Halloween Day by Day: Top Five Lesser Known Serial Killers to Make a Movie About

We all know that several horror movie killers are based on real life serials (with Ed Gein being the most prolific template), right?  Well, I've found five lesser known American serial killers that I think would serve as a great basis for horror movies.

So, here are my Top Five Lesser Known Serial Killers to Make a Movie About!

H.H. Holmes-  In 1887, Holmes started construction on a hotel... but it wasn't an ordinary hotel.  The hotel was designed so that he could move about unnoticed, select his victims, then kill them before sending them down chutes to the basement.

There, Holmes would dissect the corpses- the skeletons and organs of which he would then sell to medical schools in the area.  During this time period, few medical schools asked questions about where such things came from.

To learn more, check out his Wikipedia Page!

The Postcard Killer:  J. Frank Hickey committed his first murder at the age of 18.  From there, he would wander the country working odd jobs here and there- and even being a Freemason for awhile.

He killed a total of three people, sending a postcard to the police (a la Jack the Ripper), telling them where they could find the final victim.  This postcard is what gained him the name "The Postcard Killer".

He was arrested, and died in Auburn State Prison in 1922.

To learn more check out his Wikipedia Page!

Jolly Jane- Jane Toppan worked in the healthcare system, and was well liked by her coworkers, and the patients that she took care of.  What none of them suspected that she was "experimenting" on the patients by changing medications, dosages, etc to see what the effects were before they died.  She described the sexual thrill she got from being near her patients as they floated between Life and Death- often getting into bed with her victims.

After a quick string of murders occurred, she was finally arrested, and confessed to a total of 31 killings.

To learn more, check out her Wikipedia Page!

The Cleveland Torso Murders-  The 1930's saw Cleveland, Ohio the site of a series of up to 20 horrific murders.  The killer stalked the Depression Era shanty towns- selecting low income workers and drifters for decapitation, and dismemberment.

The killer was never identified...

To learn more, check out the Wikipedia Page!

The Axeman of New Orleans- The area surrounding New Orleans became the hunting ground for a serial killer from May 1918 to October 1919.

They would sneak into the home of an Italian immigrant, and then kill them... often using the victim's own axe.  Up to 12 souls met the Axeman.

A letter supposedly by The Axeman warned the public that he would be stalking the streets... but would spare the occupants of any house playing Jazz music.

To learn more, check out the Wikipedia Page!

So, there we have it- Five Lesser Known Serial Killers to Make a Movie About!