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15 Most Notorious Serial Killers from Wisconsin

Originally published by Faith on February 2023 and Updated by Beatrice J on March 2024

The genre of true crime has gained momentum over the years with many people being intrigued and wanting to understand the psychology behind the people who commit hideous acts. Serial killers hail from different parts of the country with Alaska being the state with the highest number of serial killers and Wisconsin is no different. Numerous notorious serial killers have called Wisconsin home, including Jeffrey Dahmer, the “Milwaukee Cannibal.” Serial killers use different methods and usually have varying motivations of why they are committing heinous crimes. We decided to examine Wisconsin’s most notorious killers in more detail in this article to give the reader and true crime enthusiasts a deeper insight into what type of gore and insanity goes on in different states.

1.      Jeffrey Dahmer

He is one of the most notorious serial killers ever witnessed in the United States of America. Born in Milwaukee in 1960, Jeffrey Dahmer has gained a lot of notoriety as a serial killer. As a child, Dahmer was a normal kid who lacked social skills and confidence. It wasn’t until when he was fourteen after his parent’s divorce that he would start to act weird and began developing a keen interest in dead things.

The serial killer killed his first victim at eighteen years old and over the next few years, he frequented the prison cell for sexual deviance. For a period of four years from 1988 to 1992, Dahmer killed 16 men with the police being alerted after a victim escaped and told them. Jeffrey would lure gay men into his apartment and strangle and dismember their bodies. The killer was a necrophiliac who got off with what he did to his patients. He was arrested and convicted of fifteen life sentences and he died in 1994 after his roommate bludgeoned him to death. The crimes of Jeffrey Dahmer were highly publicized and there is a Netflix series titled his name that is based on his crimes.

2.   David Spanbauer

The killer was born in Appleton, Wisconsin. Since he was a teenager, he had run-ins with the police. After dropping out of school, he tried his hand at the navy but he was unsuccessful as he was dishonourably discharged because of his reckless behaviour. David returned home and started involving himself in criminal activities. One night, he broke into a home and raped a woman who was housesitting and then proceeded to murder the woman’s uncle when he returned home. He was arrested and he confessed to killing numerous women and even two children

 3.  Ed Gein

He is also among the most infamous serial killers in the United States to date. Having inspired a lot of horror movies like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Gein was a scary person. Born to an alcoholic father and a mother who was a religious fanatic in 1906, his life did not start off to a great start. After the death of his mother, Gein became obsessed with women to the point that he started opening women’s graves and collecting body parts.

He became bored with that and started killing two women. When he was finally apprehended, the police discovered that he skinned his victims and it was believed that he was preserving the skin in an attempt to make a costume for himself. He was deemed insane and did not stand trial. Gein died in 1984 at a state hospital.    

4.      Walter Ellis

Ellis is frequently referred to as “The Milwaukee North Side Strangler” because, between 1986 and 2007, he was found guilty of raping and strangling at least seven women in the Milwaukee area. Police believed the murders were all unrelated for more than 20 years before DNA fingerprinting connected them all to Walter Ellis in 2009. He was ultimately found guilty in 2011 and transported to a South Dakota jail, where he eventually passed away in 2013.

5.      Edwards Edwards

Edwards was found guilty of killing a young couple in Wisconsin in 1980. He was convicted of the murders in 2010. It was also discovered that he was behind the murder of Tim Hack and Kelly Drew who were found dead in the woods. The young men had disappeared from a wedding reception and searchers found their bodies two months later.

6.      Ambrosio Analco

Ambrosio lived in Delevan, Wisconsin. He is a mass murderer who murdered six people in his household. Among the victims were two children and four adults. The motivation for his killing spree is believed to have been jealousy and other domestic issues. He later committed suicide that same day and the police arrived at the scene with him already dead.

7.      Richard Otto

He was known as the mad biter. Richard started his murder spree in August 1974 in Fontana, Wisconsin when he beat and stabbed Paula Cupit to death. Paula was working as a hotel maid when she encountered Richard. He also struck again in October by raping another maid but she survived. Richard proceeded to Illinois where he committed several attacks. He was later arrested and charged with several counts of death and was convicted to 30 years for the rape charge and a life sentence for the murder charge.

8.      Edward Wayne Edwards

Wayne grew up as an orphan after his mother committed suicide leaving him to be raised in an orphanage where he was abused. When he was old enough, he tried his luck with the marines but he soon quit and returned to his criminal lifestyle. Wayne killed five people with two happening in 1970, another two in 1980 and one in 1996. He was later arrested and it is believed that he was behind some of the popular murders like the Zodiac killings.

9.      Wade Michael Page

He is responsible for the Wisconsin Sikh Temple shooting that evoked notable reactions from then-president Barrack Obama and Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh. Wade was a white supremacist who killed six people and wounded four others at a mass shooting at the Sikh temple in Wisconsin. After the police arrived at the scene, he was shot by one officer but he shot himself in the head and died on the spot.

