When you think of murderers, you probably picture adults with long, twisted histories. Yet the top 10 killers listed here proved that the urge to kill can surface far earlier than most people imagine. While most youngsters gravitate toward sports, music, or video games, a few chose a far more sinister hobby. Below, we rank ten offenders and reveal the age at which each embarked on a grim road.
Why These Top 10 Killers Shock Us
Each case below showcases a blend of trauma, opportunity, and chilling indifference that allowed a child or teen to cross the line from curiosity to cruelty. Their stories serve as unsettling reminders that evil knows no age limit.
10 Harvey Miguel Robinson, 17 Years Old
Harvey Miguel Robinson, hailing from Allentown, Pennsylvania, earned his place on death row as one of the youngest serial killers in United States history. At just 17, he launched his murderous spree in August 1992. Law enforcement finally cornered him on July 31, 1993, after a botched attempt to murder Denise Cali on June 28, 1993; Cali survived, bit Robinson’s arm during the struggle, and later helped police match the bite mark to him.
- Joan Burghardt: 29‑year‑old nurse’s aide (August 1992)
- Charlotte Schmoyer: 15‑year‑old newspaper carrier for The Morning Call (June 1993)
- Jessica Jean Fortney: 47‑year‑old grandmother (July 1993)
The courts convicted Robinson of raping and killing Schmoyer, Burghardt, and Fortney on November 10, 1994, sentencing him to death for each case. In April 1995, he received an additional 57‑year term for raping a five‑year‑old girl. A 2006 resentencing converted the Burghardt murder penalty to life imprisonment because he was only 17 at the time. He later relinquished appeal rights for a life sentence in the Schmoyer case on December 14, 2012. As of 2020, the death penalty still stands for the Fortney murder.
9 Craig Price, 13 Years Old
Craig Chandler Price, a native of Warwick, Rhode Island, now serves time at Florida State Prison in Raiford. At age 13, he brutally murdered 27‑year‑old neighbor Rebecca Spencer, stabbing her a staggering 58 times. Although he was not initially suspected in Spencer’s death, Price confessed two years later after being apprehended for a triple‑murder spree in 1989, during which he killed 39‑year‑old Joan Heaton and her daughters, 10‑year‑old Jennifer and 8‑year‑old Melissa, inflicting wounds so deep the knife handles snapped off, and crushing Melissa’s skull.
Because of his youth, Price could not be tried as an adult and was sent to the Rhode Island Training School, a juvenile correctional facility. In 2004, he was transferred to Florida owing to his continued violent tendencies. He faced parole denial in March 2009, and while his original release date was set for May 2020, a new 25‑year sentence was added on January 18, 2019, after he stabbed fellow inmate Joshua Davis on April 4, 2017.
8 Jasmine Richardson, 12 Years Old
Jasmine Richardson turned a classic tale of star‑crossed love on its head. At just 12, she began a relationship with 27‑year‑old Jeremy Steinke after meeting at a 2006 punk‑rock show. Their families disapproved, prompting the duo to embark on a murderous rampage on April 23, 2006, targeting Richardson’s parents, Marc and Debra, and her eight‑year‑old brother Jacob. A six‑year‑old neighbor discovered the bodies inside the family home in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada.
Steinke testified that Richardson wanted her parents dead so she could live free of their control, even telling her father, “It’s what your daughter wanted,” as Marc succumbed to stab wounds. Jasmine herself delivered the fatal stab to her brother’s neck. On July 9, 2007, a court convicted both of three counts of first‑degree murder. Canadian law caps sentences for offenders under fourteen at ten years, so Richardson received a ten‑year term, while Steinke was sentenced to three life terms on December 15, 2008.
During her incarceration, Richardson enrolled in courses at Mount Royal University in Calgary and, in 2011, was transferred to a psychiatric hospital. Demonstrating signs of rehabilitation, she completed her sentence and was released in May 2016.
7 Mary Bell, 10 Years Old
Born into poverty and haunted by a mother who repeatedly attempted to kill her, Mary Bell embarked on a murderous path before turning eleven. On May 25, 1968, she lured four‑year‑old Martin Brown to an abandoned house in Newcastle, England, where she strangled him. Although she later left a confession note, authorities initially dismissed her claims. Two months later, she repeated the act, this time murdering three‑year‑old Bryan Howe in the same area, finally leading to her arrest.
In December 1968, a court found Bell guilty of manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility. A psychiatrist described classic psychopathic traits, noting that Bell had carved an “M” into Howe’s body and mutilated him, even using scissors to amputate his genitals. She served 12 years before being released in 1980 at age 23. Today she lives under a new identity with her daughter.
6 Joseph Mcvay, 10 Years Old
On January 2, 2011, ten‑year‑old Joseph McVay of Holmes County, Ohio, shot his 46‑year‑old mother, Deborah McVay, with a .22‑caliber rifle. According to his sister Shawna, Joseph was fed up with constant arguments and chose violence over chores. After the shooting, he fled to a neighbor’s house, dialed 911, and calmly told the dispatcher, “I shot my mom. I shot her with a gun.” He pleaded guilty to murder the same day.
