10 Hair-Raising Confessions From Death Row Inmates Before Execution

6 /10 Peter Kürten - The Vampire Of Düsseldorfados

Also known as The Vampire of Düsseldorf, the German serial killer Peter Kürten was found guilty on nine counts of murder and seven counts of attempted murder, for which he was sentenced to death in April 1931. Kürten was executed by beheading at age 48 in July 1931.

The following were reportedly his last words: “Tell me, after my head is chopped off, will I still be able to hear, at least for a moment, the sound of my blood gushing from the stump of my neck? That would be the pleasure to end all pleasures.”

5 /10 Carl Panzram

While serving time at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, Panzram killed the prison laundry room foreman to receive a death sentence.

Panzram befriended officer Henry Philip Lesser on death row, who gave the former some writing materials.

Sometime before the execution, Panzram wrote a horrifying testimony. He said that he had murdered 21 people, sodomized more than 100 people, and committed a range of other crimes, including robberies, burglaries, arsons, and thefts.

He went on to say he was not in the least bit sorry for all those things. Panzram was hanged on September 5, 1930.

4 /10 John William Rook

For the kidnapping, rape, and murder of a 25-years-old nurse Ann Marie Roche in 1980, John William Rook was sentenced to death. Rook was executed by lethal injection on September 19, 1986, at the age of 27.

He confessed to his crimes not once or twice but three times to police that he had raped, beat, and slashed Roche.

He also drove his vehicle over her body and left her in a field. Before the execution, Rook exclaimed, “Freedom, freedom, at last, man. It’s been a good one.”

3 /10 John Wayne Gacy

Convicted to the murders of 33 young men, John Wayne Gacy was sentenced to death on March 13, 1980.

He spent 14 years on death row at Menard Correctional Center before execution day on May 10, 1994. Gacy was executed by lethal injection.

According to Gacy’s confession, he would often lure a victim to his home, dupe him into donning handcuffs under the pretense of showing the victim a magic trick, then rape and torture before killing the captive by either strangulation with a garrote or asphyxiation. Gacy showed no remorse. His last words were, “kiss my A**.”

2 /10 Aileen Wuornos

The infamous serial killer Aileen Wuornos confessed to the murder of six men. Also, in the confession, she claimed the victims attempted to assault her, so she shot them in self-defense sexually.

Wuornos was convicted of six of the seven murders and sentenced to death. She was executed by lethal injection on October 9, 2002, in Florida State Prison. Her last words were somewhat nonsensical.

Wuornos said, “I’d like to say I’m sailing with the Rock and I’ll be back like Independence Day with Jesus, June 6, like the movie, big mothership and all. I’ll be back.”

1 /10 Robert Alton Harris

Brothers Robert Alton Harris and Daniel Marcus Harris abducted two teenage boys on July 5, 1978. Robert shot them, and the brothers used the victims’ car to rob a bank. They were arrested less than an hour later.

Robert Harris was convicted of two counts of kidnapping and two counts of murder, for which he was sentenced to death.

Robert Harris was executed on April 21, 1992, in the gas chamber at San Quentin State Prison. In his last words, he said, “You can be a king or a street sweeper, but everyone dances with the grim reaper.”