Happy Friday the 13th! In honor of the ominous holiday, we thought we’d examine what charges some of the most famous horror movie villains might face if they were ever caught and brought before a jury. Enjoy!
Jason Voorhees – No list about Friday the 13th could be complete without Jason Voorhees, who terrorized all those who dared travel to Camp Crystal Lake. Jason did most of his handiwork with his machete, and according to one person’s math, Jason killed 154 people through his first 10 movies. That said, murder wasn’t the only crime Jason committed. The district attorney could charge him with:
- Murder.
- Stalking, defined as “knowingly causing the victim to feel frightened, threatened, oppressed, persecuted or intimidated.”
- Arson (He burns down a house in Freddy vs. Jason).
Assuming he was convicted of 154 counts of murder, 154 counts of stalking, and one count of arson, Jason could face 8,490 years in prison.
Jigsaw – The Saw movie franchise introduced us to Jigsaw, who liked to psychologically torment his victims before physically hurting them. Although he only survived three movies, Jigsaw’s list of charges is long enough to make any prosecutor’s head hurt. He could be charged with:
- Murder. Even though he never physically kills anyone, forcing someone to kill themselves still constitutes as murder. Odds are a jury would have no problem sentencing Jigsaw to murder instead of manslaughter.
- Stalking.
- Torture.
- Kidnapping.
- Criminal Harassment.
Michael Myers – Michael Myers is probably the most well known killer in any horror movie franchise, terrorizing countless victims throughout the Halloween series. Although he may be the most famous serial killer, he hasn’t killed as many people as Jason. Through his first 10 movies, Myers killed an estimated 94 people, which is 60 less than Jason Voorhees. Mike could be charged with:
- 94 counts of Murder.
- 1st Degree Criminal Damage to Property for causing the citywide blackout in Halloween II.
- Stalking.
- Cruelty to Animals in the Halloween remake.
- Felony Theft for stealing a car in the original Halloween.
Leatherface – Jason had his machete, Michael Myers had his knife, and Leatherface did his damage with a chainsaw. Like most of our serial killers, Leatherface had a tough childhood and he eventually succumbed to a life of crime. Although he committed some of his crimes with the help of his family, Leatherface could still face numerous charges of:
- Murder.
- Torture.
- Kidnapping.
- Criminal Destruction of Property for damaging numerous cars as his victims tried to escape.
Ghostface – Though the name might not ring a bell, most people will remember Ghostface as the slasher villain in the Scream franchise. Ghostface is actually portrayed by numerous individuals throughout the series, but collectively they rack up an extensive rap sheet. Ghostface’s crimes include:
- Murder.
- Stalking.
- Harassment through phone calls.
- Arson for causing the explosion in Scream 3.
If we were the defense attorneys for any of these maniacs, you can bet we’d be pursuing the insanity defense.
Think we left anyone off our list? Who was your favorite slasher-movie villain? Let your voice be heard in the comments or on Twitter @AppelmanLawFirm.
