Facts You’ve Probably Never Heard About Serial Killers

Serial killers are real-life bogeymen for many people. That's why horror stories center around them, why we can't get enough studies about them, and why they seem to have their own unique way of striking fear and fascination into the hearts of people everywhere.

As fascinating as they are, and though they may be one of the most heavily researched prison populations out there, there are many facts you've probably never heard about serial killers — even if you're a criminologist.

Today, we're going to look at some of the stranger facts about famous serial killers, as well as unusual trivia facts about serial killers as a whole. How many of these facts did you know?

Police estimate that there are 25 to 50 active serial killers at any time in the US.

One of the scariest facts you probably never heard about serial killers is that the police don't know how many of them are out there. On average, the FBI believes that there are anywhere from 25 to 50 active serial killers throughout the United States at any given point.

The FBI also noted that the people who are at greatest risk of being serial killer victims tend to be sex workers. That being said, no one is immune to a serial killer. So, take that information as you will.

Ted Bundy once saved a kid from drowning.

Here's one of the weirdest facts you probably never heard about serial killers: some actually have saved lives in the past. Ted Bundy, prior to his killing spree, saved a young boy from drowning at a pool.

At one point in his life, Ted Bundy also worked for a suicide hotline. Ironic, much?

John Wayne Gacy was considered to be a pillar of society... until the dead bodies of over 30 boys were found in his basement.

Prior to being arrested with hard evidence of his murders, no one in John Wayne Gacy's community would have ever believed him to be a serial killer. Gacy, the Killer Clown himself, was the precinct captain of the local Democratic party.

He also was the manager of three different KFC stores, was wildly popular in his community, and also regularly volunteered to do kids' birthday parties as Pogo the Clown. Who would have guessed that the guy who was photographed shaking the First Lady's hand would have been a serial killer?

Well, some facts you probably never heard about serial killers involve their sex lives before arrest, too. Most people don't realize that John Wayne Gacy was really heavily involved in crazy sex — and that people around him were well aware of it.

Gacy himself had a known underground swinger's club in his basement. His own employees occasionally would frequent it. It was also widely known that he regularly engaged in wife swapping, drug use, and even cheated on his first wife with prostitutes.

Later on, after his arrest, news also came out that one of his first gay experiences was with a dead body, so...maybe there was some foreshadowing there.

Quite a few factors that influence violent crime like serial killing involve weird fetishes. Many of the most famous American serial killers had warped sex lives; Gacy was one of them in that sense.

Rodney Alcala was once a "prize" on 'The Dating Game.'

There are many facts you probably never heard about serial killers — particularly when it comes to more obscure ones. However, this is probably one of the facts you might have heard about in the past.

Rodney Alcala, a serial killer who was known for his unusually high IQ, was once a contestant on the hit game show, The Dating Game. And, more alarmingly, Alcala actually won the game, with the date choosing him over the other two contestants.

However, when contestant Cheryl Bradshaw saw him, she refused to date him, citing that he was "creepy" and that his body language put her on edge. It's a good thing she said so because otherwise, she might have been another victim.

A lot of serial killers actually had jobs which involved security.

This is one of those rare facts you probably never heard about serial killers, and probably will now wish you didn't know, either. Many serial killers worked in fields that would involve them having power over others, or involved themselves in work that made them the one in charge of security.

Here are just some of the names of killers who worked in security-related positions.

• For example, Kenneth Bianchi, who raped and murdered 10 women, once applied to be a member of the LAPD. He even went on ride-alongs with policemen and knew some cops on a first name basis.
• Serial killer Robert Lee Yates was even worse. He worked as a prison security guard in Walla Walla, Washington's jail system before he was convicted.
• Mass murderer Charles Ng was a USMC member before he was arrested for killing over a dozen people.
• Oh, and the BTK Killer? He worked for ADT for 14 years.

So, you know, you might want to be nice to that security guard...and keep away from him. You never know if he has other signs that he's a serial killer in the making, you know.

Some serial killers also get a bit resourceful with the dead bodies — Sweeney Todd-style.

You remember that gothy Johnny Depp movie, Sweeney Todd? Well, that concept of killing people and serving them to others is something that several famous serial killers have done — and yes, one actually charged people money and claimed the meat was pork.

Ted Bundy's neighbors told police that the meat sandwiches Bundy always served could have been sliced human. Police are unsure whether or not Bundy ate or served his victims to others.

On the other hand, Joe Metheny had no problem admitting that he put his victims into burgers. He mixed people with animal meat, then told police, "If you mix them together, no one can tell the difference." He then sold the burgers to people at his food stand.

One of America's first serial killers also used his victims' bodies for profit. H.H. Holmes didn't sell their meat, but did sell their skeletons to medical boards that needed anatomy models.

Sometimes, they just use human remains for other things. Robert Pickton? Well, he killed 50 women, but he didn't serve them to people or sell them to medical boards. He fed the women's remains to his pigs.

The term "serial killer" is still kind of new.

One of the facts you probably never heard about serial killers is that serial killers are relatively new to the world. The term "serial killer" was only coined in 1971 by FBI agent Robert K. Ressler.

Despite that, there were examples of serial killers throughout the centuries — including Jack the Ripper, Caligula, Elizabeth Bathory, and more. So, while the term is new, actual serial killers have been a part of human history since time began.