Children are usually looked at as being innocent. But people don’t stay children forever and they grow up. Some of them will completely lose their innocence along with their humanity. Some will even end up becoming the most evil and murderous people on Earth. Just like the first boy on our list, who’s evil ways made him as infamous as he was smart.
The following list is compiled of people who have raped, killed and tortured. Some were incredibly powerful dictators who used their authority to punish those they deemed worthy of punishment. Others were seemingly normal people who snapped and terrorized their communities. What’s one thing they all have in common? Adorable childhood photos. Just like the first man on our list, who appears to have stepped straight from a Stephen King Novel.
The boy in this photo ends up being one of the most infamous serial killers in American history. John Wayne Gacy became known as the “Killer Clown.” In the 1970s, Gacy tortured, sexually assaulted, and murdered 33 young boys in Illinois. After investigating his home, police found items from one of his victims, and Gacy was arrested. He died of lethal injection in 1994. The next person on our list isn’t your “typical” serial killer!
Many people think Wuornos was the first female serial killer, but that’s not quite true. Even though she wasn’t the first, she did kill seven men in one year. She came from a rough childhood. She never met her father, was molested by her grandfather, and abandoned by her very own mother. She claimed the killings were in self-defense, but a jury found her guilty, and she was sentenced to death. Did this next killer’s eyes give him away as a child?
This little boy is Anders Breivik, and as he grew up in Norway he became a killer who murdered 77 people. Of those people, 69 were members of the Workers Youth League on a summer camp. He considers himself a fascist and a nationalist. He even wrote a manifesto expressing his utter hatred for Islam and feminism. He’s serving life in prison in Norway. The next man on our list was inspiration for Breivek.
The cute, chubby-cheeked baby on the left grew up to be the most famous man in history. The other child turned out to be one of his closest advisors. The horrific duo led a reign of terror which established World War II and the Holocaust. Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler ordered the death of 11-14 million people, most of them being Jewish. Looking at the next boy, you’d never guess what he would later become.
Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut on December 14, 2012, and committed a heinous crime. Using a semi-automatic rifle he killed 20 first-graders and six staff members. Before heading to the school, he also murdered his mother. Later that day, he turned his weapon on himself. Next, we’ll travel back in time for our next killer!
This cute boy, with puffy hair, was central figure in the French Revolution, Maximilien Robespierre, but that’s certainly not all he’s famous for. As deputy of the National Convention, France’s post-revolution government, he helped lead the Reign of Terror. During this time, 17,000 people were sentenced to death. Next on our list is a man who also terrorized people using his power.
People know Saddam Hussein for his hatred for the US and other international conflicts. But he was also brutal to his very own people. On a regular basis, his government carried out horrific purges and genocides which led to the death of 25,000 people. He was executed in 2003, but Iraq is still on the mend from his bloody regime and the wars that followed. The next man on our list was also a dictator, but considered a hero by many.
Founder of the People’s Republic of China and Chairman of the Communist Party from 1949 until 1976, Mao Zedong wasn’t everything he seemed. His intentions were to create a modern, democratic China, but many of his policies led to poverty and famine, which killed millions. He also was the leader of the Cultural Revolution, which persecuted millions and killed hundreds of thousands. The next man on our list may not have been a politician, but he was very persuasive.
Charles Manson was once a photogenic, young boy. All that changed as he grew up. Manson is known as being the leader of the Manson family cult. The cult was found guilty of nine murders in 1969, during “The Summer of Love.” He was so charismatic that he convinced his followers that the killings would incite an apocalyptic race war. This next man would forever change the lives of 21st century America.
This small boy would one day become the number one enemy of America. Osama Bin Laden was responsible for the terror attacks on the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. He was the founder of al-Qaeda, the organization responsible for the attacks. Ten years after he was killed by a US special ops unit that ambushed him. The next man was quite attractive, which helped him quite a bit.
Ted Bundy was always a handsome man, but he grew up to be a horrible serial killer. His list of crimes includes kidnap, rape, murder, and even necrophilia. In only four years, Bundy confessed to 30 deaths, but police believe he was responsible for many more. It looks like the next killer on our list was a good-looking guy, as well. Maybe it’s a trend?
Jeffrey Dahmer, born in Wisconsin, was almost as bad as John Wayne Gacy in the serial killer department. He was found guilty of raping, murdering, and dismembering 17 men and boys over a 20-year-span, starting in the 70s. Even though he was sentenced to life in prison, a fellow inmate claimed God told him to bludgeon him to death, and Bundy was killed. The next killer may be considered the most infamous killer in America.
Gary Ridgway was known as the Green River Killer and was suspected of committing up to 90 murders! Most of his victims worked in the sex industry, or were runaways. Like Bundy, Ridgway also had a taste for necrophilia. The next man on our list may have been a cute baby, but his crimes were far from cute.
Emperor Hirohito was born as the heir of the Japanese Empire. He reigned from 1926 until he died in 1989. As emperor, he was responsible for an incredible number of war crimes committed by his armed forces. At the end of World War II, While American forces were advancing on the island of Japan, he was unbelievably able to convince over 1,000 civilians to take their own lives.