True crime stories can scare and excite us at the same time. we reach for the last book on the shelf ready for another look at the sadistic world of serial killers and mass murderers to ask us more questions about their dark world. what makes them vibrate? how did they become evil? why would these monsters choose to take the life of an innocent victim in such a brutal way?
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You are reading: Most disturbing true crime books
Real-life crimes are never easy reading, however, there are some crimes that are documented in such graphic and disturbing detail by the following authors that you’ll have a hard time sleeping at night.
10 the last victim of jason moss
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College student Jason Moss began writing letters to serial killers as part of a research project. He struck up relationships with John Wayne Gacy, Richard Ramirez, Henry Lee Lucas and Jeffrey Dahmer. his closest correspondence was with gacy, who got ‘inside the mind’ of moss and disturbed him so much that, he said, “it made my stomach turn to read about what he did to those children: how he tortured and raped them for hours and sometimes days. and then you talk to him. it’s hard to keep in perspective who he is when you talk to him every day. gacy was part of my life.”
moss became gacy’s “last victim” when, on the morning of June 6, 2006, he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The book, co-authored with counseling professor Jeffrey Kottler, is a reminder of why you should never get too close to serial killers.[1]
9 the basement: meditations on a human sacrifice by kate millet
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in october 1965, indianapolis police found the body of 16-year-old sylvia likens, with the words “i’m a prostitute and i’m proud of it” carved into her stomach. The Basement: Meditations on Human Sacrifice details the disturbing events leading up to the brutal torture and murder of a young girl that reads like a real-life horror story with every page turn.
Likelies had been left in the care of Gertrude Baniszewski, who subjected her to three months of beatings, starvation, force-feeding of feces, and burns from cigarettes and boiling water. on one occasion, baniszewski broke his wrist beating lookalikes so hard, and later used the cast against her again as a weapon. Author Kate Millet wrote the book after a 14-year fascination with the case, and it’s a deeply disturbing read that would be enough to traumatize anyone.[2]
8 Little Sacrifices: A True Story of Passion and Murder by Ann Rule
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True crime author Ann Rule sets out to answer the question, “What would compel a mother to murder her three children?” In Small Sacrifices: A True Story of Passion and Murder, the story of Diane Downs shows how far one woman will go in pursuit of the love she longs for, no matter the cost. In 1983, Downs claimed that a strange man had shot all three of his children, but hospital workers became suspicious when his behavior was inappropriate for someone who had suffered such a traumatic event. Later, it was discovered that Downs committed the murders in cold blood so that she could enjoy her extramarital affair.
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Sentenced to life in prison, the book traces the life of Downs, who was a victim of rape and mental torture throughout her life. downs was a victim turned murderer. is a harrowing look at how bad experiences can impact a person’s own moral compass.[3]
7 the perfect victim of carla norton and christine mcguire
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In 1997, 20-year-old Colleen Stan was hitchhiking in Eugene, Oregon, when she agreed to a ride from Cameron and Janice Hooker. once the twisted couple was left in an isolated area, they were forced into a locked box that kept out light or air. For the seven years that followed, Stan was used as a sex slave for Cameron’s pleasure; she referred to only as ‘k’, she was forced to call her captors ‘master’ and kept in a box under the couple’s bed for up to 23 hours a day.
When Janice finally broke down and reported her husband’s crimes to the police, she testified against him in exchange for full immunity. The Perfect Victim details the years of hell Stan was subjected to and how the prostitutes managed to live completely normal lives, entertaining friends in their own home, all while their victim was locked in a box right under his own bed.[ 4]
6 invisible darkness: the strange case of paul bernardo and karla homolka by stephen williams
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paul bernardo and karla homolka were known as the “barbie and ken couple”: attractive, in love and funny. however, they hid a terrifying secret and that was their thirst for brutality. Between the years of 1991 and 1992, the Canadian couple murdered three teenagers, including Karla’s 15-year-old sister, Tammy. During the investigation, Homolka claimed that she unintentionally participated in the murders; a victim herself who had also suffered abuse at the hands of bernardo. She reached a plea deal with prosecutors that allowed her to leave prison after 12 years in contrast to Bernardo’s life sentence.
