For some killers, it isn't enough to take the lives of their victims. Some must capture the moment with a photograph, a memento mori of the sickest variety. In many cases, police departments have released these images of murder, either to assist in the identification of victims, or as a testament to the sheer brutality of these killers' crimes. Here are ten such examples of photos of murder, taken by serial killers and other murderers themselves. Be warned, however: some of the photographs on this list are quite graphic.
Chilling Photos of Murder Victims Taken By Their Killers,
Shari Miller, Photographed Moments Before Death
William Richard Bradford convinced bartender Shari Miller to accompany him out to the desert for an impromptu photo shoot. After snapping several pictures of Miller, Bradford strangled the woman to death, sliced off her tattoos, and dumped her body in a dumpster.
Bradford was later questioned in relation to a missing person, Tracey Campbell. At that time, police discovered the photos of Miller, whom they recognized as their Jane Doe, as well as pictures of 54 other women. This led to the discovery of Campbell's body not far from the site where Bradford killed Miller.
In 2006, several more of the women in Bradford's photographs were identified, though most still remain unknown. Bradford was executed in 2008.
The Last Known Photograph of Madyson Jamison
The entire Jamison family - Bobby, Sherilynn, and daughter Madyson - disappeared in October 2009 under highly suspicious circumstances. Their bodies were discovered in the woods outside Red Oak, OK, four years later, and foul play is suspected. It is unclear who snapped this cell phone photograph of Madyson, though family members point out that the girl appears especially distressed, leading some to theorize that the Jamisons' murderer was the photographer.
Judy Ann Dull, Moments Before Her Demise
Serial killer Harvey Glatman's M.O. involved luring women to his hotel room, pretending to be a photographer looking to pay quick cash for a few snapshots. Once inside the room, he would tie the women up, photograph, and then kill them. Sometimes, the photo shoot did not end after death...
Regina Kay Walters, Victim of Robert Ben Rhoades
In late 1989, 14-year-old Regina Kay Walters fell victim to serial killer Robert Ben Rhoades, who drove a semi truck equipped with a torture chamber in the back. The expression of absolute terror and the defensive position of her hands is absolutely chilling.
Unidentified Victims of The Dating Game Killer
Rodney Alcala, dubbed the "Dating Game Killer" due to his rather surreal appearance on The Dating Game prior to his arrest, may be responsible for over 200 murders. Police discovered a wealth of photographs of young woman, many of whom have not yet been identified, and who are suspected victims of Alcala.
The 29th Victim of The Candyman
Dean Corll, AKA "The Candyman," earned his nickname due to a penchant for handing out free samples from his candy company to local children to lure them into his vehicle. In total, Corll murdered 28 young boys from 1970 to 1973, though a photograph of an unidentified boy found among Corll's possessions suggests their might be a 29th boy still unaccounted for. Though blurry, the child in the photo does not match any of Dean Corll's other confirmed victims.
James Ferris, Bound and Injected by Bob Berdella
Bob Berdella assaulted, tortured, and killed at least six men in the mid-1980s. He liked to take Polaroids of his victims as well, and a number of these were published in a Kansas City newspaper following Berdella's arrest.
The Lust Killer's Photo Shoot
Jerry Brudos, dubbed "The Lust Killer" and "The Shoe Fetish Slayer," kidnapped Karen Sprinker from a parking lot and held her captive in his garage. There, he forced Sprinker to model underwear for him while he photographed her. He proceeded to kill Sprinker, dismember her body, and have sex with her corpse.
Jerry Brudos was convicted in 1969 of killing Sprinker and three other women in the same fashion. He died in prison in 2006.
Photo of Kidnapping Victims Left in Parking Lot
The girl in this photo is believed to be kidnapping victim Tara Calico, though the boy is as yet unidentified. What's most chilling about this Polaroid is that it was discovered in a parking space minutes after a plain white van left the spot in September 1988. Investigators theorize the photograph was taken that very moment, with the boy and girl inside the van, tantalizingly close but so far away from rescue. Whether the victim is indeed Calico or not, the fate of these two is unknown.
This is just as creepy as those horrible photos.
Anatoly Slivko's Scout Video Images
One of the most sadistic killers in history, Anatoly Slivko conducted "experiments" in unconsciousness. He was inspired after he became sexually aroused at the grisly scene of an automobile accident in which a boy perished. Slivko would befriend young boys and then lure them out into the woods, where he would suspend them by their necks via a rope until they passed out. In several cases, Slivko assaulted the boys while they were unconscious, reviving them afterwards and swearing them to secrecy.
In seven cases, however, Anatoly Slivko would dismember, burn, and desecrate the corpses, often for the purpose of sexual gratification, recreating the accident that had initially aroused him. Regardless of whether he killed the boys or not, Slivko always made a video tape of the proceedings. He was executed in 1989.