Here are a list of some of Days of Our Lives most villainous serial killers through the years.
- The Riverfront Knifer: In 1998, Harper Deveraux had his reign of terror as the Riverfront Knifer. Harper was angry at the women in his life for betraying him, so he began attacking the women of Salem. He attacked Eve Donovan, who survived but war scarred by a knife slash across her cheek. Harper then attacked, and killed Janice Barnes. His next victim was Kayla Brady Johnson, who survived the attack but went deaf and mute as a result. Harper then attacked Kimberly Brady Donovan, who was working undercover as a prostitute. Kimberly survived, but lost the child she was carrying. He killed multiple more women including Grace Forrester and several others.
When Kayla recalled the identity of her attacker she rushed to tell her sister Kimberly. Unfortunately Harper took them both hostage and planned to finish the jobs he started on them Harper was eventually stopped by Steve. Harper was sent to prison, but vowed to get revenge on Steve.
Later that year Victor, with the help of Jack, arranged a jail break so that Harper could leave the country. The scheme didn't go off as planned; Harper was shot while trying to get to the airport. Jack took him to the Riverfront Clinic where he took Kayla hostage again. Steve rescued Kayla, and Harper was sent back to prison once again.
Harper later escaped from prison in 1989 and tried to stop Kayla and Steve's wedding. He fell to his death by breaking his body and his bones while fighting with Jack on the bell tower.
- The Salem Strangler: The Salem Strangler kicked off the serial killer craze on days in the early 1980s. The strangler, who was later revealed to be Jake Kositchek, was heartbroken after being rejected by Jessica Blake who was going through psychiatric treatment under Marlena Evans. Jessica's rejection became the catalyst for Jake's mental breakdown, leading him to become the Salem Strangler. Jake stalked and killed several women in Salem, including Lorie Masters, Mary Anderson, Denise Peterson, and Marlenas twin sister Samantha Evans by mistaken identity. He also attacked several women including Marlena Evans and Renee DuMonde, but they both survived.
Eventually, Roman was able to capture Jake, but he died before he could stand trial for his crimes.
- The Salem Stalker: As the "Salem Stalker" murders began in 2003, "Tony DiMera", was quick to become the number one suspect until Mickey Horton agreed to defend him and got him out on bail. Many beloved Salem residents like Maggie Horton Kiriakis, Jack Deveraux, Doug Williams, Abe Carver, Cassie Brady and Roman Brady, fell victim to the Stalker. The Salem Stalker even facilitated the beloved Alice Horton’s death by donut.
On January 28, 2004 Marlena Evans was revealed to viewers as the serial killer, when she claimed Tony DiMera as her latest victim. John Black became suspicious of his lady love after she killed Alice and she was eventually revealed as the killer to the rest of Salem.
Marlena was presumably killed herself in the aftermath of the reveal, but all was not what it seemed. The “dead” people were all alive and well on the island of Melaswen, which was New Salem spelled backwards and looked exactly like the original Salem.
"Tony" had hidden himself for quite sometime and, when he made himself known, the others didn't trust him. After sabotaging every attempt the captives made to escape, "Tony" (actually André DiMera) finally revealed himself as the mastermind behind the whole shebang - a plot he cooked up to get back at everyone he felt had wronged him. As it turns out, he had never forgotten about his ex-wife, Kristen, who left him for John years earlier. He again faked his death after a duel with John, making certain everyone believed he was gone for good. Nevertheless, when the captives were making their escape, he set off a device that caused a massive explosion which, in turn, caused the sea around the island to become choppy and many of the hostages were feared dead once the others were rescued. In reality, "Tony" had some of them re-captured and sent to a DiMera Castle in Europe. The other victims were eventually rescued as well.
- The Salem Slasher: The Salem slasher was none other then André DiMera. After arriving to Salem, he wanted to prove himself to his father Stefano DiMera, by making a number of killings with a Roman Brady mask on to frame him.
