25 Most Insane Prisoners Ever Caught

Posted by , Updated on March 23, 2024

Inmates can exhibit remarkably varying degrees of insanity. At times they can be psychotic, occasionally enraged, and sometimes remarkably intelligent. So no matter if they are among the most fearsome convicts on death row, or sophisticated enough to trade stocks from their confinement, these are the 25 Most Mind-bogglingly Insane Inmates Ever Apprehended!

25

Gary Lee Sampson

coffeeSource: telegraph.co.uk

A convicted murderer, Sampson threatened to kill death row officials and bragged about his murders. He also allegedly spent donation money on cappuccinos.

24

Ronnie McPeters

jail cellSource: latimes.com

While on death row, Ronnie would smear feces on the walls, the floor, and himself. He also soaked himself in urine and told a psychiatrist that he was filming a commercial.

23

Tsutomu Miyazaki

TokyoSource: bbc.com

Japanese serial killer Tsutomu Miyazaki came to be known as the “Human Dracula” because he drank the blood of his victims. He apparently spent most of the trial drawing cartoon images of Rat Man, an alter ego who he claimed made him kill. He also wasn’t repentant at all, even before being executed.

22

Jeffrey Dahmer

jailSource: cnn.com

A serial killer who was known for eating his victims, Jeffrey was eventually beaten to death in prison by another inmate.

21

Carl Panzram

Carl PanzramSource: washingtonpost.com

A serial killer, Carl spat in the executioner’s face before having a hood placed over his head. When he was asked for last words, he replied “Yes, hurry it up, you Hoosier bastard! I could kill a dozen men while you’re screwing around!”

20

Andrew Goldstein

subwaySource: nytimes.com

In 1999, he was convicted for pushing Kendra Webdale into the path of an oncoming subway train. During his trial, it became apparent that he was quite insane. He thought someone was trying to dissect his brain, that poisoned food was enlarging his genitals, and that a guy name Larry stole his feces.

19

Ed Gein

Ed GeinSource: washingtonpost.com

Gein was  notorious body snatcher who was known for digging up bodies in local graveyards. Apparently he enjoyed wearing their skin. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he was found to be legally insane.

18

William Bonin

roadSource: latimes.com

Known as the “freeway killer,” William killed and tortured at least 20 victims along southern California’s highways. His nasty side was still evident prior to his execution as he sent letters to many of his victim’s families describing how their loved ones had reacted to the torture.

17

Mark "Chopper" Read

gunSource: theage.com.au

An Australian criminal who is well known for being crazy, the movie “Chopper” is based on his life. Once, while being interviewed, he played Russian Roulette with himself. He then turned the gun on the reporter and forced her to play too. Fortunately, there wasn’t a bullet in the chamber for either of them.

16

John Wayne Gacy

John Wayne GacySource: latimes.com

Gacy was known as the “killer clown” because on the one hand he was a serial killer, and on the other hand, he would dress up as a clown for children’s parties and charity events. While on death row, he obsessively painted images of clowns.

15

Anthony and William Esposito

dogSource: howstuffworks.com

After robbing a money truck in 1941, these two brothers tried to prove they were insane by barking like dogs, banging their heads until they were bleeding, and drooling. The court, however, remained unconvinced.

14

Ted Bundy

Ted BundySource: abc.go.com

A notorious serial killer, Bundy described himself as “the most cold-hearted son of a bitch you’ll ever meet.” Even his defense attorney later noted that he “was the very definition of heartless evil.”

13

Ahmad Suradji

IndonesiaSource: cnn.com

An Indonesian cattle farmer who thought he was a sorcerer, Ahmad killed over 40 women and girls in the early 90’s. He then buried them waist deep in a field facing his house because he thought this would give him more power. He was eventually executed by firing squad.

12

Gregory David Roberts

ShantaramSource: bbc.com

A former heroin addict and bank robber from Australia, Gregory escaped from prison and fled to India where he lived for 10 years. He wrote a famous book, Shantaram, that details his experience living on the streets of Mumbai helping orphans, starting a health clinic, starring in Bollywood films, and becoming involved in the local criminal underworld. How truthful his stories are is not fully known.

11

Curtis Carroll

moneySource: marketwatch.com

Born into a family of crack heads, Curtis got into quite a bit of trouble early on in life. Eventually he ended up in San Quentin State Prison. While on the inside, he learned to read and became intrigued with the business section of the newspaper. He couldn’t believe that people could play around with so much money and before long he was playing with stocks (with help from the outside). He got so good at picking stocks that his nickname is now the “The Oracle of San Quentin.” Sometimes walking the thin line of insanity is financially beneficial.

