Top 10 Manhunts That Left America Terrified

You may know of this serial killer by another name: Son of Sam. From July 1976 to July 1977, fear was spread through New York City as people were shot and killed, most of them young women. A taunting letter was discovered at one crime scene, in which the suspect referred to himself as "Son of Sam." A tip from a woman walking her dog led to the arrest of Berkowitz. He was convicted for six counts of murder and sentenced to 25 years-to-life for each killing. Though he’s been eligible for parole very two years since 2002, he has long refused to seek release.

From 1996 to 2011, 11 people's remains were found at Gilgo Beach in Long Island, New York. Many of these victims were sex workers who did business via Craigslist. It wasn't until 2023 that an arrest was made in connection. Heuermann, who lived in the nearby village of Massapequa Park, has so far been charged for the murder of three of these victims, and named as a prime suspect in the murder of another. He is currently in custody awaiting trial. Through his defense attorney, Heuermann says he denies all the charges made against him.

You might think of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow more as movie characters than actual historical figures. But they were very real and very dangerous. The pair, who robbed banks and other businesses during the Great Depression, were the subject of much fascination and interest, particularly from law enforcement officials. Police and FBI spent years trying to capture the pair, whose rap sheet also included murder and hostage-talking. They also helped five inmates escape from a Texas prison. However, this all came to an end when they were ambushed by police officers in Louisiana, leading to a very bloody end to their chaotic saga.

Though Eric Rudolph was convicted for multiple attacks throughout the south in the second half of the 90s, his most infamous one took place in Atlanta, at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Richard Jewell, the security guard who discovered the bag before it went off, was initially identified as a potential suspect. But it wasn't until subsequent attacks in Metro Atlanta that Rudolph was recognized as the instigator. However, he managed to avoid capture for more than five years. But, in 2003, Rudolph, who says he committed the attacks for politically motivated reasons, was arrested behind a Save-A-Lot grocery store in North Carolina. He was eventually sentenced to four life terms in prison.

One of the most notorious serial killers in American history, Ted Bundy and his heinous crimes continue to fascinate and unsettle. In 1977, while incarcerated after being indicted for murder for the first time, Bundy escaped through a courthouse window in Colorado. He was recaptured by authorities six days later. However, it didn't end there. That same year, he escaped through the ceiling of his prison and made his way to Florida, where his horrifying crimes continued. He was eventually captured near the Florida-Alabama state line and eventually received three death sentences. He was executed via the electric chair on January 24, 1989.

There are two serial killers who have been known as “The Night Stalker”: Richard Ramirez and this man, who you might better know as the “Golden State Killer. From 1974 to 1986, at least 13 murders, among other crimes, were commited by an unknown suspect, who would making taunting calls to law enforcement and his victims. Though the case went cold for many years, the research of writer Michelle McNamara, who passed before completing her book on the subject, helped lead to the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo, a former police officer. He has since been sentenced to 12 consecutive life sentences without parole.

Christopher Dorner was a former LAPD officer who was fired in 2008 for making false statements in a report against his training officer. In 2013, Dorner released a lengthy manifesto listing some 40 law enforcement officials he planned to target, claiming his termination was due to speaking out against excessive force in the police department. A manhunt soon took place. Three law enforcement officers were killed by Dorner, as well as the daughter of a retired captain, and three others were injured. A little over a week after the attacks began, Dorner was located at a cabin in the San Bernardino Mountains. A standoff ensued, ending in Dorner taking his own life.

For three weeks in October 2002, residents of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area were terrified by a series of sniper shootings that killed 10 people and injured three others. People sheltered themselves inside in fear that they could be the next victim. Some even suspected it to be another al-Qaeda attack. But eventually, John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo were arrested. The pair had also killed and injured others in preliminiary shootings. Possible reasons for the attacks include extortion against the U.S. government to Muhammad seeking to kill his ex-wife. In 2009, Muhammad was executed via lethal injection while Malvo, a minor at the time of the attacks, is currently serving life without parole.

The 2013 Boston Marathon ended in tragedy when two explosive devices exploded close to the finish line, killing three and injuring hundreds more. The suspects were soon identified as brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Following the marathon attacks, the two killed a police officer at MIT and took another man hostage. They were nearly captured after a shootout with police, and Tamerlan was killed after Dzhokhar ran over him in a stolen car. A massive manhunt for took Dzhokhar place in the area, with residents requested to stay inside and businesses staying closed. He was found hiding in a boat in the suburb of Watertown. He was later sentenced to death.

From 1978 to 1995, fear was felt throughout the U.S. as a series explosive devices were mailed and hand-delivered across the country, killing three and injuring 23 others. The culprit sent a massive manifesto to media sources, saying he would stop the attacks if it was published. Eventually, it ran in The Washington Post. The manifesto, which expressed intense anger at the greater effects of technology on society, rang familiar to Kaczynski’s brother, David, who contacted the FBI. Kaczynski was found in a cabin in Montana. He was sentenced to eight consecutive life sentences, taking his own life in 2023.