Many serial killers become famous (infamous?) for the sheer horror of their crimes or because of the number of people they've killed. Sometimes, when a killer attains worldwide notoriety, so too does the car they might have used in the crime. Usually a crappy old beater, but sometimes a luxury vehicle, these serial killer cars often become crime scenes themselves, and serve as mobile murder enablers where psychos like Ted Bundy, the "Green River Killer", or John Wayne Gacy find and lure victims.
What kinds of cars did serial killers drive? In a few cases, the car itself is the weapon, driven by a lunatic on a mission to kill. Since these cars are so often used as evidence, they often survive trials and become tourist attractions (because profiting off of brutal murders is totally Pm89t566C, right?). You might even be able to find a serial killer death car at a museum near you. Just don't look in the trunk.
Note that many of these cars are actually vans, which we all know are the worst of all. Basically, if you see an old, beat-up van (the white ones have always been the creepiest) idling in the middle of nowhere, it might be best to just move on. So teach yourself the types of rides to avoid by familiarizing yourself with the serial killer vehicles in this list.
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1Charles Manson's 1935 Dodge Power Wagon
Charles Manson acquired two old 1935 Dodge Power Wagons to use as off-road vehicles at the Manson Family’s Barker Ranch. Manson family member Charles "Tex" Watson took one in 1969 when Barker Ranch was raided, but it broke down, and Watson hitchhiked out of the area, eventually making it to Texas.
The Power Wagon remains sitting in the desert, with a few pentagrams drawn into the roof to mark its former owner.Ted Bundy famously committed many of his murders in a beige 1975 VW Beetle. He would often attempt to lure women back to it with a variety of lies, and perpetrated several murders in it. On August 15, 1975, Bundy was being pulled over and made a run for it. When he was finally caught, and the car searched, police found a crowbar, a box of large green plastic garbage bags, an ice pick, a flashlight, gloves, torn strips of sheeting, a knit ski mask, a pair of handcuffs, and a mask made from panty hose.
Bundy was arrested, released on his own recognizance and promptly cleaned and sold the car. The next day, he was arrested again.
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3Manson Family's 1959 Ford Falcon
Manson Family member Linda Kasabian drove a yellow 1959 Ford Falcon during the family’s murders of Sharon Tate and Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. The car was originally owned by Barker Ranch hand Johnny Swartz, and was impounded in August 1969, shortly after the murders.
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4Ed Gein's 1949 Ford Sedan
Psychotic serial killer and body snatcher Ed Gein drove a 1949 Ford sedan, using it to drive his victims to various horrible places around Wisconsin. After Gein’s arrest, sideshow operator Bunny Gibbons bought the car at a public auction for $760, and charged 25 cents to see and have pictures taken with “Ed Gein’s Ghoul Car.”
Eventually, local authorities shut the exhibit down, and the car is lost to history.- 5
The Moors Murderer's Morris Mini Van
Infamous British killers Ian Brady and Myra Hinsley became known as the “Moors Murderers” because of their pathology of killing and disposing of children on the foreboding Saddleworth Moor outside Manchester. The duo used a small and popular Morris Mini Van, belonging to Myra, to lure and capture victims. - Photo:
- Redsimon
- Wikimedia Commons
- CC BY 3.0
6John George Haigh's Alvis TA 14
Dapper Englishman John George Haigh committed a series of murders in the late 40’s, and disposed of his victims in such a gruesome way that he became known as the “Acid Bath Killer.” In February 1949, Haigh committed his sixth and final killing, murdering a wealthy widow by shooting her in the head after driving her around in his luxury Alvis TA14, which he had paid for using money stolen from other victims.- Photo:
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In what’s become known as the Beltway Sniper attacks, John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo cut a swath of terror through the east coast, shooting 27 people, 17 fatally, while driving around in a blue 1990 Chevrolet Caprice sedan. The backseat had been removed and a hole cut in the trunk, allowing the shooter to remain hidden while picking off targets.
The car is currently at the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington.
