...Different Serial Killers and their M.O.’s ““Well, enjoying it is as good a reason as any.” – Dennis Nilsen, on why he killed” (Philbin, Philbin, Killer). Serial killers have been around for centuries. There are ones that have never been caught like Jack the Ripper and the Zodiac killer, but there are also ones that were caught, such as Andrei Chikatilo, Albert Fish and Ted Bundy. There are killers who killed people using a certain method that they made for themselves and people who had no such method. Some killers killed people because of mental issues or because they had a rough childhood, while others had seemingly nothing go wrong with their childhood. All of them had some reason to kill, whether it was because they enjoyed killing, or they...
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...the Boston area from 1962 to 1964. Serial killers are a widely discussed topic throughout many criminal justice fields. A serial killer is defined as a person who murders three or more persons in at least three separate events, with a “cooling off period” between kills (Egger, 2002; Hickey, 2002; Ressler & Shachtman, 1992). The question of what makes someone a serial killer or in other words a psychopath is still unknown. Many would argue that humans are evil by nature and there is no outside force needed to make someone a killer. Others believe...
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...Serial killers have captivated the minds of people for years. Everyone wants to know why Dahmer or Bundy claimed the lives of innocent people in the heinous crimes that they committed. Serial killers are complex creatures and a lot of things can contribute to why they come to kill people. Most people believe that all serial killers are dysfunctional, lonely people who keep to themselves and have little to no social interaction. However, a majority of killers appear to be your average citizen and are seemingly normal. Another common belief about serial killers is that they just travel everywhere, killing as many people as they can and that they cannot stop. In reality, not all, but most killers have a specific geographic location and a specific...
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...A serial killer is someone who has killed at least three people due to psychological gratification and the killings usually have a break between them. The FBI considers a serial killer someone who kills in sets of about two or three. Although serial killers usually kill for psychological gratification that isn’t the only reason, some other popular motives are: the thrill of killing, intense anger, and sexual desires. The man that earned credit for coining the term “serial killer” was a FBI agent named Robert Resseler in 1971. There is a surprising amount of similarities between traits and the personality of serial killers and future serial killers. Referred to as the Macdonald Triad these three behaviors were noted in a vast majority of serial killers: in their youth many serial killers (about 90%) would often act out their fantasies on animals , wetting the bed at an unusually advanced age (57%), and showing an interest in pyromania as juveniles. Serial killers typically come from rather dysfunctional families, resulting in them isolating themselves and not having too many close friends, if any at all. On the other hand, some psychopaths come off as friendly and charming due to their ability to imitate the emotions and...
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...Homicide means to unlawfully and deliberately murder a person. Serial Killers have the desire to commit homicide in a repetitive manner. The average citizen is oblivious to the different types of serial killers. Depending on the type of murder, the technique of the crime changes. Serial Killers are mostly considered to be one of three types: medical killer, organized killer, and disorganized killer. In general, medical homicides are performed by professional medical personnel. They use their career to access the drugs they need to perform the unlawful act. Then they wait to make the “perfect” patient their victim. For example, Beverley Allitt was a nurse who would administer lethal amounts of insulin to children. She would also inject the child with air bubbles. Both the insulin and the air bubbles would bring death to the child. Eventually, Ms. Allitt was caught and arrested on homicide charges. Not only are there medical killers but also organized serial killers. These murderers take their time. They enjoy planning every detail to their sinister adventure. They might even stalk their victim before proceeding with forming the definite plans. When they stalk their prey, they want to make sure that the...
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...Serial killers are not new; there have been many accounts of serial killers in past ages and in many different places around the world, so it's not just a part of one unique nation or time period. For example, one of the earliest recorded cases of serial murder was Locusta of Galt of the Roman Empire, who preferred the method of poison and was highly rewarded. But not enough information was recorded about her as to know how many people she killed and the span of years the killings took place. And there has been some discussion as to whether or not people like Lacousta were "serial killers", since by modern standards, the definition is different. But the intent to kill is there. The most typical example of the modern day Serial killer is "Jack...
