“Days of Our Lives” fans who have been watching the show for decades know that there have been a handful of wild serial killer storylines in Salem. Over the years, murderers have terrorized viewers’ favorite characters. However, many of those storylines happened several years ago. Younger fans may not know the history behind Salem’s scariest plots. Let’s dive into the shocking serial killer history.
Days of Our Lives is known for spooky stories
Throughout the nearly 6-decade “Days of Our Lives” run, there have been plenty of spooky moments. Death, destruction, kidnapping, and demonic possession. However, there is something about these murder mystery storylines that have had fans captivated for years.
Harper Deveraux was the Riverfront Knifer
In the 1980s, “Days of Our Lives” went wild with the serial killer storylines. One of the most interesting characters was that of Harper Deveraux (Joseph Campanella). Harper was the adoptive father of Jack Deveraux (Matthew Ashford). He was a powerful politician who had a reputation for being a criminal.
Harper had a vendetta against Steve Johnson (Stephen Nichols) and Kayla Brady (Mary Beth Evans). He eventually had a mental breakdown that led him to begin a murder spree. Harper killed several women, including several prostitutes. He also took the life of Janice Barnes, earning him the name the Riverfront Knifer.
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During his reign of terror, Harper attempted to kill Kayla, Kimberly Brady, Eve Donovan, and several others. His story came to an end when he escaped prison and showed up at Steve and Kayla’s wedding. It was Jack who ultimately ended his life by pushing him from a bell tower.
Jake Kositchek was The Salem Strangler
One of the biggest “Days of Our Lives” storylines of the early 1980s revolved around The Salem Strangler. The exciting episodes of the soap opera depicted a mad man who became obsessed with Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall). Eventually, the identity of the killer was revealed to be Jake Kositchek.
Jake slayed Salem women such as Denise Peterson, Mary Anderson, and Lorie Masters. However, Marlena was his goal. Finally, Jake made his move to attack Marlena, seemingly strangling and killing her at her home. Fans went wild at the thought of Marlena being killed. However, it was later revealed that Jake had killed Marlena’s twin sister, Samantha Evans, in a case of mistaken identity.
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Jake returned to try to take out Marlena one last time. However, this time, police were ready for him. Roman Brady (then Wayne Northrop) fought off the serial killer. During the altercation, Jake was killed, ending the Salem Strangler storyline.
Andre DiMera became the Salem Slasher
Before the 1980s were over, there was one more Salem serial killer that “Days of Our Lives” fans watched from the edge of their seats. As Stefano DiMera and his family rose to power and proved to be Salem’s premier crime family, Andre followed the path of his mentor.
To prove his loyalty to Stefano, Andre began a murder spree, killing women like Kelly Chase, Renee DuMonde, Trista Evans Bradford, and Letitia Bradford. He also attempted to attack Gwen Davies, who escaped his wrath. He did all of this while wearing a mask of Roman Brady’s face in hopes of framing him for the murders.
Andre became known as The Salem Slasher. He eventually fled town in order to stay out of prison. However, he later returned by stealing the identity of his identical family member, Tony DiMera (also Penghlis). Several years later, Andre’s fate was sealed when he was murdered by Abigail Deveraux during her battle with a split personality disorder.
Marlena Evans shocked as The Salem Stalker
In 2003, “Days of Our Lives” viewers were stunned to see several of the most iconic characters being killed off. A murderer began to creep around Salem, killing beloved citizens such as Alice Horton (Francis Reide), Maggie Horton (Suzanne Rogers), and Abe Carver (James Reynolds). Other victims included Roman Brady (Josh Taylor), Victor Kiriakis (John Aniston), Doug Williams (Bill Hayes), and Caroline Brady (Peggy McKay).
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It was a shocking moment when Marlena Evans was revealed to be the person killing Salem’s beloved citizens. The storyline ended with Marlena seemingly being killed by police. However, that’s when a new twist was unveiled. Marlena later woke up on a remote island with all of her so-called victims. It was later revealed that she had been brainwashed by the DiMeras to believe she had killed her friends.
Instead, all of The Salem Stalker’s victims were still alive and behind held captive. Eventually, they got back to Salem and were forced to deal with the consequences of their absences. Fans were stunned by the big storyline, and while it was shocking, many were glad to have their favorite characters back in the land of the living.
Ben Weston has serial killer roots as The Necktie Killer
Ben Weston has become a very beloved character on “Days of Our Lives” throughout the years. However, his Salem beginnings were rooted in evil and murder. Upon arriving in town, it was clear that Ben had anger issues stemming from his difficult childhood. However, when women in Salem like Serena Mason (Melissa Archer) and Paige Larson (True O’Brien) ended up dead, panic ensued around a murderer dubbed The Necktie Killer.
Eventually, Ben was revealed to be the man strangling his victims with a necktie. He even seemingly took the life of legacy character Will Horton before kidnapping his pregnancy girlfriend Abigail Deveraux and holding her hostage in a remote cabin.
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Of course, Abby went into labor and Ben forced a midwife named Wendy to deliver the child. He later killed Wendy, took the baby, and left Abby to die after setting the cabin on fire. Thankfully, Chad DiMera (Billy Flynn) was there to save the day.
Ben later changed his ways and married Ciara
Chad and Abigail escaped and Ben was put into a mental hospital. Abby later found out that Chad was the father of her son, Thomas. The two got together, but the situation with Ben took a toll on Abby’s mental health. Ben was eventually released from the asylum after proving that he needed a cocktail of medication.
Ben met Ciara Brady (Victoria Konefal) and fell deeply in love. She gave him a second chance at life, and the two became a fan-favorite couple on the soap opera. The duo later left Salem together to sail around the world with their growing family.
“Days of Our Lives” hasn’t lacked serial killer storylines over the years. However, it has been a while since a spooky murderer terrorized the town. So don’t be surprised if you see another serial killer pop up in Salem in the near future.
Image Credits: Chris Haston/NBC, NBC/YouTube, YouTube, YouTube, Todd Williamson/Peacock, NBC/YouTube.
Kendra Quinn