Six serial killers who were never caught

We don't even know the faces of these notorious, mysterious figures, let alone their real names.

Jack the Ripper

Let's start with the most famous serial killer of all time, Jack the Ripper. This murderer operated in the Whitechapel area of London, England, in 1888 and is credited with at least five victims, though more (or even fewer) is possible. His main targets appeared to be prostitutes. It has never been fully confirmed, but several letters sent to London police were said to have been from Jack the Ripper, though the veracity of these letters has often been questioned. Similar murders, showing a penchant for mutilation and butchery, against prostitutes had happened in London before 1888 and continued on later, though none of those have been directly linked to this killer. Numerous suspects have been named as Jack the Ripper over the years, though the truth remains unknown more than a hundred years later.

The Zodiac Killer

Like the others listed here, the identity of this serial killer has never been known for sure, though there has been at least one strong suspect who died in 1992. The Zodiac Killer was active in California in the late 1960s through the mid-1970s. He killed at least five people, though in letters to police and the media, he claimed to have killed many more. Two of his victims survived, though none could ever tell police who the killer was, though there were some basic descriptions offered. During one attack, this killer was known to have worn a bag over his head, making identification difficult. He also played a cat-and-mouse game with law enforcement, mailing cryptic notes and coded letters to police, newspapers and television stations. Police at the time also thought it possible the Zodiac Killer took credit for disappearances and murders of which he was not truly connected. The final murder count will likely never be known.

Cleveland Torso Murderer

Between 1935 and 1938, 12 to 15 murder victims are suspected of having been killed by the Cleveland Torso Murderer, who received his name because he usually dismembered his victims. There has been some evidence and speculation that similar killings were going on as early as the 1920s and into the 1950s in the northern Ohio region (and some in Pennsylvania), but none of these others have definitively been tied to this one killer. Of those thought to have been slain by the Cleveland Torso Murderer, 12 are considered definite victims of this killer, while others are still somewhat questionable. Only two of the victims have ever to be identified. There have been two suspects tied to these murders. The first one was arrested by law enforcement officers and died in jail, police brutality being suspected. The second, and arguably stronger, suspect was a doctor who was institutionalized in 1938 and died in a hospital in 1965; this doctor was known to have been a member of a medical unit that performed amputations during World War I.

Axeman of New Orleans

This serial killer was active in and around New Orleans, Louisiana, in the years 1918 and 1919. His victims are numbered at 12. He first attacked a sleeping couple in their home on May 12, 1918, killing both, and then continued apparently at random to kill with an ax until mysteriously stopping in October of 1919. Mystery has always surrounded this serial killer, and continues to do so. Some eyewitnesses thought they saw more than one possible suspect at the scene. There were also a few hints of organized crime being involved, especially since the Axeman's early victims were Italian-Americans. Then there's also the odd letter on March 13, 1919 that was supposedly from the Axeman and arrived at the local newspapers; the letter stated that the Axeman would kill again at 15 minutes past minute on the night of March 15, 1919, but would spare any New Orleans households where jazz music was playing. Newspaper reports from the time say that March 15 was filled with jazz music all over the town, and no one was murdered. There has never been a solid suspect or suspects in the case of the Axeman of New Orleans.

Phantom Killer

The murderer dubbed the Phantom Killer first struck in Texarkana, Texas, on February 23, 1946, attacking a young couple in a vehicle, but killing neither. From then until May 4 of that year, at least five people were killed and three others attacked. All are alleged to have been victims of the Phantom Killer. Who was this murderer? It is still not known. On May 6, a man's mutilated body was found on railroad tracks near Texarkana, and some believed he might have been the killer even though a coroner reported the man had been stabbed repeatedly before coming to rest on the tracks. Another suspect was a small-time burglar and car thief, though no strong evidence was never found against him. It has been so long, it is not likely the Phantom Killer is still alive.

