50 horrifying serial killers from each state

When the Golden State Killer was caught in April— more than three decades after his crimes — the country was stunned. But these horrific murders are not unfamiliar to Americans. In fact, the United States has the most known serial killers than any other country.

As early as the 1800s, the United States has seen killers who murdered on a massive scale. Since then, the country has become captivated with true crime, particularly serial killers. Shows like Netflix's "Mindhunter"or books like"I'll be Gone in the Dark" try to get into the minds of these terrifying killers to learn about motives and tactics.

Here's a list of men, women, and, yes, even families who were serial killers in every state across the United States.

Editor's Note: Just a warning that these accounts can be upsetting to some and describe graphic details of real-life cases.

Alabama: Thomas Warren Whisenhant

In October 1976, Thomas Warren Whisenhant abducted Cheryl Lynn Payton from the convenience store where she worked. He drove her to a secluded area and brutally raped her in the front seat of his pick up truck. When he was finished, he shot her point blank in the head. He dragged her body into a wooded area. A few days later, Whisenhant returned to her body and mutilated it.

When he was caught, he told the police everything about Payton's murder and even confessed to other murders: the deaths of Venora Hyatt and Patricia Hitt. He was put to death in 2010.

Alaska: Robert Hansen

For some reason, Alaska has the highest number of serial killings than any state. So, although it's hard to choose just one killer that terrorized the state, Robert Hansen seems to leave a really bone-chilling scare.

Hansen appeared to be the model father, husband, and business owner — but he was harboring a terrible secret. He was hunting women like wild animals. In 1971, he started to abduct sex workers and strippers and bring them to his remote cabin in the woods where he would torture them. He'd let them loose in the woods of Anchorage and then he'd hunt them down for mere pleasure.

When finally caught, Hansen confessed to murdering 17 people but was only convicted for four. He died in prison in 2014 at 75.

Arizona: Mark Goudeau "The Baseline Killer"

Mark Goudeau became known as the "Baseline Killer" when he terrorized the Phoenix, Arizona, community in the summer of 2006. He would attack women during their daily lives. One woman he brutally raped and murdered when she was vacuuming her car. Another woman met a similar fate when she was just waiting at a bus stop. They were all found in pools of blood with their pants pulled halfway down.

In total, Goudeau was found guilty of killing nine people, most of them women. In 2016, his nine death sentences were upheld in Phoenix. He is still in prison.