8. Elizabeth Báthory, aka “The Bloody Countess”
This XVI century noblewoman is considered to be one of the most prolific serial killers of all times, since she’s believed to have murdered over 600 young maidens in her homeland Hungary. Her modus operandi was to either kidnap or lure peasant women under the promise of work and once she got them back to her castle inflict pain on them in any way imaginable before ending their lives. Not only did she kill and torture them, but also drained their blood and then took a nice, long bath in it. The reason? Eternal youth. She believed doing this would help preserve her beauty and reignite her youthful glow. However, in order to do this, the girls had to be virgins, she was picky like that. Beginning this practice in 1585 she kept at it for 25 years, until she was imprisoned in 1610, and died 4 years later.