Phantom of Heilbronn

This is the only female killer to make this list, and it's only hypothesized that's she's a she, and it's also possible she might not even exist. The Phantom of Heilbronn is the given name for an unknown assailant who shot and killed a female police officer in Heilbronn, Germany, in 2007. DNA evidence has linked this mysterious killer to possibly as many as 60 other crimes, at least six of them murders, in Germany, Austria, France and possibly other parts of Europe. Most recently, in March 2009, police investigators came to a surprising conclusion: the so-called Phantom of Heilbronn doesn't exist at all. How could this happen? Supposedly the cotton swabs used by police to collect DNA evidence were contaminated before being shipped to law enforcement, which could explain the same DNA being found at so many crime scenes. Still, there are those who are skeptical and believe a female killer is still on the loose in Europe and has been operating since the early 1990s.

10 most common nouns in English

Believe it or not, there actually are people who keep track of the most common words used in the English language.

Who are these people?

They're the folks behind the Oxford English Dictionary, the Oxford University Press and Oxford Online.

And, in 2006 a study done by Oxford University Press researchers found lots of curious information when looking at newspapers, magazines, websites, dictionaries, blogs, books and more.

For example, they discovered what are the 10 most commonly used nouns in the English language.

You remember nouns, right? To keep it simple, a noun is a person, place or thing.

So, what are the 10 most common nouns in English?

Here they are, in order of most common first:

1.) Time

2.) Person

3.) Year

4.) Way

5.) Day

6.) Thing

7.) Man

8.) World

9.) Life

10.) Hand

Interesting that all of those words are each one syllable, and that all of them are derived from Old English, according to Oxford University Press research manager Angus Stevenson.

Writing links

Why newspapers are important

What is the longest novel ever written?

Writing for a Living, a blog for online writers

Think you know your Christian Bible? Try this quiz

Are you a Christian or perhaps just a student of history and religion who has spent plenty of time reading the Holy Bible? If so, test your knowledge by answering the 25 questions to this quiz. Some questions are easy, but others might be hard, even tricky.

1. What is the name of the first man created by God?
2. Who said, "My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you?" Text taken from New International Version.
3. How old was Sarah when she died?
4. What is the name of the mother of Moses?
5. What book lies between the Book of Judges and Samuel 1?
6. How many Gospels are there in the Bible?
7. How many times does the word "Trinity" appear in the Bible?
8. In an attempt to kill the messiah, King Herod orders all male toddlers slain in what town?
9. What town is the childhood home of Jesus?
10. What man first announces Jesus' coming during Jesus' lifetime?
11. How many books are there in the Old Testament?
12. In what language was the New Testament originally written?
13. In what year was the first edition of the King James Bible printed?
14. How many times does Eve's name appear in the Bible?
15. How many of each animal did Moses bring aboard the ark?
16. Who was the mother of Isaac?
17. What is the fourth book of the Bible?
18. Who followed Moses part of the way up Mount Sinai where Moses would receive the Ten Commandments?
19. The Ten Commandments are initially outlined in the book of Exodus, but what other book of the Bible also contains a slightly different outline of the Ten Commandments?
20. According to tradition, who wrote the Book of Psalms?
21. What is the name of the ruler of the Persian empire at the beginning of the Book of Esther?
22. Who was Philemon?
23. Where was John when he received his first vision for the Book of Revelation?
24. Was Luke one of the twelve apostles?
25. What is the sixth book in the New Testament?

For answers to this quiz, check out this link.

Answers to Bible quiz

For the questions to the quiz, go here.

1. Adam
2. Job in the Book of Job, 42:5
3. 127
4. Jochebed
5. Book of Ruth
6. 4
7. 0
8. Bethlehem
9. Nazareth
10. John the Baptist
11. It depends upon what church you ask. Most protestant churches have 39 books in the Old Testament while most other churches have 51.
12. Koine Greek
13. 1611
14. 5
15. 0, Moses didn’t bring any animals aboard the ark, it was Noah who did so and he brought 2 of each animal
16. Sarah
17. Numbers
18. Joshua
19. Deuteronomy, 5:6-21
20. David
21. Ahasuerus
22. Leader of the Colossian church whom was written by Paul of Tarsus in the Epistle of Paul to Philemon
23. Greek island of Patmos
24. No, but he was a companion of Paul
25. Romans

Writing tips from the greats of baseball

"The crowd makes the ballgame."

