidence.
00:04You find sort of the particle or something odd.
00:07Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down the times serial killers were caught
00:12thanks to specific pieces of evidence that they unwittingly or even wittingly provided.
00:16The crown jewel of the prosecution's case was this unique three-lobed green fiber
00:22found on both murder victims.
00:25Number 10. Albert Fish's letters.
00:28The concrete jungle of the city provided perfect camouflage for the gray man to hunt.
00:34Albert Fish, a particularly notorious serial killer, sent a chilling letter to the Budd family
00:39describing the gruesome murder of their daughter Grace Budd.
00:42The letter was filled with horrific details that only the killer would know.
00:46Investigators traced the emblem on the envelope to the New York Private Chauffeur's Benevolent Association,
00:51narrowing down their search to a rooming house where Fish had stayed.
00:55We had a bargain.
00:56You promised that I could take your boy Timmy to the pictures.
01:02Why didn't you keep your promise?
01:04Upon arrest, Fish initially denied any wrongdoing, but eventually confessed in graphic detail.
01:09This letter, combined with his confession and corroborative evidence from the crime scene,
01:14provided undeniable proof of his guilt.
01:16Fish, who had admitted to the killings of several other young people,
01:19was eventually found guilty and sentenced to death.
01:22After finally capturing Fish, authorities learned the value of the old adage,
01:28appearances can be deceiving.
01:33This Austrian serial killer was initially convicted of murder in 1974,
01:38but released in 1990, believed to be reformed.
01:41However, a series of killings in Austria and the United States soon followed his release.
01:46Authorities noted similarities between the crimes in both countries,
01:50including the use of his signature knot and the targeting of sex workers.
01:54And Jack Unterweger, who has always had such a particularly straight,
01:59present, slightly dominant posture.
02:01This pattern was crucial in connecting the crimes.
02:04After fleeing to the U.S., Unterweger was eventually arrested in Miami in 1992.
02:09His trial in Austria included testimonies from experts on his unique modus operandi,
02:14leading to his conviction for multiple deaths.
02:17Many details had come to light which made it so clear,
02:22he was as guilty as sinned.
02:28Walking between the gravestones of a small public cemetery,
02:32Cicatillo brought them to the site of a shallow, unmarked grave.
02:36The Rostov Ripper committed a series of brutal murders in the Soviet Union
02:40from the late 1970s to the early 1990s.
02:43Initially, blood type analysis from semen samples suggested a different blood type
02:47from the one found at crime scenes, which misled investigators for years.
02:50This discrepancy arose because Cicatillo was a non-secreter,
02:54meaning his blood type could only be determined from a blood sample,
02:57not from other bodily fluids like semen.
03:00That in itself was an example of the failures of Soviet science
03:05and of Soviet production capability.
03:08When he was finally arrested in 1990, further DNA analysis confirmed
03:12that his semen type AB matched the evidence from the crime scenes,
03:16while his blood type was A.
03:18This, along with his detailed confession,
03:20led to his being convicted for 52 murders and his eventual execution in 1994.
03:37I believe in the evil in human nature.
03:41This is a wicked, wicked world.
03:43And in a wicked world, wicked people are born.
03:47Richard Ramirez, known as the Night Stalker,
03:50terrorized Southern California in the mid-1980s
03:52with a spree of home invasions and brutal murders.
03:55A crucial breakthrough came when investigators found a unique Avia shoe print
03:59at multiple crime scenes.
04:01This rare type of sneaker, with a distinct tread pattern,
04:04was traced back to a limited number of sales, linking Ramirez to the deaths.
04:08So it was the Avia?
04:10The Avia sneaker, which later became controversial
04:13when Dianne Feinstein revealed the existence of the evidence.
04:18That was mind-blowing.
04:20In addition to the shoe print,
04:21eyewitness descriptions and composite sketches helped narrow down the suspect.
04:25When Ramirez was finally apprehended in 1985,
04:28the shoe print evidence played a pivotal role in putting him away.
04:32He was found guilty of 13 killings and received a death sentence.
04:36And the jury having previously to wit on October 4th, 1989,
04:40found that the penalty shall be death.
04:44A local news station receives yet another package from the BTK killer.
04:49Inside it, the item police had been hoping for, a computer disk.
04:53Infamously known as the BTK killer,
04:55Rader evaded capture for decades.
04:57In 2004, he reignited his correspondence with the media and law enforcement,
05:02taunting them with details of his crimes.
05:04In one such communication,
05:06Rader asked if a floppy disk could be traced back to him.
05:08The police misleadingly assured him it could not.
05:11The software is registered to a specific user.
05:15In a matter of seconds, Detective Stone pulls up that name,
05:18as well as information on the author of the note itself.
05:21Rader sent a floppy disk to a local news station,
05:24which investigators quickly traced to a computer at Christ Lutheran Church,
05:28where Rader was president of the church council.
05:31This digital evidence led to his arrest in 2005.
05:33Combined with DNA evidence,
05:35Rader was convicted of 10 murders and sentenced to multiple life terms in prison.
05:40Since March of this year,
05:42BTK has sent numerous communications to the media and to the police.
