Top 20 Best Documentaries about Serial Killers You Must See

Intro: Documentaries about Serial Killers

If you are fond of doing a movie marathon, whether alone or with friends, you probably watched how serial killers take one’s life violently. With that, you often wondered what causes these serial killers to be depraved and violent?

Let’s ask professionals why serial killers have this serious attitude towards an animal or humans. Most of them will say that it could possibly be associated with the person’s neurological condition, or he/she experienced child abuse. But after all, no one can say that these two are good excuses for mass murder.

In this post, we will take a look at the top 20 best documentaries about serial killers.

1. Ted Bundy - Documentaries about Serial Killers

The number one on our list is the Ted Bundy. The main character of this documentary is Ted Bundy, who killed 30 women, which caused him to be executed to death 30 years had passed. This serial killer wants to be admired by many. He possesses two common signs of a true serial killer: he doesn’t want to get caught and be punished because of his crimes. This serial killer documentary was launched on Netflix, and many people who watched it said that it was one of the slipperiest documentaries they watched.

2. This is the Zodiac Speaking - Documentaries about Serial Killers

If you are looking for the most glorified documentary of serial killers, then you should watch the Zodiac Killer Documentary. Zodiac Killer had brought fear to the Californians in 1969. The law enforcement during that time encountered the most difficult serial crime to solve. The police investigators are still puzzled in solving the mystery behind the Zodiac murders until these days. With all these situations, This Zodiac Speaking could be considered as the most horrifying unsolved mystery in American history.

3. The Zodiac Serial Killer - Zodiac Killer Documentary

From 1968 to the 1970s, Northern California and San Francisco were terrorized by a serial killer known as the Zodiac Killer. The Zodiac Killer communicates with the police officers through publishing newspapers. He was also known because of the cryptograms he sent to the police in charge. And according to him, these cryptograms will reveal who he is when decoded. The investigators identified this serial killer through a crosshair-like symbol, which is always written in the last part of his letters. According to the Case Breakers, who is a group of professional investigators claimed that the Zodiac Killer died in 2018.

4. The Boneyard: The Most Horrific Murder Case Since The Zodiac Killer - Documentaries about Serial Killers

The United States has the most horrifying crime scene documentary about a serial killer. The documentary was entitled The Boneyard. This gruel case was unfolded because of a shoplifting arrest. The investigation started and found that Leonard Lakes and Charles Ng’s property houses five intact bodies and more than 18 kilograms of human bones. As the excavation continued, the investigators concluded that Lake and Ng were not just ordinary serial killers. They were also sadistic, manipulative, and did not show any mercy to their victims.

5. “Bill” Bonin: The Freeway Killer - Documentaries about Serial Killers

“Bill” Bonin is the Freeway Killer who kidnapped, raped and robbed 14 teenage boys before killing them. This gruesome scenario happened in just a year (1979 to 1980). The other accused individuals who took part in the killings were male teenagers around 17 to 21 years old. The defendant was executed in 1982 because of ten counts of murder. Later that year, he received another death sentence from the Orange Country for another four counts of murder. Investigators also made Bonin their main suspect in the killings of other males whose bodies were buried in San Bernardino Counties, San Diego, Riverside, and Kern.

6. Richard Trenton Chase: The Vampire of Sacramento - Serial Killers Documentaries

The man behind the codename “The Vampire of Sacramento” was Richard Trenton Chase. He was called the Vampire because he practiced cannibalism and drank his victim’s fresh blood. According to the investigation, Chase is the suspect behind the death of six known victims. After being convicted, Chase started his medication. He did not take the medicines given to him. That caused him to commit suicide. In December 1979, police officers found him lifeless in his cell.

7. The Disturbing Case of the Amazon Review Killer - Best Documentaries about Serial Killers

Who would have known that a person who wrote a review about an Amazon product would be a suspect behind the deaths of a woman and her boyfriend and other innocent individuals in South Carolina? According to Greenville News, an Amazon user with a username of “me” made 140 product devices on knives, gun accessories, tactical gear, padlocks, and more. One of his reviews, although deleted, was posted in 2014, saying that “haven’t (stabbed anyone yet…yet.. but I am keeping the dream alive, and when I do, it will be with a quality tool like this.” That line is so creepy!

8. Richard Ramirez: The Night Stalker - Documentaries about Serial Killers

Aside from calling himself The Night Stalker, Richard Ramirez was called by people in his town by different names, such as Walk-In Killer, Valley Intruder, and Richie for his family.

The first time he killed someone was when he was 24 years old. It was exactly June this year when he took the life of his first victim. Before he reached the age of 26 years old, he had committed 11 sexual assaults and killed 13 individuals.

9. The Real H.H. Holmes -  HH Holmes Documentary

The first serial killer in America was known in the alias of H.H Holmes. His real name was Herman Webster Mudgett. He was a bigamist and at the same time a con artist. Aside from his alias, he was also called by many people the Beast of Chicago, who killed around 200 people.

