Serial killers have long targeted prostitutes—from Jack the Ripper, an uncaught murderer who terrorized women in late 19th-century London, to the Long Island Serial Killer, an uncaught murderer whose last confirmed victim disappeared in September 2010 after advertising sex work on Craigslist. We explore the various reasons why serial killers prey upon sex workers.

There was nothing on the surface that raised red flags about Robert Hansen. The unassuming Anchorage native was married with children and was the successful owner of a bakery. But Hansen eventually confessed to killing 17 women in the Alaskan wilderness in a most heinous way.