10 Infamous Axe Murderers

10 Infamous Axe Murderers

True crime stories range from people killing other people with the most basic things lying around that one would not expect someone to use while committing murder to chilling methods that see the victims of the crimes endure a lot of pain. Most killers in history have a signature way that they performed their crimes from leaving the crime scene set in a particular way or using a specific type of weapon while committing the crime. For instance, when one hears of an axe murderer they get chills as they wonder what kind of a maniac would go killing people with an axe.

Therefore, this article will explore the ten infamous murderers who used axes when they went on a killing spree. This is interesting in that an axe is not something that one would expect to be used in a murder as it is inconspicuous and could attract unwarranted attention to the person intending to commit the heinous crime.

1 The axe man of New Orleans

The Flag of New Orleans by Bernard Barry-Wikimedia

The Axeman of New Orleans was a strange killer who was popular for breaking into people’s homes at night and brutally murdering them. The killer would hack the victims to death and leave the axe that he used at the crime scene. He would then disappear and leave the bloody mess for the authorities to find. In the 12 attacks that he did, the Axeman of New Orleans left six people dead.  Their bodies were often found with their throats slashed and an axe buried in their skull.

People believed that the murderer was a mob hitman because the victims of his attacks were mostly Italian. Legend also suggested that he was a demon who had been sent by the devil. This theory was backed up by a letter sent to the local newspaper offices that were supposedly from axeman. The letter stated that the murderer had been sent from hell and he was not human. Another bizarre discovery from the letter was one could be protected from the attacks if they played jazz music. The Axeman was never found and the murder just stopped making people wonder who the Axeman of New Orleans was.

2 Tyree Smith

Tyree Smith, a crazed axe murderer and cannibal, apologised in court after being sentenced to 60 years in a psychiatric hospital. This was highly unusual as most murderers did not apologize after killing someone and instead revelled in their crimes. Tyree clobbered a homeless man to death with an axe and proceeded to eat his brains and eyeballs. The murderer claimed that he heard voices in his head telling him to do heinous things.

One day in 2011, Smith went to his landlord’s house rambling about his thirst for blood and something about Greek gods. The landlord kicked him out and the next day, he spotted Tyree walking around with bloody clothes, a bloody axe and chopsticks.

While in custody, he told quite a story about killing a man the night before and eating and washing it all down with a bottle of liquor before heading to the subway. He explained that the voices that were inside his head, ordered him to eat another man’s brain to help him study the ins and outs of behaviour Smith consumed his eyes, and the voice could also see the spiritual side of beings. In another twisted turn, the victim’s body was found in the empty apartment where Smith grew up as a child.

3 The Tacoma axe killer

A mug shot of Jake Bird-Wikimedia

The American serial killer’s name was Jake Bird. He is known for killing a mother and a daughter, June and Beverly Kludt with an axe and he is also responsible for 40 other homicide cases in the United States. The serial killer dispelled the myth that white people were the only serial killers as during that time, African American people were associated with urban violence and not serial killing. Police officers were sent to Bertha’s home after screams were heard. When they went to investigate, they encountered a man running out of the back door and followed him. The police managed to capture him and take him to the Tacoma city jail where he confessed to killing the mother and daughter and many other people across the country. He was found guilty of murder, sentenced to death and executed.

4 Pierre Provost

In 1878, a town in Indiana was rocked with grief when they found four family members bludgeoned beyond recognition by a hired hand. John Desire Vacelet who was the patriarch had nine axe gashes while his wife’s body looked like the killer had gone on a rampage with it and was virtually decapitated.  Their two sons were also not spared as they were found lying together in bed with brain matter seeping out of their broken skulls.

People started suspecting a French immigrant known as Pierre Provost who was the one who reported the attack. Pierre appeared at the Vacelet residence barefoot and dressed in only his underwear. He even seemed amused about the whole incident.