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...Serial killers are the most interesting and mysterious type of human being not only to the public but to professionals as well. They do things that are taboo or as others would call it, insane. Yet, the biggest question to all the madness is why? Why and how do serial killers do what they do? Then to narrow down these questions, a more transparent question is asked. Is a serial killer born or are they made? Some scientists and professionals claim that genetics is the sole reason for someone becoming a serial killer. Whether they were born with a different brain development or it is literally in their genetic makeup. Perhaps the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart is one of the best studies done to open our eyes to the truth. The study was led by Minnesota Professor of Psychology Thomas Joseph Bouchard, Jr. In total the study showed that psychopathy is 60 percent heritable. By just this study it is proven that psychopathic traits are due more to genetics than to someones childhood upbringing....
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...A serial killer is someone who has killed at least three people due to psychological gratification and the killings usually have a break between them. The FBI considers a serial killer someone who kills in sets of about two or three. Although serial killers usually kill for psychological gratification that isn’t the only reason, some other popular motives are the thrill of killing, intense anger, and sexual desires. The man that earned credit for coining the term “serial killer” was an FBI agent named Robert Resseler in 1971. There is a surprising amount of similarities between traits and the personality of serial killers and future serial killers. Referred to as the Macdonald Triad these three behaviors were noted in a vast majority of serial killers: in their youth many serial killers (about 90%) would often act out their fantasies on animals , wetting the bed at an unusually advanced age (57%), and showing an interest in pyromania as juveniles. Serial killers typically come from rather dysfunctional families, resulting in them isolating themselves and not having too many close friends if any at all. On the other hand, some psychopaths come off as friendly and charming due to their ability to imitate the emotions...
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...Outline of research proposal Misty Chambers University of Phoenix PSYCH/610 Corey Vigdor June 08, 2014 Outline of research proposal Introduction What makes people so infuriated they want to kill? Is it part of genetics, chemical imbalance, biological, or their upbringing? “During 2012, there were an estimated 1.2 million violent crimes reported to law enforcement” (Latest crime stats released, 2013, table 1). With most serial killers, their instinct to kill or murder several people starts early in life. Most serial killers started out torturing and maiming animals. We all have experience with anger or rage, but those with a conscious knows the consequences of killing. We would be remorseful. However, those who have monsters or demons within tend to listen to their demons and act upon it. “It was an urge…a strong urge, and the longer I let it go the stronger it got, to where I was taking risks to go out and kill people—Edmund Kemper” (Scott, 2014, para. 1). We may never know or fully understand the mind of a serial killer, but this author is going to try. A brief statement of purpose The purpose for this proposal is to find out what really makes people so upset with other people, sometimes to people they do not even know, to want to kill them others, thus, that person becoming a known serial killer. The rationale for conducting the study This author has always been interested in serial killers since she was small. Her mother only has true crime books and this...
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...What Makes Serial Killers Kill Naomi R. Bowles Valley College Author’s Note Written for Psychology: taught by Isaac Hatley What Makes Serial Killers Kill Looking back through the years there have been many serial killers. There are many throughout the country and even many that have killed in West Virginia. Many psychologists have tried to study serial killers and answer why serial killers kill and also if serial killers suffer from some type of psychological disorder. Doing my research I find that this is a task that is very hard to do. It is difficult to determine possibly because many serial killers turn out to be the people who you would least likely suspect. In this paper I will take a look as to whether serial killers may suffer from psychopathy. I will also attempt to focus on one particular serial killer – Dennis Rader – BTK. Psychology Of A Killer Many psychologists believe that psychological disorders are the only reason for the killings while other psychologists believe that the reason is the environment that they are raised in and/or are currently in. Seeking help when a person is young, if sadistic or animal cruelty behavior is caught early by their caregiver, can reduce the factors of becoming a serial killer. There also may be factors with nature and nurture and how that may have affected them in the creation of a future serial killer. According to my research, the most successful serial killers are people who blend into society who possibly could be a...
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...Inside The Serial Killer’s Mind Red Dragon by Thomas Harris is a dark piece of psychological fiction that was published in 1981. The novel is the first in a trilogy featuring the infamous character Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist and psychopathic serial killer. However, Lecter is not a main character in this novel. Rather, the antagonist and killer is Francis Dolarhyde, whom the police jokingly refer to as the Tooth Fairy because of the bite marks he leaves on female victims. Harris does a masterful job of creating background on the killer that delves into the makings of a serial killer. Thomas Harris gives the reader an understanding of Dolarhyde’s mindset when committing his horrific crimes by detailing the abuses the killer suffered as a child (Sexton). Harris takes the reader from the infant born with a cleft palate so disfiguring he was left to die through the cruelty of a childhood that included abandonment, a mean and mentally unstable grandmother, and taunts from his stepsiblings. In doing so, the author provides significance to some of the killer’s actions (Cowley). This research paper will examine the underlying psychopathology of serial killers that often stems from abuse in childhood, turning the human into the monster. Red Dragon begins with the FBI and the police on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whom police have nicknamed the Tooth Fairy because of bite marks left on victims. The public is duly alarmed as the target of the killer is entire families...
