By Elyse Isenberg

Editor-in-Chief

At the thought of serial killers, most people would instantly think of the most notorious like Jeffrey Dahmer and Jack the Ripper; but the 21st century killers can be just as grizzly and gruesome. While there are some serial killer ‘copy cats’, there are still some very new and creative killers out there.
‘Serial Killer’ could be defined as a series of at least three murders with a ‘cooling off period’ in between, usually due to some psychological abnormalities.
In St Petersburg, Russia, Tamara Samsonova was believed to have been caught on film carrying some of the dismembered body parts from her victims. The dubbed “Granny Ripper”, is 65 and has committed to eleven murders. She seems to have gotten her inspiration from Andrei Chikatilo, a serial killer that killed over 50 people between 1978 and 1990.
In Manchester, London, rumors were spread that a serial killer that hunts gay men is prowling. Named “The Pusher”, this person is believed to have killed at least 60 people by pushing them into the canals of the city. While this may be a rumor, the numbers that are being racked up are something to be considered.
Esneda Ruiz Cantano, a 45 year old Colombian women is believed to be a “Black Widow”, or a woman who kills her spouses or family members usually for a profit. ‘The Predator’ as she has been dubbed, is believed to have killed three of her spouses. They all died the same way, being cut in the neck and she gained over $50,000 just from the life insurance policies.
In Seoul, South Korea, Yoo Young-Chul, a 45 year old man, was convicted and charged with 20 murders between 2003 and 2004. He is a self-proclaimed cannibal and is said to have killed his victims by beating them to death then mutilating the corpses. He received the death penalty on December 13, 2004.
In Tehran, Iran, a serial killer named Mohammed Bijeh, also known as “Hyena” and “The Vampire of the Tehran desert”, confessed to raping and killing 17 children and three adults. Most serial killers like to find creative ways to end their victims’ lives, however Bijeh was old fashioned and would beat his victims with a stone.
Jimmy Maketta, a serial killer and a serial rapist, raped and killed 16 people in Cape Town, South Africa. He pleaded guilty in 2007 and has been sentenced to a life in prison.
So just because general news media doesn’t talk about serial killings anymore, doesn’t mean that they aren’t there.