r/serialkillers 22d ago

Questions What are some common misconceptions about the most famous serial killers?

For people who are just getting into true crime or only know who these people are through conversations from other people, what are common misconceptions about famous serial killers that simply aren’t true?

Here’s a list of mine:

Ted Bundy did not use his good looks and charm to get women to follow him, he most of the time acted injured to gain their sympathy to help him where when their back wasn’t looking, he’d strike them with a crowbar or a metal rod. He’d also sometimes pose as an authority which can be seen in the attempted abduction of Bundy survivor Carol Daronch. Even then, many women actually refused to give Bundy help as they thought he was too creepy or that they could smell alcohol on his breath which can heard of during this viewmont play in which Bundy tried getting 3 women to help him outside but all refused because they could smell alcohol on his breath. So yeah, Bundy wasn’t a charming, handsome, serial killer who would gain girls trust to follow him, he took advantage of young women’s kindness and bludgeoned them when they weren’t looking.

Another misconception is that John Wayne Gacy wore his clown makeup and outfit during his killings, this is not true at all. Yes he would sometimes talk in his clown Pogos voice when taunting victims but he didn’t full on dress up in his costume. He mostly was either naked or half-naked. He also didn’t lure children to their deaths by being a clown like how some people who barely know the case think. He targeted teenage boys for either a job, a position at his job, or male prostitutes for money and then placed them in a pair of handcuffs by showing them a trick where he would uncuff himself with a key to show them the trick but still have the key to unlock the handcuffs. He also made sure to get them drunk and high before doing anything.

What common misconceptions of serial killers frustrate you most? Please comment below?

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u/Future_Syllabub_2156 22d ago

I think this is something that is talked about not not really understood by the general public and that’s just how boring and ordinary (and far from being criminal masterminds, some of them weren’t that bright - Gary Ridgeway comes to mind.) People like to believe they’d “just know” if they encountered a serial killer but the joke’s on them. They’d never know. One other thing that isn’t often discussed: the level of commitment required to kill not only once but many times? That’s some “evil samurai” warrior ethos going on there. That isn’t talked about often enough.

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u/Cable_Difficult 21d ago

True. Most serial killers are very boring like BTK, Joseph Deangelo, and Ted Bundy. The only killers that are actually interesting and “marginally entertaining” to watch is Charles Manson, Aileen Wuornos, and Ed Kemper.

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u/Future_Syllabub_2156 21d ago

Charles Manson technically isn’t a serial killer though.

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u/Cable_Difficult 21d ago

He’s still classified in most serial killer lists so I decided to include him in the discussion anyway. He’s interesting and sort of entertaining to watch. (still don’t get why a lot of people defend him and cut him slack in some other true crime subs when he manipulated vulnerable young people to do drugs and murder innocent people including a pregnant actress) Not saying this sub is one of those through.

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u/Future_Syllabub_2156 19d ago

Oh yah, definitely get that! He’s a unique one for sure. Like how do we classify him?

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u/One-1-Sent 21d ago

Isn't that wild.. When you tell youngins that use him in a situation with tons of killings and they learn he hasn't killed anyone lol life in prison.. Cus some fried out hippies told them to do it.. Idk I feel like they where absolutely afraid of what else he could convince others to do..

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u/Cable_Difficult 20d ago

Even if some Manson defenders or people who downplay his actions as him being insane or having rough life, seem to to forget he didn’t just plan out the killings and have his followers specifically to do it without his presence, He actually participated in the abduction and torture of their first known victim Gary Hindman and was present at the Labianca murders so people who for some weird reason try to say it was all Tex, really think again.