Russian Amazons and German vampires: 7 world-famous criminal couples

Most crimes are committed by men, but some women are not a step behind them. These bandits received sentences and went down in history for their particular bloodlust.

Perhaps the most famous criminals in history who worked together.

They met in the late 20s. From 1932 to 1934, at least 13 people were killed, including policemen, committed many robberies and released five criminals from prison. They were caught and shot on the spot on May 23, 1934 in the state of Louisiana: each received more than 50 bullets.

Raymond Martinez in the 40s was looking for victims through newspaper dating ads in the "Lonely Hearts" section. He insinuated himself into the confidence of women, robbed them, and subsequently began to kill. His third victim was supposed to be nurse Martha Beck, but they fell in love with each other and started working together.

By February 28, 1949, they had killed about 20 women. The last victim was shot, the child was drowned in a barrel of water and went to the cinema. That's where they were taken.

The trial lasted two years, and in March 1951 the death sentence was carried out — the couple sat on electric chairs.

Britons Myra Hindley and Ian Brady in 1963-1965 seized, raped and killed five children, then burned their bodies.

Their crimes were called "swamp murders" because the remains of two victims were found in Saddleworth Marshes.

Since the death penalty was abolished, they were sentenced to life imprisonment. Myra died in 2002. Ian was declared insane in 1985, and he died in a prison for mentally ill prisoners in 2017.

On December 1, 1957, 19-year-old Charles killed a gas station employee for refusing to sell him a stuffed toy for 14-year-old girlfriend Caryl on credit the day before.

A month later, Starkweather, at the suggestion of Caryl, killed her mother, stepfather and two-year-old sister. Then the couple went on a journey that cost the lives of at least seven people they met. The police managed to capture them in Wyoming.

In June 1959, Charles was executed in the electric chair. Caryl, the youngest criminal in U.S. history, was released in 1976. At the trial, she said that the accomplice threatened her with violence, so the sentence was commuted. After her release, she got married and, having buried her husband after an accident in 2013, still lives in Ohio.

The story of the British couple's criminal activities ended in 1994, when the couple reported their daughter missing. Police searched the West house and found the bodies of two girls buried under the porch. One of them turned out to be Fred and Rosemary's own daughter, Heather West. After that, the house number 25 on West Cromwell Street was dubbed the house of horrors.

After his arrest, Fred confessed to other murders: 10 more corpses were found in the basement and in the homes of the victims themselves. Most of the murders were committed between 1967 and 1987. Among others, Fred killed his first wife.

A couple of murderers were sentenced to life imprisonment (Rosemary initially received 25 years, but in 1997 the sentence was tightened). Fred West was found hanged in his cell on January 1, 1995, and his widow still remains in prison.

In 2001, a German couple declared themselves vampires. They invited a friend to visit and hacked him with an axe. At the trial, it was announced that they were controlled by the devil.

Daniel was sentenced to 15 years, Manuela to 13. Both were diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder, so they are being held in a psychiatric clinic. Manuela demanded a camera without light: they say vampires can't stand it. Currently, both are continuing compulsory treatment.

Perhaps the most famous Russian criminal couple. Inessa was a kindergarten teacher, Roman was a dentist.

Together with Inessa's daughter Victoria, Roman's sister Anastasia Sinelnik and her husband Sergei, at least 10 people were killed from 2008 to 2013 (the investigation believes that at least 30). Among other crimes — assassination, banditry, theft.

Podkopaev was killed during detention on September 8, 2013, the rest received from 16 to 21 years in prison.

The gang was nicknamed the "Amazon gang" because a knife with the inscription "to my beloved Amazon" was found near the scene of one of the crimes. Later it turned out that it did not belong to any of the criminals.