Charles Manson & More! REELZ Airs The Scariest True Crimes Special 'Real Monsters' For Halloween Week

In honor of Halloween week, REELZ is airing Real Monsters, a four night special of the scariest true crime monsters of all time. The event runs Monday through Thursday and will feature the stories of cult killer Charles Manson, cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer, serial murderer Ted Bundy and "killer clown” John Wayne Gacy.

In Charles Manson: The Funeral on Monday, October 28, the program will track the journey of Jason Freeman, Charles Manson’s grandson, as he attempts to recover his grandfather’s remains from the prison where he died in order to give him a proper funeral. The special reveals Jason’s relationship with Charles and how he feels about the cult leader and murderer who was his grandfather. It also features Charles Manson's followers and supporters as they pay their final respects and even weep at the open casket funeral.  One former member of the Manson Family cult also offers unique insight into one of the most notorious killers of the 20th century.

Jeffrey Dahmer: Killer Cannibal opens with the roots of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. It documents his childhood, combative parents, obsession with dead animals, strange behavior in school, and his first sexual yearnings. These events collide into Jeffrey's first shocking murder. Despite being a cold-blooded killer, Jeffreys's likable persona allows him to literally get away with murder. But when a teenage boy escapes from him, Jeffrey is charged with sexual assault and sent to prison. A year later he’s back out and living in the infamous apartment #213. It’s a chamber of horrors where Jeffrey establishes his “skull shrine” and takes his first bite of human flesh.

Ted Bundy: Serial Monster tells the story of the infamous killer. Police have little to go on, but similarities come to light: a charming, handsome stranger with a broken arm, a crutch and a Volkswagen Bug. But the murderer stays one step ahead of the authorities, leading to a devastating sorority house massacre on the other side of the country. You might think this is the plot of a horror film, but the killer is real. He’s the psychopath who inspired The Silence of the Lambs and American Psycho.

Lastly in John Wayne Gacy: A Monster is Born, viewers can follow along as John takes a job at a mortuary, where he develops a fascination with dead bodies — even sleeping in a coffin with a corpse. Soon after, he’s married with two kids, but urges inside him can’t be contained. Convicted for sodomizing young boys, his normal life ends and the darkness takes over. John begins cruising for young men, leading to his first of many murders and the beginning of his crawlspace burial ground. He brings them home, then tortures and kills them with what he calls “tricks.” His wife and many others suspect he’s up to no good, but thanks to his public persona as “Pogo the Clown,” no one realizes the depths of his evil.