The Top 10 Killers Who Began Their Dark Journey at an Early Age

It seems there is no minimum age for a life of crime. While most children opt for hobbies such as sports, art, or music, some choose a far more sinister activity—murder. Here are ten killers and the ages at which they embarked on their path to darkness.

10. Harvey Miguel Robinson, Age 17

Harvey Miguel Robinson, a resident of Allentown, Pennsylvania, is among the youngest serial killers currently on death row. He was just 17 when he committed his first murder in August 1992. Robinson was apprehended on July 31, 1993, after he assaulted but failed to kill Denise Cali on June 28, 1993. He returned to Cali’s house, where law enforcement was waiting. Cali had managed to bite Robinson's arm during the initial attack and fled, providing police with a crucial lead. The bite mark was later matched to Robinson, securing his conviction. Investigators also linked Robinson to the rape and murder of three other women:

• Joan Burghardt: 29-year-old nurse’s aide (August 1992)
• Charlotte Schmoyer: 15-year-old newspaper carrier for The Morning Call (June 1993)
• Jessica Jean Fortney: 47-year-old grandmother (July 1993)

Robinson was convicted on November 10, 1994, for the rape and murders of Schmoyer, Burghardt, and Fortney, and sentenced to death for each of the three cases. In April 1995, he was also found guilty of raping a 5-year-old girl and was sentenced to an additional 57 years in prison. In April 2006, his sentence was changed to life imprisonment for the murder of Joan Burghardt due to his age of 17 at the time of the crime. On December 14, 2012, Robinson waived his appeal rights in exchange for a life sentence in the case of Charlotte Schmoyer. As of 2020, Robinson still faces the death penalty for the murder of Jessica Fortney.

9. Craig Price, Age 13

Craig Chandler Price hails from Warwick, Rhode Island, and is currently incarcerated at the Florida State Prison in Raiford. At the age of 13, he brutally murdered his 27-year-old neighbor, Rebecca Spencer, stabbing her 58 times. Although Price wasn’t initially a suspect, he confessed to Spencer's murder two years later after being caught for killing three more neighbors under the influence of drugs in 1989. The victims were Joan Heaton, 39, and her daughters Jennifer, 10, and Melissa, 8. Price stabbed them over 30 times, with wounds so deep that the knife handles snapped. He also crushed Melissa’s skull. Price showed no remorse for the killings, even mimicking the sound of their death cries.

Due to his age at the time of the crimes, Price could not stand trial and was placed in the Rhode Island Training School, a juvenile correctional facility. However, due to his violent tendencies, he was transferred to Florida in 2004. He was denied parole in March 2009, and although his release was scheduled for May 2020, he received an additional 25-year sentence on January 18, 2019, for stabbing an inmate named Joshua Davis on April 4, 2017.

8. Jasmine Richardson, Age 12

Jasmine Richardson and her partner, Jeremy Steinke, reimagined the classic tale of forbidden love. Instead of ending their lives, they turned to murder to eliminate anyone who stood in their way. At the age of 12, Richardson began a relationship with the 27-year-old Steinke after meeting him at a punk rock concert in 2006. However, her parents strongly disapproved of the relationship due to the significant age difference. On April 23, 2006, the couple embarked on a killing spree, murdering Richardson’s parents, Marc and Debra, as well as her 8-year-old brother, Jacob. A 6-year-old neighbor discovered the bodies in the Richardson family home in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada.

Steinke confessed to the authorities that Richardson had wanted her parents dead so she could break free from their control. He even remarked to her father, “It’s what your daughter wanted,” as Marc succumbed to stab wounds. Jasmine Richardson was the one who stabbed her brother in the neck. On July 9, 2007, both Richardson and Steinke were convicted of three counts of first-degree murder. Richardson became one of the youngest individuals in Canada to be convicted of multiple first-degree murders. However, Canadian law states that convicts under the age of fourteen cannot receive more than a ten-year sentence. Steinke, on the other hand, was handed three life sentences on December 15, 2008.