the unseen darkness offers insight into the devastating events that can take place when two forces of pure evil come together. Detailed and terrifying explanations of the crimes will keep you up at night wondering how many other monsters like Bernardo and Homolka there are in the world.[5]
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5 the stranger by my side by ann rule
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ann rule had a firsthand encounter with one of the most notorious serial killers of all time: ted bundy. During the time he worked at a suicide prevention hotline, he sat next to his handsome and charismatic colleague who was very good at his job, as he later recalled, “ted bundy took lives, but He also saved lives.” rule then had no contact with bundy for two years until he called her to ask why his law school records had been subpoenaed and she spoke with the felony unit, who offered the explanation: “he’s just one of them.” the 1200 people who are being investigated, it is a routine consultation.
what followed was the revelation of how many murders bundy was actually responsible for. Between 1974 and 1978, Bundy murdered at least 30 young women and girls in seven states. the stranger next to me is a grim reminder that most of the time we don’t know who we’re sitting next to.[6]
4 buried dreams by tim cahill
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From an abusive childhood to taking the lives of at least 33 young men and teenagers, serial killer John Wayne Gacy will go down in history as one of the worst men who ever lived. The Wall Street Journal called journalist Tim Cahill’s account of Gacy’s life “the stuff of harrowing nightmares” with every murder during his five-year killing spree told in graphic detail.
gacy’s modus operandi was to lure his victims with the promise of work through his own contracting company. once in his trap, he would drug them, immobilize them, and kill them, often using a sock or their underwear to muffle their screams. after the murders, he hid the bodies in the basement of his house and when the police discovered the grisly crime scene, they discovered the remains of 27 victims. Gacy was the very definition of what it really means to be a monster.[7]
3 helter skelter: the true story of the manson murders, by vincent bugliosi and curt gentry
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On the night of August 8, 1969, cult leader Charles Manson told his followers, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Charles “Tex” Watson, to go to 10050 Cielo Drive, Los Angeles, and ” they will totally destroy everyone in (it), as awful as you can. the victims that night were actress sharon tate, 18 year old steven parent, celebrity hairstylist jay sebring, wojciech frykowski and his girlfriend coffee heiress abigail folger.
The murders were made even more disturbing by the knowledge that Tate, who was just two weeks away from giving birth, had offered herself as a hostage in exchange for saving her son’s life. tex watson later revealed that tate screamed, “mother… mother…” as she was stabbed to death. Helter Skelter is a dark and twisted read with a detailed account of that night that shocked the world written by Vincent Bugliosi, who served as a prosecutor during the Charles Manson trial.[8]
2 the shawcross lyrics: my journey into the mind of evil by john paul fay
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arthur “genesee river killer” shawcross roamed the streets of rochester, new york, looking for sex workers to kidnap and kill between the years of 1972 and 1989. in 1972, he killed two young children in his hometown, but accepted a plea deal and only served 12 years of a 25-year sentence. Following his early release from prison, Shawcross stalked his new victims and killed 14, often disemboweling and cannibalizing the corpses.
the shawcross lyrics: my journey into the mind of evil is a look inside the mind of one of the most disturbed serial killers of all time. She struck up a relationship with murder memorabilia collector turned biographer John Paul Fay and shared with him intimate details about his crimes that no reader could easily forget. the stomach-churning graphic details of each rape and murder will keep you awake at night, as many would suggest not turning the pages of this book at all.[9]
1 the toolbox killers: a deadly rape, torture & killer duo of jack rosewood and rebecca lo
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Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris were two sadistic psychopaths who met by chance behind bars for previous crimes and together became known as the Toolbox Killers. In 1979, they kidnapped, tortured and murdered 5 teenagers who were offered rides over a period of five months and even recorded their sinister crimes. The brutality of the murders changed the way young women and girls walked the streets of Southern California as they all lived in a new kind of terror.
The Toolbox Killers: A Deadly Rape, Torture & The killer duo takes a detailed look at the horrific pain and suffering inflicted on these teens, as well as the psychological makeup of the killers responsible. Many questions are also asked, such as what if the deadly duo had never met? the tales throughout the book will make you question the true depravity of humanity and keep you awake at night.[10]
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