The seven states that produce the most serial killers - including

People have long held a morbid fascination with serial killers - and the rise of true crime podcasts and TV shows have only propelled this interest.

From the Zodiac Killer to Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer, the US has produced some of the most vicious monsters in history.

A serial killer is defined as a person who commits at least two murders on different occasions in a short span of time. Criminologists have long believed that these types of murders typically involve stalking and are often sexually motivated . 

Now a new study by CrimeCapsule.com has analyzed FBI data to show exactly which states top the list for housing the largest number of real-life serial killers proportional to their populations. 

Here are the seven highest ranking states - and they may surprise you... 

 1. Alaska

This extreme northwest US state has been named as the most popular state among serial killers - with about 15 serial killings per one million residents. 

According to the data, the state of Alaska has recorded a shocking 51 serial murders from 1900 to 2014 itself, most of which occurred between 1980 and 1990. 

One of the most notable killers that emerged from the area was Robert Hansen, also known as the 'Butcher Baker' who killed at least 17 women and raped another 30 in the span of 12 years. 

Once a friendly neighborhood baker, Hansen would abduct, rape and torture his victims - who were mainly dancers and sex workers - then take them in his car or private plane and set them free in the Alaskan wilderness so he could stalk and shoot them like prey as part of a depraved hunting game.

He then buried his victims' bodies in the wilderness and marked their graves with an 'x' on a map.

While he confessed to murdering 17 women, many believe there could have been more victims as his murder map had 24 'x's marked on it while only 12 bodies were ever found. 

The report suggests that one of the reasons why Alaska may top the list is due to environmental factors. 

Extended winter nights for most of the year can have a huge impact on brain psychology - with one of the most common symptoms of seasonal affective disorder being severe depression, experts said.

2. Nevada

Ranking second, this scenic state has recorded about 12 serial murders per one million inhabitants. 

The study also noted that 98 people have been murdered in Nevada since 1900 - out of which 33 occurred in 80s. 

Experts believe that a high number of tourists in the state create a tremendous pool of barely-suspecting victims for potential killers.  

Rodney Halbower, also known as the 'Gypsy Hill Killer', was recently found guilty of raping and murdering two teenage girls more than 42 years ago. 

But authorities believe that Halbower is also responsible for six rapes and murders of young women over a five-month span in 1976 - making him one of the most dangerous criminals to emerge out of the state. 

3. Florida

Known for its incredible beaches and weather, Florida has long been a hotspot for serial murderers - even inspiring the popular crime drama series, Dexter.

The state has recorded 778 murders, out of which 247 took place in the 1980s. 

Florida also has the third highest number of total individual serial cases in the country, with 112 separate cases. 

One of the state's most notorious killers, Aileen Wuornos - the subject of the 2003 movie Monster - was convicted of the murder of six men who she picked up on the highways of Florida in 1989 and 1990, each of whom she shot multiple times before dumping their bodies. 

Wuornos, a prostitute, was sentenced to death as a result and became one of America's first known female serial killers. 

Dubbed the Damsel of Death by tabloids, she first claimed she had killed all of her victims in self-defense after they assaulted her, but later admitted she lied. Her only motive was robbery and a loathing of men, she said. 

4. California

During the 'serial killer decade' of the 80s, the state recorded a fifth of the 2,670 serial murders nationwide, according to the data. 

The study noted that 128 people have been serial murdered in California– the second highest number in the US.

Edmund Kemper dubbed the 'Co-Ed Killer,' murdered his grandparents, six young female college students, as well as his own mother and her friend in the 70s in California.   

He tried to claim he was insane during his trial, but was found guilty of eight murders in November 1973 and was jailed for life.

The horror film American Psycho alludes to Kemper when the character of Patrick Bateman, played by Christian Bale, utters the same lines as Kemper when he was interviewed by police: 'When I see a pretty girl walking down the street, I think two things. One part wants me to take her out, talk to her, be real nice and sweet and treat her right.'

When asked about 'what the other part thinks?' he replied: 'What her head would look like on a stick.'

