research paper topics about serial killers

How did Jeffrey Dahmer Affect Criminal Behavior

This essay about Jeffrey Dahmer’s impact on criminal behavior analysis explores how his notorious case reshaped the field of criminal profiling and law enforcement procedures. Dahmer’s methodical approach to committing serial murders challenged existing stereotypes about serial killers, revealing that traits such as intelligence and charm can effectively conceal deep psychopathological processes. The essay discusses how Dahmer’s ability to manipulate and evade police scrutiny highlighted the need for stringent adherence to procedural diligence and increased awareness of psychological manipulation in law enforcement. Additionally, the media’s extensive coverage of his trial enhanced public understanding of criminal psychology and influenced the training of police officers. The case also spurred debate over legal proceedings and the handling of mentally ill criminals, particularly concerning the use of insanity defenses. Overall, Dahmer’s crimes significantly influenced modern approaches to criminal profiling and the legal and procedural tactics used to handle similar cases in the future.

How it works

Jeffrey Dahmer, one of the most notorious serial killers in American history, has left an indelible mark on the field of criminal behavior analysis. His horrifying spree of murders in the late 20th century not only captivated media attention but also spurred significant advancements in the ways law enforcement and psychological experts understand and track serial offenders.

Dahmer’s case was pivotal in highlighting the complexities of profiling serial killers. Before his capture in 1991, Dahmer had murdered 17 young men, his modus operandi involving luring his victims, drugging them, and then committing acts that shocked even the most seasoned detectives.

This case forced criminal psychologists and profilers to reconsider several aspects of behavioral analysis and profiling.

One significant impact of the Dahmer case was on the understanding of the psychological backgrounds and behaviors typical of serial killers. Dahmer exhibited traits such as high intelligence, charm, and strategic planning, which challenged the then-prevailing stereotypes of serial killers as overtly antisocial and dysfunctional. This nuanced understanding has led to a more sophisticated approach in profiling, recognizing that outward normalcy and charm can mask deeper psychopathological processes.

Additionally, Dahmer’s interactions with law enforcement illustrated critical gaps in police procedures and biases. There were several instances where Dahmer was almost apprehended but managed to talk his way out of closer scrutiny. This aspect of the case underscored the need for law enforcement to adhere strictly to procedural diligence without being swayed by a suspect’s demeanor. It also highlighted the importance of considering psychological manipulation as a tool used by serial killers.

The media coverage of the Dahmer case also affected public and law enforcement perceptions. The sheer brutality and nature of his crimes, combined with the trial’s media saturation, brought unprecedented attention to the psychological aspects of serial crimes. This has led to more comprehensive training for police officers in handling crimes involving severe mental health issues and has increased public awareness and interest in criminal psychology.

In the broader scope, Dahmer’s case had implications for legal proceedings involving mentally ill defendants. During his trial, Dahmer pled not guilty by reason of insanity. The jury’s rejection of this plea led to discussions and debates about the criteria for such defenses and the ethical considerations of sentencing mentally ill criminals.

In conclusion, Jeffrey Dahmer’s grim legacy is evident in the refined techniques of criminal profiling, enhanced law enforcement training, and greater public awareness of the complexities surrounding serial crimes. His case serves as a stark reminder of the potential for human depravity but also as a catalyst for improvement in the methods used to prevent similar atrocities.

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An investigation into the association between cannibalism and serial killers

Abbie marono.

a Psychology Department, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK

b Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK

David A. Keatley

c Cold Case Review, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia

d School of Law, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia

The aim of the current study was to compare and contrast non-cannibalistic and cannibalistic serial killers. Using case study data, the present study assessed common patterns among the life histories of cannibalistic serial killers compared to those of a control sample of serial killers that did not commit cannibalism. These include but are not limited to childhood experiences, socio-economic status, biological abnormalities and life events. Results indicated that factors that may differentiate cannibals from non-cannibals likely result from childhood influences, rather than influences at the time of the kill. Findings may be used to identify potential warning signs or triggers for cannibalistic behaviour.

Homicide is a global term used to describe the unlawful taking of a person’s life. Though a relatively rare form of homicide (Hodgkinson et al., 2017 ), serial killing is pervasive in media representation and remains one of the most violent and extreme forms of human crime (Flowers, 2002 ; Palermo & Kocsis, 2005 ; Simpson, 2017 ). While it has been suggested that serial homicide accounts for less than 1% of all homicides, worldwide, this may not be a true reflection of base rates, given the number of unsolved homicides and missing persons cold cases per annum. A significant number of serial killers demonstrate post-mortem manipulation, mutilation and, in some cases, cannibalism of their victims (Ressler & Shactman, 1997 ; Wiest, 2016 ). Although literature exploring cannibalism is limited, a recent study by Petreca et al. ( 2021 ) examined offending styles among serial killers who engaged in cannibalism compared to those who posthumously dismembered or mutilated the bodies of their victims but did not engage in cannibalism. Findings showed that cannibalistic serial killers displayed distinct patterns such as being planned, organised and driven by sadism, whilst those who did not cannibalise their victims were more likely to be driven by the ultimate goal of disposing of evidence. An understanding of these crime scene behaviours and characteristic signatures from the victims’ bodies helps law enforcement officers in the detection and apprehension of serial killers (Douglas et al., 1986 ; Wiest, 2016 ). Additionally, the current study demonstrates the importance of examining cannibalistic serial killers as a distinct and unique subgroup. The current study aims to build on current understanding of why an individual may engage in cannibalism, by investigating patterns across the life histories of this sub-group. In other words, the current study aims to examine multiple risk-factors and events in the life histories of cannibalistic serial killers and serial killers who did not engage in cannibalism, to identify distinct warning signs or triggers for cannibalistic behaviour.

Within different countries, and even states, exact definitions of homicide may vary, including first- and second-degree, or manslaughter, as well as types of homicide, like mass, spree and single offenders. The legal intricacy of homicide is beyond the scope of the current paper, and thus a broad definition of the illegal act of taking another person’s life will be used. Defining serial homicide, however, is another contentious issue in the literature (Canter & Wentink, 2004 ; Dietz, 1996 ; Ferguson et al., 2003 ; Hale, 1998 ; Holmes & DeBurger, 1998 ; Sutton & Keatley, 2021 ). Several researchers have suggested that the taking of three lives, with a cooling off period between kills, is what constitutes serial homicide; however, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began using two victims as a criterion level. Further classification criteria, to distinguish serial homicide from other forms of mass killing (e.g. spree killing or mass murder), include a cooling off period in which the killer returns to their daily life schedule, before killing again. Recently, other researchers have suggested further classification criteria, such as focusing on the psychological elements of criminals (Reid, 2017 ). For the purpose of the current research, a serial killer was defined as an individual that killed two or more people on separate occasions, with the separation being marked by a return to the killer’s daily routines (Ressler et al., 1988 ).

Fascination with serial killers has become deeply embedded in Western cultures (Aliverti, 2006 ; Grover & Soothill, 1999 ; Schmid, 2008 ). In fact, several scholars have described the ‘celebritisation’ of serial killers across mass media (Beasley, 2004 ; Caputi, 1993 ; Eschholz & Bufkin, 2001 ). Research has shown that the depiction of serial killers usually falls under one of two categories: serial killers as wicked monsters, or as celebrities (Egger et al., 2002 ; Vronsky et al., 2007 ). For example, the case of Ed Gein, who wore the skin of his victims, inspired the character of ‘Buffalo Bill’ in the movie ‘Silence of the Lambs’ (LaBrode, 2007 ). However, despite the evident fascination and entertainment appeal of serial murder, public fear of serial killers is second only to public fear of terrorism (Schlesinger, 2000 ).

Additionally, serial killers typically continue to kill unless they die or are apprehended (Chan & Heide, 2009 ; Flowers, 2002 ; Palermo & Kocsis, 2005 ). Thus, research that can help with the detection and apprehension of serial killers is crucial for prevention. Advancements in policing techniques such as the use of profiles or typologies to group offenders has led to an increase in the number of serial killers being identified and captured. Profiles consist of aggregated data collected from several sources, which combine to indicate specific characteristics relevant to the offender (Douglas et al., 1986 ). When Law Enforcement Organisations (LEOs) or researchers investigate a homicide, they typically begin by looking at the actions performed at the scene of the crime. The behaviours performed at a crime that are necessary to complete the crime are referred to as the modus operandi (MO). Every crime has a related MO that details the crime commission process; however, it has been widely noted that serial killers also engage in additional behaviours, which are not necessary for the completion of the crime, per se (Promish & Lester, 1999 ). These behaviours reflect a personal motivation, fantasy manifestation or ritual, and are termed signatures (Promish & Lester, 1999 ; Seltzer, 1998 ). The importance of identifying and studying signatures is that while MO may be malleable or more likely to change depending on the context or environment of the kill, the signature is less likely to change and may be used to link crimes (Miller, 2014 ). Several signatures have been suggested, including neck-breaking and decapitation, overkill/mutilation and cannibalism (Benedetti, 1972 ; Keppel & Birnes, 2008 ). Considering that cannibalism is rare, it has been particularly difficult to conduct empirical research on perpetrators of the behaviour. The focus on the current study is to address this research gap and further current understanding of the background of individuals who have engaged in this type of behaviour.

Cannibalism

Cannibalism in humans is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh or internal organs of other human beings. Although formerly believed to be a rare and/or ‘abnormal’ human behaviour (Stoneking, 2003 ), researchers have demonstrated that cannibalism was commonly practised among our ancestors (Ferna & Rosell, 1999 ; Lindenbaum, 2004 ; Marlar et al., 2000 ). Ethnographic accounts of cannibalism typically come from evidence of perimortem skeletal mutilation (Turner et al., 1993 ; Turner & Turner, 1995 ; White, 2014 ), such as missing and crushed vertebrae, anvil abrasions and indications of bones being cooked (Kantner, 1999 ; Villa et al., 1986 ). Researchers have also demonstrated that the occurrence of cannibalism in past human societies may have been a disease transmission route. For example, a rare disease called kuru was found among four people in Papua New Guinea as a result of cannibalising dead group members as part of a funeral ritual (Collinge et al., 2006 ; Lindenbaum, 1979 ).

