Beneath Missouri's rolling hills in quiet neighborhoods, some of the darkest stories in American true crime have taken root.

This topic was suggested by our Patreon supporters, so thanks for that, and hopefully I do it justice.

We have some seriously crazy stories today,

so buckle up. Here are five of Missouri's darkest true crime nightmares.

Number five, the Missouri River Killer.

The 1970s were a time when America was waking up to the terrifying idea that the streets weren't as safe as they thought.

That serial killers were a real thing lurking in plain sight.

Bundy, Gracie, and the Zodiac were all grabbing headlines.

While the nation's eyes were on those household names, a far less publicized predator was

quietly dumping bodies near highways and rivers in the Midwest, mostly in Missouri.

He didn't wear a mask or send letters to the police, and he just killed, efficiently,

methodically, and with chilling consistency. He had to be a lot of the police, and he just killed, efficiently, methodically, and with chilling consistency.

He had at least seven victims, though it's likely had many more, and by the time the authorities

started connecting the dots, well, it already vanished into the wind.

They call him the Missouri River killer, and to this day, nobody knows who

he really was. Between 1975 and 92, a disturbing pattern began to emerge. Women, mostly those looking

to make a quick buck in the backseat of a car or those who struggle

with addiction, were being found murdered along the Missouri River Quarter, particularly in and

around Kansas City in St. Louis. And many were strangled, others beaten, and few were even posed.

Rita Brisbeau, for example, was discovered in 1982 with her arms extended above her head,

and legs spread apart on purpose to shock whoever found her.

Brenda Pruitt in 86 was found with her arms folded across her chest,

...