When you hear “partners in crime,” Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow likely spring to mind. Their tale is legendary, a benchmark for criminal duos. But history is filled with other notorious pairs whose stories are just as chilling, if not more so.
Forget the romanticized image for a moment. We’re diving into the dark world of ten criminal partnerships that rival, and sometimes surpass, the infamy of Bonnie and Clyde. Prepare to uncover how these duos formed, the terror they unleashed, and the twisted bonds that fueled their reigns of crime.
Gwendolyn Graham and Catherine May Wood
Known as “the lethal lovers,” Gwendolyn Graham and Catherine May Wood were nurses convicted of murdering five elderly women in a Michigan nursing home in 1986. They had worked together for a considerable time before their arrests.
Initially, they chose victims whose first initials would spell out “MURDER,” a plan they later abandoned. Tragically, they engaged in torturing their victims by choking and suffocating them. During these horrific acts, Wood acted as a lookout while Graham committed the murders. They believed these crimes would solidify their relationship forever.
However, their bond fractured, leading to a breakup in 1987. Wood confided in an ex-spouse, which led to a police notification and an investigation starting in 1988. Wood was ultimately convicted on two counts of murder, while Graham received sentences for five counts. A disturbing start to our list, indeed.
Alton Coleman and Debra Brown
Alton Coleman and Debra Brown formed a deadly duo responsible for a terrifying crime spree. Their reign included eight murders, numerous robberies, three kidnappings, and seven rapes. This wave of violence was thankfully short-lived. Over a three-month period in 1984, the 28-year-old Coleman and his 21-year-old girlfriend Brown terrorized the Midwest.
Eventually caught, they both faced trial and were sentenced to death. Coleman was executed in 2002. Brown’s death sentence, however, was commuted to life in prison in 1991. This decision followed controversial claims regarding her low IQ and the alleged “master-slave relationship” she had with Coleman.
Alton had a criminal history before meeting Debra Brown, but their intense connection fueled their joint descent into murder. There’s no denying that Alton Coleman and Debra Brown were a truly fearsome pair.
Jasmine Richardson and Jeremy Steinke
It’s unsettling to think that the horrific story of Jasmine Richardson and Jeremy Steinke began at a punk-rock concert. The two started dating, a relationship that deeply concerned Richardson’s parents. Their disapproval was understandable: they didn’t want their 12-year-old daughter involved with a 23-year-old man. Consequently, they forbade Jasmine from seeing Steinke and confined her to her room.
This forced separation was short-lived and culminated in a brutal tragedy on April 22, 2006. Angered by the prohibition, the couple murdered Richardson’s parents and her eight-year-old brother.
Due to her age, Richardson received a 10-year sentence, making her Canada’s youngest multi-victim killer at the time. She was released in 2016. Steinke, however, was sentenced to three life sentences for the murders. Their crimes are remembered as some of the most shocking in the region’s history, earning them a grim spot on this list.
Charles Starkweather and Caril Fugate
In the 1950s, teenagers Charles Starkweather and Caril Fugate embarked on a murder spree that would become infamous for its brutality. One of their first acts of violence occurred in January 1958 in Nebraska. Fourteen-year-old Fugate returned home to find that her boyfriend, Charles Starkweather, had murdered her mother, stepfather, and baby half-sister. Starkweather, then 19, and Fugate remained in the house for six more days, turning away visitors.
Suspicion arose when Fugate’s grandmother contacted the police. With authorities closing in, the pair fled, sparking a killing spree that left seven more people dead, including two teenagers and a married couple. There were debates about Fugate’s role; some believed she was a hostage, while others claimed she actively participated. Their crime spree even inspired films and Bruce Springsteen’s song “Nebraska,” cementing their status as notorious partners in crime.
Ray And Faye Copeland
Ray and Faye Copeland masterminded a series of five murders, a crime spree described as exceptionally depraved. This duo holds the grim distinction of being one of the oldest couples in history to receive the death penalty.
Suspicions arose after an anonymous tip to Missouri police about human remains on the couple’s farmland. Ray had devised a scheme where he recruited homeless men as “workers.” These men were then forced to write bad checks for cattle purchases at local auctions. Before they could be questioned, Ray would murder them, typically with a .22 caliber rifle. The investigation led police to discover human remains, not on the Copeland farm, but on a neighboring property where Ray had worked. Disturbing evidence was also found inside the Copeland home. Both were sentenced to death but ultimately died of natural causes.