Although several forms of cannibalism have been acknowledged, most anthropologists agree on the classification of three main types of cannibalism in humans: ritual, survival and pathological (Lindenbaum, 2004 ). Ritual cannibalism involves the ingestion of human beings by tribal groups because of belief systems. Ritual cannibalism can involve consuming the flesh of out-group members after an attack on neighbouring villages or tribes, or the consumption of in-group members as part of a funeral ceremony after death (Volhard, 1939 ). For example, the Wari’ tribe in western Brazil would cannibalise their fellow tribe members after they had passed, as they believed that the consumption of a deceased group member would transfer their spirit into the bodies of the living (Conklin, 2001 ). Survival cannibalism is committed by individuals who believe they have no other options and would normally be averse to the idea, such as in situations of acute starvation, such as famines, military sieges or shipwrecks (Byard & Maxwell-Stewart, 2018 ; Price, 2004 ). Thus, survival cannibalism can be understood as the fundamental human instinct to survive by any means. Famous examples of survival cannibalism exist, such as the Uruguayan national rugby team plane crash in the Andes in 1972 and the Donner Party in 1846. Survivors in both instances admitted to resorting to eating those who had died (Dixon et al., 2010 ). The consumption of human flesh has also been documented in France, China and Cambodia during periods of famine (Becker, 1998 ; Kristof, 1993 ; Rawson, 2002 ). Finally, pathological cannibalism is rare and involves an individual voluntarily consuming the flesh, body parts and/or organs of another human being. Cases of pathological cannibalism attract a great deal of media attention and are strongly condemned by society (Raymond et al., 2019 ). Famous cases include that of F. Haarmaan who was convicted of killing and selling the body parts of 24 boys as food (Pfäfflin, 2008 ), and J. Dahmer who murdered and dismembered the bodies of 17 men, engaging in cannibalism of his victims (Jentzen et al., 1994 ). Serial killers who engage in cannibalism of their victims’ bodies are classified as pathological cannibals and are the focus of the current paper. For clarity and consistency, we refer to pathological cannibalism simply as ‘cannibalism’ for the remainder of this paper.

Despite the historic practice of cannibalism among human civilisations, in the modern day cannibalism is still not well understood (Petreca et al., 2021 ). Given its current rare occurrence, there is little empirical understanding of why an individual may engage in cannibalism. However, the pioneering work of Lester et al. ( 2015 ) demonstrated that serial killers who engaged in cannibalism showed distinct behavioural differences compared to those who did not engage in cannibalism. The authors collected data on 345 serial killers, 31 of whom had engaged in cannibalism. Those who engaged in cannibalism typically grew up in adverse environments, often experiencing physical abuse, family-member suicides, psychiatric illness of the mother, and so on. Cannibalism was also associated with existing psychiatric problems including psychiatric diagnoses and psychiatric hospitalisations. More recently, Petreca et al. ( 2021 ) examined motivations and crime scene behaviours of individuals who engage in cannibalism, and showed distinct patterns compared to offenders who dismember or mutilate their victims but do not engage in cannibalism. Findings supported the occurrence of psychiatric problems, demonstrating that cannibalistic offenders were often ‘psychosis-driven’. Additionally, findings showed that sadistic motivations were also common among cannibalistic serial killers. Although these studies have advanced understanding of this sub-group, more empirical research is needed in order for forensic investigators to develop sophisticated offender profiles for serial killers who engage in cannibalism.

The aim of the present study is to explore multiple risk-factors and events in the life histories of cannibalistic serial killers, to identify potential warning signs or triggers for cannibalistic behaviour. The current study provides one of the largest investigations into cannibalistic and non-cannibalistic serial killers, involving multiple possible risk-factors. The current research is important not only in showing which risk-factors are predictive or indicative of later cannibalism, but results can be used a posteriori to narrow down suspect lists when investigators arrive at a crime scene. As the current research was exploratory in nature, no formal hypotheses were made. However, considering previous literature into physical abuse leading to later violent behaviour (Widom & Wilson, 2014 ; Wilson et al., 2009 ), the experience of physical abuse is expected to be increased in the cannibalistic sample, although it is unclear whether it will be significantly different between cannibals and non-cannibals. Furthermore, taking into consideration biological explanations for cannibalism (Soldevila et al., 2006 ), it is expected that there will be an increase in biological abnormalities in the cannibal sample compared to non-cannibals. Additionally, taking into account the work of Petreca et al. ( 2021 ) and Lester et al. ( 2015 ), we expect that cannibalistic serial killers will show evidence of psychiatric problems throughout their lifetimes.

An all-male sample of 42 serial killers who cannibalised their victims was compared to a sample of 42 serial killers who did not cannibalise their victims. The year the serial killers were active ranged from 1939 to 2009 in several different countries; Australia ( N =  1), Canada ( N =  1), China ( N =  2), England ( N =  2), France ( N =  2), Germany ( N =  2), Hungary ( N =  1), India ( N =  3), Japan ( N =  1), Kazakhstan ( N =  1), Poland ( N =  1), Russia ( N =  5), South Africa ( N =  1), South Korea ( N =  1), Spain ( N =  2), Turkey ( N =  1) and the United States ( N =  54).

For the cannibalistic serial killers, the average age at first kill was 29 years ( SD  = 9.8), and the average age at last kill was 35 years ( SD  = 11.8). For the non-cannibalistic serial killers, the average age at first kill was 28 years ( SD  = 8.1), and the average age at last kill was 34 years ( SD  = 9.9). The average number of victims across the cannibalistic sample was 15 ( SD  = 31.9), compared to an average of 5 ( SD  = 3.6) in the non-cannibalistic sample. Data were unavailable on whether the sample of cannibals cannibalised their victims in every case, thus the inclusion criteria for such group was the cannibalisation of victims in at least one case. The inclusion criteria for the non-cannibal control group was that they demonstrated no evidence of cannibalism in any case.

Information about the sample was generated via a number of databases as well as online and offline resources (e.g. LexisNexis, documentaries, media reporting, autobiographies, biographies, court and declassified police documents). In all cases, information for each killer was gained from multiple resources and was cross-checked for validity. This approach has been used in previous studies using similar datasets and offers a reliable, valid approach to information gathering of real-world cases.

A number of variables were investigated in relation to cannibalism:

Childhood abuse

The presence/absence of abuse during childhood was recorded for killers. Three main types of abuse were explored: psychological, physical and sexual.

Biological abnormalities

The presence/absence of any brain abnormalities was recorded. This also included whether or not the killer had any kind of head injury, and whether they had a medical complication at birth.

Background factors

The background factors of the subjects were examined, such as the killer’s education level prior to killing. This included but was not limited to: no education, drop out, bachelor’s degree and diploma. In this section, it was also recorded whether or not the killer had been orphaned or abandoned by a parental figure.

Socio-economic status in youth

The socio -economic status (SES) of the killer during their childhood and adolescence was recorded.

Family history

The criminal histories of close family members were recorded; this included whether the killer had any relatives who were murderers, and whether their parents had been incarcerated for any offence.

Criminal history

The criminal histories of the subjects were recorded; this included whether or not the killer had a juvenile record, and whether the killer had any non-convicted offences in his or her youth.

Mental health

The mental health of subjects was recorded; this included whether the killer was diagnosed with a mental disorder following the arrest.

Deviant sexual interests

The presence of any paraphilias was recorded, this included but was not limited to: sexual sadism, chronophilia and paedophilia.

Alcohol and drugs

Alcohol and drug use was noted from a variety of sources. This was measured during their youth and during the period of their first kill. These were recorded separately.

The study contains data from serial killers who have cannibalised their victims and those who have not cannibalised their victims. Chi-square statistics were used, commensurate with other research into serial killers (Chapman et al., 2021 ; Marono et al., 2020 ). Common patterns were assessed in the life histories of serial killers who cannibalise their victims, taking into consideration multiple interacting variables. An identical process conducted on an equal control sample of serial killers who did not cannibalise their victims.

Overall differences between cannibal and non-cannibal serial killers were analysed with a chi-square test, χ 2 (26) = 41.39, p = .023. Therefore, there were significant differences in the overall model comprising all of the variables related to cannibal and non-cannibal serial killers. To explore where these main differences were, adjusted standardised residuals were calculated, and the results are shown in Table 1 . Several variables were significantly different between cannibal and non-cannibal serial killers: brain abnormality, medical complications at birth, low SES during their youth and abandonment by a parental figure. Across all of these variables, the scores were significantly higher in the cannibal serial killer group than in the non-cannibal serial killer group. Indeed, across every variable in the study, the cannibal group scored higher than the non-cannibal group, except variables related to sexual abuse in childhood and all of the paraphilias (sexual, chronophilia and paedophilia). This may indicate that cannibalism is markedly separate from other paraphilias and is not comorbid.

Prevalence rates of variables throughout the life histories of serial killers who cannibalised their victims and those who did not.

Note. SES = socio-economic status.

* p < .05. Standardised Residual (SR) > 1.5.

The aim of the current study was to elucidate the differences between cannibal and non-cannibal serial killers. This is one of the largest studies to compare real-life case studies of serial killers who cannibalised their victims and those who do not, whilst taking into consideration biological, behavioural, social and parental influences. These include but are not limited to: biological abnormalities, SES, life events, childhood, deviant sexual interests, and so on. The clear and simplistic presentation of data allows for an instant understanding of the similarities and dissimilarities between the two groups. This is important given the vast number of influencing factors suggested throughout literature (Andrews & Fernández-Jalvo, 2003 ; Murphy & Mallory, 2000 ; Obeyesekere, 2005 ).

Several significant patterns were shown in the current data. For example, serial killers who cannibalised their victims were more likely to suffer from adverse mental health than non-cannibalistic serial killers; however, this difference was much smaller than expected based on previous research (Lester et al., 2015 ; Petreca et al., 2021 ). Additionally, there was an increased prevalence of biological abnormalities in paraphilic serial killers who engaged in cannibalism of their victims, compared to those who did not cannibalise their victims. Thus, a biological explanation for sexual deviance is assumed in such a sample. This supports research on the biological foundations of paraphilias (Langevin, 1992 ). Some research studies of testosterone levels in paraphilic individuals with deviant sexual interests suggest that elevated testosterone levels may be correlated with violent sexual behaviour (Rada et al., 1976 ). However, this specific hypothesis cannot be supported by the results of the current study, as testosterone levels were not investigated. Rather, results of the current study support research into the neurological systems of the body being implicated in the cause of paraphilias (Briken et al., 2005 ). However, the correlation between sexual deviance and biological abnormalities was not investigated thoroughly enough in the present study to make any formal assumptions. Therefore, future research should conduct an in-depth analysis on the correlation between deviant sexual interest and biological abnormalities in serial killers who cannibalise their victims.

Additionally, distinction in the SES of serial killers during their youth was found between those who cannibalised their victims and those who did not. Although there was no difference in high SES between the two groups, there was a dramatic increase in those from low SES in cannibals. Although it is not possible to examine direct causality in the current study, this finding does indicate a possible social influence of cannibalism. This supports research suggesting that social exclusion may be concerned in the cause of cannibalisation (Young, 1999 ).

The experience of abuse was slightly increased in those who cannibalised their victims compared to those who did not. The prevalence of psychological abuse and particularly physical abuse was increased; however, experiences of sexual abuse were slightly decreased in cannibals. Considering this and the decrease in all other sexual interests in cannibals compared to non-cannibals (sexual sadism, chronophilia and paedophilia), it is unclear whether cannibalisation of victims stems from a sexual desire.

Furthermore, due to the increase in family members who committed murder in cannibals, it is possible that there may also be a hereditary or early socialised influence of general criminality. Although cause and effect cannot be established by the data provided in the current study, results do support a biological causation for crime (Brookfield, 2003 ). However, taking into consideration the decrease in SES in cannibals compared to non-cannibals, it is also possible that the increase criminal histories may be due to the social circumstances, rather than inherited factors. Clearly, a complex set of variables are risk factors for cannibals, and further research is required to elucidate the interaction between risk factors.

