Content Warning: This article discusses murder, sexual assault, and crimes against children. Reader discretion is strongly advised.
Introduction
Today, we’re diving into a dark exploration of Virgo serial killers. According to research from Killer Cloud, Virgos ranks third on the list of zodiac signs associated with serial killers. While the website lists 39 Virgo serial killers, I’ll focus on the most intriguing and well-documented cases.
Notable Virgo Serial Killers
Sirihi Takach
Born: September 15, 1952, Soviet Union
Victims: 37 confirmed (claimed over 100)
Sirihi Takach was a chilling predator who exploited his position as a police investigator to commit horrific crimes. His victims were predominantly young girls, ranging from 8 to 18 years old. Takach’s modus operandi involved:
- Sexually assaulting victims
- Suffocating them
- Occasionally sexually assaulting victims post-mortem
Ironically, his downfall came during a victim’s funeral, where a visitor recognized him. He was arrested, confessed to over 100 murders, and was sentenced to life in prison. Tragically, 15 men were wrongly imprisoned for his crimes before his capture.
Maria Swanenburg: The Poisonous Neighbor
Born: September 9, 1839, Netherlands
Victims: 27 confirmed (suspected up to 90)
Known as “Goody Me” for her seemingly helpful nature, Maria Swanenburg was a master of arsenic poisoning. Her killing spree began with her parents in 1880 and continued with a calculated approach:
- Poisoned over 100 people
- 27 confirmed deaths
- 16 victims were her relatives
Her primary motivation appeared to be financial gain through insurance payouts and inheritances. Survivors of her poisonings often suffered chronic health issues. A particularly chilling detail: she would whisper “Your face is killing me” to her victims.
Richard Angelo: The Angel of Death
Born: August 29, 1962, Long Island, New York
Victims: Approximately 10
Richard Angelo embodied a terrifying medical nightmare as a nurse at Good Samaritan Hospital. His disturbing method involved:
- Inducing cardiac arrest in patients through medication
- Attempting to be seen as a hero by “saving” them
- Ultimately causing multiple patient deaths
Convicted of two murders and one manslaughter, he was sentenced to 50 years to life at just 27 years old.
Gerald Stano: The Traumatized Killer
Born: September 12, 1951, Schenectady, New York
Victims: 22 confirmed (claimed 41)
Gerald Stano’s tragic backstory reveals a lifetime of trauma:
- Severely neglected as a child
- Adopted at six months
- Documented behavioral problems
- Struggled academically
Stano’s killing method varied, sometimes using guns, strangulation, or knives. Notably, he did not sexually assault his victims. He was found guilty of nine murders and executed by electric chair in 1998.
Albert DeSalvo: The Boston Strangler
Born: September 3, 1931, Chelsea, Massachusetts
Victims: 13 women (disputed)
Albert DeSalvo’s connection to the Boston Strangler case remains a complex mystery. Key details include:
- Murders occurred from 1962 to 1964
- The case remains partially unsolved
- Significant breakthrough in 2013:
- DNA evidence linked DeSalvo to Mary Sullivan’s murder
- Familial DNA matched DeSalvo’s nephew to a rape and murder case
Interesting timeline:
- Sentenced to life in prison in the 1960s
- Escaped in February 1967
- He recanted his Boston Strangler confession
- Died in prison at age 42 in 1973
- Stabbed to death by another inmate
Joseph Christopher: The 22 Caliber Killer
Born: July 26, 1955, Buffalo, New York
Victims: 12 confirmed
Background:
- They came from a seemingly normal family
- Avid hunter, intelligent but quiet
- Diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 1980
Killing Spree:
- Murdered three men within 36 hours using a .22 caliber rifle
- 19 deaths associated within four months
- Sentenced to life in prison at age 30
- Died in prison in 1993 from rare male breast cancer
Benjamin Atkins: Targeting the Vulnerable
Born: August 26, 1968, Detroit, Michigan
Victims: 11 women
Atkins targeted:
- Sex workers
- Drug addicts
- Middle-aged women in destitute conditions
Modus Operandi:
- Operated in the Highland Park area
- Killed during nine months (1991-1992)
- Lured victims to an abandoned house
- Tortured, murdered, and sexually assaulted victims
Legal Outcome:
- Confessed to murders