05:47In these letters, he has provided certain background information,
05:51which he claims is accurate.
05:55In the late 1970s and early 1980s,
05:58Atlanta was gripped by a series of murders of young African-Americans.
06:01The breakthrough in this horrific case came from meticulous fiber analysis.
06:06Carpet fibers and dog hairs found on several victims
06:09matched those in Wayne Williams' home and car.
06:11Additionally, fibers from his bedspread and car trunk
06:14were consistent with those found on multiple victims.
06:17Peterson realized they were seeing one green carpet fiber with a unique shape.
06:23This is a cross-section of that fiber, magnified many times.
06:27When Williams was arrested in 1981,
06:30he was initially charged with killing two adults.
06:33The fiber evidence, combined with other circumstantial evidence,
06:36linked him to numerous murders of youths.
06:39He was found guilty and received life in prison.
06:42How does one person have this whole combination of fibers?
06:48What would be a reasonable explanation?
06:53They took a swab of his, had him chew on a piece of gauze,
06:58which was ultimately his coop to draw.
07:02The Green River Killer was responsible for the deaths of at least 49 women
07:06in the 1980s and 1990s.
07:08The case remained unsolved for many years
07:11until DNA technology significantly advanced.
07:14In 2001, detectives revisited the evidence,
07:17using more sensitive testing methods.
07:19He had limited sperm come off those sticks,
07:23but enough to generate a male profile from two of the victims.
07:27Samples taken from the victims were matched to Ridgway,
07:30whose DNA had been collected in an unrelated arrest in 1987.
07:34This conclusive genetic evidence led to his arrest
07:37and subsequent confession to numerous crimes.
07:40Ridgway was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole,
07:43bringing closure to one of the most prolonged
07:46serial killer investigations in U.S. history.
07:49Jim Doyan and I got out,
07:51and I told him he's under arrest for the murder of several women in King County.
07:54Number 3. Ted Bundy's Bite Mark.
07:57This is an enlarged photograph of the defendant's teeth.
08:00Dr. Richard Suveron, a Miami forensic odontologist,
08:03showed the pictures of the teeth of the defendant Theodore Bundy
08:05and the bite mark found on the body of one of the slain coeds.
08:08One of America's most infamous serial killers,
08:11Ted Bundy was linked to murders across several states in the 1970s.
08:15His capture and conviction were significantly aided by forensic odontology.
08:19During the trial for the death of Lisa Levy,
08:21a crucial piece of evidence was a bite mark on Levy's body.
08:25I find it absurd to ask for mercy for something that I did not do.
08:29And a forensic odontologist matched the bite mark to Bundy's dental impressions.
08:34This evidence, along with eyewitness testimony and other forensic links,
08:37led to Bundy's facing justice.
08:39The infamous killer was sentenced to death and executed in 1989.
08:44You think about getting out of here?
08:46Well, legally, sure.
08:50Number 2. David Berkowitz's Parking Ticket
08:52Police transported David Berkowitz from headquarters to Brooklyn Central booking.
08:56After my sources say he confessed to being the 44 killer.
09:00The son of Sam terrorized New York City in the mid-1970s with a series of random shootings.
09:05His capture came about due to a simple parking ticket.
09:08On the night of his last crime in 1977,
09:11a witness noticed a suspicious figure near the scene.
09:13The police traced a parking ticket issued to a car parked illegally near a fire hydrant.
09:18The car was registered to Berkowitz.
09:21Of the four tickets issued in that area, one bore the name of David Berkowitz,
09:26a resident of Yonkers, New York.
09:27When police searched his vehicle, they found a rifle and a note threatening further violence.
09:32Berkowitz confessed to the killings, claiming he was commanded by a demon.
09:36He was sentenced to life in prison, ending his deadly spree.
09:39I thought I had a future, you know, and then everything just flipped around.
09:46I didn't think I'd ever end up in a place like this.
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10:04Number one, Edmund Kemper's confession.
10:07One group of serial killers will never like to talk about their offending behavior at all.
10:15Whereas the second group of serial killers are desperate to talk about their killing.
10:20A serial killer active in the early 1970s, Kemper targeted young women and his own family members.
10:26Standing at a towering 6'9", Kemper was known for his intelligence and chilling demeanor.
10:31The exact evidence that led to his eventual capture was extremely unusual for serial killers.
10:36He turned himself in.
10:38That's the first time in my career, and I've been in this business 43 years,
10:42that, you know, the suspect left the cops a note.
10:46After killing his mother and her friend, Kemper called the police from Colorado,
10:50confessing to the murders and providing details only the killer would know.
10:54This voluntary confession led to his arrest.
10:57Kemper's detailed accounts of his crimes, corroborated by physical evidence,
11:00resulted in his conviction.
11:02He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
11:06If there's one thing I know, it's this.
11:10A mother should not scorn her own son.
11:14If a woman humiliates her little boy, he will become hostile and violent and debased.
11:20Period.
11:21What other examples of killers being caught by a singular piece of evidence
11:24could have been featured on this list?
11:26Let us know in the comments.
11:28Check out these other clips from WatchMojo,
11:30and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
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