Patterns in the criminal histories of cannibals and the criminal histories of family members were found. In the sample of non-cannibals, there were no cases in which the killer had any relatives who were murderers. Although the criminal histories of cannibals were increased compared to the non-cannibal sample, these included both the presence of a juvenile record and any non-convicted offences in youth. Moreover, in the sample of cannibals who had relatives who were murderers, all also had non-convicted offences in their youth. This would suggest a heritability of general criminality in cannibals, or the effects of shared developmental upbringing. It may be that the childhood of cannibal serial killers also leads to other criminal behaviours of their siblings. Further temporal research focusing on life histories of serial killers would help to clarify this (Keatley et al., 2021 ; Marono et al., 2020 ).

Although the prevalence of substance abuse in serial killers is decreased in those who cannibalised their victims compared to those who did not, the prevalence of a substance abuse issue in youth is increased. This is consistent with research suggesting that early substance abuse can result in later violent and aggressive behaviour (Boles & Miotto, 2003 ). Furthermore, literature on extreme violence seems to suggest that the origins tend to be found in adverse life experiences in childhood (Anda et al., 2006 ); inclusive in this is low SES in youth (Ellickson & McGuigan, 2000 ), parental abandonment (Chapple et al., 2005 ) and childhood abuse (Lansford et al. 2007 ). This was supported in several cases of non-cannibalistic serial killers; however, the prevalence of multiple adverse childhood experiences increased in the cannibalistic sample. Importantly, the number of adverse life events existing at the time of the kill (aka drug or alcohol abuse issue) was not increased in the cannibal sample. This indicates that factors that may differentiate serial killers who cannibalise their victims from those who do not likely result from childhood influences, rather than influences at the time of the kill (De Zulueta, 2006 ).

A strength of the present study was that it allowed for a wider scope of all interacting and contributing factors. However, due to the cross-sectional nature of the data, a limitation was that it is not possible to establish cause and effect of influences, only that there is a difference between cannibals and non-cannibals across certain variables. Clearly, follow-up studies should focus on establishing causal relationships in the life history of cannibal and non-cannibal serial killers, possibly using temporal frameworks (e.g. Keatley et al., 2021 ).

Conclusions

The aim of this paper was to compare some of the demographic and life history variables of serial killers that engaged in cannibalism with those of serial killers that did not. Analyses indicated that various risk factors were associated with both cannibal and non-cannibal serial killers (e.g. being a victim of childhood abuse; head injuries; and alcohol and drug abuse). There were, however, a number of risk factors that occurred statistically significantly more times for cannibal serial killers (e.g. brain abnormalities, low social economic status and abandonment by a parental figure). This shows the overlap between the types of serial killer and presents areas for further research to understand the temporal effects of risk factors.

Ethical standards

Declaration of conflicts of interest.

David Keatley has declared no conflicts of interest.

Abbie Marono has declared no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

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Criminal Profiling of Serial Killers Research Paper

Introduction.

Even though serial killers have been around forever the name “serial killer” has only been around since 1970. Before this, serial killers were known as “stranger killers”. The name “serial killer” came from the word “series”, since this is the way that a serial killer kills, in series’ (Huppert, 2003) Serial killers have only been acknowledged for about 125 years. The acknowledgment came with Jack the Ripper. Serial killers tend to be white, heterosexual, males. They tend to be between the ages of 20 and 30 years old. Serial killers are dysfunctional and usually have very low self-esteem (Huppert, 2003). They will also usually keep some sort of trophy from their victims.

Serial killer characteristics

A serial killer is identified through seven characteristics. First; killings are separate. There are usually cooling-off periods between murders. Killings last for months or years and will often last until the killer is caught or until the killer dies.

Usually, at least five victims will be killed by a serial killer. Second; killings will be performed one on one. Killings will occasionally be two on one. Third; victims are rarely known by the killer. Likewise, killers are rarely known by their victims. They hardly ever have any previous relationships with their victims. Fourth; although there is usually a pattern, motives are not clear, visible, or rational. Fifth; killers will often commit new murders before the previous victim has even been found. This characteristic has been around only since the invention of convenient travel mechanisms. Sixth; serial killers will often over-kill their victims. Even after the victim is dead, they will perform sexual acts, or continue to beat or torture their victim’s body. Seventh; the weapons of choice for serial killers will be a rope or knife.

Serial killers will usually have very high IQ scores. They are usually average-looking white males. The killers will usually have a clean background and nice family history. They will be living in urban areas with well-paying jobs. The terrible triad is three characteristics of children that almost every serial killer will have when they are young. 60% of all children will wet the bed after the age of 12 years old. They will almost always be fascinated with fire. Serial killers will also enjoy killing small animals as children (Jack, 1985).

Serial killing is the most malicious crime a human being can commit in our society. Many people believe you are born a serial killer but that is simply not true. No one is born a serial killer; their surroundings and social groups create the murderer. Many people wonder how such an intelligent and, highly accomplished man such as Bundy would be able to kill so many women. Ted Bundy was one of the most famous serial killers of the 20th century. When looking at Ted Bundy’s case it was his lack of guidance from parents, rejection from social groups and, constant rejection from women, which led him to become a serial killer. These factors all added to make Ted Bundy vengeful, bitter, and mentally unstable.

Although Ted Bundy was a good-looking, intelligent, and respected man, horrible secrets were hidden from outwards appearances. Ted Bundy’s full name is Theodore Robert Bundy and he was born on November 24th in 1946. His place of birth was Burlington, Vermont. When he was born his mother was only twenty-two. Bundy’s father was never involved as he had only dated Bundy’s mother a few times and was in the armed forces. Ted Bundy was put in foster care for the first two months of his life because in 1946 illegitimate children were looked down upon. Bundy’s grandparents took him in as an adopted child and told others that his mother was his sister. Bundy went through childhood thinking his mother was his sister and his grandparents were his parents. Ted admired his grandfather and his grandfather was fond of Bundy. His grandfather was verbally abusive towards other members of the family, as well as physically abusive to his wife and family pet. Bundy’s environment was even worse because of the depression his grandmother faced, which was eventually treated with electroshock therapy.

As Bundy got older it was harder to hide his identity. So when Bundy was four his biological mother moved to Washington and married John Bundy. John then adopted Ted. Bundy always had excellent marks in the school attended boy scouts and church regularly, although he was known to have a violent temper especially when provoked. Eventually, he attended Washington University and fell in love with Stephanie Brooks in 1967. This relationship ended in 1968. Bundy’s first murder was Lynda Ann Healy on January 31, 1974. He killed countless women until he was finally sentenced to death on July 23rd, 1979. There is evidence to say he killed 30 women but many people believed it to be 40 or even some believe it to be close to 100. Bundy’s victims were all white, females, attractive, middle or upper-middle class and, young. Bundy had different methods to get his victims one included pretending he needs help with his car. Another way to attack women at night when they were alone. Bundy would usually beat his victim in the head with an object until they were unconscious. Some of the victims died quickly due to head injuries while others were alive for up to several days. Well, the victim was unconscious Bundy was able to rape them, engage in various forms of abnormal intercourse, as well as mutilation. In some cases, he inserted objects into the vagina. Bundy sometimes kept body parts and was even known to apply make-up after death. He was finally executed in 1989.

A major factor Leading to the murders in Ted Bundy’s life was his constant rejection from women and social groups. All through grade school Bundy was made fun of and publicly humiliated. Students recall Bundy never quite fitting in at school and had a violent temper, especially when rejected or provoked. A second-grade teacher once broke a ruler on his hand for punching a student in the face. Bundy says this is when he first started feelings of “disturbing uneasiness” as described in his own words. Bundy found it very difficult to make friends and spent most of his time alone. Bundy tried out for basketball and baseball but never made the teams, thus having a constant feeling of rejection. This is when he started to ski, a sport he could do alone. Bundy felt rejected because he was not of upper-middle-class background. He resented the fact a lot because he was rejected from those peer groups.

Types of serial killers

There are six types of serial killers. First; there are visionary motive killers. These killers claim to hear voices or to see images that make them kill. They are psychotic killers. Second; mission-orientated killers display no signs of psychosis. These are the family men appearing to have the perfect past. Mission-orientated killers feel a need to rid the world of whatever they see as immoral. These are the types of serial killers that will target gays, minorities, and prostitutes. Third; thrill-orientated killers kill for the fun of it. They enjoy the excitement they get from killing and torturing their victims. Fourth; lust killers will kill for sexual pleasure. The more these killers torture their victims the more they will get sexually excited. Fifth; gain killers will kill a person for personal gain. They will often steal their victims’ money, wallet, and personal belongings. This type of killer will also kill for personal gain besides wealth.

Along with this, there are stable and transient killers. Once serial killers are broken down into the seven groups above, they are broken down into stable or transient killers. Both types of characteristics have six characteristics each. A stable killer is identified by first; living in one area for a long period. Second; stable killers will hunt and kill from the same local area. Third; bodies will be disposed of in the same or similar areas. Fourth; the disposal site is collected for concealment of the killer and body. Fifth; stable killers are known to return to the scene of the crime. Sixth; stable killers will seldom travel. Transient killers are the other type of serial killers. They are classified by first; seldom staying in one place for a long period. They usually do not stay put for longer than a few weeks. Second; crimes will be committed throughout a large area. Third; transient killers dispose of the bodies in random areas. Fourth; the disposal sites of the bodies are determined by convenience for the killer. Fifth; the killer will seldom return to the scene of the crime. Sixth; transient killers will travel a lot. They enjoy traveling for fun and business (Shaffer, D 2002).

Types of crime scenes

Something that helps classify a serial killer is the crime scene. The crime scene is split into four different types. First; organized crimes are 75% of all serial crimes. Organized crime scenes show planning and an individual who knows what he is doing. Organized crimes are always planned out. The body will be moved from the actual crime scene and hidden. The killer demands submissive victims. The victims are also usually strangers. The killer will personalize his victims. The crime scene shows control of the killer over the victim. Aggressive acts are usually performed on the victim before death. Restraint kits are often brought and used, however, evidence will never be left behind. Second; disorganized crime scenes are more hurried. The killer uses materials at hand. The offense is spontaneous, and the body is left at the death scene. The killer will depersonalize his victims. Evidence and the body of the victim will be left in plain sight. Crime scenes of disorganized killers will be sloppy and messy, also sexual acts will usually be performed on the victim after death. Third; mixed crime scenes have characteristics of both disorganized and organized crime scenes. This could mean that there is more than one killer, that the killer was interrupted, or that the killer is trying to stage the scene. Fourth; atypical crime scenes are crime scenes that can not be put into any of the above groups. The bodies are usually decomposed. The killer could have his repetitive patterns, or could be a copycat (Shaffer, D 2002).

