More than anything, Rockstar Games loves crafting its mysteries and unusual easter eggs throughout its franchises. The Red Dead Redemption games are famous for this very subtle sub-plots that involve tracking down Viking runes, ghosts in a swamp, and even giant cave trolls. But before Red Dead was implementing elements of folklore, the mysteries of Grand Theft Auto games enthralled hardcore fans. Grand Theft Auto 5 is no different, and the Infinity Killer (also known as the 8 Killer) is one of the most disturbing.
Introduced in Grand Theft Auto 5, the Infinity Killer was a string of serial murders that occured 14 years before the events of the main game. There were a series of murders over the course of a month, all over the fixation of the number eight and infinity. The exact details of the murders are unclear, but this strange obsession with those symbols and the unusual connection between the murdered people may have a deeper meaning.
Who is Merle Abrahams?
Back in 1999 within Grand Theft Auto 5's timeline, between Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto 4, is when the Infinity Killer began his rampage. The man dubbed the Infinity Killer was Merle Abrahams, a Sandy Shores resident who lived a presumably uneventful life until his late 50s. He was supposedly born in 1947, though any events or family history could not be found to verify other than his age. Merle's story as the Infinity Killer begins upon reaching his 50s, when supposedly he was afflicted with a mysterious psychosis that began his obsession with infinity and the number 8.
Abrahams then proceeded to murder eight people, specifically those who were jogging, throughout December of 1999. He supposedly had hid their bodies across San Andreas, and that hints scrawled on the walls of his house inspired law enforcement and media to dub these killings as "The Infinity Murders." He was arrested soon after and brought to Bolingbroke Penitentiary, where he would remain for several years before his official trial. Abrahams never made it to his trial, as just five years later he died in that penitentiary. Merle Abrahams never outright confessed that he'd committed the murders, but all of the evidence heavily inferred he committed the murders.
In-Game Evidence of the Infinity Killer
Much of Abrahams' case was highly circumstantial, hence the extended stay in the penitentiary before his trial. The only thing that law enforcement had to go on was Abrahams' obsession with the number eight and infinity, and its correlation with the eight victims. There are multiple messages and hints in Abrahams' home, as well as some scattered around Sandy Shores, hinting towards the death of eight victims. Merle Abrahams even went through the trouble writing definitively "There will be 8" on the wall of his own home, displaying his confidence. He also scrawled a seemingly meaningless riddle on the wall of the penitentiary's recreational yard, which reads "Where water meets land and fire once spewed forth, there the infinite 8 shall stay until I return."
All of these clues can be found in Grand Theft Auto 5 by players as well. Merle Abrahams' house can be found in the northeastern part of Sandy Shores, whilst a newspaper clipping detailing the mystery is in an abandoned home on the west side of town. There's also a pair of running shoes in the rafters of Abrahams' house, but it's unclear if they're related to the case or not, as there's no information linking those shoes to the deaths. A sort-of nursery rhyme detailing the eight killings, most likely written by Abrahams, can be found scrawled on a rock southeast of town. Abrahams also left a hint at both his house and the message at the penitentiary about where the victims may have been placed.
Grand Theft Auto 5's Signature Murder Mystery
Players can actually discover the bodies of the Infinity Killer's victims by following these clues in Grand Theft Auto 5. Both in Abrahams' house and in Bolingbroke Penitentiary, there is an illustration of a volcano erupting. The shape of the volcano illustration and its eruptions actually corresponds with a location on the map, at the northernmost point of Paleto Bay and San Andreas itself. At this location, players can actually dive underwater and find all eight victims of the Infinity Killer buried in the Pacific Ocean. Of course, players can't alert the authorities at that point, so the Infinity Killer's secrets are safe with fans for now.
Grand Theft Auto games have had plenty of murder mysteries before, with the Infinity Killer's murders being one of the most interesting iterations. It's definitely on par with the Chainsaw Murderer from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, among other mysteries throughout the franchise. There's always the chance that fans may find some more potential information about Abrahams' life, but for now no other documents or clues have been discovered. As to what may have driven him to his eight/infinity-fueled insanity? It's unclear, as that's all the information currently known about the Infinity Killer's acts.
Grand Theft Auto 5 is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. PS5 and Xbox Series X versions are in development.