The world we live in can be a terrifying place, filled with unspeakable acts of violence and brutality that shake us to our core. From serial killers to mass murderers, the list of heinous crimes committed throughout history is extensive and gruesome. The crimes listed below are just a small sample of the horrors that human beings are capable of. Each of these cases is a chilling reminder of the depths of depravity that some individuals can sink to. It is not for the faint of heart, but by delving into these crimes, we can learn valuable lessons about human behaviour and perhaps prevent such atrocities from happening in the future. So, brace yourself for a journey into the darkest corners of the human psyche as we explore 15 gruesome crimes that will chill you to the bone.
15 Gruesome Crimes: Crimes That Will Chill You to the Bone
Jon Venables and Robert Thompson
In 1993, a horrific crime shocked the world when two 10-year-old boys, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, were found guilty of murdering two-year-old James Bulger. The young killers lured and abducted the innocent toddler from a shopping mall while his mother’s back was turned. The helpless boy’s body was discovered two days later on a set of railroad tracks.
The extent of the mutilation was so severe that the autopsy could not determine the exact cause of death, leaving a lingering sense of horror and grief in the hearts of those who heard of this tragic event. Despite the passage of time, the case remains etched in the collective memory of the public as a chilling reminder of the darkest corners of human nature.
Diane Downs
The tragic events of 1983 saw Diane Downs, a mother of three, shoot her own children before driving them to the hospital for medical attention. Sadly, one of her daughters could not be saved and was pronounced dead upon arrival. Another daughter was left with a stroke, while her son was paralyzed from the waist down. Initially, Diane claimed that a mysterious man had attempted to steal her car and then shot her children.
However, the police found evidence to the contrary when they stumbled upon her secret diary, which exposed her obsession with a married man who did not want children. This revelation ultimately led to her arrest and subsequent sentencing to life in prison, with an additional 50-year term. The case serves as a sobering reminder of the destructive power of obsession and the devastating consequences that can result from it.
Nikki Yadav-Sahil Gehlot
The shocking murder of Nikki Yadav in Delhi in 2022 drew similarities to a previous case, serving as a chilling reminder of the copycat phenomenon. On January 10th, the Delhi police received a tip-off regarding the heinous crime, naming Sahil Gehlot as the culprit who had murdered his live-in partner. The informant also divulged that Gehlot had gotten married to another woman on the same day he committed the crime. Upon investigation, the police discovered Yadav’s body stuffed inside a refrigerator at a roadside eatery owned by Gehlot on the outskirts of Delhi’s Mitraon village.
Though the accused was not present at the scene, he was later apprehended by the police at the Kair village crossing. At first, Gehlot vehemently denied the accusations, but after thorough questioning, he eventually confessed to the killing. The case highlights the disturbing trend of copycat murders, where one violent act inspires another, and serves as a stark reminder of the importance of awareness and prevention measures.
Dennis Nilsen
During the late ’70s and early ’80s, London was gripped by a series of horrific murders that left six young men dead. The perpetrator would frequent the city’s bars and prey on vulnerable victims, bringing them back to his residence where he would proceed to strangle them. However, the brutality didn’t end there; the killer would also indulge in bathing and dressing the lifeless bodies and even conversing with them while engaging in sexual acts before ultimately disposing of them by burning or flushing down the toilet. The ghastly crimes went unnoticed until the remains of the victims caused a blockage in a drain outside the killer’s home, leading to his eventual capture.
Katherine Knight
The gruesome tale of Katherine Knight sent shockwaves throughout Australia, as she became the first woman in the country’s history to receive a life sentence without the possibility of parole. After an argument with her partner, John Price, Knight fatally stabbed him before proceeding to skin his body. The macabre scene only worsened from there, as she then decapitated him and cooked various parts of his body in a disturbing attempt to feed them to her unsuspecting children. The extent of her depravity was highlighted by the fact that she had set the table for the ghastly meal, complete with place cards to indicate where her children should sit. The horrific incident serves as a chilling reminder of the darkness that can lie within the human psyche, and the need for justice and protection against those who would inflict such unspeakable horrors upon others.
Shraddha Vikas Walker – Aaftab Amin Poonawala
The chilling murder of 26-year-old Shraddha Vikas Walker has left the city of Delhi reeling with shock and horror. Reports suggest that Walker and her live-in partner, 28-year-old Aaftab Amin Poonawala, had moved to Delhi from Mumbai. However, their seemingly normal relationship took a dark turn on May 18th when an argument between the couple escalated and Poonawala, in a fit of rage, murdered Walker.
What followed next was nothing short of a scene from a horror movie, as Poonawala took inspiration from the American crime show Dexter and dismembered Walker’s body before scattering the body parts across a nearby forest area. The gruesome crime was only recently discovered, sending shockwaves throughout the local community and beyond.
The Alphabet Murders
In upstate New York between 1971 and 1973, the gruesome murders of three young girls shook the nation. Carmen Colon, Michelle Maenza, and Wanda Walkowicz were raped, strangled, and killed. It was eerie how each victim’s first and last names started with the same letter, and their bodies were discovered in cities starting with the same letter of their names: Colon in Churchville, Maenza in Macedon, and Walkowicz in Webster. These horrific incidents became infamously known as the Alphabet murders, and despite questioning several hundred people, no one has ever been convicted of the crimes.