Serial killer statistics

The U.S. makes up 76% of the world’s serial killers. California is responsible for most of the United States’ serial killers. California has had about 35 reported serial killers in its past. These 35 killers have been responsible for at least 350 deaths in California alone (John, 1996). Patrick W. Kearny was responsible for 28 deaths between 1975 and 1977. Kearny was a freeway killer. He was an extremely neat and good-looking homosexual male. He was an Army veteran. Kearny would dismember the victims’ bodies and toss them onto the freeway into garbage bags in Redondo Beach. Charles Ng and Leonard Lake are responsible for the deaths of 25 between 1982 and 1985. They had a torture chamber and snuff parlor in northern California. They were caught after being arrested for shoplifting at a local supermarket. Juan Corona killed 25 men in the early 1970s. Juan was a farmworker in Yuba City. He would sexually assault other male workers. Then to prevent the males from talking to others he would hack them to pieces with an ax. Richard Ramirez was responsible for at least 16 murders in the 1980s. Ramirez was known as the L.A. Night Stalker. He would break into houses rape his victims and then kill them. After he killed his victims he would party in their house.

Randy Kraft was a “Freeway Killer”. He was responsible for at least16 lives. Kraft was finally caught in May 1983. Kraft would pick up young marines in Orange County and kill them. He was sentenced to death on September 11, 2000. William Bonin killed at least 14 people in the 1970s. Bonin was another “Freeway Killer”. Bonin was a truck driver in Downey, California. He would pick up teenage boys hitchhiking, and kill them. Bonin was the first lethal injection in California. William Lester Snuff killed anywhere from 13 to 22 people during the late 1980s. Snuff was also known as the “Riverside Prostitute Killer”. In 1974 William beat and killed his 2-year-old daughter. In 1984 Snuff was let out on parole. A few years later Snuff went on a killing spree. Snuff was finally found guilty in 1995.

Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buon also known as the “Hillside Strangler” murdered at least 10 people in the late 1970’s. They would impersonate cops in Hollywood. Bianchi and Buon would pick up hookers, kill them, and then put them in provocative positions. Edmund Kemper III murdered 10 in the early 1970s. Kemper hated his mother so much that he first killed his grandparents. He would then find coeds with similar characteristics to his mother and he would kill them. Kemper would then cut off their heads and bury them in his mother’s yard facing her bedroom window. After burying their heads he would have sex with the decapitated bodies.

David J. Carpenter killed 10 people in the early 1970s. Carpenter was known as the “Trailside Killer” in San Francisco. David would kill women and then dispose of their bodies along the trailside of a park. Dorothy Puente killed anywhere from 8 to 25 senior citizens in the late 1980’s. Puente owned a boarding house in Sacramento. She would kill and bury senior citizens that stayed at her boarding house. Puente would continue to cash in their social security checks.

Loren Joseph Herzog and Wesley Howard Shermanter killed at least 6 teens in Stockton in the late 1980s to early 1990s. Douglas Edward Gretzler and Willie Luther Steelman were other teams that killed during the early 1990s. They were responsible for at least 16 murders.

Robert Joseph Silvera was known as the “Boxcar Murderer”. He killed at least 14 and was caught at the Sacramento train station in 1995. Herbert Mullin also had a nickname was the “Mercy Killer” from Santa Cruz. Mullin killed 13 in the early 1970s. Gerald Parker from Orange County was known as the “Bedroom Basher”. Parker killed at least 6 in the late 1970s.

Vaughn Greenwood was an African American serial killer. Vaughn killed 11 between 1974 and 1975. Cops found smashed pills in the already slashed throats of his victims. Johnnie Malarkey killed 10 in 1993. Seven of Johnnie’s kills were at a club in Fresno. He barged into the club and just opened fire. Malarkey could be considered both a serial killer and a mass murderer.

Cleophus Prince Jr. killed 6 women in San Diego in the early 1990s. Morris Solomon killed at least 6 female hitchhikers in Sacramento in the 1980s. Ricardo Caputo was known as the “Lady Killer”. Caputo killed at least 4 women in the mid-1990s in the Las Angeles area.

Douglas Clark and Carol Bundy were boyfriend and girlfriend in L.A. They killed at least 6 female prostitutes in the early 1980s. They would hire prostitutes along the sunset strip. Carol would shoot the prostitutes while they were performing oral sex on Doug. They would then cut off the heads of the victims and put make-up on their faces. Richard Trenton Chase was responsible for 6 deaths in the late 1970s. Chase was known as the “Vampire Killer”. Chase was killed in Sacramento is only a four-day-long killing spree. Chase would kill his victims, mix their blood and body organs, and then drink them. Juan Chavez killed 5 L.A. citizens in the late 1990s. Chavez would kill his victims and steal their ATM cards. This is a rare case of a gain killer. Chavez was finally caught by a bank teller ATM video camera.

Ramon Jay Rogers killed at least 3 women in the mid-1990s. Roger would kill his girlfriends and collect their body parts. Wayne Adam Ford killed female hitchhikers in Eureka in the late 1990s. Ford would kill the women and save their breasts. Harvey Murray Glatman killed and raped at least 3 women in Hollywood in 1958. Darrell Rich killed 4 women in Shasta in 1978. Earle Nelson was responsible for the deaths of 22 women in 1926. He would rape and strangle the women. Earle was known as the “Gorilla Murderer”. Gerald and Charlene Gallego was a Sacramento couple that killed 10 during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Lawrence Bittaker and Ray Norris were another serial killing duo. They killed at least 5 in the 1980s.

Randall Woodfield was yet another “Freeway Killer”. He killed all along interstate 5. Woodfield was responsible for 13 deaths in the 1980s. Andrew Uridales was responsible for the deaths of at least 8. Uridales were killed during the early 1990s. Roger Kibbe killed at least 2 during the 1980s. Herbierto Seda killed 3 people in 1992. Seda was a “Zodiac Killer”. Seda lived in San Francisco. Seda planned to kill someone from every zodiac sign. ( Jill, 1995).

Throughout the U.S. the rate of serial killers in the last 30 years has increased 940%. There are at least 35 killers loose. By 2010 serial killers will probably account for 11 deaths a day (John, 1996). However, in California, serial killer deaths have dropped from 1975 to 1995. In the 1970s there were 12 serial killers in California accounting for 146 deaths. In 1980 there were 10 serial killers in California accounting for 114 deaths. By 1990 the number dropped to 9 serial killers in California accounting for 75 deaths.

The FBI plays a large role in catching serial killers. Serial murders are incredibly hard for the cops to figure out, and this is why the federal government often steps in. A serial killer will have no reasonable explanation making them incredibly hard to understand. The next move is always unpredictable. The FBI developed the CPRP (Criminal Personality Research Project). The CPRP is an accumulation of past serial killers that helps the FBI understand more about serial killers. The Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (VICAP), and the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC) were also developed by the FBI to help end serial murders.

Categorizing a serial killer

There is a phrase that is used to describe a killer who is both medically and legally sane, who murders again and again and again until they are either captured or dead. That phrase/classification is “˜Serial Killer.’ When most people hear that phrase we tend to think of a social outcast, who is horribly ugly and mentally deranged. This is generally not true. Most serial killers are very well-liked by those who know them, they are also very attractive to members of the opposite sex (or in the case of homosexual serial killers members of the same sex) and usually have an above-average I.Q. There are ways to categorize these vicious killers by the calling cards they leave at all of their crime scenes. This is what homicide detectives call “the signature” of the killer. It lies within the very nature of the killer that his signature will be recreated in every murder he commits. These categorizations include sadism, necrophilia, picquerism, and cannibalism.

When categorizing a serial killer as a sadist one must be careful to recognize its underlying significance and meaning. According to Webster’s online dictionary, sadism is “a sexual perversion in which gratification is obtained by the infliction of physical or mental pain on others. “Cannibalism is the first term to be considered in describing serial killers. When most people think of cannibalism they think of Dr. Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lector from The Silence of the Lambs, or more recently from the movie Hannibal. It is in such films that acts of cannibalism are glorified and made to look more outwardly than anything that could happen in real life. But they do. A cannibal is someone who eats the flesh or body parts of another human being in a ritualistic manner. This is often done to achieve some sort of unity with their victims. As you can see there are many categories of serial killers. These categorizations are often interpreted as the signature of a killer. The calling cards that a criminal leaves at all of his crime scenes are usually what law enforcement officials use and examine to catch the deranged killers before they strike again.

Why they kill?

Serial Killers can be thought of as one of the worlds “imperfections”. Why they kill? It is not known and there are no excuses for it but there are people who have come up with their own theories for that answer. It may be a Social problem or a Psychological problem; this essay will elaborate on some of those theories. Serial Killer are made, and not born into society because the Social Control Theory and Agnew’s General Strain Theory justify these claims. Aileen Pittman, born February 29th 1956 in Rochester, Michigan, is an example of a serial killer who follows under the Social Control Theory. Her teenage parents separated months before she was born and her father Leo Pittman moved on to serve time in Kansas and Michigan mental hospitals as a deranged child-molester. Her mother Diane Pratt left both her and her older brother Keith to their grandparents Laurie and Britta claiming they were crying, unhappy babies. Wuornos later adopted them.

Aileen’s childhood was ruff and being brought up by grandparents did not help the situation. Not having a mother around probably made her feel like she was not good enough to have her mothers love. When her grandmother Britta died of liver failure July 7th 1971 Diane suspected Aileen’s grandfather of murder, claiming he threatened to kill Aileen and Keith if they were not removed from his home. Seeing as how Aileen might have been threatened by her grandfather, a male, she started taking her anger out on men that were in her life; eventually killing 7 of them.

Ted Bundy took his first breath on November 24th 1946 and was forced to consider that his grandparents were his parents and his mother was his older sister. The news was kept from him in order to protect his birth mother from harsh criticism and prejudice of being an unwed mother. He never knew his birth father who was an air force veteran. As a youth Ted was shy and uncomfortable in social situations and was often the center of jokes made by bullies, but Ted always kept up a high grade point average. When in college Ted met a girl that changed his life, though they were different they loved to ski and would go on ski trip together where they fell in love. She liked Ted slot but thought he had no future goals or any real direction. When she broke up with him Ted never recovered and what started as love became obsession.

Ted Bundy fits into the Agnew General Strain Theory because once his girlfriend broke up with him and that was the only girl he ever truly loved. Agnew noted two different ways of identifying and measuring strain in a person’s life. The first way is the subjective approach, where the researcher directly asks the “individual if they dislike the way that they are being treated”. The second approach is the objective view, in which the researcher asks individuals about pre-determined causes of strain. Bundy’s emotional Strain was caused by his break-up which prevented him from reaching positively valued goals like finish college.

John Wayne Gracy Jr. was welcomed to the world the earth on March 17th 1982 in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in a loving home with a loving mother and 2 sisters but his father was a drunk who often beat up his family. He was born with a bottleneck heart, a serious condition, which made him very weak as a child and prevented him of playing sports in school. This Serial Killer falls under the Social Control Theory. His father was abusive and Gracy was victimized along with his mother and sisters. Seeing his father doing those things and making it seem as if he did not love his son would cause a young boy pain. Not getting to go to his father’s funeral made it worse because he never got to say good-bye the right way.