Ty Cobb, baseball player

Remember those words. "The crowd makes the ballgame." That is the truth. It is the number one thing you need to remember about your writing. The crowd. The readers. You don't always have to please them, but you sure as heck need to keep them in mind. If you don't, you're just writing for yourself. Which is okay as long as you're not expecting to be published someday. But for those of us who enjoy being published and make our livings writing, the reader must be held in importance.

"This is a game to be savored, not gulped."

Bill Veeck, team owner and promoter

There is a lot of truth in that statement from one of baseball's more flamboyant characters. For one thing, if you rush through a writing project, you're likely to make more mistakes. Sit back and enjoy your writing. If you're not having fun writing, your readers probably won't either.

"Poets are like baseball pitchers. Both have their moments. The intervals are the tough things."

Robert Frost, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet

Again, there's truth to be found here. Not all of your writing is going to be great. Sometimes things will "click," and every word you type is going to be golden. Other times, your grocery list is more exciting than any story ideas you can come up with. It happens. Learn to deal with it. Allow yourself to write badly. Once you can do that, you'll be able to move ahead with projects. Besides, a lot of the real work is done in editing and rewriting.

"Baseball is too much of a sport to be called a business, and too much of a business to be called a sport."

Philip Wrigley, baseball executive and chewing gum manufacturer

Yes, writing can be a lot of fun. But for professionals, it's also a business. Keep that in mind when you are trying to get your work published. Editors and publishers are hoping to make money from your work. And they work too, work hard, so don't think you're doing everything while they're just sitting back and riding your coattails. Writing is a business. Editors and publishers have house payments and families to feed just like a lot of other people.

"In baseball, you don't know nothing."

Yogi Berra, baseball player and manager

In writing, there are a lot of people who offer advice. Most of them don't know what they're talking about. They can give you their personal experiences, and they can offer technical advice about writing, but no one can tell you what the next gigantic, best-selling novel is going to be. Not even the New York City publishers can do that. They might think they can, but they can't It's a crap shoot. It's a roll of the dice. Yes, writing well increases the chances of a book or article or story or poem of being published, but even writing like Shakespeare doesn't guarantee a particular piece of writing will be the next big thing. Just remember to pay attention and take everyone's advice with a grain of salt. And yes, even advice from me.

"Don't think. It can only hurt the ball club."

Crash Davis, catcher played by Kevin Costner in the movie "Bull Durham"

Sometimes thinking about a project you're working on can actually hurt the project. Maybe you're over thinking things. Maybe you need a little perspective. If a project is driving you batty, take a breather from it. Maybe a few hours or even a few days. Maybe a week or two. Then come back to it fresh. Unless you're writing the next great American novel or some extended book on a deep philosophical subject, give yourself a break and don't over think your writing.

"There have been only two geniuses in the world. Willie Mays and Willie Shakespeare."

Tallulah Bankhead, actress and avid New York Giants fan

'Nuff said!

Writers need to know their weapons

Weapons seem to show up a lot in fiction. Of course weapons are common in westerns, crime fiction and often in fantasy and science fiction, but even if you're writing romance, there's often a sword or a knife or a gun that shows up somewhere along the lines.

When you are writing about a weapon, you need to know what you're talking about. I'm not suggesting you have to go out and buy the weapon and practice with it for weeks and weeks (though that's not a bad idea), but you should at least have some general knowledge of the weapon. And if you can have some practical experience, all the better.

See, if you don't know what you're writing when it comes to weapons, there will be plenty of readers who do. And when you make a mistake, those readers won't be afraid to point it out in e-mails to you or worse, in reviews.

Of course you can keep your descriptions and uses of weapons in your fiction to a minimum. That helps if you don't know what you're doing. Sure, you can call a sword a sword and a handgun a handgun. Or a rifle a rifle or a shotgun a shotgun. But even then, do you know the differences between a rifle and a shotgun? Many people do, but not everyone. You need to. For example, a shooter is not going to be able to hit a target 500 yards away with a shotgun. Why not? You need to find that out.

