See What Notorious Killers Looked Like As Kids

1. John Wayne Gacy as a child

Image source/ Famous PeopleThis is John Wayne Gacy. He may look like a normal boy however his childhood was far from it; he was routinely emotionally and physically abused by his father. But, in terms of his strange behaviour he did not start displaying signs until he was somewhat older.

2. John Wayne Gacy

Image source/ Famous PeopleJohn Wayne Gacy became one of the worsts serial killers ever. He held down a normal job for many years, and actually had 3 wives. And for a number of years, he was murdering, torturing and raping many, many boys and young men - 33 in total. Eventually, he was caught and then he was sentenced to death and killed by lethal injection.

3. Jeffrey Dahmer as a child

Image source/ RedditJeffrey Dahmer was never a normal boy - despite the fact he might have looked like anyone else. From the age of just 4, he was displaying characteristics and obsessions with body parts and dead animals. This continued and his characteristics became more and more disturbing and by teenage years he was collecting roadkill and experiencing fantasies of murder.

4. Jeffrey Dahmer

Image source/ vocal.mediaAs a young man, he became one of the most notorious serial killers. He murdered 17 young boys and men. He would lure them back, attack them, rape them and kill them. He'd then dismember the bodies and commit acts of necrophilia before wating some of the body parts. He was murdered in prison by another inmate.

5. Al Capone as a child

Image source/ FlickrAl Capone, even as a teenager already had taken multiple jobs as a bouncer for organised crime areas, and he began joining crime gangs for juniors when he was still young. When he was just 14, he was excluded for hitting a female teacher. Since then, he turned his head to crimes and gangs.

6. Al Capone

Image source/ FactinateAlphonse Gabriel Capone was a notorious American gangster who often went by the nickname Scarface. He was a crime boss for several years. He began a bootlegging. He took part in so many illegal activities and business but his relationships with police and politicians kept him safe. He ordered the murders of MANY people -all who posed a threat to his business and power.

7. Ted Bundy as a child

Ted Bundy was born from unmarried parents, as an illegitimate child, which at this time could leave you ostracised by society. He did not know his father. And he realised when he was a teen that the person that he thought was his elder sister, was actually his mother. He started displaying strange behaviour from a very young age.

8. Ted Bundy

Image source/ YahooTed Bundy is so renowned as a heinous serial killer, best known for how he charmed and lured young women in, and then murdered them. He would rape and kill the women and then perform acts of necrophilia. He committed 30 murders before he was eventually caught. He was sentenced in Florida to death by electric chair.

9. Dennis Radar as a child

Image source/ blogspotDennis Radar grew up as one of four siblings, with parents who did not have much time for their children at all, having to work very long hours to keep the family. From a very young age he was displaying concerning traits - torturing and killing small animals as well as having sadistic fantasies about hurting women.

10. Dennis Radar

Image source/ Investigation RadarDennis Radar was known as the BTK Strangler as well as the BTK killer. He gave himself the name BTK to stand for blind, torture, kill. He brutally killed 10 people, and he would send details of their murders in letter to the police as a way to taunt them - the fact he was at large, killing innocent people. He eventually got caught and was sentenced to 10 consecutive life sentences in jail.

11. James Holmes as a child

Image source/ RedditHolmes never had an easy childhood due to his extreme mental health issues which led to him attempting to commit suicide at 11 years old. He would have hallucinations or paranoia and he also had depression. He saw a psychiatrist who admitted that Homes had an obsession with killing from a young age.

12. James Holmes

Image source/ SlateJames Holmes committed the 2012 Colorado shooting. He was responsible for killing 12 people and injuring around 70 other people. He then entered a plea which stated that he was not guilty because he was medically insane. The plea was accepted. However, Holmes was sentenced to 12 consecutive life sentences so that he could never endanger society again.

13. Harold Shipman as a child

Image source/ The Daily TelegraphHarold Shipman grew up one of three children, with two very strictly religious parents. He excelled in areas of sport as a child. When he was 17, he lost his mum with whom he had a very close bond, to lung cancer. He used to witness the home doctor administering her pain killers.

14. Harold Shipman

Image source/Manchester Evening NewsHarold Shipman was one of the worst serial killers in modern history. He was a general practitioner who abused his position of power to murder his own patients. He is estimated to have taken 250 lives. There were a few inquiries and investigations due to the high death rate of his patients. Eventually he was caught and sent to prison, where he hung himself in his cell.

15. Albert Fish as a child

Image source/ jasonviberandAlbert Fish came from a family with a background of mental health issues. His father was 43 years older than his mother and when he was born, he was 75. He died a few years after Albert was born and his mother placed him in an orphanage where he spent much of his childhood. He was frequently physically abused whilst he was there.