Serial Killer are made, and not born into society because the Social Control Theory and Agnew’s General Strain Theory justify these claims. Wuornos’ and Gracy’s situation seems to have started with some sort of childhood traumatization. Wournos she never really had any love from her parents and she seemed to do things as a cry for help and a plea for attention. Plus he grandfather supposedly threatened bother her and her brother so she may have taken her anger our on males. Gracy was just trying to be noticed by his father, he could not play sports because of his bottleneck heart and maybe because he could not find a common ground with his father or a common interest he felt he was not loved and chose to rebel, he was trying to get the love he could not from his father; but went about it the wrong way. Bundy was convinced he found the love of his life and thought she would always be there but that was not the case; so his love turned into obsession and he started killing girls in college that looked or reminded him of this perfect girl he couldn’t do without.

Upon tracing the steps of an individual’s childhood, many discoveries can be made, which lead to explanations behind such callous acts as murder. Socialization, and the family in particular, are major influences. Socialization is ‘the process by which children acquire the beliefs, values, and behaviors considered desirable or appropriate by the society to which they belong'(Shaffer, 2002). Modern researchers have rejected this simplistic model however, and favored more of a ‘systems’ approach. This approach basically recognizes that parents influence their children’s behavior. (Shaffer, 2002).

To what extent this occurs however, must be examined when investigating criminal behavior. We must look at an individual’s family situation and whether this has had a positive or negative influence on the individual’s life. Furthermore, when dealing with most criminals, it becomes necessary to take into account how much involvement their parents in fact had in their lives. This is apparent in many criminal cases. Aileen Wuornos was the child of teenage parents who abandoned her several times in her early life. Edmund Kemper was passed onto his grandparents after his parents divorced, and Charles Manson’s mother, who was a prostitute, used to pass him off to other people, and disappear for periods of time.

Aggression seems to be an important factor to look at when dealing with murderers. Aggression is generally, ‘behavior performed with the intention of harming a living being who is motivated to avoid this treatment’ (Shaffer, 2002). Aggressive behavior could result from upbringing, as previously mentioned, however it may also be triggered by emotion. This theory could be used to explain the behavior of Andrei Chikatilo, whose gruesome murders involved the mutilation of his victim’s genitalia, and other sex related acts. These could have been a result of his emotional aggression towards women as they teased him in the past about his impotence.

Such deviant behaviors as those previously explored, are also sometimes believed to be inherited. Although psychologists have typically assumed that our environments shape our personalities, family studies and other longitudinal projects reveal that many core dimensions of personality are genetically influenced. In terms of personality traits however, there is no such evidence to support that deviant behavior is inherited, apart from twin studies which reveal that many personality traits are ‘moderately heritable’ (Shaffer, 2002). Mental illness on the other hand, seems to be. Many serial killers suffer from psychoses which are ‘gross disturbances involving a loss of reality’ and these are ‘primarily genetic in origin, although childhood and adult experiences shape their expression.’ (Westen, 2002).

Schizophrenia is another mental disorder suffered by a collection of serial killers, and thus, could be explained as a cause for their actions. David Berkowitz, who killed after hearing voices, and Peter Sutcliffe were two serial killers diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenics. Rose West’s father was also a paranoid schizophrenic. Although she didn’t suffer from it herself, she may have had elements of it in her personality, as ‘most people with an underlying biological vulnerability, develop the disorder’ (Westen, 2002). Generally, schizophrenia is a term for a number of psychotic disorders that ‘involve disturbances in nearly every dimension of human psychology, including thought, perception, language, behavior, communication and emotion’ (Westen, 2002). Sufferers, such as Berkowitz and Sutcliffe, experienced ‘blunt emotional responses and performed socially inappropriate behaviors’ (Westen, 2002), which are known symptoms of the illness. Such an illness could therefore be an explanation for performing such negative behavior as murder.

As well as schizophrenia, personality disorders seem common in nearly all serial killers. Aillen Wuornos was believed to suffer from borderline personality disorder. This is marked by ‘extremely unstable interpersonal relationships, dramatic mood swings, an unstable sense of identity, manipulativeness and impulsive behavior’ (Westen, 2002), which sounds like the exact sort of behavior demonstrated by many murderers. However, the most common personality disorder suffered by serial killers, and perhaps the best explanation behind their actions, is that of an anti-social personality disorder. This is marked by ‘irresponsible and socially disruptive behavior in a variety of areas’, and sufferers experience a sheer lack of empathy or remorse. (Westen, 2002) Although not all murderers are diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder, the sheer ability to be capable of multiple murders, suggests signs of the disorder.

Tracing back one more step, and discovering what causes these personality disorders can lead to further explanations for such behavior as serial killing. Several studies implicate sexual abuse as a cause for borderline personality disorder, and thus is could be the constant abuse that Aileen Wuornos suffered from those men she solicited for sex, that caused her to suffer from it. In addition, a ‘chaotic home life, a mother with troubled attachment history, a male relative who is sexually abusive, and a genetic tendency towards impulsivity and negative affect’ provide fertile ground for the development of this disorder. Wuornos is a textbook case. She grew up with abuse, abandonment and violence, and didn’t find out that her grandparents weren’t in fact in her real parents until later in life, her mum was just a teenager when she had her and abandoned her, and her father was a sociopath who was convicted for the rape and murder of a seven year old child.

Antisocial personality disorder in many respects resembles that of borderline personality disorder, except that physical abuse is more common than sexual abuse, and biological contributions to the disorder are better established. ‘Both cognitive- behavioral and psychodynamic approaches implicate physical abuse, neglect and absent or criminal male role models’ (Westen, 2002). Once again, these conditions are generally all ones which were experienced and suffered by many known serial killers, thus providing further explanations for their behavior.

Most serial killers are sociopaths who feel no remorse for what they have done. Victims are usually seen as tools within society. These tools are there for only one reason and that is to fulfill the needs of the serial killer. The other important aspect to remember is that a serial killer has a strong desire for sexual sadism. They find pleasure in raping, mutilating, and sodomizing their victims to death. This gives a serial killer dominance and power over others. This is their source of greatest pleasure.

Predictions have been attempted but a number of problems exist within the aspect of prediction. There are a lot of white males ranging from the ages of late twenties to thirties who desire power and dominance in society but most of them truthfully do not commit brutal acts such as serial killing. Most serial killers have had a rough childhood through abuse or abandonment but it isn’t safe to say that all the children who are experiencing these things know are going to be our “future serial killers”. These unfortunate difficulties continue through out investigations and some times the only thing some authorities can rely on is luck.

In investigating a serial killer three types should be taken into consideration. There are the thrill killings that occur and these are the most popular of the three. Within the thrill there is sexual sadism and dominance over a victim. Next, there is mission style of serial killing and in this type there are the reformist and the visionary. Most serial killers that fall under this category believe that they are riding the world of the filth and evil that exists within society. Finally, there are the killings for the sake of expediency. Within this there are the killings that exist within a main plan of the killer.

The victims of serial killers are extremely vulnerable people within society. Examples are prostitutes, drug users, elderly people, and hitchhikers. The easier it is to obtain a person the most likely they are to becoming a victim. Possible victims such as these still do not put any care into the situation. Prostitutes would rather take the chance for the money than quit what they are doing. The serial killer called the “angel of death” is one who seeks out to kill the elderly. The power of this killer exists in the idea of playing God. These are one of the most difficult killings to investigate due to the fact that elderly people die every day.

Sadly enough most serial killings continue to be unsolved. These cases are extremely difficult to investigate and many problems tend to pop up for authorities. The killings are mainly done by complete strangers and with no motive making things very complicated. Profiles have been done to help authorities but the results only label a certain type of killer and not the actual killer. There is the organized and disorganized type of killers where the organized killer tends to be smarter and socially and sexually competent. These profiles are aids in ranging toward a group of suspects rather than point to one particular individual. Success rates in identifying serial killers are unfortunately very low.

In conclusion, there must be an agreement on how disturbing these situations can be. It is amazing, yet also scary, that serial killers are not that easy to pick out of a crowd. When thinking about its credit must be given to the authorities that strive to end these situations with all of the problems that exist in the investigation process. Also, there is always going to be the fear of becoming a victim but society cannot live a life of hibernation. Yes, a strict look out on the situation must exist but let us not forget to live our lives while we have them.

Huppert, M. (2003) ‘The Criminal Mind’ week 5 lecture ‘Biological Perspective’, Monash University.

Jack Levin and James Alan Fox, Mass Murder, America’s Growing Menace, 1985, Plenum Press.

Jill Serjeant, Mad or Simply Evil? Serial Killers test experts., Reuters, 1995.

John Douglas, Mind Hunter, Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit, Pocket Star Books, 1996.

Shaffer, D. (2002) ‘Developmental Psychology’ 6t Edition.

Westen, D. (2002) ‘Psychology: Brain, Behavior & Culture’, John Wiley & Sons Inc., USA.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, January 4). Criminal Profiling of Serial Killers. https://ivypanda.com/essays/criminal-profiling-of-serial-killers/

"Criminal Profiling of Serial Killers." IvyPanda , 4 Jan. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/criminal-profiling-of-serial-killers/.

IvyPanda . (2024) 'Criminal Profiling of Serial Killers'. 4 January.

IvyPanda . 2024. "Criminal Profiling of Serial Killers." January 4, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/criminal-profiling-of-serial-killers/.

1. IvyPanda . "Criminal Profiling of Serial Killers." January 4, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/criminal-profiling-of-serial-killers/.

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IvyPanda . "Criminal Profiling of Serial Killers." January 4, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/criminal-profiling-of-serial-killers/.

• Ted Bundy's Profile of a Psychopath
• Ted Bundy, a Serial Killer and Psychopath
• Ted Bundy, an American Serial Killer
• Triggers and Communication With Ted Bundy, a Psychopath
• Theodore Bundy: Background Information, Motives, and Lessons Learned
• The Analysis of "The Deliberate Stranger"
• Serial Killer “Theodore Robert "Ted" Bundy”
• Trait Theory: The Theodore Bundy Murders
• Sexual Assault Case: Ted Bundy
• The Theodore “Ted” Bundy Personality Disorder Project
• Functionalism School of Psychology
• The Administrator's Role in Employee Motivation
• Ethical Issues of Counseling: Abortion and Divorce
• Carl Rogers’ Humanistic Psychology
• Perspective on the Dealing Techniques in Psychology

Youth Serial Killers: Psychological and Criminological Profiles

Affiliation.

