Jack the Ripper - An unidentified serial killer from the late 19th century, believed to have murdered at least five women in London in 1888. Jack the Ripper's crimes were marked by brutal mutilation, and his identity remains one of the world's most famous unsolved mysteries.
Larry Nassar - A former USA Gymnastics doctor who was convicted in 2018 of sexually abusing hundreds of young female athletes over the course of several decades. His case led to significant scrutiny of abuse in sports.
Scott Peterson - An American man who was convicted in 2004 of murdering his pregnant wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn child. The case received widespread media coverage in the United States.
Robert Chambers (Preppy Killer) - An American man convicted of manslaughter in 1988 for strangling an 18-year-old woman, Jennifer Levin, in Central Park, New York. The case became widely known due to Chambers' privileged background and the media portrayal of the victim.
Peter Sutcliffe (Yorkshire Ripper) - An English serial killer convicted of murdering 13 women and attempting to murder seven others in the 1970s and 1980s. Sutcliffe primarily targeted sex workers in Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.
Jimmy Savile - A former British television presenter and DJ who, after his death in 2011, was revealed to have sexually abused hundreds of children and women over several decades. The scandal led to a major investigation into child sexual abuse in the UK.
John List - An American mass murderer who killed his mother, wife, and three children in their New Jersey home in 1971. List evaded capture for nearly 18 years before being apprehended in 1989.
Robert Durst - An American real estate heir who was convicted in 2021 of the murder of his friend Susan Berman and suspected in the disappearance of his wife, Kathleen McCormack Durst, in 1982. Durst's case became widely known after the HBO documentary series The Jinx aired in 2015.
Jian Ghomeshi - A former Canadian radio host accused by multiple women of sexual assault and violence. Ghomeshi was acquitted of several charges in 2016, but the trial sparked significant discussions about sexual violence and consent.
Darren Sharper - A former NFL player who was sentenced in 2016 to 20 years in prison after being convicted of drugging and raping multiple women in several states.
Marc Dutroux - A Belgian serial killer and child molester convicted of kidnapping, torturing, and murdering young girls in the 1990s. Dutroux's case revealed serious police incompetence and led to significant public outrage in Belgium.
Israel Keyes - An American serial killer who confessed to multiple murders across the United States before committing suicide in custody in 2012. Keyes targeted both men and women, often in brutal and premeditated attacks.
Vince Neil - The lead singer of Mötley Crüe, who has been charged with assault multiple times, including for incidents of violence against women, such as a 2016 assault on a woman in Las Vegas.
Josh Duggar - A former reality TV star who was convicted in 2021 of receiving and possessing child pornography. Duggar had previously been accused of molesting several girls, including his sisters, when he was a teenager.
Mark Wahlberg - Actor and musician who has a past criminal record involving violence. He was charged with assault and attempted murder in the 1980s, though not specifically against women. He has expressed regret for his past actions.
H.H. Holmes - An American serial killer who built a "Murder Castle" in Chicago during the 1890s, where he lured, tortured, and murdered an unknown number of women. Holmes confessed to 27 murders but is suspected of many more.
Cliff Richard (The Yorkshire Ripper Hoaxer) - Not the musician, but the anonymous man who falsely claimed to be the "Yorkshire Ripper," leading to police confusion and delays in catching Peter Sutcliffe. Although not directly a perpetrator of physical violence, his actions indirectly impacted the investigation into violence against women.
Ariel Castro - An American kidnapper who held three women captive for over a decade in his Cleveland home. Castro physically and sexually abused the women before they were rescued in 2013. He was sentenced to life in prison plus 1,000 years and later died by suicide in his cell.
Fred West - An English serial killer who, along with his wife, Rosemary West, sexually abused, tortured, and murdered at least 12 young women, including their own daughter. The Wests’ crimes spanned several decades and included burying the victims at their home in Gloucester.
David Parker Ray (Toy-Box Killer) - An American serial killer suspected of torturing and murdering numerous women in New Mexico. Ray was known for his "Toy Box," a soundproof trailer he used for torture. He was convicted in 2001 but died shortly afterward.
Albert DeSalvo (The Boston Strangler) - The man who confessed to being the "Boston Strangler," responsible for the sexual assault and murder of 13 women in the Boston area during the early 1960s. Though his confessions were later questioned, he remains a notorious figure associated with violence against women.
Gary Heidnik - An American murderer and kidnapper who imprisoned, raped, and tortured six women in his Philadelphia home during the 1980s. Heidnik was executed in 1999.
Drew Peterson - A former police officer convicted of murdering his third wife, Kathleen Savio, and suspected in the disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson. Drew Peterson's case drew significant media attention and raised questions about domestic violence.
Fritz Honka - A German serial killer who murdered at least four women in Hamburg between 1970 and 1975. He dismembered and hid the bodies in his apartment, which were discovered only after a fire broke out.
Luis Garavito - A Colombian serial killer known as "La Bestia" (The Beast) who confessed to raping, torturing, and murdering over 100 young boys in the 1990s. While Garavito primarily targeted boys, his extreme violence and notoriety have placed him among the world's most infamous criminals.
Edmund Kemper - An American serial killer who murdered ten people, including his grandparents and mother, in the 1960s and 1970s. Kemper targeted young women, often picking them up as hitchhikers, and engaged in acts of extreme violence and necrophilia.
Ronnie Kray - One of the infamous Kray twins, British gangsters involved in organized crime in the 1950s and 1960s. While they were not primarily known for targeting women, the Krays were involved in violent activities, including several allegations of violence against women.
Jerry Sandusky - A former assistant football coach at Penn State University convicted in 2012 of sexually abusing young boys over a period of several decades. While his crimes were not against women, his case brought widespread attention to sexual abuse in institutions.
Joran van der Sloot - A Dutch man suspected in the disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway in Aruba in 2005. He was later convicted of murdering another woman, Stephany Flores, in Peru in 2010.
Warren Jeffs - The leader of a fundamentalist Mormon sect, Jeffs was convicted in 2011 of child sexual assault and accused of orchestrating systemic abuse of underage girls under the guise of "spiritual marriages."
John Meehan (Dirty John) - A conman and abuser whose story was detailed in the podcast and TV series Dirty John. Meehan manipulated and terrorized multiple women through emotional, financial, and physical abuse.
Luis Garavito - A Colombian serial killer, also known as "La Bestia" (The Beast), who confessed to raping, torturing, and murdering over 100 young boys in the 1990s. While he primarily targeted boys, his extreme violence and notoriety placed him among the world's most infamous criminals.