The deadliest Capricorn serial killers of all time
Ambition. Discipline. Control. These are the hallmarks of Capricorn – traits that can build empires, break boundaries and drive people to greatness. But they can also fuel something far more sinister.
When a Capricorn turns to murder, that same relentless determination doesn’t just create a killer – it can create a monster with a body count that dwarfs other signs. It’s proof that ambition without conscience can be terrifying.
From Harold Shipman, the doctor who became Britain’s deadliest serial killer, to the ‘Death House Landlady’, join us at Crime+Investigation as we uncover some of the most notorious Capricorns from history.
Lydia Sherman – born 24th December 1824
In 19th-century America, Lydia Sherman became infamous as 'The Derby Poisoner'. Behind her calm exterior was a woman who quietly killed three husbands and eight children, six of them her own.
Between 1863 and 1877, she slipped arsenic into meals, eliminating those closest to her for financial security. Sherman’s crimes shocked Victorian society, not only for their brutality but also for her ruthless practicality – embodying the cold, goal-driven reputation often tied to Capricorns.
Dean Corll – born 24th December 1939
Known as 'The Candyman', Dean Corll lured in victims with sweets and charm before subjecting them to unimaginable torment.
Between 1970 and 1973, Corll, along with teenage accomplices David Owen Brooks and Elmer Wayne Henley Jr., abducted, raped, tortured and murdered at least 29 boys and young men in Houston, Texas.
The sheer organisation of his operation – with a network of collaborators and a house rigged for torture – reveals the Capricorn’s methodical and calculating side at its most horrifying.
Charles Ng – born 24th December 1960
Christmas Eve is a popular date of birth for serial killers, with Charles Ng being the third killer to share this birthday.
Partnering with Leonard Lake, Ng orchestrated a campaign of sadistic violence in California during the early 1980s. Together, they kidnapped, tortured and killed between 11 and 25 victims.
Unlike Lake, who committed suicide when caught, Ng was tried and sentenced to death, and remains on death row as of 2025. His role in these crimes illustrates a darker interpretation of Capricorn determination: the ability to carry on horrific acts with chilling persistence.
John Edward Robinson – born 27th December 1943
Long before online dating scams became familiar, John Edward Robinson exploited the early internet to lure victims.
Between 1984 and 2000, Robinson killed at least eight women, many of them vulnerable or seeking companionship through personal ads. He manipulated trust with cold precision, maintaining the façade of a successful businessman while orchestrating murder behind the scenes.
Dubbed 'the Internet’s first serial killer', Robinson shows how Capricorn traits of ambition and strategy can be twisted to terrifying ends.
Niels Högel – born 30th December 1976
Few medical serial killers rival the scale of Niels Högel, a German nurse who preyed on the most vulnerable. Initially convicted of six murders, later investigations revealed that Högel had killed at least 85 patients by administering lethal doses of medication – though estimates put the number closer to 300 between 2000 and 2005. His crimes make him one of the most prolific serial killers in modern history.
In Högel, we see the Capricorn drive to 'perfect' his methods – but applied in the most horrifying context possible.
Ian Brady – born 2nd January 1938
Alongside Myra Hindley, Capricorn Ian Brady carried out the infamous Moors Murders in the UK. Between 1963 and 1965, the pair lured, tortured and murdered five children, burying their bodies on the desolate moors of Manchester.
The case horrified Britain, both for the sadism of the crimes and the couple’s lack of remorse. Brady’s meticulous planning and manipulation over Hindley revealed the Capricorn shadow: cold, obsessive control.
Israel Keyes – 7th January 1978
American serial killer Israel Keyes embodied Capricorn precision like no other. Active between the late 1990s and 2012, Keyes meticulously planned his murders years in advance, creating 'kill kits' hidden across the US to use later.
He killed at least three people, though authorities suspect the true number may be much higher. Unlike impulsive killers, Keyes epitomised a Capricorn’s structured approach: careful, methodical and chillingly detached. His eventual suicide in prison denied authorities the full extent of his crimes.
William Bonin – 8th January 1947
Between 1979 and 1980, William Bonin terrorised California as the 'Freeway Killer'. He targeted young men and boys, picking them up in his van before raping, torturing and murdering them.
Convicted of 14 murders but suspected of many more, Bonin was a Capricorn whose brutality was matched only by his persistence. Unlike some killers, he often worked with accomplices, spreading the terror across Southern California highways.
Dorothea Puente – 9th January 1929
Dorothea Puente ran a boarding house in Sacramento, California, but behind her matronly façade she preyed on her tenants. Between 1982 and 1988, she murdered at least nine elderly and disabled residents, burying their bodies in her garden while cashing their social security cheques.
Known as ‘The Death House Landlady’, Puente’s appearance and apparent generosity were the perfect covers for her crimes. Her cunning and opportunism resulted in her becoming one of the most notorious female killers in American history, a Capricorn who channelled her practicality into exploitation and death.
Ahmad Suradji – born 10th January 1949
In Indonesia, Ahmad Suradji confessed to murdering 42 women over more than a decade, though the true number may be higher.
Believing he would gain mystical powers, Suradji strangled his victims and buried them with their heads pointing toward his home. His ritualistic killings reveal a chilling blend of superstition and method, with the Capricorn’s persistence driving him to continue for years until his capture in 1997. Executed by firing squad in 2008, Suradji’s crimes shocked not just his home country, but the world.
Harold Shipman – born 14th January
Perhaps the most infamous Capricorn of them all, Harold Shipman is considered the most prolific serial killer in British history.
A trusted GP, Shipman is believed to have killed around 250 patients over three decades, using lethal doses of morphine. He exploited his position of authority with calculated coldness, masking his crimes under the guise of medical care.
Shipman’s ambition and control were twisted into a terrifying power: deciding who lived and who died.
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