• 1 Department of Psychology, University of Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain.
• PMID: 35564753
• PMCID: PMC9105323
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095359

Serial murder is a specific type of violent crime that falls into the crime category of multicide. According to the nomenclature of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Violent Crime Classification Manual and Academic Researchers for the Classification of Violent Crimes, most serial killers are adults. However, serial murder is also committed by young people, although to a lesser extent. Young serial killers are a topic of relevance in areas such as psychology, criminology, and the justice system. Given that the study of the variables that could be the basis of such multicide criminality is not conclusive, the need for further research is evident. The homicides perpetrated by children and young people point to a social panorama that is alarming due to their young age. This issue is prevalent enough to conduct a review. The performed review concludes the importance of psychosocial factors to better understand the process by which children and young people commit crimes as serious as serial murders. The scope of the problem of serial murders perpetrated by minors is controversial because it often depends on how the number of real cases is counted. Although official statistics indicate the low prevalence of juvenile serial killers, childhood is a period in which antisocial behaviour can have its beginning. Some authors consider that it is not uncommon for the first murder of this type to occur in adolescence. It is important to consider psychopathy as an influential factor in the various forms of serial criminal conduct committed by children and young people. The research works consulted provide evidence of the special relevance of psychopathy in the generation of serious juvenile delinquency.

Keywords: children; profile; psychopathy; serial killers; youth.

Publication types

• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
• Antisocial Personality Disorder / epidemiology
• Crime / psychology
• Criminal Behavior
• Criminology*
• Juvenile Delinquency*

Grants and funding

The science of serial killers is changing

In-depth analysis of murderers might help the rest of us, too.

By Kate Baggaley | Published Mar 8, 2019 1:30 AM EST

The wall of Sasha Reid’s office is covered with serial killers. The collection of black-and-white photographs of Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and notable others is not, however, just an unusual choice of decoration.

“It’s very intentional,” says Reid. As a doctoral candidate in developmental psychology at the University of Toronto, she is trying to demystify the circumstances that lead people to commit multiple murders. That means poring over their own words from journals and media interviews. The viewpoints they express often share uncanny similarities, to the point where diary entries penned by different people begin to bleed together. On one occasion, Reid was brought up short by the words of Edmund Kemper (popularly known as the “Co-ed Killer” ). Kemper spoke often of domineering female relatives, and in one interview referred to “my grandmother who thought she had more balls than any man and was constantly emasculating me and my grandfather to prove it.” Lines like this reminded Reid powerfully of Gary Ridgway, ( the “Green River Killer” ), who had issues with his mother.

“I thought, ‘I literally just read this!’” she says. “Then I flipped over the page and I saw that actually this is somebody entirely different—but isn’t that interesting that they’re thinking the exact same thing.”

It was at that point that Reid decided to pin up the photographs. “Their individuality needed to be retained,” she says. Though the serial killers she studies think along very similar lines, Reid sees them as distinct people—people who are very poorly understood. Reid, who is due to finish her dissertation in May, has so far analyzed about 70 serial killers with her colleagues. Her hope is to reveal when their warped perspectives take root and how this kind of damage can be reversed when it shows up in children. “How can we help their development to unfold in a way that’s healthy as opposed to in a way that is completely catastrophic and harmful to society?” Reid says.

Little is actually known about how serial killers think and why they develop the way they do. Reid is among a small number of researchers who believe the time has come to probe their minds in exhaustive depth.

An unexpected case

The thought of six-dozen serial killers is an unsettling one. But for Reid, this sample is just the tip of the homicidal iceberg. She is creating a massive database filled with information on 6,000 serial killers from around the world. This involves searching for documentation about 600 different key details—such as being bullied or having a father with a history of criminal behavior—that may have influenced a person’s path to serial murder. She is also compiling a separate database of people who have gone missing in Canada. Her hope is to create a picture of who these people are and to understand who might have harmed them. On one memorable occasion, Reid unexpectedly found herself comparing her insights with the reality of an active serial killer.

It started when, one day in the summer of 2017, she noticed something bizarre. Three men with ties to the Church and Wellesley neighborhood of Toronto, also known as the city’s Gay Village, had disappeared several years previously. It’s not uncommon for clusters of people to disappear around the same time, often for reasons such as accidents, gang violence, overdoses, or becoming lost. But these men had gone missing under strikingly similar circumstances. All had vanished from a very small area, were men of color of similar ages, and had close ties to friends, family, or work that made an intentional vanishing act seem implausible. “It didn’t make sense, and that was the thing that united them the most,” Reid says. “My immediate thought was, ‘it’s probably a serial killer.’”

Reid consulted her database and used the patterns she observed in serial killers who targeted gay men to draw up a brief profile of the kind of person who might be responsible. She then called to share her findings with the police. As Reid expected, they did not end up using the information. However, in January 2018 the police arrested a 66-year-old landscaper named Bruce McArthur, who has since pleaded guilty to murdering eight men —including the three Reid had noticed.

The profile Reid created had erred on some details, such as the suspect’s age; given that most serial killers are under 40 years old, she had expected a man in his thirties. Other predictions were on the mark. Serial killers often bury their victims in sites over which they have control or easy access. And sure enough, the remains of multiple people were found in planters at a home where McArthur stored tools. Seeing the similarities between pieces of her analysis and the actual features of the crimes gave Reid reason to hope that her databases might have practical use in the future.

She is quick to point out that the widespread notion that police rely on profiles to solve cases is a romanticized one. “Police officers work on the foundation of forensic evidence, not Excel files,” Reid says. “But [the database] is something valuable to have on hand—especially as we start to develop it more and take the art out of it and make it more scientific.”

Embracing the art

Understanding serial killers, however, is as much an art as a science. “Experience is one thing, but the way in which those experiences are perceived across the lifetime is much more telling,” Reid says. “I’m kind of in both worlds, remove the art but embrace the art at the same time.”

Her particular focus is male serial killers whose crimes have a sexual element. While analyzing one of these people, Reid and a team of several other researchers each spend a week to a month digging through a trove of information. Among these sources are diary entries, home videos, interviews with the killer and people who knew him, police files, and medical or psychiatric records released into the public domain. The team looks for recurring themes and discusses the interpretations they each arrive at. Reid then tries to extrapolate a sense of how her subject sees the world and his place in it. “This can then give us a better indication of who they are victimizing, how, and why,” she says.

Reid and her team have honed in on a few core ways in which this group differs from most other people. Notably, serial killers feel they are constantly being pushed around, mistreated, and emasculated. “These people really go through their lives looking at everything that happens to them through the lens of a victim; they’re ultimate victims,” Reid says.

This is not to say that certain behaviors or cultural shifts are to blame for mass murder. Some serial killers did, in fact, survive horrific abuse as children. Others weathered much milder situations, but still believe their entire world is filled with abuse. For Gary Ridgway, one such intolerable experience was his mother’s command that he do his homework (Ridgway went on to murder at least 49 women in the state of Washington).

In fact, these people often yearn for connection with others. But in some cases love is not forthcoming, while in others they may be unable to understand or accept it as such. Often, these people misinterpret relatively gentle social cues as threats, and blame others for their problems.

“They fundamentally isolate themselves because they feel that they’re not accepted,” Reid says. “So they create these little worlds wherein they have ultimate power and control and authority.” But for people who believe the entire world is set against them, these fantasies can end up reinforcing unhealthy ways of engaging with others.

These tendencies are already well documented in serial killers. Reid, however, wants to reveal how such beliefs evolve over time. From what she’s observed so far, these elements seem to germinate during particular critical time periods, and may emerge in children as young as seven years old. By the age of 11 to 13, their violent fantasies begin to take on a life of their own, Reid says, becoming powerful and potent.

Each serial killer’s trajectory is unique; genetic predisposition may play a larger role for some, while life circumstances may be more important for others. However, none of these characteristics or experiences amount to destiny; development is a process that unfolds across the lifetime. Attributes such as resiliency and the ability to adapt to one’s circumstances are important as well.

Reid believes that knowing how and when this development occurs will allow us to better reach children who show signs of maladjusted thinking and ultimately put them on another path. This doesn’t mean all or even most of the kids who display these patterns would have grown up to become serial killers, which are extraordinarily rare. It might be more common for them to become depressed, struggle to form relationships with other people, or engage in domestic violence.

“The thing with development is that you just can never say anything for certain,” Reid says. But she feels there is much to learn from the people for whom these disturbing thoughts blossomed into their most extreme form.

“We can reverse some of the ways in which unhealthy thought patterns impact people’s lives. We can teach people to think healthy as opposed to unhealthy,” Reid says. “It’s not just generalizable to serial killers, it’s very much generalizable to all of human pathology.”

The neo-alienist

In some respects, Reid’s work represents a new take on an approach with old roots.

Lee Mellor, a Toronto-based criminologist and chair of the American Investigative Society of Cold Cases academic committee, feels that Reid’s style harkens back to the early psychiatrists and psychologists, or “alienists,” of the 19th Century. But while alienists created detailed life histories to understand mental illness, these efforts were stymied by the fact that scholars at the time didn’t have access to nearly as many records as those today do. This means that researchers like Reid can dive much deeper into a serial killer’s background and come to more meaningful conclusions, Mellor believes. “Sasha is almost like a neo-alienist, and we need more of that,” he says.

Reid’s work also echoes that of the first pioneers who tried to decipher serial killers, the FBI agents whose work has recently been chronicled on the Netflix show “Mindhunter.” Though an important first step, their original work is considered flawed by academics today, in part because it focused on a small group of only 36 criminals who were not all serial killers, says Robert Schug, an associate professor of criminology and criminal justice at California State University, Long Beach and forensic psychologist.

“I don’t know that anyone has collected as much data on serial killers [as Sasha has], ever,” says Schug, who also studies how serial killers develop . “The potential for kind of unraveling the mysteries of the serial killer, if you will, I think is very high.”

Mellor, who like Schug plans to collaborate with Reid on future projects, feels similarly. “Rather than rejecting the work that these initial trailblazers had done, we’re kind of returning to it and we’re seeing the value in it,” says Mellor, whose own work has focused on necrophilia and murderers who communicate with the police or media before or during their crimes.

That said, this approach does have its limitations. One challenge for Reid’s venture is that there are only so many serial killers whose lives are extensively documented, or for whom these records are easily accessible, Mellor points out. Another hurdle, Reid feels, is the fact that she has not yet spoken with serial killers in person. As a student, she could not muster the funds to fly back and forth and conduct interviews. The project also presented certain liabilities. “I think it [would be] very irresponsible for a university to say, ‘okay, we’re going to send you into the prison and let you interview all of these people who have killed women who looked just like you,’” she reflects.

Once she finishes her dissertation, however, Reid plans to visit prisons and finally begin to conduct her own interviews. “I haven’t spoken to the people that I’m trying to give voice to, and I think that’s awful,” she says. For now, she tries to capture their voices as best she can in her research, and plans for the day when she will be able to ask them questions about her interpretation.

Beyond the zoo

As a child growing up in Dryden, Ontario in the 1990s, Reid wrote “murder stories” and roamed the woods hunting for werewolves, vampires, and other murderous creatures. The decision to study serial killers felt like an inevitable next step on that path. “I don’t think there was anything else ever that I was supposed to do; it’s always been this,” she says. She doubts that any other job could hold her attention.

“I learn something about people every single day,” she says. “It’s like I’m living at the zoo… and I’m looking at a predator and every day I learn something different about their walk, their stride.”

Serial killers hold an enduring fascination for those of us who don’t study them as well.

