Serial Killer 101: Here's a Bio on all the Killers from 'AHS: Hotel's' Dinner Party

Wednesday night's episode of American Horror Story: Hotel was a menagerie of messed-upedness that could scarcely be matched. We witnessed a dinner time cameo from many of the most horrific serial killers known to man, each demonstrating their incomparable darkness by showcasing their unique quirks (and disgusting habits) as murderers.

It was fabulous.

But for many, this was an introduction to these killers, rendering the brief scenes insufficient. So we're here to change that.

Happy Halloween.

Jeffrey Dahmer (1960-1994)

Dahmer was a rapist and serial killer best known for dismembering at least 17 males some time between '78 and '91. Hotel did a great job of illustrating how incredibly screwed up this man was — we're sorry to say that the acid, drills, and visceral sexuality were true to his real life MO.

He was known as "The Milwaukee Cannibal" by some, but was perhaps most famous for his obsession with "sex zombies," a fixation that led to his habit of drilling into the craniums of victims. He would pour hydrochloric acid into these wounds in the hopes that he could create a willing sex slave by manipulating different parts of the brain.

It's said that at the time of his arrest, he was murdering at least one individual a week.

Aileen Wuornos (1956-2002)

Perhaps the most famous female serial killer in the world, Aileen Wuornos was a prostitute with a penchant for murdering men in cold blood.

On the war path from just '89 to '90, her methods were more straight to the point than Dahmer's. Typically, she'd enter a man's vehicle under the guise of providing sexual favors for quick cash, only to shoot them in the head. She'd later ditch their bodies in remote areas.

Wuornos was well-known for her instability, and she was diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and a myriad of other mental illnesses after her arrest. Through Hotel, Lily Rabe has accomplished what some might call the most apt reenactment of her character in history.

The Zodiac Killer (?)

Hotel's interpretation of the Zodiac Killer was not only badass, but accurate; the individual behind the mysterious murders has never been caught.

Zodiac is one of the only serial murderers in history to engage in such excess with the police, effectively cat-and-mousing himself to oblivion, while still managing to elude capture.

Between the '60s and '70s, Zodiac killed what's suspected to be as many as 28 people in Northern California. He proceeded to send multiple cryptic letters to local press, taunting the public and the police force in tandem.

Here's an example of one successfully deciphered letter:

Though there are many theories as to his identity, we may never know who was behind the mask.

John Wayne Gacy (1942-1994)

American Horror Story's John Wayne Gacy is more sick child than capable murderer, but don't judge this book by its cover. The "Killer Clown," who spent his free time volunteering at local charity events, molested and killed more than 30 boys between '72 and '78.

After attacking each male, he'd strangle them; only one victim was confirmed as being stabbed. He would then conceal the bodies within the crawl space of his house, and across his property. As is revealed in Hotel, he was only found out when police discovered his 28x38 crawl space, and after some light digging, the rotting remains of his victims were found.

Gacy was put to death by lethal injection in 1994.

Richard Ramírez (1960-2013)

Ricardo Leyva Muñoz Ramírez, better known as Richard Ramirez, earned the nickname of the "Night Stalker" during his one-year reign of terror. He has 14 confirmed victims, though many speculate that number is much higher.

As portrayed in Hotel, he'd enter the open windows and doors of Los Angeles and San Francisco residents, rape, and murder victims from age nine to 83 — his propensity for this sort of diversity led to the confusion of police investigators. The vast majority of serial killers have preferences in victim and murder weapon, but Ramírez didn't discriminate. His weapons of choice included everything from machetes to guns.

He was finally caught after getting overly enthusiastic (attempting to commit assault and steal multiple vehicles in the same evening can be a challenge) as the residents of East Los Angeles' Hubbard St. apprehended him before he was able to escape.

Despite being on death row for 24 years, he died in 2013 of B-cell lymphoma prior to his execution.