Do you know the differences between a revolver and a pistol? If the answer is "no," then you probably shouldn't be writing with a pistol or revolver involved. Why? Pistols and revolvers work mechanically in quite different ways, though I'm not going to get all technical in the limited space here; at the least you need to do a little investigating online. But I'd suggest you need to do more than that. If you're the type of person who doesn't want to be around firearms, maybe you are even afraid of the things, you could talk to a law enforcement officer or maybe go to a gun club or gun shop and talk to some folks there. Don't worry. Gun people always like to talk guns.

There are also issues of history to be considered. When is your story taking place? And where? Semi-automatic pistols weren't around in the Old West, at least not until the very end when the West was becoming quite tame, and even then the pistols often didn't work as well as the ones of even a few years later.

Or maybe you're writing a fantasy story, and you're thinking none of this matters because your world is filled with magic. Well, let's say your hero or heroine wields a sword. Do they do so one-handed or two? Oh, you don't think it makes a difference? Really? Have you ever tried to lift an eight-pound sword with one hand? And don't think that just because it's eight pounds (about the weight of a light bowling ball) that it won't be heavy. All that weight isn't packed into a small space (like the bowling ball), but is spread out over this really long hunk of metal that can be quite sharp. And then there's the question of how does your character carry around that big sword all day. On his or her back? At the hip? Believe me, it gets tiring carrying around a sword all day, especially if you're not in shape. And I'm not even going to go into wearing armor. Also, don't fool yourself that a smaller sword will be easier to deal with; different swords have different strengths and weaknesses, and often different uses depending upon the age of the society where the sword exists. For example, different types of swords were used and were needed in ages where heavy armor was more the norm on battlefields than in cities of later ages where gentlemen carried a blade but there was no armor.

I'll repeat, you don't have to be an expert. All that research would take away from your writing time. But you don't want to look a fool to your readers. If your stories included weapons, know what those weapons can do and how they work and how they were used. Your readers will know. And so should you.

5 common Christian beliefs not found in the Holy Bible

This article is intended to provide believers a tiny step in greater understanding of their faith and the Holy Bible, and hopefully to be of interest to theological scholars. In no way is this article intended as a criticism.

Rapture

The Rapture, the rising or disappearance of all Christians on Earth during the return of Jesus, is not specifically mentioned by name in the Holy Bible. The ideas behind the Rapture have been taken from Paul in 1 Thessalonians 16-17 where he states, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” The concept of a premillenial rapture first began to gather credence nearly three-hundred years ago, when Protestant and Puritan leaders, such as Cotton Mather, began to speak of it publicly. Most Christian faiths have a belief in the Rapture or something similar to it, though not all agree on a time line of events for the Rapture.

Holy Grail

The Holy Grail is an artifact that is supposed to be the cup Christ himself used at the Last Supper, and which was used to catch His blood while he was on the cross. The grail is never mentioned in the Bible. Today scholars believe the mythology behind the grail comes from a mixture of early Christian stories and Celtic myths. The earliest recorded use of the Holy Grail in literature can be found in “The Story of the Grail” by Chretian de Troyes, written between 1181 and 1191.

The snake as Satan, and the apple

Read the book of Genesis carefully. Nowhere is the snake that tempts Eve named as Satan, Lucifer or any other known name. Could the snake have just been a snake? Possibly given powers of speech by Satan or even God for the purposes of temptation? Also, the book of Genesis does not name the forbidden fruit of which Adam and Eve partake. Tradition knows the fruit as an apple, but there is no evidence of such. Some Biblical scholars believe much more likely candidates for the fruit would be the fig or the pomegranate.

Purgatory

Purgatory is a place or event where those who have died in God’s grace are finally, fully purified of their sins. It is often pictured as or thought of as a place between Heaven and Hell, where those who will eventually make their way to Heaven must be purified first. The idea is not to be found in the Holy Bible, at least not directly. The Catholic Church, and a handful of other churches, hold belief in one form or another of Purgatory, but most Protestant churches reject the idea. Dante’s The Divine Comedy from the 14th Century initially helped to spread a belief in Purgatory.