“I think people are actually craving new information about this topic; that’s why we see the proliferation of these televisions shows and movies and whatnot,” Schug says. “It’s beyond just a morbid curiosity… I think people want to know why .”

Often, we imagine these people are criminal masterminds, Reid noted last year in Contexts , a journal published by the American Sociological Association. They have a certain mystique; although their victims are often forgotten, serial killers are granted fame and flashy nicknames such as the “Night Stalker”, the “West Mesa Bone Collector,” and “Jack the Ripper.” In reality, serial killers are more often opportunists, wrote Reid and coauthor Jooyoung Lee, also of the University of Toronto. Many target vulnerable groups such as sex workers, “who become ‘easy prey’ because of their precarious legal status.”

But there may be change on the horizon. Efforts by sex workers and groups such as the Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform to advocate for legal protections and awareness are becoming more visible . And organizations like Street Safe New Mexico take immediate steps such as handing out “bad guy lists” to alert sex workers to dangerous men in the area.

Meanwhile, Reid and other researchers are journeying ever deeper into the minds of the people who have harmed these communities and so many others. “They are people whose behavior is at the far end of the continuum of abnormality, but they are human,” Reid says. “And because they are human they can be understood.”

And whether or not these people would want to be understood, this knowledge may prove valuable to the rest of society.

Kate Baggaley has been contributing regularly to Popular Science since 2017. She frequently covers nature, climate, and the COVID-19 pandemic, but has also reported on many other aspects of science, including space, paleontology, and health. She has a soft spot for birds, deep sea critters, and all kinds of gorgeous creepy crawlies.

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Exploring Serial Killers: Psychology, Motives, and Profiling Strategies

Serial killers have long captured the public’s imagination and terrorized society. These individuals who commit multiple murders over an extended period have been the subject of fascination, fear, and countless books, movies, and documentaries. But beyond the sensationalism and horror, a more profound understanding of serial killers is critical for law enforcement, criminologists, psychologists, and society as a whole. This research paper aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of serial killers, examining their psychology, motives, and the methods used to profile them.

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Psychological Profiles of Serial Killers

The psychological makeup of serial killers is an intricate and often perplexing subject. This section delves into the various personality traits and psychological factors that are commonly associated with serial offenders. The origins of their violent tendencies, as well as the emotional and mental processes that drive them to commit multiple murders, are thoroughly examined.

Personality Traits of Serial Killers

Serial killers often exhibit a range of personality traits that set them apart from the general population. While it is important to note that not all individuals with these traits become killers, they are characteristics commonly found among serial offenders.

• Narcissism : Many serial killers possess an inflated sense of self-importance and a lack of empathy for their victims. They view themselves as superior to others, which can drive them to exert control and dominance over their victims.
• Psychopathy : Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by a lack of remorse, shallow emotions, and a propensity for manipulative behavior. Serial killers often exhibit psychopathic traits, making them more likely to harm others without guilt or remorse.
• Sadism : Sadistic tendencies involve deriving pleasure from inflicting pain or suffering on others. Serial killers with sadistic traits may escalate their violence and cruelty over time, finding gratification in their heinous acts.

Organized vs. Disorganized Serial Killers

One of the key elements in understanding the psychology of serial killers is distinguishing between organized and disorganized offenders. These distinctions help in creating accurate offender profiles and developing effective investigative strategies.

Organized Serial Killers: Organized serial killers are often characterized by a high degree of intelligence and meticulous planning. They carefully select their victims, maintain control over the crime scene, and often possess above-average intelligence. These killers are skilled at evading law enforcement and may maintain a normal social facade, making them challenging to apprehend.

Disorganized Serial Killers: Disorganized serial killers, on the other hand, tend to be impulsive and opportunistic. Their crimes often lack a well-defined plan, and they may leave behind chaotic crime scenes. These killers are more likely to be socially isolated and may exhibit signs of mental instability, making them easier to identify but still challenging to predict.

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Motivations and Triggers

The motivations that drive serial killers to commit their heinous acts are varied and complex. Understanding these motivations is critical for criminal profilers and investigators.

Power and Control: Many serial killers are motivated by a desire for power and control over their victims. They derive satisfaction from the domination and manipulation of others, often seeking to exert their authority through acts of violence.

Sexual Gratification: Sexual motivations are common among serial killers. Some offenders have deeply ingrained sexual fantasies that can only be satisfied through acts of violence, often involving torture and sadism.

Financial Gain: While less common, some serial killers commit their crimes for financial reasons. This may involve schemes such as insurance fraud or inheritance motives, with the ultimate goal of monetary gain.

Criminal Profiling: Unmasking the Offender

Criminal profiling is both an art and a science that plays a pivotal role in the investigation and capture of serial killers. This section explores the methods, techniques, and challenges associated with the creation of accurate offender profiles. Profilers, often working in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, examine a range of factors to construct a comprehensive image of the elusive criminal behind the heinous acts.

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Methods and Techniques of Profiling

Crime Scene Analysis: Profilers start by meticulously analyzing crime scenes. They look for patterns, modus operandi (MO), and signature behaviors to gain insights into the offender’s personality and motivations. The MO refers to the practical methods used by the killer, while signature behaviors are unique, ritualistic aspects of their crimes that are essential for differentiation.

Victimology: Understanding the victims is crucial in profiling. Profilers examine the relationship between the offender and their victims, including potential motives for victim selection. This can provide essential clues about the offender’s psychology.

Behavioral Patterns: Profilers look for consistent behavioral patterns exhibited by the offender. These patterns may extend beyond the crimes themselves and can include the killer’s everyday behaviors, routines, and social interactions.

Geographical Profiling: Geographical profiling involves the study of the location of the crimes and the movements of the offender. It aims to predict the offender’s base of operations and potential areas where they may strike next. Geographic profiling is instrumental in allocating resources effectively.

Real-Life Case Studies

The effectiveness of criminal profiling is perhaps best illustrated through real-life case studies. One such example is the case of the “Unabomber,” Theodore Kaczynski, who carried out a nationwide bombing campaign in the United States for nearly two decades. Profilers working on the case used linguistic analysis of his writings to create an accurate profile, eventually leading to his capture.

Another notable case is that of the “Green River Killer,” Gary Ridgway, who terrorized the Seattle area in the 1980s and 1990s. Profilers used a combination of crime scene analysis and victimology to narrow down potential suspects. DNA evidence later confirmed Ridgway’s identity, and he was convicted of multiple murders.

Advancements in Technology and Forensic Science

The field of criminal profiling has evolved significantly with advancements in technology and the integration of forensic science. DNA analysis, for instance, has revolutionized the process of identifying and capturing serial killers. It has not only led to the exoneration of wrongfully convicted individuals but has also played a crucial role in identifying perpetrators in cold cases.

Additionally, the use of genetic genealogy databases has provided a groundbreaking method for solving cases. By matching crime scene DNA with data from these databases, law enforcement has been able to identify previously unknown serial killers and put an end to their reign of terror.

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However, it is essential to balance the use of technology with ethical considerations, ensuring that individual privacy rights are respected while pursuing justice for victims and their families.

The 10 Best Serial Killer Movies

There are numerous movies that explore the dark and disturbing world of serial killers, offering a mix of horror, suspense, and psychological thriller elements. Here are some notable movies that delve into this genre:

• The Silence of the Lambs (1991): Directed by Jonathan Demme, this classic film follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling as she seeks the assistance of the brilliant but insane Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a notorious serial killer, to catch another killer known as Buffalo Bill. Anthony Hopkins delivers an iconic performance as Dr. Lecter.
• Se7en (1995): Directed by David Fincher, “Se7en” features detectives played by Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman as they hunt down a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his modus operandi. The film is known for its dark and atmospheric tone.
• American Psycho (2000): Based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, this film stars Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, a wealthy investment banker who moonlights as a sadistic serial killer. The movie delves into Bateman’s twisted psyche and obsession with status and materialism.
• Zodiac (2007): Directed by David Fincher, “Zodiac” is based on the real-life hunt for the elusive Zodiac Killer in the San Francisco Bay Area during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The film follows the investigations of journalists and detectives.
• Dexter (TV Series, 2006-2013): While not a movie, this long-running TV series focuses on Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a vigilante serial killer, targeting other criminals.
• Monster (2003): This film is based on the life of Aileen Wuornos, a real-life female serial killer. Charlize Theron delivers an Oscar-winning performance as Wuornos, who killed seven men in Florida during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
• Mindhunter (TV Series, 2017-2019): Another TV series, “Mindhunter” follows FBI agents as they interview imprisoned serial killers to understand their psychology and apply their insights to solving ongoing cases. It offers a unique perspective on criminal profiling.
• Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986): This gritty and disturbing film follows the life of Henry Lee Lucas, a serial killer who travels through the American Midwest, committing a series of gruesome murders. It’s known for its raw and unsettling portrayal of a serial killer.
• The Bone Collector (1999): Starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, this film follows Lincoln Rhyme, a quadriplegic detective, and his assistant as they work together to track down a serial killer in New York City. The movie combines elements of forensic science and crime-solving with a captivating storyline.
• Copycat (1995): In “Copycat,” Sigourney Weaver plays Dr. Helen Hudson, a criminal psychologist who becomes the target of a serial killer who emulates the methods of infamous serial killers throughout history. She teams up with a detective, played by Holly Hunter, to track down the copycat killer while dealing with her own trauma from a previous encounter with a serial offender.

These movies and TV series provide a glimpse into the twisted minds of serial killers, the dedicated individuals who pursue them, and the psychological and emotional toll that these cases can have on those involved in the investigations. Viewer discretion is advised, as many of these films contain graphic and disturbing content.

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In conclusion, the exploration of serial killers, their psychology, motives, and profiling techniques is essential in the quest to unmask these offenders and prevent further atrocities. While each serial killer is a unique individual with their own set of motivations and psychological characteristics, there are patterns and commonalities that emerge through the study of this chilling subject.

Criminal profiling has proved to be an invaluable tool in the pursuit of serial killers, helping law enforcement agencies narrow down suspects and allocate resources effectively. The integration of forensic science, modern technology, and the collaboration between various disciplines, such as psychology, criminology, and law enforcement, has led to significant progress in the field of serial killer investigations.

Despite the progress made in understanding serial killers, it is important to recognize that this subject remains complex and multifaceted. More research is required to delve deeper into the minds of serial offenders and to develop more accurate profiling techniques. The goal is not only to apprehend these dangerous individuals but also to prevent the emergence of new serial killers by identifying potential offenders at an early stage and providing intervention and support.

The study of serial killers is a solemn reminder of the darkest corners of human behavior and the need for continued efforts to protect society from their malevolent acts. Through understanding and vigilance, we can hope to mitigate the threat of serial killers and ensure a safer future for all.

How to Spot a Serial Killer: Crime Research Strategies

• History of Serial Killers
• Digital Resources
• Crime Research Strategies
• Web Resources
• In the Library

Research Strategies

• Biographical Research
• Savvy Research
• Search Terms

Biographical research strategies vary greatly, depending on the notoriety and date of the crime. You will find much more information about the killer than the victims. Books may be written about these crimes, so consider searching the library catalog and not just online/web-based resources.