10

Luis Garavito

Luis GaravitoSource: bbc.com

Known as La Bestia (The Beast), Luis allegedly raped and killed more than 300 boys in and around Colombia. Since Colombian law limits imprisonment to 40 years, he may be released soon. Needless to say, the public is not very happy with this.

9

Dennis Rader

ropeSource: theguardian.com

Dennis was known as the BTK murderer (Bind, Torture, Kill) because this is the alias he used while sending taunting letters to the police. Not only was he crazy, his ego was enormous.

8

Charles Edmund Cullen

heart beatSource: nytimes.com

Known as the “Angel of Death,” Cullen was a nurse in New Jersey when he was convicted for killing more than 40 patients. Experts, however, believe that Cullen is responsible for 400 other murders and is possibly the most prolific serial killer in US history.

7

T-Bone

jailSource: vice.com

This Arizona prisoner believes it’s his duty to protect weaker prisoners. So what does he do? He beats up the bullies! It might be insanity to stand up in such places, but we’re sure there are also thankful inmates.

6

Jason "Eyeball" Barnum

jason barnumSource: independent.co.uk

Facing trial for murder, prosecutors in Anchorage, Alaska say that Jason’s tattoo shows his hostility to society. While trying to feed his drug addiction, even he admits to “running crazy [outside of jail].” And you’ll never guess where the tattoo is. (If you guessed on his eyeball, then you were right.)

5

Peter Kürten

Peter KürtenSource: thoughtcatalog.com

Known as the Vampire of Dusseldorf, his last words give away how crazy he was – “Tell me. After my head has been chopped off, will I still be able to hear, at least for a moment, the sound of my own blood gushing from the stump of my neck? That would be a pleasure to end all pleasures.”

4

Daniel Genis

sorrySource: npr.org

After graduating from NYU, Daniel got into drugs and ended up owing a dealer quite a bit of money. He was arrested after he started mugging people in order to repay his debt. (He allegedly apologized profusely during the muggings which gained him the nickname “the apologetic bandit.”) While in prison, he was known for his interesting behavior. Once, he even convinced his fellow inmates to sell him their souls.

3

Andrei Chikatilo

knifeSource: dw.de

Known as the Butcher of Rostov, Andrei was a Soviet serial killer who was once quoted as saying, “When I used my knife, it brought psychological relief. I know I have to be destroyed. I was a mistake of nature.”

2

Pedro Rodriguez Filho

BrazilSource: bbc.com

Known as the Brazilian Maniac, Pedro started killing early, many times for revenge. After his father killed his mother with a machete, he killed his father, cut out his heart, and chewed it before throwing it away. He also tortured and killed numerous gang members in revenge for killing his girlfriend. The craziest part? All this happened before turning 18. When he was arrested, however, he continued killing people in jail. Since then, he has promised the deaths of some of Brazil’s highest profile serial killers.

1

Alexander Pichushkin

chessSource: bbc.com

Another Russian serial killer, it is believed that Alexander was competing with Andre (the Butcher) and allegedly wanted to complete the number of squares on a chessboard by killing 64 people. Strangely enough, he was a kind and sociable child until he was struck in the head by a swing. Experts believe this caused his insanity and aggression.



Photos: Feature Image: Barnellbe, Veave in jail, CC BY-SA 3.0, 25. pixabay (public domain), 24. publicdomainpictures.net (public domain), 23-22. pixabay (public domain), 21. wikimedia commons (public domain), 20. AEMoreira042281, NYC Subway R160A 9237 on the E, CC BY-SA 3.0, 19. Mistyday22, Ed Gein, CC BY-SA 4.0, 18. pixabay (public domain), 17-14. wikimedia commons (public domain), 13. Crisco 1492, Mount Merapi in 2014, CC BY-SA 3.0, 12. Stephen Boisvert via flickr, CC BY 2.0, 11. pixabay (public domain), 10. NaTaLiia0497, Luis Alfredo Garavito Cubillos, CC BY-SA 3.0, 9-7. pixabay (public domain), 6. via imgur (fair use; illustrative purposes only), 5. Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-11502 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, Bundesarchiv Bild 102-11502, Polizeiaufnahme eines Massenmörders, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE, 4-1. pixabay (public domain)