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10 Serial Killers and Drug Lords Who Slipped Through the Cracks of History

 1. The Zodiac Killer

Northern California, 1960s–70s

Few criminal legends are as enduring—or as cryptic—as the Zodiac Killer. At the height of America’s turbulent late '60s, when San Francisco was split between flower children and antiwar protests, a darker force emerged. He claimed 37 lives, though only five are officially confirmed. The Zodiac sent letters laced with coded messages and macabre taunts to local newspapers, challenging the public to crack his cipher. Despite decades of effort—from handwriting analysts to amateur sleuths armed with Reddit threads—the Zodiac's identity remains as unreadable as his symbols.

2. The Long Island Serial Killer (LISK)
Long Island, New York | Suspected active years: 1996–2011

In the sleepy suburban sprawl of Long Island, near the windswept beaches of Gilgo, a secret graveyard lay hidden for years. When a police officer stumbled upon human remains in 2010, it triggered one of the most chilling discoveries in modern crime history—up to 10 bodies, most of them women linked to online escort ads, buried along Ocean Parkway. In 2023, a suspect was arrested in connection with some of the murders. Still, many believe the arrest only scratches the surface of a far deeper, possibly multi-perpetrator case.

3. Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada
Mexico | Ongoing

If Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán was the face of the Sinaloa Cartel, El Mayo Zambada has been its ghost. Operating for over four decades, Zambada is the quintessential fugitive—a man who has never spent a day behind bars despite being at the helm of one of the world's most powerful drug empires. His ability to evade capture speaks volumes about the murky interplay of corruption, strategy, and old-school cunning that keeps some criminals eternally one step ahead.

4. The Servant Girl Annihilator
Austin, Texas | 1884–1885

Before Jack the Ripper slashed his way into London’s nightmares, Austin had its own monster. The Servant Girl Annihilator murdered at least eight people, mostly Black domestic servants, often attacking in their homes as they slept. The term “serial killer” hadn’t even been coined yet, but this killer’s brutal MO and choice of vulnerable victims fit the pattern. Despite several arrests and public hysteria, no one was ever definitively linked to the crimes, and the case faded into the dusty folds of Wild West lore.

5. The Freeway Phantom
Washington, D.C. | 1971–1972

During a time when the capital was gripped by both racial tension and urban decline, a chilling presence haunted its streets. The Freeway Phantom targeted young Black girls between the ages of 10 and 18, abducting them and dumping their bodies along highways. Notes left behind by the killer were taunting, and the investigation was marred by missteps and racial bias. To this day, the Phantom remains unidentified, his case a haunting reminder of victims forgotten by time.

6. D.B. Cooperp
Northwest U.S. | 1971

Part skyjacker, part folk hero, D.B. Cooper walked a tightrope between criminal genius and American legend. On the eve of Thanksgiving in 1971, he hijacked a Boeing 727, demanded $200,000 in cash, and parachuted into the dense forests of the Pacific Northwest—never to be seen again. The FBI chased theories for decades, including whispers that Cooper may have been a rogue intelligence agent or ex-military smuggler who later aligned with drug networks. His true fate is unknown, but his story reshaped how the world viewed airline security and criminal audacity.

7. The West Mesa Bone Collector
Albuquerque, New Mexico | Discovered 2009

When a housing boom turned to bust, the desert floor of West Mesa revealed a grotesque secret: the skeletal remains of 11 women, most linked to drugs and sex work, all dumped in a manner suggesting method and ritual. The case ignited fears of a serial killer targeting the most vulnerable—those living on the fringes of society. Years later, the case remains open, an aching wound in the heart of Albuquerque.

8. The Monster of Florence
Florence, Italy | 1968–1985

Italy’s answer to Jack the Ripper, the Monster of Florence haunted the Tuscan hills for nearly two decades. His victims were mostly couples parked in secluded lovers’ lanes—lured by the beauty of the countryside, only to be met with unimaginable violence. Despite numerous arrests and even convictions, the case was plagued with judicial incompetence, conspiracy theories, and media frenzy. The real killer may have died unnoticed, or worse—may still be alive.

9. The Chicago Tylenol Murderer
Chicago, Illinois | 1982

In the fall of 1982, America experienced one of its first major product-tampering scares. Seven people died after ingesting Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide. The random, chilling nature of the deaths shook consumer trust and led to nationwide changes in pharmaceutical packaging. Though several suspects were questioned—including a man who attempted to extort Johnson & Johnson—no charges were ever filed. The killer, whoever they were, weaponized fear in a bottle.

10. “La Comadre”
Central America | 1990s–2000s

Little is known about “La Comadre”—a whispered name in cartel folklore, rumored to be a woman who rose through the ranks of a brutal drug syndicate in the 1990s. Unlike her male counterparts, she supposedly wielded power from behind the scenes, orchestrating hits and shipments while avoiding media attention altogether. Her story could be myth, or she could be one of the most successful criminal tacticians of her era. In the drug war’s shadowy battleground, anonymity is the ultimate weapon.