Profile of the  killer  should include (but is not limited to):

• Upbringing – family (how many sisters, brothers etc.)
• Education? Where did he/she to go high school, college, etc.?
• Married? Straight? Gay? Bi-Sexual? Children? Divorced?
• Employment – where did the person work, what job(s), etc.?
• How did he/she choose victims?
• How did he/she kill victims? and how did he/she dispose of them?
• What were the similarities between victims?
• Known mental illnesses?
• What type of Serial Murderer?
• Was the killer caught? When, how?
• What was/is his/her prison sentence?
• Is this person still alive? Where?

Profile of a  victim  should include (but not be limited to):

• Biographical information; age, gender, nationality, religion
• Employment & Education
• Family? Married? Children?
• Any known accomplishments?
• Any connection with killer?
• What was the person doing when caught by killer?
• Where did the death take place?
• Include photos of victim while alive

Constructing a good search can save you a lot of time and effort.  By creating better searches, you can eliminate many irrelevant hits.  The following search tips and strategies can help you find more relevant information.

Phrase Searching  - Putting "quotes" around your search words tells the database that you are looking for that exact phrase.

Example: "crime"

Try Different Wording  (synonyms) - Think of different words that describe your topic.

• Example: "crime"     Try: "corruption"

Try a Broader Search  - Sometimes you might choose keywords that overly specific. Try to think of a broader term that includes your topic.  The more general the search, more results are likely.

• Example: killers     Try: serial killers

Look for Limiters  - Search tools often present options for limiting by date or range of dates, full-text or specific format, publication type, etc.  Look for advanced search options to find search features that may not be obvious at first.

Important words or phrases within the text of articles, citations, or abstracts.

Subject Headings =

Specific vocabulary assigned by database indexers to describe the article content so all records on a given subject can be found in one search.

Keywords Terms

• Child Serial Killer
• Criminal Minds
• Criminal Profiling
• Criminal Psychology
• Mass Murders
• Multiple Murders
• Pairs of Serial Killers
• Perpetrator
• Serial Arson
• Serial Killer
• Serial Killings
• Serial Murderers
• Serial Rape
• Spree Murders
• Violent Crime 

Other Subject Terms

• Affective disorders.
• Antisocial personality disorders.
• Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
• Behavior disorders
• Behavior disorders in children.
• Borderline personality disorder.
• Conduct disorders
• Conduct disorders in children.
• Criminal behavior -- Genetic aspects.
• Criminal behavior.
• Criminal psychology.
• Depression, Mental.
• Drug abuse.
• Manic-depressive illness.
• Mental illness.
• Mental illness -- Prevention.
• Mentally ill -- Public opinion.
• Narcissism.
• Neurobehavioral disorders.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder.
• Personality disorders.
• Psychology.
• Psychology -- Research.
• Psychology, Pathological.
• Psychopaths.
• Psychotherapy.
• Schizophrenia.
• Separation anxiety in children.
• Sexual disorders.

Substance abus

Library Databases

See the list of databases that contains information about Serial Killers 

Online Periodicals

Go to these sites and do a search to find information. You can search with keywords (mental illness, crime, criminal behavior, mass murder, serial killers, etc.) or you can try searching for a specific individual (James Holmes, Zodiac Killer, Andrea Yates, Andrew Goldstein, Ted Bundy, etc.).

• Psychology Today
• Scientific American
• The Washington Post
• The New Yorker
• U.S. News & World Report
• << Previous: Digital Resources
• Next: Web Resources >>
• Last Updated: Apr 22, 2024 1:43 PM
• URL: https://libguides.tccd.edu/HowtoSpotASerialKiller

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• More Referencing guides Blog Automated transliteration Relevant bibliographies by topics
• Automated transliteration
• Relevant bibliographies by topics
• Referencing guides

Research Paper on What Makes a Serial Killer

• Categories: Criminal Psychology Nature Versus Nurture Serial Killer

About this sample

Words: 1568 |

Published: Dec 3, 2020

Words: 1568 | Pages: 3 | 8 min read

Works Cited

• Holmes, R. M., & Holmes, S. T. (2002). Serial Murder. SAGE Publications.
• Hickey, E. W. (2013). Serial murderers and their victims (7th ed.). Cengage Learning.
• Schlesinger, L. B., & Revitch, E. (2017). Serial Killers: A Cross-Cultural Study Between Germany and America. The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 28(1), 126-141.
• Bartol, C. R., & Bartol, A. M. (2018). Criminal behavior: A psychological approach (11th ed.). Pearson.
• Ressler, R. K., Burgess, A. W., & Douglas, J. E. (1988). Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives. Lexington Books.
• Fox, J. A., & Levin, J. (2012). Extreme Killing: Understanding Serial and Mass Murder. SAGE Publications.
• Keppel, R. D., & Birnes, W. J. (2003). The Psychology of Serial Killer Investigations: The Grisly Business Unit. Academic Press.
• Vronsky, P. (2004). Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters. Berkley Books.
• Holmes, R. M., Holmes, S. T., & Holmes, R. M. (2009). Profiling violent crimes : An investigative tool (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
• Canter, D. (2004). Criminal Shadows: Inside the Mind of the Serial Killer. HarperCollins.

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• Essay on Social Issues

Example Of Serial Killers Research Paper

Type of paper: Research Paper

Topic: Social Issues , Psychology , Criminal Justice , Violence , Crime , Investigation , Behavior , Media

Words: 1200

Published: 02/08/2020

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Criminal Law

Serial Killers According to Hickey (2003, p. 420) the investigative difficulties with regard to the serial murder investigation is the lack of recognition of foreign cases. This is a common problem in the U.S. among their foreign investigators due to the inability to identify the motive of the accused, random victims, high geographic mobility of offenders and linkage blindness. Serial crime investigations often lead to criticism, public and media pressure for failure to provide a strong identification of the accused and weak crime linkage. The investigative tools and approaches used by law enforcement include media forensic DNA analysis, case linkage system and criminal profiling (Hickey, 2003). The law enforcement in the U.S. and other countries abroad has made use of DNA data bases. In 1998, the U.S. FBI has created the National DNA Indexing System (NDIS), which allowed the federal, state and local crime laboratories to record and make a comparison of the DNA records available in the country (Hickey, 2003, p. 420). In the same way, U.K. created a similar database system in 1995 in order to provide assistance to criminal investigations conducted by foreign and international agencies. This type of centralized system in the U.S. was used in the first computer linkage system for violent crimes and was made known as the FBI’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (VICAP) developed in 1995. Several countries all over the world followed this concept and created their own systems. Thus, it opened the door of national borders in various parts of the globe by developing an international case linkage system. At present, the understanding and investigation of serial violence has progressed since it is being used to analyze behavioral evidence and research which was called criminal profiling. Profiling has branched out to several aspects in line with the criminal investigation analysis which cover crime scene profiling, geographic profiling and psychological profiling (Hickey, 2003). Media pressure is one of the effects of globalization has caused a great impact on the investigation of serial killing. Media has assisted in the advancement of public literacy which led to the deeper understanding of cultures. In fact, it is through mass media which has fed public appetites for the sensational and influenced the public to become cynical with the result of the investigation. Media has the effect of institutionalizing a culture of celebrity among serial killers (Haggerty, 2009, p. 173). One illustration is the Zodiac killer, who has been identified as a serial killer who used the media to taunt the police and to convey messages to the public. Media is not doing just the reporting of the crime, but has created a celebrity out of serial killers to earn profit. Media has helped to fashion a serial killer identity to complete an identity transformation, as what they do for athletes and entertainers (Haggerty, 2009, p. 175). In effect, mass media has become an important factor of serial killing by exposing a wealth of information to the public that could affect the result of the investigation and trial of the case. There are two operating words associated in investigative work of the police such as criminal profiling, otherwise known as modus operandi, which literally means method of operation and behavior. This is based on the premise that the offender or the criminal will commit a particular crime in a similar or like pattern (Ebisike, 2008). There are three purposes in conducting criminal profiling: 1.) For make a social and psychological assessments of the offenders; 2.) To consider psychological belongings that will be found in the possession of the supposed criminal in his home such as pictures, books, videos, magazines and other material evidence that may be related to the crime; 3.) To account techniques and interrogation strategies that will be conducted by the FBI investigators to extract information from the suspects (Ebisike, 2008). In the case of criminal investigation of serial killers, the police should study the root cause of the problem. According to Castle and Hensley (2002, p. 453), the study of serial homicide starts during infancy. In fact, the motivation of one of the indicators of criminal behavior is mental illness of a person which influences a person to become a serial killer. Aside from these biological factors, the personality, environment, traumatic experiences and lack of human socialization can contribute to the development of a deviant behavior of serial killers (Haggerty, 2009, p. 169). Hickey (2003, p. 422) stated serial killing is a problem in various parts of the globe due to ignorance and denial of the problem. It is vital that there should be expanded characteristics of serial murder, as well as the characteristics of the killer and the crime committed. In order to gain insight of the behavior of the serial killers will require a multidisciplinary approach to unravel the phenomenon of serial murder. In conclusion, criminal investigators should be able to integrate multiple paradigms including sociological, cultural, psychological and biological perspectives (Hickey, 2003, p. 422). Thus, it is imperative that there should be a study on genetics and biological factor that may affect the criminal mind which drives a person to killer another. Mental illness can be considered as a structural brain abnormality alongside psychological and environmental factors that may result to patterns of episodic aggressive behavior that includes severe memory disorder, suicidal tendencies, deviant sexual behavior, history of sexual assault, suicidal tendencies, genetic disorder and the feelings of powerlessness and inadequacy (Castle and Hesley 456). In order for the police and criminal investigators to solve serial killing, they have to factor in the behavioral pattern and psychological condition of the defendant. In fact, there are also some serial killers who suffer from episodes of psychosis, paranoia and psychosis. These are the instances when such individual breaks from reality and develops violent and deviant behavior which compels him to kill other people. These serial killers are what they call as paranoid schizophrenics who have been influenced to kill despite lack of provocation (Castle and Hesley 456). The criminal investigators should identify the episodes when the serial killer hears voices caused by hallucinations and delusions that create their violent tendencies. The violence exhibited by schizophrenics may occur during these psychotic episodes where studies have shown that the killers hear voices commanding them to murder their victims. Criminal investigation of serial killing will require thorough study of all factors to solve the case and bring justice to the victims. Hence, media should only make reports of the crime to the public based on facts, and not to create celebrities out of serial killers for the purpose of earning material gain. This will prevent media hype that may negatively affect the resolution of the case.

Castle, T. and Hensley, C. (2002). “Serial Killers with Military Experience: Applying Learning Theory to Serial Murder”. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology. 46(4), 453-465. Ebisike, N. (2008). Offender Profiling in the Courtroom. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing. Haggerty, K. (2009). “Modern Serial Killers”. Crime, Media and Culture. 5(2), 168-187. Hickey, E.W. (2003). Encyclopedia of Murder and Violent Crime. California: SAGE.

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