Unmasking the Monsters Within: 7 Serial Killers with Multiple Personalities

In the shadowy realm of true crime, few phenomena are as chilling as the intersection of serial murder and dissociative identity disorder (DID), once known as multiple personality disorder. DID involves the presence of two or more distinct personality states that recurrently take control of a person’s behavior, often stemming from severe childhood trauma. While genuine cases exist, in the annals of serial killing, claims of multiple personalities have frequently surfaced as desperate courtroom defenses—or intriguing psychological puzzles. These alter egos are sometimes portrayed as the “real” culprits, shifting blame from the primary self.

Serial killers invoking DID challenge our understanding of evil and free will. Were these fractured psyches authentic manifestations of mental illness, or cunning fabrications to evade justice? From the Hillside Strangler’s fabricated “Steve” to lesser-known predators like Delmus Gordon, this list examines seven notorious cases. Each story reveals a trail of unimaginable suffering inflicted on victims, whose lives were cut short in acts of calculated brutality. We approach these accounts with respect for the victims and their families, focusing on verified facts, investigations, and psychiatric evaluations to dissect the role of alleged multiple personalities.

These cases span decades and the United States, highlighting how DID claims have influenced trials, paroles, and public perception. Yet, forensic psychology often reveals skepticism: many “alters” crumble under scrutiny. As we delve into each killer’s background, crimes, and fractured minds, one truth emerges—the human cost of their actions remains unaltered, regardless of internal demons.

1. Kenneth Bianchi: The Hillside Strangler’s Fabricated Alter

Kenneth Bianchi, born in 1951, appeared unremarkable on the surface—a charming drifter with ambitions in psychology. But between 1977 and 1979, alongside cousin Angelo Buono, he terrorized Los Angeles as one half of the Hillside Strangler duo. They abducted, raped, tortured, and strangled at least 10 young women, dumping their bodies on hillsides in a grim signature. Victims included Lauren Wagner, 28, and Dolores Cepeda, 12, whose final moments were marked by unimaginable horror.

After fleeing to Washington state, Bianchi killed two more students, Karen Mandic and Diane Wilder, in early 1979. Caught via fingerprints linking to the LA crimes, he initially confessed. Facing execution, Bianchi claimed DID: his primary self was innocent, while an alter named “Steve Walker” committed the Washington murders. Hypnotized sessions produced “Steve,” who confessed in detail. Prosecutors grew suspicious and orchestrated a sting—psychiatrists asked “Steve” to call in Italian (Bianchi had no fluency). When he faked it poorly, the ruse collapsed. Bianchi was convicted of nine murders in 1984, receiving life without parole.

Psychologists later deemed it malingering, learned from Bianchi’s psychology studies. This case set a precedent for scrutinizing DID claims in capital cases, underscoring how killers exploit mental health concepts to dodge accountability.

2. William Heirens: The Lipstick Killer’s Shadowy Voices

Seventeen-year-old William Heirens seemed an unlikely monster in 1940s Chicago—a straight-A University of Chicago student. Yet from June 1945 to January 1946, he committed three brutal murders. First, he shot nightclub hostess Josephine Ross in her apartment. Months later, he stabbed and shot Frances Brown, 33, leaving lipstick scrawls like “For heaven’s sake catch me before I kill more. I cannot control myself.” The most horrific was six-year-old Suzanne Degnan, abducted from her home, dismembered, and dissolved in acid—her head found in a sewer.

Caught breaking into a residence in 1946, Heirens’ fingerprints matched crime scenes. Under sodium pentothal (“truth serum”) and hypnosis, he described two alters: “George Murman,” a criminal drifter, and “Blackie,” a vengeful shadow self. Heirens claimed they drove the killings during blackouts. Psychiatric evaluations confirmed dissociative tendencies, possibly from childhood rebellion against strict parents. Tried in 1946, he pleaded guilty to avoid the electric chair, receiving three life terms. Heirens maintained innocence until his 2012 death at 83, insisting alters were real.

Debate persists: some experts saw genuine DID, others fabrication under interrogation pressure. Regardless, the terror inflicted on Ross, Brown, Degnan, and their grieving families endures as a stark reminder of unchecked impulses.

Psychological Legacy

Heirens’ case popularized “multiple personalities” in media, influencing public fascination but also skepticism toward such defenses.