The word “Trinity”

Nowhere in the Holy Bible does the word “Trinity” appear. It’s true, and this often comes as a surprise to many Christians. But just because the word is not used does not mean the concept behind the Holy Trinity cannot be found within the Bible. The Bible obviously mentions the Son, the Father and the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 13:14 reads, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.”

5 haunted bed and breakfast inns of Massachusetts

Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast

Fall River, Massachusetts

A pair of the most famous murders in U.S. history happened in this bed and breakfast in 1892, when the establishment was still a private home. On this notorious spot, Andrew Jackson Borden and Abby Durfee Borden, the father and step-mother to Lizzie Borden, were murdered brutally by a hatchet. Lizzie was put on trial and eventually cleared of the charges, but to this day there are those who still believe Lizzie was guilty of the crimes or at least knew more than she was telling. Today this spot of murder is a bed and breakfast. And it's supposed to be haunted. Numerous investigations of the paranormal have been done on the site, including a video that supposedly shows a rocking chair moving by itself, but who knows? Whether ghosts exist or not, it would still be chilling to spend the night in this house or horror.

Colonial Inn

Concord, Massachusetts

The spooky story behind the Colonial Inn goes back to a letter from 1966. A honeymooning couple spent the night in room 24, the oldest part of the inn, and a couple of weeks after their stay they mailed a letter to the innkeeper. The letter outlined a ghostly visit during the couple's stay. Since then other ghostly visitations have been heard of concerning room 24, and most recently other parts of the inn. Is it haunted or not? You be the judge by spending a night, but plenty of articles and paranormal investigations have already concluded there's something spooky going on in Concord's Colonial Inn.

The Colonial House Inn

Cape Cod, Massachusetts

No other than the Ghost Hunters of television fame have investigated this inn, and though they did not find any definitive evidence the place was haunted, they still experienced a few spooky moments. With a history going back nearly 300 years, you might expect this place to have some ghosts. Possibly it does. Stay a night and find out for yourself. The ghost of poet Ralph Waldo Emerson is said to be one of the manifestations that has appeared.

Thaddeus Clapp House

Pittsfield, Massachusetts

The Clapp House was originally built in 1871 and rumor has it the original owner is still hanging around. There have been reports of ghostly visitations in some of the guest rooms (or should that be ghost rooms, hardy harhar) and glows and mists have been reported in some of the hallways. There have even been reports of unusual warmths in some rooms. The holidays seem to be particularly happening time for the spooks in theClapp House, but maybe that's to be expected with ghost tours given at this bed and breakfast mansion around Halloween. Most famously, playwright Peter Bergman said he encountered the spirit that roams theClapp House while rehearsing a play in one of the inn's drawing rooms.

Jared Coffin House

Nantucket, Massachusetts

There are numerous bed and breakfast inns in and around the Nantucket region, but you've got to figure one with the name of "Coffin" has got to be haunted. And it is! Poltergeist activity has been reported in the establishment as well as other creepy happenings. The inn also is supposed to be home to the ghost of an old man who will rock in a rocking chair near a fireplace when a fire is burning.

More travel links

5 Haunted Castles of Scotland

5 Things to do in County Nottinghamshire, England

5 Odd Roadside Buildings in America

5 odd roadside buildings in America

Randy's Donuts

Located in Inglewood, California, this joint is familiar to many Americans through its appearances in television and film, including a Red Hot Chili Peppers video and an episode of The Simpsons.

The Longaberger Company

The Longaberger Company, a maker of quality baskets, has its main headquarters building shaped like one of the company's giant baskets. Located in Newark, Ohio.

Bondurant's Pharmacy

You can find the unusual building pictured above in Lexington, Kentucky. Built in 1975, it is in the shape of a pharmacist's mortar and pestle.

Teapot Dome Service Station

Heading back to the West coast, if you are up around Zillah, Washington, check out the Teapot Dome Service Statin pictured above.

The Big Duck

Located in Flanders, New York, on Long Island, the Big Duck was originally supposed to help advertise the shop that sold ducks and duck eggs.