18/07/2026
Most serial killers and murderers have really obvious nicknames; such as Myra Hindley and Ian Brady, who were dubbed "The Moors Murderers" (having murdered their victims on the Yorkshire Moors), John George Haigh, aka "The Acid Bath Murderer" (having dissolved his victims in acid), and Harold Shipman, aka "Doctor Death" (as he was a doctor... who dealt in death).
..but sometimes a killer is dubbed "The Ripper" even though he rarely ripped, "The Strangler" even though he more often shot his victims, and "The Cannibal" even though (yes, they may have nibbled on a few choice morsels of leg, tongue or, if the mood took them, winkle) most days their cooking pot contained little more than cauliflower cheese.
Nicknames are often dreamed up by bored tabloid editors looking for a way to lure in a fresh audience for a salacious story, which is always easier if they can give a faceless killer a grisly yet headline-grabbing nom-de-plume.
So, what follows is a compilation of serial killers (some currently incarcerated and others who are still at large) and the reasons behind their infamous nicknames.
Dennis Nilsen – "The Kindly Killer"
Always with an eye for a pretty young thing, Nilsen would often invite homeless young men back to his flat for a warm meal, a place to stay, a chat, a drink and, if desired, a little bit of nookie. But he never killed out of spite, hatred or to fulfil a sadistic bloodlust. Nilsen – who was abandoned by his father, ignored by his mother and later rejected by his true love, whom he nicknamed "Twinkle" – killed in drunken rages because he believed these new companions would eventually leave him. Nilsen wanted them all to stay... forever.
Of course, he also shared a romantic bath with the boys, but more often than not this was after he had killed them.
John Wayne Gacy – "The Killer Clown"
When he wasn't working as a builder, plasterer or manager of a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant, John Wayne Gacy – the sadistic ra**st, strangler and murderer of 33 young men and boys, many of whom he buried in the crawl space beneath his house – also worked as a family entertainer.
As the stench of the decomposing bodies became impossible to disguise, police uncovered one of America's most infamous serial murder cases. Yet to many local children, Gacy had simply been "Pogo the Clown", a cheerful charity fundraiser and entertainer.
Ed Gein – "The Mad Butcher"
The inspiration behind Robert Bloch's Psycho, bachelor Ed Gein had an unhealthy obsession with grave robbing, necrophilia and taxidermy.
After the death of his beloved mother, Gein wished to fashion himself a "woman suit". When police raided his Wisconsin farmstead, they discovered a house of horrors: bowls made from skulls, masks fashioned from human faces, a corset cut from a female torso, leggings made from human skin, a belt stitched from human ni***es and a lampshade created from the skin of a woman's face.
Rodney Alcala – "The Dating Game Killer"
Rodney Alcala sits on Death Row for the r**e and murder of multiple women, although investigators suspect his true victim count could exceed fifty.
What makes his case so notorious is that, during his killing spree, and despite already having a conviction for sexual offences, Alcala appeared as a contestant on the American television show The Dating Game.
Even more astonishingly, he won.
His prize was a date with contestant Cheryl Bradshaw, but she later refused, describing him as "too creepy".
Stephen Griffiths – "The Crossbow Cannibal"
Between June 2009 and April 2010, Stephen Griffiths murdered three women in Bradford and disposed of body parts in the River Aire.
He became known as "The Crossbow Cannibal" after introducing himself by that nickname during court proceedings, much to the horror of his own defence team. Despite the sensational title, there is no evidence that Griffiths ever consumed any part of his victims, although he did own a crossbow.
Henri Désiré Landru – "The Ladykiller"
Although hardly a handsome rogue, Landru posted adverts in the lonely hearts sections of Parisian newspapers seeking widows looking for companionship.
During the chaos of the First World War, he had no shortage of potential victims.
Between 1914 and 1919, Landru posed as a sensitive lover, lured ten grieving women to their deaths, stole their assets and burned their bodies, all while corresponding with each woman under a different alias.
Colin Ireland – "The Gay Slayer"
A married heterosexual man, Colin Ireland preyed upon homosexual men at London's notorious Coleherne pub.
Always carrying a murder kit and a spare change of clothes, Ireland specifically targeted men with certain sexual preferences, making it easier to gain access to his victims. After each murder, he would often spend the night in the victim's flat, having already scrubbed it of forensic evidence.
Unknown – "The Doodler"
Between January 1974 and June 1975, at least five men were stabbed to death around San Francisco after encountering their killer in bars.
Before murdering them, the killer reportedly enjoyed sketching his intended victims, giving rise to the nickname "The Doodler".
Although he is suspected of being responsible for up to fourteen murders, many witnesses refused to cooperate with police due to the stigma surrounding homosexuality in 1970s America.
Dennis Rader – "The BTK Killer"
Between 1974 and 1991, Dennis Rader murdered ten people in Kansas.
His nickname, BTK, stood for "Bind, Torture, Kill" – a description of the methods he used on his victims.
Eager for notoriety, Rader taunted investigators and the media with letters detailing his crimes. When finally arrested in February 2005, an officer asked him, "Mr Rader, do you know why you're going downtown?"
Rader calmly replied, "Oh, I have suspicions why."
Robert Maudsley – "Hannibal the Cannibal"
While serving a life sentence, Robert Maudsley murdered fellow inmate Bill Roberts by stabbing him in the head.
Tabloid newspapers dubbed him "Hannibal the Cannibal", claiming he had eaten part of his victim's brain with a spoon.
The story was entirely fabricated.
Maudsley remains one of Britain's most infamous prisoners and continues to serve a whole-life sentence in solitary confinement.
Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka – "The Barbie and Ken Killers"
Dubbed so because many could not believe such an apparently perfect couple could be capable of such horrific crimes, Bernardo and Homolka stalked, assaulted, abducted, tortured and murdered numerous young women in Canada.
Paul Bernardo remains imprisoned, while Karla Homolka served just twelve years after claiming she had been an unwilling participant, despite video evidence showing her involvement in the abuse.
Unknown – "Charlie Chop-Off"
Between 1972 and 1973, a sadistic killer murdered and mutilated several young boys in New York.
The nickname "Charlie Chop-Off" arose from the post-mortem mutilations inflicted upon the victims.
Although a suspect confessed, he was deemed mentally unfit to stand trial and the case remains unsolved.
Peter Tobin – possibly "Bible John"
Between 1968 and 1969, three women were murdered after meeting a man at Glasgow's Barrowland Ballroom.
One witness described him as well-dressed, polite and prone to quoting scripture, giving rise to the nickname "Bible John".
Many investigators have noted similarities between these murders and the crimes of Peter Tobin, although no conclusive evidence has ever linked him to the killings.
Graham Young – "The Teacup Poisoner"
Obsessed with chemistry from an early age, Graham Young poisoned members of his own family using antimony.
After being declared mentally fit and released from Broadmoor, he gained employment in a laboratory, where he resumed poisoning colleagues by spiking their tea.
Two people died before his crimes were uncovered.
Ray Fernandez and Martha Beck – "The Lonely Hearts Killers"
Between 1947 and 1949, Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck targeted women they met through lonely hearts advertisements.
Posing as a caring suitor and his sister, the pair conned victims out of money before murdering them.
Martha's jealousy often fuelled the violence, and some victims' children were also killed.
Both were eventually executed in Sing Sing Prison.
John Cooper – "The Bullseye Killer"
Burglar John Cooper earned his nickname after appearing on the ITV game show Bullseye in the same year he committed two brutal double murders in Pembrokeshire.
The footage later became chilling viewing after investigators realised that the smiling contestant on television was, in fact, a serial killer responsible for robbery, r**e and murder.
