Last Updated on October 9, 2025 by Matt Staff
The 1960s felt loud with its new music, new rules, and stories that moved faster than the morning paper. These photos of female criminals from the decade show another side of the era: poised faces, shaky alibis, and headlines that wouldn’t let go.
1. Myra Hindley
She became infamous in Britain’s Moors Murders and, in 1965, she was arrested alongside Ian Brady. The case gripped the country for years.
2. Christine Keeler
Keeler sat at the center of the 1963 Profumo affair, and her court appearances made daily headlines. The scandal rewired British politics and the press.
3. Mandy Rice-Davies
She was drawn into the Profumo storm, and she delivered the era’s most quoted line in court: “Well, he would, wouldn’t he?” The proceedings turned her into a ’60s fixture.
4. Valerie Solanas
Solanas shot Andy Warhol in 1968, and she was arrested soon after. The incident pushed radical art and violence onto the same front page.
5. Alice Crimmins
Her Queens case stretched from 1965 into the decade’s end, and she was arrested as suspicion grew around her. Every hearing felt like a tabloid cover.
6. Mary Bell
Bell was only eleven when the 1968 Newcastle case broke, and she was arrested and tried as a juvenile. Britain struggled with the idea of a child defendant.
7. Gisela Werler
She was dubbed “The Bank Lady”, and between 1965 and 1967, she robbed banks across West Germany. She was arrested in 1967 after a high-profile hunt.
8. Gudrum Ensslin
Ensslin moved from student protest to militancy, and in 1968, she was arrested for a department-store bombing. The moment marked a significant turning point in West German unrest.
9. Susan Atkins
She was a part of the Manson circle in 1969, and she was arrested as the investigation widened. Her testimony shaped how the world remembers the case.
10. Patricia Krenwinkle
Patricia followed Manson through that summer, and she was arrested after fleeing California. The courtroom cameras fixed on her calm stare.
11. Leslie Van Houten
Also a member of Manson’s circle, she was the youngest of the core defendants. She was arrested for her role in the 1969 murders, and the trial became a cultural mirror.
12. Linda Kasabian
Kasabian turned state’s witness in 1969, and she walked the jury through the nights of the Manson murders. Because she cooperated, she avoided a prison sentence.
13. Vera Brühne
Her 1962 West German murder case stayed in the news for years, and she was arrested and convicted amid fierce debate. Later, some doubts lingered about the verdict.
14. Shirley Pitts
London knew her as the “Queen of Thieves”, and the ’60s brought repeated arrests for shoplifting crews. She treated the camera like another shop window.
15. Brigitte Mohnhaupt
She came out of the late-’60s student scene, and she moved into the militant underground soon after. Her first major arrest followed right away.
16. Renate Riemeck
Riemeck was an intellectual mentor, and in the late ’60s, she drew police scrutiny and questioning. Her name hovered at the edges of several dossiers.
17. Fusako Shigenobu
She radicalized at the end of the decade in Japan, and she helped inspire a group that would surface in the early ’70s. Later arrests turned her into a symbol of that era’s extremes.
18. Ulrike Meinhof
Meinhof moved from columnist to activist by 1968, and her break with mainstream life was plain to see. The arrest came later, but the ’60s wrote the prologue.
19. Ruth Ann Moorehouse
She was part of the Manson orbit in 1969, and she soon faced charges tied to the group’s campaigns. The court photos replaced the commune snapshots.
20. Sandra Good
She pledged loyalty to Manson in 1969, and she later faced federal charges tied to threats and activism. The press filed her under “true believer”.
Explore more historical content:
If this gallery pulled you into the ’60s, keep the vibes going with these 21 Mugshots From the Far out 1960s, or these 25 Celebrity Yearbook Photos from the 1960s. You can also check these 20 Vintage Photos That Capture Adulthood in the 1960s.
