Serial Killer Statistics
These figures are computed from the 104 serial killer profiles in this dataset. They describe the profiles written so far, which are chosen by public interest, not a representative sample of serial murder in the United States. For national estimates see how many serial killers are active and which state has the most.
By state
- 1 to 2
- 3 to 5
- 6 to 10
- 11 to 20
- More than 20
| State | Profiles | Murder convictions |
|---|---|---|
| California | 20 | 172 |
| Texas | 14 | 36 |
| Florida | 13 | 57 |
| New York | 12 | 60 |
| Ohio | 10 | 90 |
| Washington | 7 | 84 |
| Illinois | 6 | 40 |
| Indiana | 5 | 3 |
| Kansas | 5 | 12 |
| Massachusetts | 5 | 5 |
| Utah | 5 | 20 |
| Georgia | 4 | 9 |
| Louisiana | 4 | 9 |
| Michigan | 4 | 29 |
| Missouri | 4 | 20 |
| New Jersey | 4 | 41 |
| North Carolina | 4 | 15 |
| Oregon | 4 | 27 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | 33 |
| Virginia | 4 | 7 |
| Wisconsin | 4 | 36 |
| Alaska | 3 | 5 |
| Colorado | 3 | 9 |
| Connecticut | 3 | 2 |
| Kentucky | 3 | 44 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 26 |
| Vermont | 3 | 1 |
| Arkansas | 2 | 2 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 15 |
| Alabama | 1 | 1 |
| District of Columbia | 1 | 0 |
| Hawaii | 1 | 0 |
| Idaho | 1 | 3 |
| Maryland | 1 | 0 |
| Montana | 1 | 0 |
| Nebraska | 1 | 5 |
| Nevada | 1 | 0 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 0 |
| New Mexico | 1 | 0 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 1 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 11 |
| Wyoming | 1 | 5 |
Legal outcome and fate
| Legal status | Profiles |
|---|---|
| Convicted | 82 |
| Unidentified | 12 |
| Died before trial | 6 |
| Suspected, never charged | 2 |
| Confessed, never tried | 1 |
| Not guilty by reason of insanity | 1 |
| Fate | Profiles |
|---|---|
| Died in prison | 27 |
| Imprisoned | 27 |
| Executed | 23 |
| At large | 9 |
| Killed | 6 |
| Unknown | 4 |
| Died (other) | 3 |
| Suicide | 3 |
| Released | 2 |
Method
| Method | Profiles |
|---|---|
| strangulation | 53 |
| shooting | 37 |
| stabbing | 28 |
| bludgeoning | 9 |
| beating | 8 |
| blunt force | 7 |
| suffocation | 7 |
| asphyxiation | 6 |
| drowning | 6 |
| poisoning | 5 |
| sexual assault | 3 |
| arsenic | 2 |
| drugging | 2 |
| abduction | 2 |
| dismemberment | 2 |
| ligature strangulation | 2 |
| arson | 2 |
| ligature | 1 |
| bombing | 1 |
| unknown | 1 |
| burial in shallow graves | 1 |
| mutilation | 1 |
| digoxin overdose | 1 |
| insulin overdose | 1 |
| lidocaine injection | 1 |
| arsenic poisoning | 1 |
| rat poison | 1 |
| restraint | 1 |
| sniper | 1 |
| explosive | 1 |
| epinephrine injection | 1 |
| strychnine poisoning | 1 |
| poisoning (cyanide, arsenic) | 1 |
| oxygen deprivation | 1 |
| electrocution | 1 |
| succinylcholine injection | 1 |
| heparin overdose | 1 |
| dilantin overdose | 1 |
| gunshot | 1 |
| kidnapping | 1 |
| shotgun | 1 |
| overdose | 1 |
| prolonged physical abuse | 1 |
| neglect | 1 |
| chloroform poisoning | 1 |
| decapitation | 1 |
| axe blows to the head | 1 |
| throat cutting | 1 |
| drugging with prescription sedatives | 1 |
| burial in the yard | 1 |
| rape | 1 |
| home burglary | 1 |
| smothering | 1 |
| morphine | 1 |
| atropine | 1 |
Method and caveats
- Counts use the legal status, fate, states and dates recorded on each profile; see the schema in the site source.
- Years to arrest is the arrest year minus the year of the first known murder; profiles with no arrest are left out.
- A profile is counted under every state in which it records murders, so state totals can exceed the number of profiles.
- Murder convictions sum the convicted counts only; confessed and suspected numbers are not added.
Figures from this site are recomputed from the published profile dataset on every build. The dataset grows in order of public interest and is not a census of serial murder; the national figures quoted above come from the sources named next to them. To report an error, email info@coldcaseindex.com.
Last recomputed November 4, 2026.
Cite this entry
Permalink: https://coldcaseindex.com/serial-killers/statistics/. This entry was last updated on November 4, 2026; cite that date as the publication date. The primary sources listed above should be cited for the underlying facts.
- APA
- ColdCaseIndex. (2026, November 4). Serial Killer Statistics. https://coldcaseindex.com/serial-killers/statistics/
- MLA
- “Serial Killer Statistics.” ColdCaseIndex, 4 Nov. 2026, coldcaseindex.com/serial-killers/statistics/.
- Wikipedia
{{cite web |url=https://coldcaseindex.com/serial-killers/statistics/ |title=Serial Killer Statistics |website=ColdCaseIndex |date=2026-11-04 |access-date=}}