History's Top Executioners of All Time

1. Getting Away Light

Throughout most of history, justice has often been illusory, and usually unequal. Which explains why Prince Penglii got off light: he was not executed, but was simply stripped of his rank and banished. As described by Han historian Sima Qian:

“Liu Pengli was arrogant and cruel, and paid no attention to the etiquette demanded between ruler and subject. In the evenings he used to go out on marauding expeditions with twenty or thirty slaves or young men who were in hiding from the law, murdering people and seizing their belongings for sheer sport. When the affair came to light … it was found he had murdered at least 100 or more persons. Everyone in the kingdom knew about his ways, so that the people were afraid to venture out of their houses at night. The son of one of his victims finally sent a report to the [Han Emperor], and the Han officials requested that he be executed. The emperor could not bear to carry out their recommendation, but made him a commoner and banished him to Shangyong“.

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

ThoughtCo – Gary Ridgway: The Green River Killer

All That is Interesting – Peter Niers: The Medieval Boogyeman Who Ate Babies

Crime and Investigation – Charles Sobhraj: The Serpent

Crime Library – Green River Killer: River of Death

Encyclopedia Britannica – Elizabeth Bathory

Encyclopedia Britannica – Gilles de Rais

Gabory, Emile – Alias Bluebeard: The Life and Death of Gilles de Raiz

Kidd, Paul B. – Australia’s Serial Killers (2006)

Korea Times, November 27^th, 2009 – Book Reconstitutes Secret of Prince Sado’s Death

Listverse – 10 Terrifying Serial Killers You’ve Never Heard Of