- Claimed criminal insanity due to child abuse
- Sentenced to 11 life terms
- Died in prison in 1997 at age 29 from HIV
John Justin Bunting: The Snowtown Murders
Born: September 4, 1966
Victims: 11 (part of the Snowtown Murders)
The Snowtown Murders (Bodies in Barrels):
- Occurred in South Australia from 1992 to 1999
- It involved three men: John Bunting, Robert Wagner, and James Velasquez
- Bodies found in barrels in an abandoned bank vault
- Victims ranged from 18 to 50 years old
Bunting’s Motivation:
- Claimed victims were pedophiles or homosexuals
- One victim was his romantic partner
- Another was his accomplice’s stepbrother
Legal Proceedings:
- Longest trial in South Australian history (12 months)
- Convicted of 12 murders
- Confessed to three
- Sentenced to 11 consecutive life sentences in 2003
Lonnie David Franklin: The Grim Sleeper
Born: August 30, 1952, Los Angeles
Victims: At least 10 confirmed (suspected up to 25)
- Murdered women in the LA area
- Convicted of killing 9 women and 1 teenage girl in 2016
- Sentenced to the death penalty
- Found dead in his prison cell in March 2020
Mary Beth Tinning: A Chilling Case of Child Mortality
Born: September 11, 1942, Waynesburg, New York
Victims: 9 of her children
A Disturbing Pattern:
- Suspected of killing children over 14 years
- Convicted in 1985 for the murder of her 4-year-old daughter Tammy Lynn
- Exploited the rising awareness of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Victim Timeline:
- First death: December 26, 1971 (Jennifer – died of meningitis)
- Subsequent deaths of children through various methods
- Attempted to poison her husband Joseph
Psychological Diagnosis:
- Potentially diagnosed with Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome
- Compared to the Gypsy Rose Blanchard case
- Controversial diagnosis
Legal Outcome:
- Charged with second-degree murder in 1987
- Imprisoned for 31 years
- Released on parole in 2018
- The husband continued to support her
Kiyotaka Katsuta: Japanese Serial Killer
Born: August 29, 1948, Tokyo, Japan
Victims: 8-22 confirmed
Crime Profile:
- Convicted of strangling and shooting
- Committed robberies in the 1970s and 1980s
- Arrested in 1983
- Suspected of sexual assault
- Executed by hanging in November 2000
Read More: Gemini Serial Killers
Paul Stephen Haye: Australian Murderer
Born: September 5, 1957, Victoria, Australia
Victims: 7 confirmed
Killing Spree:
- Served six life sentences without parole
- Initially imprisoned for armed robberies
- Killed three people in 1978
- Murdered his associate, the associate’s girlfriend, and her 10-year-old son
- Killed his 19-year-old girlfriend, stabbing her 157 times
- Assisted in a cellmate’s “suicide”
Terry Blair: Targeting Vulnerable Women
Born: September 16, 1961, Kansas City, Missouri
Victims: 7 confirmed (suspected more)
- 10 siblings
- Mother suffered from mental illness
- Mother murdered her common-law husband
Killing Pattern:
- The first murder in 1982 of a pregnant mother
- Released from first prison term in 2004
- Immediately began killing women aged 25-58
- Charged with six counts of first-degree murder
Harrison Graham: The Apartment Killer
Born: September 9, 1959, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Victims: 7 women
- Bodies found in his apartment
- The apartment was filled with two feet of trash
- Victims aged 22-36
- One victim was his girlfriend
Legal Proceedings:
- Claimed intellectual disability
- Found guilty in 1988
- Sentenced to six life sentences
- The only request was to have his Cookie Monster toy returned
Norbert Polk: The Hammer Killer
Born: September 15, 1951, West Germany
Victims: 6 confirmed
- German police officer
- Committed bank robberies
- Nicknamed “Hammer Killer”
- Murdered using a sledgehammer
- Ended his crime spree with a family murder-suicide in 1985
Aaron Kominski: Jack the Ripper Suspect
Born: September 11, 1865, Poland
Victims: Suspected in Jack the Ripper murders
- Associated with 11 murders in London (1888-1891)
- Strongly linked to Jack the Ripper crimes
- Detailed in Russell Edwards’ 2014 book “Naming Jack the Ripper”
Raul Osiel Marroquin: Targeting Gay Men
Born: September 1, 1980, Mexico
Victims: 4 confirmed
- Kidnapped six men at age 25
- Killed four between September-December 2005
- Targeted homosexual men from gay bars
- Used a method of repeated suffocation and resuscitation