The family of John had provided Pierre with a place to sleep in their sons’ bedroom. Pierre then claimed that he had escaped through the window when he saw big men attacking the family. This was untrue as the window was shut and it had cobwebs which meant that it had not been opened in a while. There was also a print of a bloody barefoot which cemented the fact that Pierre was responsible for the crime. He was arrested and he later hanged himself in a jail cell.

5 Lizzie Borden

A portrait of Lizzie Borden in 1890 by the Guardian-Wikimedia

Lizzie Borden is known to be among one of the grisliest axe murderers in the history of the United States of America.  This is an interesting fact as she was never found guilty of killing anyone with an axe. Lizzie’s father and stepmother were found dead in 1892 after they had been hacked with an axe. Her father had 11 axe gashes while her mother had 18 axe gashes. At the time of the murder, Lizzie was at home but she claimed that she was in the barn when the attack was taking place.

However, the police did not find any evidence that she was in the barn and her alibi was shaky. Lizzie was arrested and put on trial for murder where the press pounced on her story and made her out to be a monster and guilty of the crime. However, she was acquitted because of a lack of evidence.

6 Victor Licata

During the 1930s, the use of marijuana was highly condemned by the press and many politicians as they claimed that it drove people mad and unpredictable.  This narrative was backed up by Victor Licata when he murdered his family with an axe. Licata took an axe and killed his parents his sister and his two brothers together with their dog.

When interrogated by the police, he claimed that they had stolen his hands and replaced them with mechanical ones and as revenge, he knocked them unconscious with an axe. This was shocking as it seemed that he was not aware that they were dead. Victor further confessed that he had smoked marijuana before going on the killing spree. He was sentenced to a lunatic asylum where he earned the name the mad axeman.

7 Karl Denke

A picture of an axe by Beherdolf- Wikimedia

The terrifying guy was also known as the cannibal of Ziebece. While with family and friends, he seemed like quite an ordinary person but the authorities later discovered that he was a brutal murderer. One day in 1924, a man appeared in a police station with visible wounds claiming that Denke had tried to kill him with an axe.

When police officers went to investigate, they found glass jars that had human flesh in Denke’s home. It is said that he murdered 42 people and is their flesh. The reason for eating his victim’s flesh is still unexplained.  Before admitting to his crimes, he hanged himself in prison like many other serial killers.

8 Joseph Ntshongwana

The South African Rugby player was charged with murder after he stalked a group of men that he believed to have raped his daughter and infected them with HIV. John killed three men with an axe and severely wounded the fourth one. He then proceeded to carry the head of one of the men he had killed about a mile from the scene of the crime and tossed it in the trash.

Authorities however claim that no rape occurred.  It was later discovered that John suffered from a schizoaffective disorder but was deemed fit to stand trial because of the extent he went to conceal evidence.

9 Eva Dugan

She was a prostitute who left that line of business and became a housekeeper. Eva’s employer gave her an axe in 1927 and after being sacked from her job, she became very mad and took the axe that had been given to her and murdered her boss.

She then buried the body in an effort to get rid of evidence and took his car. Suspicions started to rise on their disappearances but she was soon found because having a car in those times made her conspicuous. She was arrested for stealing a car and sent to prison but later when the corpse of her boss was accidentally found it was clear that she killed him and was sentenced to death.

10 Elifasi Msomi

A sculpture of the devil by Jed. Msomi claimed that the devil made him do the crimes-Wikimedia

Most serial killers like to take credit for their work but that is not the case with Elifas Msomi who blamed the devil after claiming that the devil made him go on an axe-wielding rampage. Msomi’s killing spree started when he raped and killed a young lady and then collected her blood in a bottle. He then went on to kill 15 other people using an axe and among them were five children. Msomi was arrested for petty theft but the authorities later discovered that he was behind the axe murders. He helped the police uncover the locations of the bodies of his victims but strongly maintained that the devil made him do it.

Check out the Top 15 Unsolved Murders here