10.  Tyler Peterson

Tyler was a deputy in the Forest County Sherriff’s department and also a part-time police officer at the Crandon police department. In 2007, there was a mass shooting at a post-homecoming party that was in a duplex at Crandon. The perpetrator was discovered to be Tyler who committed suicide after committing the murders.

11.Altemio Sanchez

Altemio Sanchez also known as the Bike Path Rapist and the Bike Path Killer, was responsible for a series of brutal attacks and murders in the Buffalo, New York area. While he primarily operated in Buffalo, there is speculation and suspicion that he may have committed additional crimes in nearby areas, including Wisconsin.

Sanchez’s crimes spanned over a period of decades, beginning in the early 1980s and continuing until his arrest in 2007. He targeted women along bike paths and secluded areas, assaulting and murdering them. His modus operandi included strangulation and sexual assault.

In 2007, after years of investigation, Altemio Sanchez was finally apprehended and charged with multiple counts of murder, including the killings of Linda Yalem and Majane Mazur. He eventually confessed to these crimes as well as to several rapes.

12.Herb Baumeister

Born in Indianapolis, Wisconsin, in 1947, Baumeister was the owner of a successful thrift store chain and lived a seemingly normal life with his wife and children. However, behind this facade, he harbored dark secrets. Baumeister is believed to have murdered at least 11 men between 1980 and 1996, although the actual number of his victims may be higher.

His victims were typically young gay men whom he would lure to his home under the guise of offering them employment or sexual favors. Once at his property, Baumeister would sexually assault and then strangle his victims. He disposed of their bodies in various locations, including his own backyard.

The case against Baumeister began to unravel in 1996 when the remains of several young men were discovered on his property. As law enforcement agencies began to investigate further, they found evidence linking Baumeister to the murders. However, before he could be apprehended, Baumeister fled to Ontario, Canada, where he committed suicide by shooting himself in the head at Pinery Provincial Park in July 1996.

13.Daniel Conahan

Daniel Conahan, also known as the Hog Trail Killer, is an American serial killer convicted of the murder of Richard Montgomery in Charlotte County, Florida. While he primarily operated in Florida, there have been suspicions and investigations regarding his involvement in other murders, including one in Wisconsin.

He was convicted in 1999 of the murder of Richard Montgomery, whose body was found in a remote area near a hog trail. Montgomery had been bound, tortured, and mutilated before his death. The investigation into Montgomery’s murder led authorities to Conahan, who was subsequently arrested and charged with the crime.

During Conahan’s trial, evidence emerged linking him to other unsolved murders and disappearances in the area.

14.Randy Kraft

Randy Steven Kraft, also known as the Scorecard Killer, is an American serial killer who was convicted of murdering 16 young men in California between 1972 and 1983. Although most of his known crimes were committed in California, Kraft is suspected of other murders in various states, including Wisconsin.

Kraft’s crimes were particularly brutal and heinous. He would often pick up hitchhikers or young men from bars, offering them rides before drugging, torturing, and murdering them. While Kraft’s known victims were primarily in California, his extensive travels and the discovery of his scorecard have led authorities to suspect that he may have committed crimes in other states as well, including Wisconsin.

However, as of my last update, no concrete evidence linking Kraft to murders in Wisconsin has been found. Kraft was eventually apprehended in 1983 when he was caught driving under the influence with a victim in his car who was still alive.

15.Bruce Mendenhall

Bruce Mendenhall is an American serial killer who was active primarily in Tennessee but is suspected of committing murders in other states as well, including Wisconsin. Mendenhall was a long-haul truck driver, which allowed him to travel extensively across the United States.

He was arrested in July 2007 after being linked to the murder of a woman named Symantha Winters in Nashville, Tennessee. Winters’ body was found in a truck stop, and evidence pointed to Mendenhall’s involvement. During the investigation into Winters’ murder, authorities discovered that Mendenhall’s truck contained evidence linking him to other crimes.

Subsequent investigations revealed a pattern of behavior consistent with serial killing, including evidence of other murders and attempted murders in different states. In 2010, Bruce Mendenhall was convicted of the murder of Symantha Winters and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

In summary, the history of Wisconsin bears witnesses to the chilling presence of serial killers whose names have become synonymous with terror and depravity. From the haunting legacy of Ed Gein, whose grisly acts have left an indelible mark on popular culture, to the monstrous crimes of Jeffrey Dahmer that shook the nation’s conscience, the state has been home to some of the most notorious perpetrators of serial murder.

Yet, it is not only these infamous figures that haunt the collective memory of Wisconsin; lesser-known killers like Walter E. Ellis and Altemio Sanchez have also left scars on the communities they preyed upon.

Check out this article on the 10 Deadly Necrophilia Serial Killers here