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...Background The existence of serial killers – a single individual or a pair of accomplices who have committed three or more killings in between emotional cooling-off periods (Miller, 2014) – can be traced back to the beginning of human history. Nevertheless, many scholars of today have argued that social and cultural circumstances have led to a specific modern conceptualization and representation of serial killers in the Western world. One of the primary influencers shaping the notion of the serial killer is the mass media. The modern stereotyped depiction of serial killers is that they range between the ages of 20 to 40 and are typically white, single, heterosexual males (Haggerty, 2009). These common depictions of serial killers are presented...
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...WR-123 Research Paper NOT ALL MONSTERS ARE MAKE BELIEVE - A CASE STUDY ON THEODORE R. BUNDY What causes someone to become a serial killer? Is there something inherently evil about them that emerge as they age, or are they born that way? Do they become that way because of their upbringing? Most Psychologists feel that it is a combination of all these things that determine the psychosis exhibited by serial killers. (www.psychology.org/links) Psychologists have looked into the darkest recesses of human behavior, to try to figure out how and why people commit such gruesome and brutal atrocities against their fellow human beings. One of the best cases of documented psychopathic behavior is that of Theodore R. Bundy. On November 24, 1946 Theodore Robert Cowell (aka Ted Bundy) was born. His mother was a single young woman who decided the best course of action was to move back home to have her parents help her raise her son; as in the 40’s it was not acceptable for a young single woman to have a child out of wedlock. Until the age of four, Ted believed that his mother was his older sister, and grandparents were his mother and father. (Rule, A: The Stranger Beside Me) The signs that something was dreadfully wrong with Ted began to show themselves very early in his childhood. When Ted was barely three years old, one of his Aunt’s stayed the night with the family. The Aunt woke up in the early morning hours to find her young nephew Ted, lifting her blankets...
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...LAT1 - Serial Killers Abstract This paper that was written explores how a person is born innocent, and evolves into a monstrous and calculated serial killer. It will mention several different specific serial killers and their histories to support the facts. Another area that is explored is the difference between mass murderers and serial killers. Many times theses terms are used simultaneously; however the fact is that they are different. Reviewing the classifications, behaviors, motives, childhood neglect, sanity, and how profiling and other methods will assist in catching a serial killer. Understanding and studying serial killers can help in preventing them to start killing, or in catching them before they continue killing. Research shows that the problem of serial killing can be addressed by understanding its causes, identifying common behaviors and motivations of serial killers, and using this information to develop tools for law enforcement to prevent initial or repeated killings If a person commits a murder, it doesn’t constitute to be tagged a serial killing. I will be including material in order to define what serial killer is, and why we are so obsessed with understanding them. To fully discuss and understand serial killers, we must first distinguish the differences between them and mass murderers. The term mass murderer is often used interchangeably; however, the two terms are technically different. Mass murder occurs when a large number of people...
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...Mock Behavioral Research Paper On Hamilton Howard “Albert” Fish AJS/584 Professor Steven Hoenig 3-14-2016 Serial killers is a person that kill three or more people in a short amount of time. He or she murder one after another in a similar way with an inactive period between each murder. The motivation for murdering an adult or child is based on psychological gratification. The serial killer is normally an adult white male in his late twenties, who has killed four or more individuals in separate incident with an inactive period between. It is impossible to tell just by looking at a person who will become a serial killer, the traits of some criminals or serial killers appear to be similar most of the time. The types of behaviors includes violence in the home, sexual assaults, molestation, alcohol and drug abuse, lying, animal cruelty, and a history of bedwetting. The types of serial killers are as follow. Thrill seekers are individuals that are smarter then law enforcement and think of it as a game, enjoy the media, attention seeker, police pursuit, and avoiding authorities. They send messages and keep record of the murders. Mission oriented serial killers an individual that think or claim they are doing society a favor by killing people like prostitutes. Power and Control serial killer are individual that get a kick out of or enjoy the victim’s terror, suffering, and screaming. The chareristics of a serial killer are often subject to debate. As stated in an earlier...
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