Monique Olivier and Michel Fourniret
Monique Olivier and Michel Fourniret, also known as the “Virgin Hunters,” are familiar names to those who follow serial killer cases. Fourniret had a troubled past before meeting Olivier, including two failed marriages that ended with his imprisonment for sexual crimes against children. During his second prison term, he connected with nurse Monique Olivier through a pen pal ad.
Upon Fourniret’s early release in 1986 (for good behavior, ironically), their deadly partnership began. The married couple engaged in numerous crimes between 1987 and 2001, including murders, harassment, and abductions. They specifically targeted virgins; Olivier would confirm their virginity before Fourniret raped and murdered them. These heinous acts spread fear throughout communities. They were finally caught after a potential victim managed to escape. Arrested in 2003 and convicted in 2008, both received life sentences without parole.
Alvin and Judith Neelley
Alvin and Judith Neelley were responsible for the deaths of two people. Alvin left his wife and three children to elope with the teenage Judith. Their crime spree began with armed robberies in the South. Judith became pregnant with twins at 16, but this didn’t deter their criminal activities. They both served time after a failed robbery attempt, reuniting upon their release in 1982.
Their first murder victim was a 13-year-old girl who was tortured, raped, and killed in an Alabama hotel. They then targeted a couple, but one victim survived and identified them. Judith Neelley was sentenced to death, becoming the youngest female on death row in American history at that time. Her sentence was later commuted to life in prison, where she remains. Alvin received a life sentence and died in prison in 2005.
Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Toole
Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Toole were among history’s most notorious serial killers, claiming to have committed hundreds of murders, rapes, and arsons. Lucas even boasted of up to 600 victims. Their violent partnership was rooted in the severe physical and sexual abuse they both endured as children, leading them to find a twisted kinship in each other.
Both men were killers before they met. Lucas murdered his mother in 1960. Toole was believed to have killed four people before encountering Lucas at a Florida soup kitchen in 1975. They then embarked on a reign of terror across 26 states. Their partnership soured when Lucas became involved with Toole’s teenage niece, Becky Powell. Lucas left Toole for Powell, but tragically, he later murdered her. Lucas was arrested in Texas, and Toole was arrested in 1984 for arson resulting in death. In custody, they confessed to numerous murders. Both were sentenced to death, later commuted to life. Toole died in 1996, and Lucas in 2001. Notably, Toole confessed to the murder of Adam Walsh, a case closed in 2008 with Toole named as the killer.
Michelle Michaud and James Daveggio
In the late 1990s, Michelle Michaud and James Daveggio terrorized California. This serial killing couple sexually assaulted and murdered a university student. However, this wasn’t their first foray into such horrific crimes; they had been raping women for years.
Daveggio and Michaud looked up to another local serial killer pair, Gerald and Charlene Gallego, and aimed to make their own mark in the Sacramento area. Their spree of rapes and other crimes culminated in the torture and death of 21-year-old college student Vanessa Sampson. Both were arrested, convicted, and sentenced to death in 2002, a sentence upheld by the California Supreme Court.
Rosemary and Fred West
Rosemary and Fred West orchestrated a horrifying series of murders and crimes across Britain for over a decade. Fred’s wife, Rosemary, even killed her own children from a previous marriage, sending shockwaves worldwide.
Fred’s first marriage to Catherine ended after she left him in 1969, citing abuse. Her family last heard from her in 1971, and Fred later confessed to her murder. He is also believed to have killed their children’s nanny in 1967. Fred met Rose when she was 15, and they married when she turned 18 in 1972. For the next two decades, this sadistic couple tortured, raped, and murdered numerous young women. There were 12 known victims. Fred was charged alone for the murders of his first wife and the nanny, while both Fred and Rose faced charges for the other ten murders. They preyed on young people. Before his trial, Fred West killed himself in 1995. Rosemary is currently serving a life sentence in prison.
These ten partnerships in crime demonstrate a chilling capacity for shared evil, far removed from any romanticized notions. Their stories serve as grim reminders of the dark depths of human behavior.
What are your thoughts on these criminal duos? Do any other infamous pairs come to mind? Leave your comment below!
