Historic Sickos that Could Have their Own Terrifying Netflix Series

The End of the Road for the Hippie Trail Stalker

Charles Sobhraj was recaptured a month after he escaped. That led many to speculate that the escape had been a deliberate attempt to get extra jail time for escape tacked on to his sentence. With the extra jail time, Sobhraj remained in an Indian prison until 1997, after the 20 years statute of limitations for his crimes in Thailand had expired. Thus, he could no longer be extradited to face a potential death penalty in Thailand. While behind bars, Sobhraj managed to keep himself in the public eye and maintain his celebrity status. While imprisoned in India, he charged a bundle for interviews with journalists, and an even bigger bundle to sell his Indian movie rights.

India had no “Son of Sam” laws to prevent criminals from profiting from the celebrity that arose from their crimes, so Sobhraj presumably managed to keep those earnings. After his release from prison in 1997, he returned to Paris. There, he enjoyed a celebrity lifestyle, and reportedly sold his international movie rights for U$ 15 million. His freedom did not last long, however: he unwisely travelled to Nepal in 2003. When the authorities learned of his presence on their soil, they arrested him for a 1975 double murder committed in Nepal. He was convicted, and received a life sentence. As of the fall of 2022, an elderly Charles Sobhraj was still locked up in a Nepalese prison.

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Where Did We Find This Stuff? Some Sources and Further Reading

BBC – Story of Boy Jones Who Stole Queen Victoria’s Underwear

Bondeson, Jan – Queen Victoria’s Stalker: The Strange Story of the Boy Jones (2012)

Carlo, Philip – The Night Stalker: The Life and Crimes of Richard Ramirez (1996)

Crime and Investigation – Charles Sobhraj: The Serpent

Crime Museum – Green River Killer: River of Death

Encyclopedia Britannica – Gary Ridgway

Haboush, Kim JaHyun (Editor, Translator) – The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong: The Autobiographical Writings of a Crown Princess of Eighteenth Century Korea (2013)

Historian’s Hut – Liu Pengli, the Serial Killer King of the Han Dynasty

History Collection – Henry VIII Made Insanity a Punishable Crime So He Could Execute This In-Law

Linedecker, Clifford L. – Prison Groupies: The Shocking True Story of the Women Who Love America’s Deadliest Criminals (1993)