Renee DuMonde, Trista Evans, Gwen Davies, Kelly Chase, Daisy Hawkins and Letitia Bradford were among some of his victims, all stabbed, poisoned and left with a raven's feather in their hands. Marlena Evans, Sandy Horton, and Hope Williams Brady were also attacked but survived.
- Killer Connie: Connie first appeared as a client of Sloan Petersen's who was really nervous about it her court date. She called Sloan, who rushed over to calm her down, and reassure her that everything was going to be alright.
Connie joined a matchmaking service and got matched with Li Shin. The date was going well as Connie detailed her education, her jobs at the Cheating Heart and as a Candy Striper at the Hospital.
Li shared how he grew up in Hong Kong and came to the states for school. Connie noticed how he kept glancing over at Melinda Trask's table. Li denied that he was, but Connie said it was okay, and that it was understandable that he didn't like Melinda since she tried to send him to Salem for plotting to kill Stefan DiMera.
Li denied his involvement, and Connie said that was a shame since she had a thing for bad boys. She then started rubbing Li's leg with her foot. Li was confused, and Connie said she is addicted to true crime podcast and is always rooting for the bad guy, and no podcast has ever got her going like the one she learned about where Li and Stefan's sister Megan Hathaway brainwashed Harris Michaels to kill Stefan.
Connie appeared months later, and interrupted Melinda and Sloan's visit to confront Melinda for breaking Li's heart and blaming her for his death. Connie claimed she and Li were lovers despite only going on one date.
Connie reappeared after Gabi Hernandez was exonerated for Li's death. She entered Li's now vacant apartment where she remembered stabbing him in the back with the knife. Connie had shown up at Li's place to invite him to her ballroom dancing class, but when Li turned her down and she refused to leave, he went to call the police, so Connie picked up a knife and stabbed Li with it.
Connie was now loving at the apartment which was vacant and imagined talking to Li, who it turns out was a life sized cardboard cut out. Connie knew that Bobby Stein had overheard her talking about stabbing Li tearfully.
Connie went to visit Bobby, who was at Bayview. Connie told Bobby that if he didn't turn her in, she would get Rafe Hernandez out of the way so he could win back his ex Jada Hunter, who was with Rafe.
Bobby agreed, so Connie stabbed Rafe at the cemetery while he was on another case. Bobby was upset by what Connie did but agreed not to turn her in. However, "Li" told Connie that Bobby could still expose her and Connie realized she couldn't risk that.
Connie broke into Bobby's place when he wasn't home and ran into Leo Stark, who enquired how she knew Bobby, or as he was known to him, Everret Lynch. Connie told Leo that she and Bobby go way back. Connie brought Bobby coffee but had put an overdose of meditation in the coffee. Connie also wrote a faux suicide note on Bobby's laptop implicating him in Rafe's stabbing. Bobby died before he could be rushed to the hospital and everyone believed Bobby had stabbed Rafe, so Connie was in the clear.
Connie then approached Gabi and got a job working for her as her assistant at DiMera Enterprises where she overheard that Gabi's husband Stefan DiMera slept with Ava Vitali. Connie planned to sit on that information for a bit but it didn't take her long before she told Gabi the truth. As such, she imploded Gabi and Stefan's relationship and set Gabi on the warpath. She also managed to earn more of Gabi's trust. Melinda Trask did her due diligence and realized Connie had fabricated her entire resume. Melinda went to confront her, and Connie poisoned her tea before confessing to her that she killed Li.
Connie prepares to kill Melinda her, but a hallucination of Li, who she has a cardboard cutout of, convinces her to show mercy. She ties Melinda to her bed and continues her plot against Gabi. Seeing that Gabi is still happy, Connie decides to kill her instead along with Melinda. Trapping them in the DiMera Mansion's secret room, she sets off a homemade bomb to kill them and later unsuccessfully tries to kill Ava and Stefan. She caught by Jada and arrested. Seeing that Connie believe the Li cutout is real and alive, Jada summarizes that she most likely will end up in Bayview Sanitarium and not prison.
- For info on The Necktie Killer, see: The Necktie Killers page.