Kemper is also the inspiration behind the film Silence of the Lambs, and a key player in the Netflix hit show Mindhunter.

The infamous Manson Family also operated in the Golden State, while the most famous unsolved serial killers case, the Zodiac Killer, left at least five people dead in the state in the 1960s and 70s. 

5. Washington 

Home to Mount Rainer and Seattle's Space needle, 277 people are known to have fallen victim to serial killers in Washington, according to data. 

The state is also one of the places where one of the most notorious killers, Ted Bundy kidnapped, raped and murdered young women.  

Gary Ridgway, now 73, from the state, is also considered one of the nation's most brutal serial killers. 

He is currently serving a life sentence after he was convicted in 2003 of killing 49 women in Washington and is serving 49 consecutive life sentences at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. 

Ridgway confessed to killing as many as 80 women but there was only enough evidence at the time to secure a conviction for 49 victims. 

He would target mostly young female prostitutes or runaways and then dump their bodies around the Seattle area. 

'I picked prostitutes because I thought I could kill as many of them as I wanted without getting caught,' he said. 

Ridgway was dubbed the Green River Killer because the bodies of several of his victims in the early 1980s were found in or near the river of the same name. 

6. Oregon

Compared to others on the list, Oregon may not seem as deadly after recording 232 violent incidents per year for every 100,000 citizens. 

But when it comes to serial killings, cases have occurred with more frequency per capita in Oregon than nearly anywhere else in the country - a rate of 7.36 serial murderers per million residents. 

Unlike other areas, this state has also recorded the 52 deaths by strangulation - the highest number in this list. 

Randall Woodfield of Oregon, a college football player, was convicted of executing one woman and the attempted murder of another, but he has been tied to over a dozen homicides. Some believe he's responsible for as many as 44 deaths. 

The football player graduated from high school in 1969 and was later arrested for ransacking an ex-girlfriend's home when he was a student at Treasure Valley Community College, but he was found not guilty due to lack of evidence. 

Woodfield was convicted of indecent exposure twice as a student at Portland State before he was drafted by the NFL's Green Bay Packers in 1974.

He was cut from the team before the season began that year, though the Packers never publicly said why. He stayed in Wisconsin to play for the semipro Manitowoc Chiefs but was later cut from that team as well. 

The Chiefs also never stated why Woodfield was let go, but Sports Illustrated reported that there were off-field concerns about him. It was later learned that he was involved in at least 10 cases of indecent exposure in the state.

In early 1975, he began robbing and sexually assaulting women in Portland at knifepoint. He was arrested that same year during a sting operation and confessed to the crimes during an interrogation, claiming that his poor sexual impulse control was likely due to the steroids he was taking. 

Woodfield took a plea deal to a reduced charge of second-degree robbery and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was released early in 1979 after only serving four years behind bars. 

In January 1981, he sexually assaulted Shari Hull, 20, and Lisa Garcia, 21, while they were cleaning an insurance office building in Keizer, Oregon. He shot them both in the back of the head, but only killed Hull. Garcia survived and was eventually able to identify Woodfield in a police lineup. 

7. Louisiana 

Otherwise known for its culture, food and parades, Louisiana has also housed numerous serial killers over the years. 

From 1989 to 2014, Louisiana averaged about 13 murders per 100,000 inhabitants. 

The state also recorded 276 serial killings per million inhabitants over the years. 

But what sets Louisiana apart from others is that many of the murders committed have had links to witchcraft, voodoo, and general paranormal activity. 

Clementine Barnabet, a young Black woman killed entire families as they slept in what became known as the 'Voodoo Murders' in the 1910s. 

The occult-believer later revealed she axed 17 people to death as part of her devotion as high priestess to the Church of the Sacrifice. 

According to Psychology Today, the group - who believed that riches and immortality could be gained through human sacrifice - had murdered 40 people in total. 

Victims were found horribly mutilated, with limbs and heads being cut off and strewn over the house. The cult would then perform a sacrificial ceremony, with chants and rituals.