The deadliest Cancer serial killers of all time
Typically associated with emotional sensitivity, loyalty and intuition, Cancer signs are not exactly what most people picture when thinking about serial killers.
Some say when a Cancerian turns dark, that emotional depth can twist into possessiveness, jealousy and a terrifying need for control. Not as numerous as some other star signs, but with a higher proportion of female killers, their crimes often reflect an unsettling mix of sentimentality and savagery.
Below, Crime+Investigation explores several infamous murderers who fall under the sign of the crab. Here are some of the deadliest.
Robert Maudsley – born 26th June 1953
Robert Maudsley became infamous as one of Britain’s most dangerous prisoners. Nicknamed “Hannibal the Cannibal” by the press, Maudsley murdered several men, including fellow prisoners, during the 1970s.
Unlike some serial killers driven by financial motives or sexual gratification, Maudsley’s crimes appeared tied to deep psychological trauma and intense rage. Much of his life has been spent in solitary confinement, where he remains incarcerated. His case is often discussed in debates surrounding mental health, abuse and the prison system.
Elisabeth Wiese – born 1st July 1853
Born on 1st July 1853, Elisabeth Wiese was a German serial killer whose crimes were both chilling and deeply tragic. Living in Hamburg in the early 20th century, she worked as a midwife, a role that gave her access to vulnerable women and newborn children.
Wiese poisoned infants in her care, often using morphine, and is believed to have killed multiple babies over a number of years. Her motives appeared to be financial, as she sometimes accepted payment for “looking after” unwanted children before killing them.
Kenneth Erskine – born 1st July 1963
Born on 1st July 1963, Kenneth Erskine became one of Britain's most disturbing serial killers of the 1980s. Dubbed "The Stockwell Strangler", Erskine targeted elderly men and women living alone in south London, breaking into their homes and strangling them in their beds.
Between 1986 and 1987, he killed at least seven victims, all of them vulnerable and defenceless. Investigators noted a pattern of sexual assault alongside the murders, pointing to a deeply troubled psychology. Erskine showed little remorse throughout his trial, and psychiatric assessments revealed severe mental health difficulties. He was convicted in 1988 and sentenced to a minimum of 40 years.
Anna Marie Hahn – born 7th July 1906
Born on 7th July 1906, Anna Marie Hahn became one of America’s earliest known female serial killers. Dubbed “The Blonde Borgia” and “Angel of Mercy,” Hahn poisoned several elderly men with arsenic during the 1930s.
At first glance, Hahn appeared caring and compassionate, often presenting herself as a devoted helper to vulnerable men. In reality, investigators discovered she had been manipulating victims for financial gain. Her crimes shocked the public because they completely contradicted the image she projected. Hahn was eventually convicted and executed in Ohio in 1938.
Michael Wayne McGray – born 11th July 1965
Born on 11th July 1965, Canadian serial killer Michael Wayne McGray is believed to be one of the most dangerous men in his country's criminal history. McGray confessed to killing at least seven people across Canada and the United States, though he has since claimed the true number may be far higher – boasting to investigators that he derived genuine pleasure from taking lives.
His victims were largely opportunistic targets, strangers he encountered during a transient and troubled life marked by violence from an early age. McGray showed a disturbing willingness, even eagerness, to discuss his crimes, offering confessions that were as chilling for their candour as for their content. He remains incarcerated in Canada, and the full extent of his crimes has never been definitively established.
Genene Jones – born 13th July 1950
An American killer believed to be responsible for the deaths of up to 60 infants and children in her care as a licensed vocational nurse during the 1970s and 1980s. Exact number of victims unknown.
She injected children with drugs such as succinylcholine, causing respiratory failure. Investigators later concluded that she may have been driven by a desire for attention, creating medical emergencies so she could appear heroic when attempting to save her patients. Jones was convicted in 1984 and sentenced to prison.
Marie Alexandrine Becker – born 14th July 1879
Born on 14th July 1879, Marie Alexandrine Becker became one of Belgium’s most notorious poisoners. Operating in Liège during the 1930s, Becker targeted wealthy acquaintances, gradually poisoning them with arsenic.
Becker was eventually arrested after suspicions grew around a series of deaths in her circle. She was convicted of multiple murders and sentenced to life imprisonment. Her story remains one of Europe’s most striking examples of calculated, financially motivated serial killing.
Julio Perez Silva – born 15th July 1963
Born on 15th July 1963 in Puchuncaví, Chile, Julio Pérez Silva earned the chilling nickname "The Psychopath of Alto Hospicio" for a series of murders that terrorised the Tarapacá Region between 1998 and 2001. Working as an unlicensed taxi driver, he lured girls and young women with offers of free rides before raping and killing them, disposing of many bodies in deep abandoned mine shafts.
He was convicted of killing 14 victims, the majority teenagers, and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2004. His crimes went undetected for years after authorities dismissed the missing women as having simply fled poverty – a failure that became almost as scandalous as the murders themselves.
Charles Ray Hatcher – born 16th July 1929
Charles Ray Hatcher, born 16th July 1929, was an American serial killer responsible for a series of murders in the 1960s and 1970s. His victims included both children and adults.
Hatcher often befriended or gained the trust of his victims before killing them, sometimes using deception to lure them into vulnerable situations. His transient lifestyle allowed him to evade capture for years, moving between states and leaving little trace. He was eventually arrested and convicted, but the full extent of his crimes is still debated.
Gerald Gallego – born 17th July 1946
Together with his wife, Charlene, he killed and raped at least 11 victims in Sacramento between 1978 and 1980. Targeted young girls, couples and women between the ages of 13 and 31.
The pair targeted young women, often abducting them from public places before holding them captive. Their crimes involved sexual violence and prolonged abuse, making the case particularly disturbing even among serial killer cases.
Gerald Gallego was eventually convicted and sentenced to death, later dying in prison in 2002. Charlene Gallego received a reduced sentence after cooperating with authorities. Their case remains one of the most infamous examples of a serial killing partnership.
Yang Xinhai – born 17th July 1968
Yang Xinhai is often described as China’s most prolific serial killer. Between 2000 and 2003, he carried out a series of brutal attacks across rural China, targeting entire households.
Yang broke into homes at night, murdering victims with axes, hammers and other weapons. In some cases, entire families were killed. By the time he was captured, he had confessed to 67 murders and dozens of assaults.
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