Jacob Locke

Serial murderer, rapist, and bank robber Jacob Locke’s story spans thirty-five years with three arrests and a suspected victim count of over 200 women and men. His first violent act was against his brother. Locke says that’s important to mention because he wouldn’t and has never hurt an animal.

His first arrest was as a minor for a failed robbery with three friends who escaped and left him to take the heat. When he was released, he found those three boys and began his new hobby of creating terror. Locke kept them alive for a week before putting them out of their misery. He had a taste for inflicting pain after that.

He found his victims in any way that he could, leaving some alive, but most in a ditch. Locke is quoted as saying that his favorite way ‘to catch prey is to go to the grocery store and find the most apathetic checkout person there and make them smile, then ask them when they get off work.’ His victims ranged in ages from 12 to 64 to the police’s knowledge, though Locke reveals new victims each year in ongoing attempts to stay his execution.

As he traveled across the US and had no M.O., it took years for law enforcement to make the connections. It wasn’t until his second arrest—when they took a DNA sample and fingerprints—that things heated up. The arrest was for theft but the charges were dropped.

After he left the city, the pieces began to click, his DNA was matched to crimes in 38 states, his fingerprints brought it to 43. Still, it took another decade, four bank robberies, and fifty victims before he was arrested for the final time.

Locke was sentenced to death on April 2, 2011, in Arizona where he had killed at least 33 women and 4 men.

When he was a child, he enjoyed playing baseball at the local community center and still looks back fondly at his time there.

He currently spends his time reading every book in the Federal Penitentiary’s library and exchanging love letters with his wife of two years.