People Magazine Investigates: Surviving a Serial Killer

There are precious few individuals who have managed to survive their encounters with serial killers. Anchored by People Magazine's in-depth reporting, these survivors share their terrifying and intensely emotional experiences with unimaginable evil.

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1. Surviving The Butcher Baker

7.0Jun 2, 2026

A sadistic client tortures a young sex worker named Cindy Paulson in Anchorage, Alaska in 1983, and then tries to fly her to a remote location. When she miraculously escapes, her harrowing story helps lead Anchorage authorities to discovering the man's identity - Robert Hansen, known as the 'Butcher Baker' - who had been hunting young women across Alaska for years. Now, decades later, Paulson sits down and shares her story of survival.