Killer Couples: Seven Pairs Who Murdered for Thrill and Love

There's nothing more frightening than couples coming together over their shared love of murder. These killer duos, who range from thrill killers to sadomasochists, all committed atrocious crimes that are still hard to read about today. But probably the most baffling thing about these pairs is the role women often played in these cases. For some, they were victimized followers who were simply "taking orders." For others, they were willing accomplices who killed for love and devotion to their husbands. Below, seven killer couples and the crimes that made them infamous.

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David Graham and Diane Zamora

These two college sweethearts met at a Navy academy back in 1995, and after getting engaged, it looked as if the couple were about to have a bright future together. Unfortunately, when Diane discovered that David had cheated on her with fellow student Adrianne Jones, she became unhinged. She then told her fiancé to kill Adrianne or else she'd kill herself.

In 1996, David picked up Adrianne in his car while Diane hid in the backseat. Once they drove the victim to a remote area, Diane jumped out and knocked Adrianne over the head with weights. David then finished her off with two gunshots to the face. The two were arrested six months later when Diane confessed the murder to one of her friends. Today, the two are still sitting in prison on life sentences.

Miranda and Elytte Barbour

In 2013, these two newlyweds decided they wanted to commit murder for their three-week wedding anniversary. To lure their victim, Miranda posted an ad on Craiglist saying she was looking to sleep with men for money. A few days later, she arranged to meet Troy LaFerrara in a Walmart parking lot. While Elytte hid under a blanket in the backseat, Miranda lured Troy into her car. The couple then attacked the victim, with Miranda stabbing him 20 times while Elytte popped up from behind and wrapped a cord around Troy's neck. After the murder, the two simply kicked their victim out of their car and drove away.

At the crime scene, police found Miranda's number on Troy's cell phone. While being interrogated, Miranda initially lied and said she killed in self-defense. However, the next day her husband came and confessed everything to officers. Today, the couple are both serving life sentences without parole.

Daniel and Manuela Ruda

This German pair met in 2000 when Daniel posted this ad on a heavy metal forum: "Pitch-black vampire seeks princess of darkness who hates everything and everyone and has bidden farewell to life." Manuela turned out to be his perfect match. The two both practiced Satanism, slept inside coffins, and even avoided sunlight. One month after their marriage, they murdered their friend Frank Hackert by bludgeoning him with a hammer. They then drained his blood into bowls from which they drank. After the killing, the two purchased a chainsaw and planned to go on a massacre, but they were caught just a few hours later.

In court, the two drew national attention for their courtroom theatrics, which involved laughing, hissing, rolling their eyes, and even throwing the devil sign at the victim's mother. In the end, the two were found not guilty for reason of insanity and were both sent to psychiatric clinics. Although Daniel is still serving his sentence, Manuela was released in 2010 and is currently just walking around free.

Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo

In probably one of the most controversial cases in Canada, this young married couple shocked the world when they were convicted of killing and raping three teenage girls. The two started their rampage in 1990 when the couple drugged and raped Karla's own sister. The couple had given her a lethal combination of pills to sedate her, which eventually led her to choke to death on her own vomit. However, since the death was ruled an "accident," the couple was free to continue their rampage, raping and killing two other young women in 1991 and 1992.

Eventually, Karla confessed to the murders to police after she became the focus of her husband's violence. She got a plea deal while her husband was sentenced to life. In 2005, she was released from prison, and in 2016, it was revealed that she was working at a school with children.

Alvin and Judith Neelley

In 1980, Alvin, then 25, left his wife and children to marry then 15-year-old Judith. After marrying, the two went on a crime spree, committing armed robbery across the country. In 1982, the couple abducted a 13-year-old girl and murdered her, and then later did the same thing to a couple. They were eventually caught later that year. Alvin copped a plea deal to get a life sentence, but 18-year-old Judith was sentenced to death by electric chair, the youngest woman in the country to be given the death penalty. However, days before she was about to be put to death, her sentence was commuted, and now she's spending life in prison. Today, she's 52. As for Alvin, he passed away in 2005.

Michelle Martin and Marc Dutroux

Back in the '90s, Marc abducted five girls in Belgium and kept them captive in his seven homes in Brussels. Although he was eventually caught in 1996, the strangest thing about the case was how his wife Michelle was involved. She knew about the captive girls and even assisted in one abduction. In court, it was revealed that Michelle's negligence in feeding the abducted girls led to the death of two eight-year-olds. Her release from prison in 2012 ignited a national protest (above), with hundreds of angry people petitioning for her to be sent back to jail. Today, Marc is serving a life sentence and Michelle is still free on parole.

Jerad and Amanda Miller

Back in 2014, this married couple went on a shooting spree in Las Vegas, killing five people before killing themselves. They started off their killing spree by first shooting two police officers at a pizza restaurant. They then announced in front of shocked witnesses that "this is the beginning of a revolution." They continued their spree at a Walmart where they shot at the ceiling and ordered everyone out. After getting into a shootout with police, they then committed suicide.

The couple left behind Facebook and YouTube accounts that revealed they were staunch conspiracy theorists who hated the police. "To the people in the world…your (sic) lucky I can't kill you now," Amanda wrote on her Facebook. "But remember one day one day I will get you because one day all hell will break [loose] and I'll be standing in the middle of it with a shotgun in one hand and a pistol in the other."