There are very few serial killers more disturbing than those who commit acts of cannibalism on their victims. The following list of cannibalistic serial killers serves to illustrate that the evil cravings of some individuals truly know no bounds.
Arthur Shawcross: The Genessee River Killer
Arthur Shawcross killed at least 14 people during his time as a serial killer, with a twisted career that lasted more than a decade. Shawcross preyed primarily on women, but some of his victims were also children. This notorious serial killer not only raped and murdered his victims, but he also is known to have cannibalized them. In a 2003 interview with a British reporter, Shawcross boasted about cannibalizing the private parts of one of his victims.
Jeffrey Dahmer: A Famous Cannibal Serial Killer
Jeffrey Dahmer killed at least 17 different people — most of whom were young men that he had lured into his home. The depravity of Dahmer’s crimes are so well-documented that numerous movies, television shows and documentaries have been made that have exhausted every last detail there is to know about the man. He is by far among the most well known cannibalistic serial killers, and one of the most notorious serial killers in true crime history, in general. Not only did his crimes include acts of dismemberment and necrophilia, the killer admitted to consuming the flesh of his victims as well.
Albert Fish: The Moon Maniac
Much like Dahmer, the crimes of Albert Fish have been exhaustively-documented over the several decades that have passed since his arrest. Even though the most notorious of his crimes took place in 1928, the details of his horrifying actions continue to shock and disgust. The elderly man kidnapped a young girl, killed her and then cannibalized her over a course of several days while mentally torturing her family via anonymous letters.
Andrés Mendoza: Elderly Mexican Serial Killer and Cannibal
In 2022, an elderly Mexican man was convicted of killing at least 19 different murders, but some people believe the number of victims could reach far higher. Andrés Mendoza confessed to killing several prostitutes, and even bragged that he had cannibalized some of his victims. Notoriously, the elderly man bragged that he had skinned off the face of one of his victims because “she was pretty.”
So Many Cannibals
The aforementioned list is just a small sample of serial killers who commit cannibalism, but there are also other violent criminals who cannibalize their victims that don’t fall into the category of serial killer. Some of these killers include Armin Meiwes, who cannibalized a man he’d met off the internet, and Omaima Nelson, who killed and consumed the flesh of her husband. Rapper Big Lurch is currently serving a life prison sentence in association with the 2002 murder of his 21-year-old roommate named Tynisha Ysais. The rapper ruined his life and any prospects of a future career in the music industry when he committed this murder, but even further when he consumed parts of his victim’s body.
Chelsea Hoffman is a true crime writer with over a decade of professional writing experience. She is best known for her coverage of missing people including the tragic disappearance of Madeleine McCann as well as the heartbreaking cases of Dylan Redwine, Heather Elvis and many others.
