10 Serial Killers RELEASED from Prison Early

10-Serial-Killers-Who-Got-Released-from-Prison-Early

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at infamous times when people who took multiple lives were released from prison early or granted parole, even if they’re not currently free to resume public life.

Charles Sobhraj

Born in 1944 in modern-day Vietnam, Sobhraj would go on to travel the world, committing a host of felonies along the way while escaping the police. While he admitted he took the lives of 12 people, it’s speculated it could be up to 30. Nicknamed “The Serpent,” Sobhraj was arrested in India in 1976. He was sentenced to 12 years, which was extended after an attempted escape. Sobhraj was released in 1997 and returned to France. In 2003, after returning to Nepal, he was arrested again. He was found guilty of murder and received a life sentence. In 2022, due to good behavior and advanced age, Sobhraj was released and deported to France.

Arnfinn Nesset

The vast majority of people who work in nursing homes are good people. But there are some exceptions. Born in Trøndelag, Norway, in 1936, Nesset became a trained nurse and eventually got a manager job at a nursing home. However, a host of suspicious deaths led to a police investigation. During questioning, Nesset disclosed taking dozens of lives by injecting a medication that’s used to paralyze muscles during general anesthesia. He later retracted the confession. In 1983, Nesset was found guilty of taking the lives of 22 people. It’s speculated it could be as many as 138. After being sentenced to a maximum of 21 years in jail, Nesset was released after 12 for good behavior, with 10 years of supervision.

David McGreavy

On one Friday the 13th in 1973, Clive and Elsie Ralph returned to their home in Worcester, England. They discovered their housemate McGreavy and their 3 children were missing, and there were signs of violence. After going straight to the police, a search found the deceased children near the home. McGreavy was soon arrested attempting to leave the area. Known for his temper and drinking, when he babysat the kids as Clive collected Elsie from work, his rage caused him to lash out and take their lives. After pleading guilty to the multiple murders, McGreavy was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years. In 2019, after 46 years in jail, he was released.

Karla Homolka

As one-half of Canada’s infamous Barbie and Ken Killers, Homolka met Paul Bernardo in 1987 before getting married in 1991. Yet before they had their nuptials, the duo had already taken two lives, including Homolka’s younger sister, Tammy. They would then go on to murder once more, videotaping their horrible deeds. After DNA was taken from Bernardo during a series of assault cases years ago, it was reexamined during the slayings and found to match, resulting in both being arrested. Due to a plea deal to testify against Bernardo, Homolka was sentenced to 12 years in 1993 and released in 2005. Once she was released, she moved around, briefly residing in the Caribbean before returning to Canada.

Kenneth McDuff

In 1966, after being in and out of prison for several crimes, McDuff and Roy Dale Green spotted three teenagers in Texas. After kidnapping them, McDuff fatally shot Robert Brand and Mark Dunman and then assaulted and slew Edna Sullivan. After Green confessed, the two were arrested. Green was sentenced to 25 years, while McDuff was set to be executed, later changed to life imprisonment. He was granted parole in 1989. In 1992, a co-worker of McDuff noticed the similarities between him and a suspected killer on a TV show and called the police. In 1993, McDuff was found guilty of one murder and sentenced to execution, which was enacted in 1998. It’s speculated he may have taken over 14 lives.

Charlene Gallego

Shortly after Charlene Williams met Gerald Gallego in 1977, the two moved in together and soon began a litany of terrible crimes throughout Nevada and California. Charlene was often used to lure victims to Gerald, where he would assault and murder them. In 1980, the couple were arrested after being spotted abducting Mary Elizabeth Sowers and Craig Miller, who they went on to slay. It’s believed they took the lives of 11 people altogether. Due to a plea deal involving Charlene testifying against Gerald, she was sentenced to 16 years and 8 months, while Gerald received the death penalty. In 1997, Charlene was released from jail and has gone on to claim she was a victim of Gerald and was forced to help.

Sybrand ‘Louis’ van Schoor

After working as a police officer, Van Schoor became a security guard at various businesses owned by white people in South Africa in the 1980s, a time known for the anti-apartheid movement. Van Schoor used his job to fatally shoot black people, pretending they were causing crimes at the businesses when many weren’t. Altogether, it’s believed he shot 101 people, killing 39. In 1992, Van Schoor was convicted on 7 counts of murder and 2 attempts. He was sentenced to 20 years. However, after 12, in 2004, he was released on parole. According to reports, while he found religion, he had no remorse for what he did. Van Schoor’s daughter, Sabrina, was convicted of ordering her mother’s assassination in 2002.

The Lainz Angels of Death

Through most of the ‘80s, investigators examining one Lainz hospital in Vienna, Austria, struggled to understand the steep increase in patient demises. However, a doctor in a pub apparently heard a group of nurses bragging about their involvement and contacted the authorities. Maria Gruber, Irene Leidolf, Stephanija Meyer, and Waltraud Wagner were arrested and later confessed to killing 49 patients with medicines and water. It’s suspected their victim count could be over 200. In 1991, Wagner was sentenced to life, Gruber to 15 years, Leidolf to life, and Meyer to 20. In 2008, after Mayer and Gruber had already been released, Wagner and Leidolf were also free for good behavior, bringing outrage from Austrians.

Arthur Shawcross

In 1972, Shawcross was arrested for fatally attacking two children in Watertown, New York. Due to a lack of evidence for one murder, he was sentenced to manslaughter for both cases and sentenced to 25 years. In 1987, experts’ warnings were ignored, and Shawcross was released on parole. Not long after, he began earning his nickname of the Genesee River Killer for a series of murders in the Rochester area. In 1990, as the police investigated the area where June Cicero’s body was found, Shawcross was spotted nearby, and he was arrested. He was found guilty of 10 murders and sentenced to 250 years in jail. Altogether, he took 14 lives. Shawcross passed away in 2008 from natural causes.

Pedro López

Before complaints caused the company to remove it, López was awarded the Guinness World Record for “Most prolific serial killer” with 300 victims. Known as The Monster of the Andes, López killed mostly in Colombia and Ecuador. While in the latter, he was arrested while attempting to abduct a potential victim. López showed the police where he hid 53 bodies and confessed to taking 110 lives in the country. In 1980, he was sentenced to Ecuador’s then-maximum sentence of 16 years. After his release in 1994, he was deported to Colombia, where he was arrested and sent to a psychiatric hospital. In 1998, López was declared sane and conditionally released. However, he vanished and hasn’t been caught since.

What other infamous serial killers who were released did we miss? Loren Herzog? Mary Bell? Nikolai Dzhumagaliev? Paul Brumfitt? Or someone else? Let us know below.