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Murderers. There's something undeniably fascinating about the most horrific figures in history. We're obsessed with understanding what drives them, how they operate, and the peculiarities that seem to characterize all the most infamous ones.
From strange calling cards left at crime scenes to cryptic messages for law enforcement, one of the most chilling traits of serial killers is the trophies they collect (and, yes, we mean killers here, so 'best' is really just the worst). Whether to relive their gruesome acts, assert their power, or even craft a human skin outfit, killers sometimes take belongings from their victims—and some of these stolen items are utterly bizarre. This list highlights the ten most bizarre, disturbing, and grotesque souvenirs ever taken by killers.
10. The Eyes: Charles Albright
The media has a long-standing tradition of assigning nicknames to killers, and when someone takes trophies, the nickname sticks. This was certainly the case for our first entry, Charles Albright, famously known as “The Eyeball Killer.”
Albright spent a significant portion of his adult life committing various crimes, from theft and illegal weapons possession to assault, fraud, and increasingly violent offenses. By the time he molested a minor, his mental health had clearly deteriorated. He then progressed to murder, even disfiguring the bodies of his victims. His gruesome trophies were their eyeballs, which were never recovered despite his arrest and conviction.
9. Camping Gear?: Ivan Milat
Ivan Milat may be familiar to you as the “Backpacker Murderer” or “Australia's deadliest serial killer,” but what you might not realize is the bizarre collection of trophies he gathered from his seven victims.
Milat preyed on backpackers, offering them rides before driving them into the forest, where he would shoot or stab them. His victims were likely on their way to or returning from camping trips, which led Milat to steal their camping gear as trophies. When police searched his home, they discovered what they described as an “Aladdin’s Cave” of camping equipment: sleeping bags, stoves, canteens—you name it. And for some unfathomable reason, Ivan Milat killed for it.
8. Their Baby: John Edward Robinson
Throughout his life, John Edward Robinson amassed a grim collection of titles. A scam artist, embezzler, and forger, he also earned the notorious distinction of being called “the Internet’s first serial killer” due to his practice of luring victims through chat rooms. Yet another dark chapter in his criminal history involved a disturbing possession he took from one of his victims: their four-month-old daughter.
In 1985, Robinson met Lisa Stasi while she was struggling and staying at a women’s shelter in Kansas City. Using a false name and pretending to be more successful and less dangerous, Robinson offered Stasi a job, a home, and a better future. Instead, he murdered Stasi and abducted her daughter. While Stasi’s body was never recovered, the child was spared—Robinson only kept her briefly before handing her over to his brother and sister-in-law. Unaware of the child’s kidnapping, they raised her as if she were their own daughter.
7. “The Screaming Boy”: Chris Busch
This entry is peculiar, as the trophy in question was only linked to a serial killer suspect, meaning it might not even be a trophy at all.
The true identity of the Oakland County Child Killer, who murdered at least four children in 1970s Michigan, remains unknown. However, one of the prime suspects, Chris Busch, stands out for his possible trophy. Busch allegedly died by suicide (though this is contested and warrants further investigation), and at the scene, a hand-drawn picture was taped to the wall above his body. The picture depicted a young boy seemingly screaming in pain, resembling one of the confirmed victims, a boy named Mark Stebbins.
6. Bathtubs of Blood: Elizabeth Báthory
Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed was a Hungarian noblewoman whose notorious crimes have evolved into legends. Over time, her brutal and cannibalistic actions have been exaggerated to the point where she is considered a potential inspiration for Bram Stoker’s *Dracula*. Yet, there seems to be a true basis to these legends. Elizabeth Báthory tortured and murdered hundreds of young women. The question that remains is whether she truly kept containers of their blood for drinking and bathing.
Historians argue over the veracity of these claims, dismissing them as either propaganda, fear-driven exaggeration, or mere rumors. However, it is documented that Báthory’s doctors prescribed the rubbing of, and drinking, fresh young blood to treat her seizures as a child. With her sadistic tendencies and her targeting of healthy, young virgin women, it seems plausible that blood continued to play a role in her adult life as well.
5. 37 X’s Mark the Spot: Robert Hansen
Robert Hansen's alleged murders of up to 37 women sound like something straight out of a fictional story. After kidnapping and torturing his victims, Hansen would fly them into the desolate Alaskan wilderness, releasing them into the cold, only to hunt them like prey. His trophy? A map, stashed behind his headboard, marked with X’s pinpointing the places where he discarded their bodies.
One of the most disturbing aspects of Robert Hansen’s map is that it featured 37 X’s, even though only 17 of his victims have been officially confirmed. Some of the bodies belonging to the 17 were found at locations marked with these X’s, including victims who were previously unidentified as Hansen’s. This lends credibility to the map, further suggesting that as many as 20 more victims of Hansen may still remain undiscovered.
4. Their Voice: Eddie Leonski
At first glance, you might wonder why Eddie Leonski would be included on this list. After all, despite committing three murders, he never left the scene with a physical trophy. But Leonski’s inclusion here is because his entire motivation for murder was to obtain trophies—although he failed each time. The trophy he sought was the impossible: the voices of women.
In 1942, while serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Leonski strangled three women. Witness reports indicate that he had attempted to murder several others in a similar manner. After being identified in a lineup by multiple women, Leonski confessed to the killings. His reason? Like Ursula the Sea Witch, he was consumed with jealousy over women's singing voices and committed murder solely to possess them for himself.
3. The Dog: John George Haigh
The nickname 'The Acid Bath Murderer' isn't earned by someone with good intentions. But what makes John George Haigh even more notorious than his gruesome acts of murder and dissolving victims in acid is his even darker crime—stealing someone's dog. In the realm of cruelty, this act stands out as one of the most heinous, which is why Haigh earns the top spot on this list.
Haigh’s story begins with a prison sentence for fraud, where he realized that the most successful crimes are those that leave no trace or witnesses. After his release, he returned to his criminal ways, tying up loose ends and disposing of them in vats of acid. But his worst crime involved the murder of Archibald and Rose Henderson. After killing them for their possessions, which he sold, Haigh decided to keep their dog, raising it as his own. This added insult to an already unimaginable injury.
2. Just Everything: David Parker Ray
David Parker Ray, suspected of over 60 murders, is known as the Toy-Box Killer, one of the most prolific serial killers in history. If the numerous allegations against him, many from close friends and accomplices, are true, Ray was a deeply twisted and vile individual. His collection of trophies from his victims is as horrifying as it is extensive, showcasing his twisted nature.
The FBI has a website displaying pictures of the many trophies Ray took from his victims. The images are harrowing, particularly considering the immense torture Ray subjected his victims to. Many of the trophies are pieces of jewelry, but others are deeply personal and intimate, with some obviously coming from young children. Proceed with caution if you decide to view these images.
1. Feet, Socks, Shoes: Jerry Brudos
If Jerry Brudos' obsession had been confined to feet, he might have been a curious inclusion in a list titled 'Top 10 Kinks You Shouldn’t Shame (Seriously, Who Cares?)' (Still in development, by the way). But Brudos’ obsession with feet went beyond typical. It was all-consuming, a dangerous fascination that took a dark and deadly turn.
Brudos’ infatuation with feet escalated to the point where he would kill women, sever their feet, and preserve them as part of his shoe collection—many of which had been taken from his victims. While feet were his greatest obsession, Brudos also kept his victims’ breasts, crafting disturbing plastic molds to use as paperweights.
