The Most Dangerous Criminal Couples

Some couples bond over a common interest like the outdoors, volunteer work, art, crime…wait, what? Yup, these famous criminal couples kept their deranged spark alive by committing sometimes crimes which were sometimes violent in nature.

Bonnie and Clyde

Possibly a classic case of a good girl falling for a bad boy, the story of Bonnie and Clyde involves honor roll student and literary contests winner Bonnie Parker and lifetime criminal Clyde Barrow who traveled the country robbing banks, small stores and gas stations.

What became of them

The two were eventually shot by the police in a desert with no witnesses. Controversy has been raised around the details of their execution.

Myra Hindley and Ian Brady

Hindley and Brady were both raised in troubled homes: Hindley had an abusive father and Brady never knew his real parents. Brady’s inclination towards crime was more apparent at first with while Hindley was still a popular babysitter in their neighborhood. The two committed some of the worst, gruesome murders in British crime history known as the Moors murders.

What became of them

The two sadistically made a tape recording of one of their murders, which got them convicted. Brady was committed to a hospital for the criminally insane and Hindley died in prison.

Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold

Loeb and Leopold were lovers and both extremely intelligent—Loeb was a grad student already at the age of 18 and his lover Leopold was already a published ornithologist at 19. But their thirst for knowledge became grotesque and they murdered Loeb’s cousin just for the thrill.

What became of them

The two managed to escape the death penalty, but Loeb was killed by a fellow prisoner in jail. Leopold was granted parole and eventually went on to run a hospital in Puerto Rico.

Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck

Fernandez was a con artist who would reach out to lonely women who had posted ads seeking a mate in his local newspaper. He would win them over and then rob them. One day, one such woman—Martha Beck—showed up with her two children at Fernandez’ home, willing to abandon her children, to become Fernandez’ accomplice.

What became of them

Beck became horribly jealous of Fernandez’ relationships with their victims and the two eventually killed one of their victims, which landed them both in the electric chair. These two are famously known as the Lonely Hearts Killers.

What became of them

Starkweather was put to death, but he accused his girlfriend of the murders up until his execution date. Fugate spent 17 years in prison.

Fred and Rosemary West

Mr. and Mrs. West were a couple tried for and accused of countless sexual crimes, with Rosemary West working as a prostitute under her husband’s knowledge, and even mothering two children with some of her clients. They were brought to court several times for sexual assaults on women the couple would bring home to satisfy Rosemary’s violent sexual appetite before actually being convicted.

What became of them

Fred West eventually committed suicide after a string of trials, following the murders of his own daughters, and Rosemary West was left alone, convicted of ten murders.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were the first people in the United States to be convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage. The two were accused of planning to share information about the atomic bomb with the Soviet Union.

What became of them

They were executed, but not without protest—Pablo Picasso and even Pope Pius XII stood up for the couple and asked they be forgiven, but with no success.

Amanda Baggus and David Lehane

Baggus and Lehane were a British couple who abducted a young man from their neighborhood, kept him prisoner in their backyard shed, tortured him and forced him to be their slave. The young man died as their prisoner.

What became of them

The two called the ambulance when their prisoner collapsed, and were tried but since their victims cause of death could not be pinned down, the criminals could not be convicted of murder. They were imprisoned for 10 years on charges of false imprisonment.