The genre of true crime has never been more popular. First coming to the fore in the 80s, the genre has hit its peak this past decade. There are over 2,800 true crime podcasts available to download. TV series and documentaries delving into many horrific crimes are being released weekly. True crime books are also selling at an incredible rate. As The Everyday reported, “more than 1.6 million print copies of true-crime books were sold in 2018, compared to 976,000 copies in 2016.” Many of these true crime properties focus on serial killers that were never caught. 

People are fascinated by the depravity of serial killer’s crimes. There is something that connects with our primal fears that scare us stiff but still make us want to know more. This hits even harder when it involves a serial killer that has more been caught. There is always the chance they might strike again and resume their killing spree. From the Alphabet Killer to the Zodiac Killer, here are 12 of the most frightening serial killers that were never caught. 

1. Jack the Ripper

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Of all the serial killers that were never caught, Jack the Ripper is one of the most famous. His killing spree is regarded as the one that kicked off the serial killer trend. He terrorized the East End of London in 1888 and killed at least five prostitutes. The killer cut each victim’s throat and often mutilated them, with three women having their organs surgically removed. This led to the theory that Jack the Ripper, a name given to him by the media, may have been in the medical profession. 

Jack the Ripper is to have sent numerous letters to Scotland Yard boasting about his crimes. One of the most famous, the ‘From Hell’ letter, came with a human kidney to prove Jack the Ripper was the actual murderer. These killings sent the media into a frenzy and the crimes became well-publicized as fear amongst Londoners went into overdrive. Despite the hype surrounding the case, police were unable to find the killer. Since then there have been hundreds of theories surrounding the killings and who did them, with the legend of Jack the Ripper continuing to this day in books, movies, and TV series.