Issei Sagawa
Issei Sagawa committed a heinous crime in 1981 when he murdered and cannibalized a woman in his apartment in France. Over a two-day period, he consumed various parts of her body as he believed that it would allow him to “absorb her beauty.” He also engaged in sexual activity with the corpse. After attempting to dispose of the remains in a nearby lake, he was arrested and charged with murder. However, he was declared legally insane and was not prosecuted. In Japan, he gained notoriety and became a mini-celebrity. Due to his status as a free man, he is still at large and has yet to face justice for his horrific crimes.
The Ranga-Billa Case
The notorious murderers Kuljeet Singh (alias Ranga Khus) and Jasbir Singh (alias Billa) earned their moniker from their false identities used during their heinous crime spree. In August of 1978, they abducted siblings Geeta Chopra, 16, and Sanjay Chopra, 14, for ransom. The killers, as reported, mistakenly believed the children belonged to a wealthy family, but upon discovering their father was a naval officer, decided to eliminate them instead. The siblings were brutally raped and murdered, and their remains were discovered in a state of decomposition by a cowherd in Delhi Ridge on August 28, 1978. Following their arrest on September 9, 1978, both men were found guilty and sentenced to death.
The Papin Sisters
Christine and Léa Papin, known as the Papin sisters, were two live-in maids in France. In 1933, after working for the Lancelin family for seven years, they brutally murdered Madame Lancelin and her daughter Genevieve. The mother and daughter were beaten and stabbed so ferociously that their bodies were almost beyond recognition. The Papin sisters gouged out their victims’ eyes, which was a particularly heinous aspect of the crime. When the police arrived at the crime scene, they found the sisters in their bedroom, naked and in bed together, with the murder weapon nearby.
Carl Tanzler
Carl Tanzler was a radiology technologist who developed an obsessive attraction to one of his patients, Helen Milagro de Hoyos. Despite her death in 1931, Tanzler’s fixation only grew stronger. He even claimed to have received messages from Hoyos’ spirit telling him to restore her to life. In 1933, he removed her body from its tomb and brought it back to his home where he kept it in his bed. He used various chemicals and methods to preserve the corpse, including replacing her eyes with glass ones. Tanzler reportedly lived with the corpse for several years, even dressing it up in clothes and applying makeup to it. It wasn’t until Hoyos’ sister discovered the truth in 1940 that Tanzler was finally caught.
The Tandoor Murders
The gruesome Naina Sahani murder case, also known as the tandoor murder, shook India in 1995. Sushil Sharma, the accused, murdered his wife, Naina Sahni, on the suspicion of having an extramarital affair with a man named Matloob Karim. On the night of July 2, 1995, Sharma shot and killed Naina, then attempted to dispose of her body by chopping it up and burning it in the tandoor of Baghiya restaurant, with the help of his friend Keshav Kumar.
The duo’s efforts to burn the corpse completely failed, and the police eventually discovered the burnt body parts. In November 2003, Sharma was found guilty and awarded the death penalty, but in 2013, the Supreme Court commuted his sentence, citing a lack of evidence of Sharma chopping his wife’s body. However, in October of the same year, a three-judge bench upheld his earlier conviction and reduced the sentence to life imprisonment.
In a surprising turn of events, the Delhi High Court ordered the immediate release of Sushil Sharma from prison in 2018, over two decades after the heinous crime. The decision came after Sharma had spent several years on death row and later received a commuted sentence of life imprisonment. Despite the earlier conviction, the court cited a lack of conclusive evidence in the case, leading to Sharma’s unexpected release.
Gertrude Bainszewski
In 1965, Gertrude Baniszewski and her family committed one of the most heinous crimes in Indiana’s history. They brutally tortured and ultimately killed 16-year-old Sylvia Likens over a period of three months while she was staying with them. The details of her torture are too gruesome to recount, but it involved severe beatings, burns, and mutilation. The Baniszewski family subjected Sylvia to unimaginable horrors until she died from her injuries.
Tamara Samsonova
Tamara Samsonova is a 71-year-old Russian woman who is known as the “Granny Ripper” due to her serial killings from 2000 to 2015. She is believed to have murdered and cannibalized at least 11 victims. Shockingly, she maintained a detailed diary chronicling her crimes, and in one instance, she admitted to killing her friend over unwashed dishes. She drugged the friend with sleeping pills and dismembered her body while she was still conscious. Samsonova is also suspected of killing her husband, whom she reported missing in 2005.
Nirbhaya Rape
The Nirbhaya case is one of the most infamous and heartbreaking rape and murder cases in India’s history. On December 16, 2012, Jyoti Singh, a 22-year-old physiotherapy intern, and her male friend were brutally attacked and tortured on a private bus in Delhi. The six men, including the driver of the bus, took turns raping and assaulting her. Singh suffered severe injuries and ultimately passed away two days later.
One of the rapists was a juvenile, Mohammed Afroz, who was given a three-year sentence in a reform facility. Another accused, Ram Singh, died in police custody, with his family claiming it was a murder. The four remaining accused, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma, Akshay Thakur, and Mukesh Singh, were found guilty of rape and murder in 2013 and sentenced to death. After multiple appeals and delays, they were finally executed by hanging on March 20, 2020, seven years after the horrific incident took place.
