Like Alaska and Nevada, Florida is an extremely violent state in general, with 5.8 murders per 100,000 reported by the FBI in 2014.įlorida also stands out in the popular imagination due to its so-called “celebrity” serial killers. It’s not clear exactly why Florida is such an active state for serial murderers. In fact, Florida has the third highest number of total individual serial cases in the country, with 112 separate cases. As in other states, the ‘80s marked the deadliest period in Florida’s history for serial killings. The total number of serial murders committed in the state is 778, with 247 of those murders taking place in the 1980s. Florida actually does seem to attract serial killers with a rate of 9.92 serial murders per million inhabitants.
#TOP UNSOLVED SERIAL KILLERS SERIES#
Showtime’s Dexter – the popular long-running TV series about a serial killer who hunts other serial killers – portrayed Miami as a hotbed of serial predators. The rise of Nevada as a gambling destination could explain the jump in serial killings in the 1980s.įinally, the high numbers of tourists – in many cases, desperate individuals down on their luck– create a pool of ideal victims for anyone looking to commit a nefarious act. Many believe that the historic ties to organized crime contribute to the excessive levels of violent crime. Like Alaska, Nevada has one of the highest violent crime rates in the country according to FBI statistics. There have been 98 serial murders since 1900, with 33 committed in the 1980s.
Many serial killers remain at large due to compromised police work.Īfter Alaska, Nevada has the second highest rate of serial killings in the United States – among its 12.19 per million inhabitants. Sometimes, evidence becomes lost or removed, and solving crimes becomes much more difficult when the scene isn’t documented properly. In the case of a crime, they must rely on Alaska State Troopers, who may take hours to respond to the call. The environmental factors in Alaska play some part in this, however many experts believe the lack of law enforcement services in isolated regions of the state also drive up this statistic.Ī Washington Post study claims at least 75 Native American-Alaskan villages have no law enforcement at all. In 2015, FBI statistics reported that Alaska had 730.2 violent crimes per 100,000 people, compared to the national average of 372.6 per 100,000. In a similar vein, around 325 serial murders have been linked to hitchhiking.Īlaska also has one of the highest rates of violent crimes in the country. Experts suggest isolation and frequent interactions with strangers make them more susceptible. The total number of sex worker victims by serial killers surpasses 850 nationwide.
Serial killers often target sex workers, both in Alaska and elsewhere in America. The largely male population, in turn, contributes to a high number of sex workers in the state. The logging, construction, and oil industries that drive Alaska’s economy results in a high number of seasonal workers. The seclusion provides opportunities to prey on vulnerable individuals and offers many remote locations to dispose of evidence.Įxperts highlight the nature of the workforce as another important factor. The size and isolation of the Alaskan wilderness may also be an appealing factor. Of course, for a serial murderer, the cover of darkness also provides a perfect opportunity to target a victim. Here, we explore the states that have produced the highest number of these criminals throughout history and explore any commonalities and contributing factors. Although serial killers have existed in most countries around the globe, a great many of them come from the United States. Whether we want to learn about the details of their crimes, delve into the bleak question of their psychological makeup, determine how so many go unnoticed and uncaught, or puzzle at the strange cases of killers who become ghoulish media spectacles, we can’t get enough of them.Įven a figure as frightening, mysterious, and frankly bizarre as a serial killer has an origin story. Our fascination also embraces the real thing. It’s not just this genre of movies that captures our imagination. These sorts of human monsters appear everywhere in our cultural fiction.
#TOP UNSOLVED SERIAL KILLERS MOVIE#
Just look at some of the most iconic horror movie franchise villains – Halloween’s Michael Myers, Anthony Hopkins’ unforgettable Hannibal Lecter, or the true crime-inspired Leatherface. From true crime to horror fiction, as a nation, we obsess over these terrifying, fascinating figures. One of the most compelling sources of contemporary horror is the phenomenon of serial killers.