Some of the most dangerous prisoners in the world are covered in today’s article including El Chapo Guzeman and the chilling Surinder Koli.
10 – Nikko Jenkins
In August 2013, Jenkins was released from prison after serving a 10-year sentence for robbery and assault.
Following his release, he went on a killing spree that shocked the community, and, over the course of 10 days in August 2013, Jenkins murdered four people.
The murders were carried out in a brutal and seemingly random manner that Jenkins claimed were part of a ritualistic plot influenced by voices he heard in his head.
Claiming the instructions came from ancient Egyptian serpent god Apophis, Jenkins also asserted that the killings were a means of purging the city of its “demons.”
Jenkins’ mental state was a significant factor in his trial, however when it came to his sentence for the four guilty counts of first degree murder, the jury determined that death was the only applicable sentence.
Jenkins is currently incarcerated at the Nebraska Correctional Facility’s Death Row.
9 – Anders Breivik
Norwegian far-right extremist Breivik’s attack began with a car bomb explosion in Oslo, the capital of Norway, targeting government buildings and the office of the country’s Prime Minister.
Breivik then traveled to the island of Utoya, where a youth camp organized by the Norwegian Labour Party was taking place.
Disguised as a police officer, he opened fire on the attendees, primarily young people with the shooting spree lasting for about an hour and a half.
Breivik killed 69 people during this horrifying attack and it was revealed that the first bomb had killed upwards of 8 people.
Breivik willingly surrendered to police on Utoya after the shooting spree and expressed no remorse for his actions.
In August 2012, Breivik was found guilty of mass murder and terrorism charges, was sentenced to 21 years in prison but can be extended indefinitely as long as he is deemed a threat to society.
Held in solitary confinement, Breivik has access to three cells, one for exercise one for work and one for sleeping inside the high-security Skien prison, 100km west of Oslo.
He is currently one of the Most Dangerous Prisoners in Norway.
8 – Jason Barnum
Identified as a serial burglar, he was discovered hiding in a hotel in 2012, where he engaged in gunfire with two police officers, resulting in the injury of one.
Barnum gained the moniker “Eyeball,” a nickname that reflects his distinctive appearance and his right eye also bears a black tattoo with a third tatooed on his forehead.
Barnum was apprehended and received a 22-year prison sentence after being found guilty of attempted murder, car theft, and burglary.
Barnum attributed his criminal activities to financing his substance addiction and later apologised for the crimes.
Court records reported to show run-ins with the law as far back to 1993 and these included burglary charges in 2000 and 2005.
Barnum was last reported to have been sent to Spring Creek Correctional Center where he spends much of his time in solitary confinement.
7 – Charles Cullen
Dubbed “angel of death” or “mercy,” medical professional serial killers defy their caregiving roles. In 1986, Charles Cullen, a nursing school graduate, embarked on a sinister path.
Administering lethal doses to patients in New Jersey and Pennsylvania hospitals, Cullen, a hospital nurse, was arrested in 2003 and confessed to 29 murders while being suspected of many additional unexplained deaths.
Despite his claim of easing patients’ pain, evidence revealed not all victims were terminal and he received 18 consecutive life sentences without parole.
He has since confessed to committing as many as 40 murders, though interviews with police, psychiatrists and journalists have sugested that he may have killed upwards of double what he claims.
Currently, he is held at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, and will not eligible for parole until June 10, 2403, when he would be 443 years old.
6 – Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán
One of the most dangerous prisoners locked inside America’s Supermax prison, El Chapo was the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most powerful and dangerous drug cartels globally.
He played a pivotal role in the production, trafficking, and distribution of vast quantities of narcotics, including cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine.
Guzmán gained infamy for his use of sophisticated tunnels to transport drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border that were equipped with lighting, ventilation, and rail systems.
El Chapo escaped from Mexican prisons on two occasions, in 2001 and 2015, highlighting his ability to elude authorities with one involving a tunnel almost a mile long.
He was implicated in numerous acts of violence, including assassinations, kidnappings, and brutal confrontations with law enforcement.
After his recapture in 2016, Guzmán was extradited to the United States in 2017 to face charges related to drug trafficking, money laundering, and involvement in organized crime.
In July 2019, he was found guilty on all counts, including operating a continuing criminal enterprise and multiple drug-related charges.
Sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years, and he was ordered to forfeit billions of dollars resulting from his criminal activities and now resides at ADX FLorence, where he will eventually meet his end as one of America’s Most Dangerous Prisoners.
5 – David Berkowitz
Berkowitz’s crime spree began in the summer of 1976 and continued into 1977 when he targeted young couples, shooting them with a .44 caliber revolver as they sat in parked cars.
Terrorizing New York City during the mid-1970s, he gained the nicknames “Son of Sam” and the “.44 Caliber Killer,”.
Berkowitz’s attacks resulted in the deaths of six people and the injury of seven others with the seemingly random nature of the shootings creating widespread fear and panic in New York City.