3. Bobby Joe Long: Good Bobby vs. Bad Bobby

Bobby Joe Long, born 1953 in West Virginia, endured a chaotic childhood marked by head injuries and family instability. In 1984, he unleashed a spree in Tampa, Florida: raping at least 10 women and murdering 10, including Virginia Johnson, 26, beaten and strangled, and Michelle Simms, 20, shot. His method—binding victims with cords—evoked bondage fantasies tied to alleged abuse.

Long surrendered after a rape survivor identified him. At trial, he claimed DID: “Good Bobby,” a law-abiding family man, and “Bad Bobby,” a violent alter triggered by prolonged sex. Psychologists noted head trauma possibly causing dissociation, but tests revealed Long’s high intelligence and awareness. Convicted of 10 murders in 1985, he received 28 life sentences plus death. Despite appeals citing DID, he was executed by lethal injection in 2019.

Forensic analysis dismissed full DID, attributing it to antisocial personality disorder. Long’s case highlights how trauma narratives can blur lines between explanation and excuse, offering no solace to victims’ loved ones.

4. Carroll Cole: The Monster That Lived Inside

Carroll Cole, born 1938, confessed to 35 murders from 1948 to 1980 across states like Texas and California. His spree began at 10, drowning a playmate, and escalated to adult victims like Darlene Titus, 30, strangled in 1971. Cole targeted women resembling his abusive mother, whom he later killed indirectly.

Arrested in 1980 for a San Diego murder, Cole described blackouts where a “monster” alter took over, drowning or strangling without memory. Childhood bullying and maternal sadism fueled dissociation claims. Psychiatrists diagnosed antisocial traits with dissociative features. Convicted of six murders, he waived appeals and was executed in 1985.

Cole’s prolific body count and vivid alter descriptions paint a portrait of profound fragmentation—or masterful storytelling. Victims’ stories demand focus amid the psychological intrigue.

5. Arthur Shawcross: The Genesee River Killer’s Childish Alters

Vietnam veteran Arthur Shawcross, born 1945, killed two children in 1972—10-year-old Karen Ann Hill and eight-year-old Sheila Fox—earning a 25-year sentence. Paroled in 1988 despite warnings, he murdered 12 Rochester prostitutes within two years, including Dorothy Blackburn, 27, strangled and mutilated.

Hypnosis sessions revealed alters: a childlike “Howard,” mimicking his abusive stepfather, and female personas. Shawcross claimed blackouts erased memories. Experts debated Vietnam PTSD exacerbating DID. Convicted in 1990 of 10 murders, he died in prison in 2008.

Shawcross exemplifies parole failures; his alters offered no redemption for the prostitutes he dehumanized.

6. David Alan Gore: The Torture Chamber Confessions

David Alan Gore, 1952-2012, and cousin Fred Waterfield terrorized Vero Beach, Florida, in 1981-82, luring six women to a “torture chamber” in Gore’s aunt’s house. Victims included 14-year-old Angel Thornhill, raped and shot, and Judith Kay Daley, 35, decapitated.

Gore confessed, claiming five alters—including a dominant killer self—from childhood abuse. Waterfield testified to Gore’s “switches.” Diagnosed with DID, Gore was convicted of six murders, executed in 2012. Critics argued sociopathy masked as disorder.

Gore’s homemade hell chamber underscores sadism beyond any alter’s control.

7. Delmus Henry Gordon III: The Nashville Strangler’s Fractured Mind

Delmus Gordon, arrested 1987 in Nashville, strangled three prostitutes: Ever Jean Parker, 41; Opal Smith, 55; and Martha Miller, 42. He lured them for sex, then snapped ligatures around necks during blackouts.

Gordon claimed DID with violent alters emerging randomly. Psych evaluations confirmed the diagnosis, tied to abuse. Despite this, a jury convicted him of murder in 1988, sentencing life without parole. He remains imprisoned.

Gordon’s case tests Tennessee law on insanity defenses, prioritizing victim justice.

Conclusion

These seven serial killers—Bianchi, Heirens, Long, Cole, Shawcross, Gore, and Gordon—wove multiple personalities into their defenses, from blatant fakes to potentially genuine fractures. Yet psychiatric consensus leans toward malingering or comorbid disorders like psychopathy, rarely absolving responsibility. DID claims complicate trials but rarely sway juries fully, as seen in life sentences and executions.

Behind the clinical debates lie dozens of victims: daughters, mothers, dreamers stolen by strangulation, dismemberment, and torture. Their stories urge better mental health screening, parole vigilance, and empathy for survivors. In the end, no alter ego erases the deliberate choice to kill. These cases remind us: true monsters wear human faces, personalities be damned.

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