10. Unmasking Jack The Ripper - Jack The Ripper Documentary

This documentary of a serial killer will take you back to 1888. That was the time when the Whitechapel Murders caused panics and terror to the residents in the eastern part of London. If you are intrigued with the murders done by Jack the Ripper, then watching this full documentary will leave you stuck and frightened.

11. The Enduring Mystery of Jack the Ripper - Jack The Ripper Documentary

In the East End of London, a man called Jack the Ripper notoriously killed the poor women in the said town. No matter how extensive the manhunt for this notorious serial killer, Jack the Ripper remained free. Considering the number of people he had murdered, this case has been considered the greatest serial killer documentary.

12. Jeffrey Dahmer: The Milwaukee Cannibal - Documentaries about Serial Killer

The police officers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, spotted Tracy Edwards handcuffed while running on the street. Because of that, the officers found the grisliest scene in Jeffrey Dahmer’s apartment.

Dahmer’s apartment welcomed the police investigators with horrible scenarios. Aside from several photos of human body parts, there were also human remains littered in his apartment. The officers found various heads inside Jeffrey’s freezer.

13. Inside South Korea's Most Notorious Serial Murder: Hwaseong Murders Part 1 - Documentaries about Serial Killers

The Hwaseong Murders were done by Lee Chun-Jae, also called The Korean Zodiac Killer and The Hwaseong Strangler. He was a serial killer from South Korea who was sentenced to murdering the wife of her brother in 1994. Back in 2019, he also admitted the killings of 15 individuals. Ten of those were included in the Hwaseong Serial Murders happened between 1986 to 1991.

14. Who's The Real Serial Killer Behind Korea's Hwaseong Murders? Part 2 - Documentaries about Serial Killers

The second part of the serial killer documentary behind Hwaseong Murders continues the story of the gruesome killings. The second part revealed that Lee Chun-Jae was the real serial killer who committed the 14 crimes in South Korea. He asked for an apology to the man who faced the charges he did not commit.

15. Kendall "Stinky" Francois - Serial Killer Documentary

Kendall “Stinky” Francois is the person behind the murdering of ten innocent women in New York. He is a serial killer that targets prostitutes. He tends to lure his targets and encourage them to come over to his home. He lives with his parents, but he still managed to strangle his innocent victims to them. The bodies of his victims were found in their attic.  

At first, he would deny the killings. But eventually, he admitted these crimes to the investigators. He was convicted of eight charges of murders. Although most courts spared him from the death penalty, he spent his life in his prison cell.

16. Cody " Country Boy" Legebokoff - Documentaries about Serial Killers

Cody “Country Boy” Legebokoff possesses a charming Canadian face. With that, many people consider him as a friendly guy. He was born into a well-respected, caring, and loving family. Considering his back-woods charm and good looks, most of his peers admired him. He has lots of hobbies, such as fishing, hunting, and camping. But who would have guessed that this Canadian boy next door also has an unusual hobby? Legebokoff seems happy when he brutally murders women. Thus, he was considered the youngest Canadian serial killer.

17. Gary Ridgway: The Green River Killer - Serial Killers Documentaries

Gary Ridgway: The Green River Killer is a documentary of a creative serial murderer in America. Gary Ridgway has murdered more or less 70 victims. For twenty years, he escaped from police officers.

Ridgway was a truck painter in Seattle. The police officers received an update about the location of this serial killer and causing the death of 48 young women. In the court, Ridgway stated, “I killed so many women. I have a hard time keeping them straight.” He started killing ladies in 1982, and Ridgway was convicted in 2003.

18. Real Life Mindhunter Killer: Was Edmund Kemper Born to Kill? - Documentaries about Serial Killers

Aside from being the ultimate serial killer in America, Edmund Emil Kemper III is also a necrophile and a serial rapist. He killed ten individuals, which include his mother and paternal grandparents. Kemper is popular for being an intellectual person, with an IQ score of 145. But a man always has two sides: his good and bad sides. Kemper seems happy for violating and murdering girls. With this intelligence and urge to kill, he was dubbed the Real Life Mindhunter Killer in America.

19. Australia worst serial killer: Ivan Milat - Serial Killers Documentary

Ivan Milat was one of the most notorious serial killers in Australia. He finds himself smiling when he kidnaps and murders innocent victims. He started his desire to end the lives of anyone who caught his attention from 1989 to 1992. During these years, he murdered seven victims aged 19 to 22 years old. Police investigators’ forensic reports show that the cause of death of each victim was stab wounds and bullets inside their body. The evidence shows that his victims didn’t die instantly from being severely injured.

20. James Fairweather: Britain's Youngest Serial Killer

Have you ever thought that a 15-year old boy could commit a serious murder crime? James Fairweather is one of the youngest and notorious murderers in Britain. He loves hunting random victims and killing them like an animal. After the death of his mother, he found escape by turning himself to pornography, horror movies, and violent video games. This might be the reason that pushed him to kill innocent individuals. In fact, when his teacher asked him what he wanted to be in the future, he said he wanted to be a murderer.

Documentaries about Serial Killers: Conclusions

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Picture credits: @markus_gjengaar on Unsplash