Introduction

Most serial killers operate on his or her own ‘ whether male or female it is a rare thing to have an accomplice and even rarer to have a willing accomplice. There are a number of criminal couples responsible for mass murders and they occur all over the world. Some acts were so heinous that the perpetrators of the crimes are globally notorious. The following list represents some of the most evil serial-killer couples ever to have come to public attention

1. Ian Brady & Myra Hindley

In Britain, the perpetrators of ‘The Moors Murders’ are considered the world’s most evil couple. Responsible for five child abduction-and-murders between 1963 and 1965, three of the five bodies were found on Saddleworth Moor (just outside of Manchester). A fourth has yet to be found. The pair was convicted of five murders (despite at the time the absence of two bodies) and it is believed that most of the victims had been sexually abused. Myra Hindley died of cancer in 2002. Brady is still behind bars in 2014

2. Bonnie & Clyde

The most notorious American criminal duo in history, as gang-leaders from Dallas they travelled several of the central states robbing banks, shops and gas stations during what is known as the ‘Public Enemy Era’. They killed at least nine police officers and a number of civilians during their crime spree. They were eventually cornered and killed in a gunfight in Louisiana and passed into history and mythology in 1967 in a film about their life. Countless books and documentaries followed

3. Nathan Leopold & Richard Loeb

Another famous serial-killing pair ‘ it is not clear whether they were a couple but Leopold and Loeb were largely believed to be having a sexual relationship when they sought to commit the ‘perfect crime’. They knew each other as children but never really paid attention to each other until they went to university. Their crimes started off small ‘ petty theft but they were incensed that nobody paid attention. Eventually, the two would become consumed with the words of Nietzsche and perceive themselves as his theoretical ‘Superman’

4. Raymond Fernandez & Martha Beck

One of America’s most notorious serial-killing couples, they were responsible for the murder of at least 20 women between 1947 and 1949. They became known as ‘The Lonely Hearts Killers’ due to the method by which they met each of their victims. In 1969 a film loosely based on their lives was released ‘ it was called The Honeymoon Killers. They were, however, only convicted of one murder. They tried to make a deal with Michigan State so that they would not be extradited to New York (Michigan did not have a death sentence). They were extradited and faced the electric chair

5. Gerald & Charlene Gallego

Both were sexual deviants and had had difficult upbringings and equally difficult and troubled early lives when they met. Between them they were responsible for the deaths of at least ten people ‘ mostly teenage girls ‘ whom they abducted and sometimes forcibly involved in their sex games. Despite being sentenced to death, Gerald’s sentence was overturned and he died of rectal cancer in prison in 2002. In exchange for her testimony, Charlene had her sentence commuted and she was released in 1997

6. Fred & Rose West

The second most evil couple in Britain’s history is this Gloucester couple responsible for the murder of several young women ‘ some children at the time including their daughter Heather who was killed aged just 16 in 1987. Fred was responsible for 12 murders and Rose was complicit in 10 of them. Fred West took his own life in prison before he could come to trial whereas Rose was convicted in 1995. A number of appeals and government intervention saw her receive only the second ‘Whole Life Tariff’ in British history ‘ the first was Myra Hindley

7. Charles Starkweather & Caril Ann Fugate

One of the youngest couples on the list, Starkweather and Fugate went on a two-month killing spree in 1958 when they were eventually caught. Starkweather was 20, Fugate just 14. She is the youngest female in the USA ever to have been tried for first degree murder. She pleaded her innocence and claimed that she had been his hostage. The jury did not believe her. Starkweather was executed in 1959 aged just 21 and Fugate spent some 17 years in prison before her release in 1976.

8. Henry Lee Lucas & Ottis Toole

Where it was not clear whether Leopold and Loeb were lovers, these two certainly were and they could be responsible for something in the region of 110 murders. They met in 1976 when Lucas had already served 10 years for the murder of his mother. They were eventually caught and were convicted of multiple counts of murder though nobody can be certain of how many they were responsible for. Some sources have quoted in the region of 600

9. David & Catherine Birnie

Australia’s most notorious serial-killing couple were responsible for the murders of four women in the 1980s and the attempted murder of a fifth. Operating in Perth, Western Australia, Despite having the same surname, the couple were not married ‘ at least not to each other. Both were married to other people so Catherine had to change her name by Deed Poll. They abducted each of their four victims in opportunistic encounters. Each was raped, tortured and killed and their bodies dumped. They were caught when their potential fifth victim made he escape

10. Paul Bernardo & Karla Homolka

Responsible for the rape and murder of at least three women, this married Canadian couple operated in 1991 and 1992. The third victim was Homloka’s sister Tammy. Initially claiming that she had been an unwitting accomplice and fearful if she did not play along, video tapes later came to light demonstrating that Homloka had indeed been willing. Her plea bargain was struck off. Bernardo is still in prison as of 2014, Homloka was released in 2005

Conclusion

Murder is a rare thing and it is far rarer when the perpetrators are a couple. Often, sexual deviancy comes in to play and that was certainly the case with at least half of the couples above ‘ particularly Rose & Fred West and the Gallegos. It is often said that when couples kill, that one is a catalyst or that they simply click and inspire each other to delve into deeper and darker territory