During the final years of her sentence, Richardson attended classes at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta. In 2011, she was released into a psychiatric hospital. After demonstrating evidence of rehabilitation, Richardson completed her sentence in May 2016.

7. Mary Bell, Age 10

Raised in poverty and subjected to a mother who repeatedly attempted to kill her, Mary Bell chose a dark path before reaching her 11th birthday. On May 25, 1968, Bell lured 4-year-old Martin Brown to an abandoned house in Newcastle, England, where she strangled him to death. Although she left notes confessing to the crime, the police initially dismissed them. Two months later, Bell struck again, this time killing 3-year-old Bryan Howe, leaving his body in the same area as Brown’s. This time, the authorities arrested her.

In December 1968, Mary Bell was convicted of manslaughter due to diminished responsibility. A court-appointed psychiatrist diagnosed her with classic signs of psychopathy. Police reports revealed that she had carved an “M” into Bryan Howe’s body and further mutilated him, including using scissors to sever his genitals. Bell served 12 years in prison and was released in 1980 at the age of 23. She now lives with her daughter under a new identity.

6. Joseph McVay, Age 10

On January 2, 2011, Joseph McVay, just 10 years old, shot and killed his 46-year-old mother, Deborah McVay, at their home in Holmes County, Ohio. His sister, Shawna McVay, reported that Joseph had grown tired of fighting with his mother and used a .22 caliber rifle to shoot her. Afterward, he went to a neighbor’s house, called 911, and confessed, saying, “I shot my mom. I shot her with a gun.” Joseph pleaded guilty to one count of murder on the same day as the incident. The court ruled him incompetent for trial until 2013, when he was sentenced in juvenile court at the age of 13.

The stated reason behind the murder was an argument over chores. Joseph reportedly shot his mother in the head to avoid bringing firewood inside. However, there are concerns over how long the desire to kill had been building. Interviews with family members and school officials suggested that Joseph suffered physical, emotional, and verbal abuse from his mother. He had also exhibited signs of aggression, such as when he struck a school administrator with a dustpan in September 2007.

5. Cayetano Santos Godino, Age 9

Cayetano Santos Godino, known as El Petiso Orejudo or Macrotous Runt, was a serial killer and arsonist from Buenos Aires, Argentina, who began his criminal activities at a young age. At the age of 7, he beat a 2-year-old and left him in a ditch. By 8, he assaulted another child with a stone. Due to his young age, the authorities let him off without jail time. However, these initial acts of violence were just the beginning. In 1906, at the age of 9, Godino murdered 3-year-old Maria Rosa Face and escaped justice.

It wasn’t until years later, when Godino confessed to the police, that his connection to the crime was made. He admitted to strangling Maria Rosa Face and burying her alive in a ditch. In 1912, just before his 16th birthday, Godino began a spree of violent acts that included the following:

• Arturo Laurona: 13-year-old murdered and left in an abandoned house (January 26th)
• Reyna Vainicoff: 5-year-old killed by setting fire to her dress (March 7th)
• Roberto Russo: 8-year-old choked but survived (November 8th)
• Carolina Neolener: 2-year-old kidnapped but rescued (November 20th)

On December 4, 1912, Godino was finally captured after he killed Jesualdo Giordano. Godino lured Giordano to a country house, attempted to strangle him, beat him, and ultimately killed him by driving a nail into the side of his skull.

After this murder, Godino was placed in a youth detention center on January 4, 1913. Medical evaluations declared him insane following an incident in which he attempted to kill fellow inmates. The judge closed the case, ordering him to remain in the facility. However, in November 1915, an appeal allowed his transfer back to prison. Godino was later moved to Ushuaia Penitentiary on March 28, 1923, where he died in 1944.

4. Christian Romero, Age 8

On November 5, 2008, eight-year-old Christian Romero from St. Johns, Arizona, committed a double murder. He was accused of using a .22 caliber rifle to kill his father, Vincent Romero, before turning the weapon on a family friend, Tim Romans, who rented a room at their house.

