10 American Serial Killers That Are STILL ACTIVE

American Serial Killers That Are STILL ACTIVE

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re examining 10 American Serial Killers That Are STILL ACTIVE.

For this list, we’ll be looking at the most frightening suspected serial killers based in the U.S.A. that haven’t been caught or convicted yet.

Who’s the scariest on our list? Let us know in the comments below.

The Frankford Slasher

For 5 years, women in the neighborhood of Frankford in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were in a state of terror. On the loose was a mysterious killer who brutally attacked and claimed the lives of at least 8 women. In 1990, a victim was discovered behind a fish market, leading to the arrest of Leonard Christopher, who worked there. Despite the suspect being described as a middle-aged white man, Christopher, who was black, was charged with her murder. While he was locked up, the body of a ninth victim was found, but that didn’t stop Christopher from being convicted and sentenced to life. With the other eight murders left unsolved, the Frankford Slasher may very well still be out there.

The Colonial Parkway Killer

While the Colonial Parkway is often seen as a scenic roadway in Virginia, it was also the hunting ground for a prolific slayer. From 1986 to 1989, 4 couples either vanished from the parkway or were discovered dead in the area. Judging from the nature of the crime scenes, authorities suspected that the assailant was a law enforcement officer. In 2010, Fred Atwell, a former sheriff’s deputy, was announced as a suspect in the Colonial Parkway slayings. However, Atwell believed he was being targeted by the FBI as he had revealed that someone leaked photos of the crime scenes from their office. Even some of the victims’ families defended him. Regardless, Atwell wasn't charged for the murders, and to date, no one else has.

Texas Killing Fields

Deep in the heart of League City, Texas sits a 25-acre plot of land known as the Texas Killing Fields. Between 1971 and 2006, the remains of over 30 people, mostly young women, were discovered there. One popular theory is that several serial killers frequented the Fields to commit their despicable crimes. In some of the cases, police investigation led to certain individuals being charged and convicted. Notable among these was William Lewis Reece who, after being convicted of a murder in Oklahoma, confessed to three of the Texas Killing Fields deaths. Although he was sentenced to life for those crimes, that still leaves a large number of victims whose killers are yet to be caught.

The Jeff Davis 8 Killer(s)

In the mid to late 2000s, Jefferson Davis Parish in Louisiana had to grapple with the deaths of eight women that have remained unsolved for years. The bodies of these women were so badly decomposed that it was virtually impossible to know exactly how they died. What made these cases peculiar was that most of the victims shared many things in common. Not only had they all worked as police informants in the past, some of them were even related and had lived together. The investigation was plagued by police misconduct and an apparent disregard for the evidence. This has led to several people being arrested for the crimes, only to be released soon after due to problems with the evidence.

The Chicago Strangler

Prowling the streets of Chicago, Illinois, is a person believed to be responsible for strangling at least 51 women. Between 2001 and 2018, this individual targeted mainly black women who offered adult services. For years, the families of the victims tried to get the police to find the culprit, all to no avail. In 2019, the Chicago PD finally gave in and began looking closely at the case. They however revealed that they couldn’t find enough evidence to attribute the crimes to one serial killer. Instead, they began investigating them as isolated murders, which led to the 2020 arrest of a man named Arthur Hilliard for the death of one of the victims. The other cases remain unsolved.

Little Rock Serial Stabber

Starting in 2020, a mysterious assailant dubbed the Little Rock Serial Stabber attacked four people in Little Rock, Arkansas, with three of them being fatal. At first, the crimes were thought to be random, but as they persisted, it became clearer that they were most likely carried out by the same person. The incidents occurred in the early hours of the morning, with grainy surveillance footage from one of the attacks showing a hooded figure with a tall, slender build. The culprit was described by the only surviving victim as a black male standing at over six feet tall. A $20,000 reward was issued for information leading to the arrest. However, since 2021, the slasher seems to have gone underground.

The I-70 Killer

In the spring of 1992, there was a wave of killings in Midwestern stores along the Interstate 70 highway. Through the states of Indiana, Kansas, and Missouri, an unidentified man claimed the lives of six store clerks, earning the nickname I-70 killer. In one of the incidents, the killer was seen by a customer who walked in after he had committed the crime and was able to escape unhurt. This customer later gave the police a composite sketch of the criminal, but somehow, he has still eluded arrest. Some believe the slayer is also responsible for three fatal incidents, in Texas and Kansas. There is currently a $25,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of the I-70 killer.

The Eastbound Strangler

In November 2006, two people who had gone out for a walk in Atlantic City, New Jersey accidentally stumbled upon a crime scene. Buried in a ditch behind a motel were the bodies of four women who made a living turning tricks in the area. The bodies were placed far from each other and positioned to face east, hence the suspect was dubbed the Eastbound Strangler. Over the years, there have been several potential suspects behind the brutal crimes, including a handyman who lived in the motel and even the Long Island Serial Killer. A reward of $25,000 has since been issued for information leading to an arrest, but no charges have been filed so far.

The West Mesa Bone Collector

In 2009, a woman was walking her dog through the desert in West Mesa of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Due to recent construction work affecting the ground, the two discovered a human bone poking out. The authorities arrived and soon found the remains of several people, most of which were female, and all of whom had vanished between 2001 and 2005. Most of them were involved in the use of illegal substances and offered adult services to earn a living. As such, there’s some speculation that a trafficking ring could’ve been involved. Regardless, the police are yet to identify the person or persons behind the gruesome crimes, even after offering a $100,000 reward.

The Long Island Serial Killer

After Shannan Gilbert made a terrifying 911 call and vanished in 2010, investigators searched the beach areas around Long Island, New York, for any sign of her. Instead, they unearthed the bodies of four other women. A year later, after discovering several other victims, Gilbert's remains were found nearby. Altogether, the remains of at least 10 people have been found in the area, dating back to 1996. Most of the victims were escorts who advertised their services on Craigslist. Over the years, there have been several suspects, some with criminal history, but they’ve all been dismissed. In 2011, authorities issued a $25,000 reward for information on the person or persons responsible for the horrific crimes.