Berkowitz sent taunting and cryptic letters to the police and the media, claiming that he was influenced by a demon possessing his neighbor’s dog.
Berkowitz was arrested on August 10, 1977, after a parking ticket linked him to one of the crime scenes.
Berkowitz later stated that he believed he was commanded to kill by demons and that he targeted young couples to create fear and chaos.
Berkowitz pleaded guilty to all charges against him and was sentenced to six consecutive life sentences in prison, later, expressing remorse for his actions and becoming a born-again Christian while incarcerated.
Currently serving his sentence at Shawangunk Correctional Facility in New York, parole has been denied on every occasion, making him one of New York’s Most Dangerous Prisoners.
4 – Joseph James DeAngelo
From 1974 to 1986, DeAngelo committed a gruesome series of offenses, including the murder of 13 individuals, the assault of over 50 women, and approximately 120 burglaries.
Best known as the “Golden State Killer,” Joseph James DeAngelo is responsible for a significant number of crimes, with “Golden State” being just one of the media-assigned nicknames, one of nine he has been given.
Following 1986, the case remained unsolved for an extended period until advancements in genetic genealogy and compelling DNA evidence led to DeAngelo’s arrest in 2018, at the age of 72.
Facing 13 counts of first-degree murder and 13 counts of kidnapping, he eventually pleaded guilty.
DeAngelo had a brief stint as a police officer in the 1970s and he is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
3 – Robert Maudsley
Born in June 1953, Maudsley’s criminal history is marked by extreme violence and a chilling modus operandi.
Maudsley’s criminal spree began in the 1970s and he is known to have committed at least four murders, with his victims primarily being young men.
What sets Maudsley apart is the gruesome nature of his crimes, being ted cannibal, his first known murder occurred in 1974, and his subsequent victims suffered unimaginable brutality.
In 1977, Maudsley was arrested and convicted of killing a man in London, but, while in prison, he further solidified his reputation for extreme violence.
In 1983, Maudsley lured a fellow inmate into his cell, where he brutally attacked and strangled him, with various other attacks that cannot be mentioned here.
Maudsley’s notoriety grew after an interview where he claimed to have eaten a part of one of his victims and this macabre revelation earned him the moniker “Hannibal the Cannibal,” drawing parallels to the fictional character Hannibal Lecter.
Maudsley, who is now considered to dangerous to ever be released, spends his days in a specially designed plexiglass cell underneath wakefield prison, with his only contact, the people he hatres the most, prison systems employees.
2 – Joanna Dennehy
Born in 1982, Dennehy’s criminal spree unfolded in 2013 and left a trail of fear and horror.
Dennehy’s killing spree targeted men, and her victims were chosen seemingly at random.
In March 2013, she embarked on a 10-day killing spree that resulted in the murders of three menwith the brutal nature of the crimes and the apparent lack of motive baffling investigators and terrifying the public.
Dennehy’s ruthlessness extended beyond the act of murder; she displayed a callous disregard for the lives she had taken.
What made Dennehy’s case even more disturbing was the revelation that she had attempted to recruit others to join her in further violence.
Two men, Gary Stretch and Leslie Layton, were implicated in assisting her in various ways, including disposing of the victims’ possessions.
Like many serial killers who have a discernible pattern or motive, Dennehy’s actions seemed to defy easy explanation.
In 2014, Dennehy pleaded guilty to the murders, and she was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and is one of the UK’s Most Dangerous Prisoners.
1 – Dennis Rader
Infamously known as the “BTK Killer”, Rader was an American serial killer who terrorized the Wichita, Kansas area for over three decades and is currently one of America’s Most Dangerous Prisoners.
Operating from the 1970s to the 2000s, Rader’s crimes were characterized by a sadistic pattern of binding, torturing, and killing his victims.
Rader’s first known murders occurred in the 1970s and his methodical and calculated approach to killing became apparent when he began sending taunting letters to the media and law enforcement, detailing the specifics of his crimes.
The letters also included clues and personal items taken from the crime scenes, establishing a cat-and-mouse relationship with authorities.
The BTK Killer’s known victims include ten individuals, ranging in age from 9 to 62 and his choice of victims and the brutality of his acts created an atmosphere of fear and paranoia in the community.
Rader targeted both men and women, seemingly without a discernible motive beyond his sadistic desire for control and domination.
One chilling aspect of Rader’s crimes was his ability to adapt to technological advances and he remained elusive for decades, using various means to communicate with the media and police.
After a lull in communications, Rader resurfaced in 2004, leading to his eventual capture when police traced him to a computer in a church.
In 2005, Dennis Rader pleaded guilty to ten counts of first-degree murder. During his sentencing hearing, he chillingly described the details of each murder, showing no remorse for his heinous acts.
In 2006, he was sentenced to ten consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, serving this in permanent solitary confinement.