In 2009, Romero pleaded guilty to one count of negligent homicide for the death of Tim Romans, but he was never charged in connection with his father’s death, despite suspicions that it was premeditated. Prosecutor Michael Whiting explained that the charge for his father's killing was dropped to protect Romero from being forced to confront the crime.

Romero was placed under the supervision of the Apache County Superior Court and sent to a secure, monitored group home. His probation required him to undergo mental health evaluations and treatment instead of facing traditional punishment. By 2015, when he turned 15, a probation officer, Julie Nicholson, recommended that Romero be allowed to attend public school.

3. Carl Newton Mahan, Age 6

While it is possible there are younger murderers who have evaded capture, Carl Newton Mahan holds the title of the youngest known killer in American history. Mahan became Kentucky’s youngest murder defendant after using a 12-gauge shotgun to kill his friend, Cecil Van Hoose, on May 18, 1929. The two, both living in a poor coal-mining town, fought over who could sell a piece of iron, and during the altercation, Van Hoose slapped Mahan in the face with the scrap.

Mahan then ran home, retrieved his father's shotgun, and declared to Van Hoose, “I’m going to shoot you!” before pulling the trigger. Just days later, Mahan was on trial for the murder, where he was often seen lying on the defense counsel's table or sleeping. The jury convicted him of manslaughter, and he was sentenced to 15 years at a reform school.

Public opinion on Mahan's conviction was divided, with some arguing manslaughter was either too severe or not harsh enough. A Circuit Court judge overturned the conviction, determining that a county judge should decide juvenile cases. Ultimately, Kentucky’s attorney general took over, announcing that no action would be taken against Mahan, allowing him to remain with his parents.

2. Amarjeet Sada, Age 7

Amardeep Sada, known as Amarjeet, became infamous for not only starting his killing spree at an extremely young age but also for the age of his victims, all of whom were under a year old. At just 7 years old, Sada killed his 8-month-old sister and 6-month-old cousin, but the crimes went unreported as his parents helped cover them up. Some villagers knew of the murders but considered them a family matter and did not report them. A year later, in January 2007, Sada killed a neighbor’s 6-month-old daughter named Kushboo. Police finally apprehended him after he confessed to abducting Kushboo from daycare, strangling her, and hitting her in the head with a stone. Sada was dubbed India's youngest serial killer.

When questioned by the Bhagwanpur police in Musahari village about his crimes, Sada displayed a constant smile and spoke very little. Psychoanalyst Shamshad Hussain described him as a sadist who seemed to derive pleasure from inflicting harm. However, a former psychology professor at Patna University disagreed, stating that Sada lacked a sense of right and wrong. Superintendent Amit Lodha declared Sada’s case a psychiatric one, recommending he undergo professional evaluation. It was discovered that Sada had a chemical imbalance and required mental health care. As a result, Sada was placed in a children’s home until his 18th birthday.

1. Carroll Cole, 8 Years Old

Born on May 9, 1938, in Sioux City, Iowa, Carroll Cole became a serial killer who started his killing spree at the young age of 8. After his family relocated to Richmond, California, Cole was subjected to emotional abuse by his younger sister and endured teasing at school. In 1947, he took revenge on an 8-year-old classmate, Duane, by drowning him in a lake. Although authorities initially ruled the death accidental, Cole later admitted in his autobiography that the act had been intentional.

As a teenager, Cole engaged in a series of petty crimes, was dishonorably discharged from the Army for misconduct, and in 1960, he attacked two couples parked on lover's lane. Over the years, he attempted to strangle several women, including an 11-year-old girl in Missouri. This attack resulted in a five-year prison sentence for Cole.

Despite committing his first murder at age 8, Cole did not kill again until May 7, 1971, when he strangled Essie L. Buck to death. However, it wasn’t until November 1980 that police finally apprehended him for fatally strangling three women in Texas. On April 9, 1981, Cole was convicted of these three murders, and he was executed by lethal injection on December 6, 1985. Before his execution, Cole claimed to have gotten away with the murders of at least fourteen other women in the years leading up to his arrest in 1980.