16. Albert Fish

Image source/ Famous PeopleAlbert Fish was an American serial killer, who used to rape and eat his victims. He was also notorious for child molesting and murdering three children. He was a suspect for five murders however it is thought that his number of victims was much bigger than this. He was eventually sentenced to death by electric chair.

17. Pedro Alonso López as a child

Image source/ jogadasandPedro Alonso López grew up with his mother as one of 13 siblings, his father was killed in an armed conflict. Lopez claimed that his mother was physically abusive to her children and that she was a sex worker who used to be assaulted herself. Some claim that he was kicked out of the house for inappropriately touching his younger sister. He then became homeless as a child and was sexually assaulted.

18. Pedro Alonso López

Image source/ BIOPedro Alonso López became known as the Monster of the Andes, He was believed to have been responsible for the murder of over 300 people. He would seek out young girls and take them to remote areas where he would rape them before murdering them. Everywhere he went, he would kill huge numbers of young girls.

19. Richard Ramirez as a child

Image source/ PinterestRamirez grew up being abused by his father and very young he started to possess sordid and disturbing interests. His older cousin from the military would teach him things that he later used to carry out his series of murders. He also became addicted to drugs at a young age.

20. Richard Ramirez

Image source/ blogspotRichard Ramirez, also known as the night stalker, was a horrendous American serial killer. His killings took place in Los Angeles and San Franciso Bay and happened over a 14-month period. He was charged of 14 counts of burglary, 13 counts of murder and five attempted murders as well as committing 11 sexual assaults.

21. Belle Sorenson Gunness as a child

Image source/ descoperaBelle Sorenson had a childhood where her family struggled for money. She was one of 8 siblings and she started work at the age of 14, helping locals with jobs. She saved money to move to New York where she then worked in a butcher's shop. There was nothing in her childhood that would have shown any inkling of what she would turn into.

22. Belle Sorenson Gunness

Image source/ thelineupBelle Sorenson Gunness killed 14 men, all of whom she would entice back to her home on the promise of marrying them. Only once she had managed to get them there, she would murder them and take their money. Although 14 murders are known, is it thought that she was involved in over 40 murders.

23. Ed Gein as a child

Image source/ grungeEd Gein was born into a family with a highly religious mother who would preach daily about the sins of life and how women were naturally full of sin, and there to tempt people into evil. His father was an alcoholic. The family moved away to a remote farm where they saw no one.

24. Ed Gein

Image source/ BritannicaEd Gein was a prolific murderer as well as a body snatcher who would dig up bodies from graves and keep their bones or remains as trophies. He murdered women around his hometown in Wisconsin. He was pronounced legally insane and institutionalised for the rest of his life.

25. Gary Ridgway as a child

Image source/ factionary.coGary Ridgway grew up in a tumultuous household where his mother and father would often have violent arguments. His father would also regularly voice his hatred of sex workers. Gary Ridgway would regularly wet the bed and his mother would wash him. He revealed that he had equal desires of a sexual/ murdering nature towards his mother as a child.

26. Gary Ridgway

Image source/ thoughtcatalogRidgway was a serial killer born in America and he was convicted of 49 murders, however, confessed to around 90. His killing spree took place from 1982–1998. His victims were made up of mostly young women and girls who were often sex workers. He would murder the women, and often perform sexual acts on the bodies and then dump them.

27. Tommy Lynn Sells as a child

Image source/ guruhomedocTommy Lynn Sells had a twin sister. However, his sister had meningitis when the twins were 18 months old, and it ended up killing her. He was then sent away to live with his auntie instead of his mother but returned again at the age of 5 when his mother realised, she wanted to keep him forever. When he was 8, his mother consented to a grown man named Willis Clark, molesting her son.

Tommy Lynn Sells

Image source/ murderpediaTommy Lyn Sells was diagnosed with personality disorder which entailed a lot of things such as bipolar, schizoid, psychosis and depression. He committed his first crime against a woman who he attacked and attempted to rape. She managed to get away and he was sent to prison. However, he was released and continued to murder over 22 people.

29. Enriqueta Marti as a child

Image source/ blogspotEnriqueta Martí reportedly grew up in fairly normal circumstances, with a normal childhood - and no trauma that is known of. But she was born with mental disabilities. As soon as she was old enough to work, she began working in prostitution in a high-class brothel.

30. Enriqueta Martí

Image source/ murderpediaEnriqueta Martí also became known as the Vampiress of El Raval. She became known as a notorious serial killer of children, as well as a kidnapper and someone who lured children into prostitution. She would also make and sell made up remedies for illnesses which she made from the remains of the children she killed.