10 Elderly Murderers Who Shocked the World

Think murder is only a young person’s game? Think again.
Court records are filled with cases of elderly killers—from senile slashers to wrinkled reapers—who turned their twilight years into tales of blood and terror. Some were driven by mental illness or dementia, while others killed for greed, revenge, or survival.

Here’s a spine-chilling list of 10 old-age murderers whose crimes prove that age is no barrier to brutality.

10. The Granny Ripper – Tamara Samsonova

In July 2015, Russian police arrested 68-year-old Tamara Samsonova, suspected of multiple killings—and even cannibalism. Security footage showed her dragging plastic bags, one containing the headless torso of 79-year-old Valentina Ulanova.

Inside her apartment, police found a bloody hacksaw, books on black magic, and a diary describing how she drugged victims before hacking them apart. The notes even hinted at her “relish for the lungs.”

In court, Samsonova blew kisses to reporters and claimed she was “haunted by a maniac upstairs.” By 2017, she was sentenced to compulsory psychiatric treatment.

9. Centenarian Slaughter – Michael Juskin

In April 2015, 100-year-old Michael Juskin hacked his 88-year-old wife, Rosalia, to death with an ax before killing himself. Relatives discovered the grisly scene after a welfare check.

The couple had a history of domestic disputes, but the true motive remains unknown. Juskin may be the oldest person in U.S. history accused of homicide.

8. The Dementia Patient Murderer – Galina Smirnova

In September 2025, 95-year-old Galina Smirnova was charged with killing her roommate, 89-year-old Nina Kravtsov, at a New York nursing center. Authorities said Smirnova beat her with a wheelchair pedal.

Though suffering from dementia, her attempt to clean up and hide the weapon raised questions of intent. She was later confined to a psychiatric ward.

7. Ray and Faye Copeland – The Senior Serial Killers

In 1989, police discovered five bodies on the Missouri farm of Ray (75) and Faye Copeland (68). Each victim, a hired farmhand, had been shot in the head.

A ledger in their home listed 12 workers marked with X’s, and investigators found a quilt made from victims’ clothing. The Copelands used drifters in livestock scams and murdered them to keep their fraud hidden.

6. Retirement Home Reaper – Vivian Stewart Nation

In July 2025, Maryland police found 78-year-old Beverly Fletcher stabbed and beaten to death. Her husband, 80-year-old Vivian Stewart Nation, confessed after an argument about his medical care spiraled into violence.

Authorities believe his strokes may have triggered uncharacteristic rage. The case shocked the retirement community.

5. The Grandparent Scam Murder – William Brock

In March 2024, 81-year-old William Brock became the victim of a scam call claiming his grandson was in trouble. When Uber driver Loletha Hall (61) arrived to collect the cash, Brock assumed she was part of the con.

He shot her multiple times, killing her. Investigators later confirmed Hall had been tricked into the errand herself. Brock was charged with murder, assault, and kidnapping.

4. Holocaust Memorial Mayhem – James von Brunn

In June 2009, 88-year-old James von Brunn, a known white supremacist, stormed the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., killing security guard Stephen T. Johns.

Von Brunn had a history of violent extremism and considered himself a martyr. He died in prison before trial, but his act remains one of the most shocking hate crimes by an elderly attacker.

3. The Handyman Killer – Kevin Gavin

Brooklyn handyman Kevin Gavin, 66, confessed in 2021 to murdering three elderly women in his senior housing complex.

• 2015: Stabbed Myrtle McKinney (92)

• 2019: Choked Jacolia James (83)

• 2021: Strangled Juanita Caballero (78) with a telephone cord

He killed after disputes over money and was later branded a serial killer of the elderly.

2. Baba Anujka – The Banat Witch

In the early 1900s, Serbian grandmother Baba Anujka became infamous as the “Banat Witch.” She is believed to have killed over 150 people with poison-laced potions.

Clients used her concoctions to eliminate unwanted spouses or rivals. In 1928, a survivor exposed her after a weak batch failed. At age 92, she was sentenced to 15 years but released at 100.

1. Samuel Little – America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer

In 2019, the FBI named Samuel Little the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history. Between 1970–2005, he murdered 93 women, with 57 confirmed.

He strangled victims with his massive hands, preying mostly on marginalized women whose deaths were often misclassified. Little kept killing well into his 60s, evading justice until his final arrest.

Conclusion

These stories prove one chilling truth: murder doesn’t retire. From cannibal grannies to scam-fueled shootings, these elderly killers show that age does not weaken darkness.