This Serial Killer From Iowa Was Known As The Butcher Baker

He wasn’t the most well-known American serial killer – but he may be one of the most sensationalistic. Robert Hansen, nicknamed the Butcher Baker by the media, was ultimately arrested in 1983 for the murder of at least seventeen women in and around Anchorage, Alaska. What shocked people wasn’t just the killings – but the fact that the twisted killer may have hunted the women for sport like a serial killer version of a big-game hunter. He terrorized America’s great north for years – but what does this have to do with the Hawkeye State? Born in Estherville, Robert Hansen may be the most famous serial killer from Iowa – and his reign of terror began early.

Ah, beautiful Estherville. Who would ever suspect that this bucolic northern Iowa town produced one of the most infamous monsters in American history?

Robert Hansen, aka the Butcher Baker, took advantage of the isolated Alaskan wilderness to pull off a killing spree - but his terror began long before that.

He grew up in Pocahontas, the son of a baker, and he was a disturbed boy for a long time before he started killing.

He spent most of his time in the woods, hunting and practicing his killing skills - something he planned to use on a very different target.

He had an intense interest in weapons from the start, doing a stint in both the US Army reserves and the local police department - failing out of both.

That led him down a bad path, as he was soon found guilty of Arson against a board of education building and spent time in the infamous Anamosa State Penitentiary.

After being released, he went up north to Alaska, where he orchestrated a ten-year killing spree with the help of a Ruger Mini-14 rifle that allowed him to hunt his victims like the game he was so obsessed with.

After one of his victims successfully got away, Hansen was finally caught and spent the next thirty years in the Spring Creek Correctional Center in Seward and other prisons, until his death in 2014.

But he was immortalized in the 2013 thriller The Frozen Ground, where he was portrayed by John Cusack. Hansen's Iowa childhood was not featured, but he remains a dark secret of Estherville and Pocahontas.

Have you heard the dark tales of this infamous serial killer from Iowa? Let us know in the comments section if you come from his neck of the woods. If you want to know more about the maximum security prison where he did his time in Iowa, you can check out the Anamosa State Penitentiary website. If you want to learn more about Iowa’s dark criminal history, check out this haunted prison.

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Explore Iowa

Featured Addresses

Estherville, IA 51334, USA

Pocahontas, IA 50574, USA

Anamosa State Penitentiary, 406 N High St, Anamosa, IA 52205, USA

Few People Know The Infamous Robert Hansen Had A Chilling History In Iowa As Well

Raymond Goldfield

Author

Related Stories

This One Of A Kind Library Restaurant In Iowa Is A Book Lover's Dream Come True

This Charming Country Store In Iowa Sells The Most Amazing Homemade Fudge You'll Ever Try

Locals Can't Get Enough Of The Homemade, Seasonal Desserts At Junkyard Cafe In Iowa

Want more Iowa in your inbox?

Related Articles

Explore Iowa

Featured Addresses