The court initially deemed him incompetent for trial, postponing proceedings until early 2013 when a juvenile court finally sentenced him at age 13. The underlying motive appeared to be a dispute over household chores, but family interviews revealed a backdrop of physical, emotional, and verbal abuse from his mother. Earlier signs of aggression surfaced in September 2007, when Joseph swatted a school administrator with a dustpan.
5 Cayetano Santos Godino, 9 Years Old
Cayetano Santos Godino, nicknamed “El Petiso Orejudo” or “Macrotous Runt,” terrorized Buenos Aires, Argentina, from a very young age. At seven, he beat a two‑year‑old boy and left him in a ditch; at eight, he struck another child with a stone. Though released for these assaults due to his youth, the violence escalated. In 1906, at nine, he strangled three‑year‑old Maria Rosa Face and concealed her corpse, only confessing years later.
- Arturo Laurona: 13‑year‑old, killed and abandoned in a house (January 26)
- Reyna Vainicoff: 5‑year‑old, burned alive when her dress caught fire (March 7)
- Roberto Russo: 8‑year‑old, choked but survived (November 8)
- Carolina Neolener: 2‑year‑old, kidnapped and later rescued (November 20)
The killing spree culminated on December 4, 1912, when Godino lured Jesualdo Giordano to a country house, attempted to choke him, beat him, and finally drove a nail into his skull. He was apprehended and placed in a youth detention center on January 4, 1913. Medical reports later declared him insane after he tried to murder fellow inmates. After appeals, he was transferred to Ushuaia Penitentiary on March 28, 1923, where he died in 1944.
4 Christian Romero, 8 Years Old
On November 5, 2008, eight‑year‑old Christian Romero of St. Johns, Arizona, allegedly killed his father, Vincent Romero, with a .22‑caliber rifle before turning the weapon on family friend Tim Romans, a room‑renter, in a double homicide. He pleaded guilty to negligent homicide for Romans’ death in 2009, but prosecutors never pursued charges for his father’s killing, citing the best interests of the child and a desire to avoid forcing a formal acknowledgment.
Romero was placed under the supervision of the Apache County Superior Court, residing in a secure group home where his probation required ongoing mental‑health treatment rather than punitive measures. In 2015, at age 15, an Apache County probation officer recommended he attend public school, marking a tentative step toward normalcy.
3 Carroll Cole, 8 Years Old
Born May 9, 1938, in Sioux City, Iowa, Carroll Cole began his murderous career at eight, drowning classmate Duane in a lake after enduring emotional abuse from his younger sister and relentless teasing at school. Though authorities initially ruled the drowning an accident, Cole later confessed in an autobiography that the act was intentional.
As a teenager, Cole’s criminal behavior escalated: he was discharged from the Army for misconduct, and in 1960 he attacked two couples parked in lover’s lanes. He later attempted to strangle an 11‑year‑old girl in Missouri, earning a five‑year prison term. After his first murder at eight, he did not kill again until May 7, 1971, when he strangled Essie L. Buck. It wasn’t until November 1980 that police finally linked him to three Texas murders, leading to his conviction on April 9, 1981, and execution by lethal injection on December 6, 1985. Cole claimed responsibility for at least fourteen additional murders prior to 1980.
2 Amarjeet Sada, 7 Years Old
Amardeep “Amarjeet” Sada, known as India’s youngest serial killer, committed three murders of infants under one year old in Bihar. At seven, he killed his eight‑month‑old sister and six‑month‑old cousin, both crimes concealed by his parents. Villagers were aware but refrained from reporting, treating it as a family matter. A year later, in January 2007, he abducted six‑month‑old Kushboo, a neighbor’s daughter, strangled her, and bludgeoned her head with a stone.
Police described Sada as smiling frequently and speaking minimally during interrogation. Psychoanalyst Shamshad Hussain labeled him a sadist who derived pleasure from inflicting pain, while a Patna University professor noted his lack of moral compass. Superintendent Amit Lodha classified the case as psychiatric, determining Sada suffered a chemical imbalance. Consequently, he was placed in a children’s home until reaching adulthood at 18.
1 Carl Newton Mahan, 6 Years Old
Claiming the grim title of America’s youngest known killer, Carl Newton Mahan of Kentucky shot his eight‑year‑old friend Cecil Van Hoose on May 18, 1929, using his father’s 12‑gauge shotgun. The dispute originated over a scrap of iron that Hoose had slapped Mahan with; enraged, Mahan retrieved the shotgun, declared, “I’m going to shoot you!” and pulled the trigger.
Less than a week later, Mahan faced trial for manslaughter. He was frequently seen lounging on the defense table or even sleeping during proceedings. A jury convicted him, and the judge imposed a 15‑year reform school sentence. Public opinion split: some argued the punishment was too severe, others felt it insufficient. A circuit court judge later overturned the conviction, insisting a county judge should handle juvenile cases. Ultimately, Kentucky’s attorney general declined further action, allowing Mahan to remain with his parents.