...A serial killer is someone who kills at least three victims one by one in a series of sequential murders, with a form of psychological gratification as the primary motive. The need for psychological gratification distinguishes serial killers from other types of murderers, who usually murder for things like profit or revenge. Because an element of psychological instability is involved in serial killing, many serial killers are committed to mental institutions if and when they are caught, reflecting a general belief that they are not of sound mind. While many people think of serial murder as a crime which emerged in the 20th century, it is actually quite ancient. Documents from places like China indicate that serial killers were operating well before the common era, and some particularly notorious serial killers like Erzsebet Bathory and Jack the Ripper date to periods before the 20th century. It is true, however, that the number of serial killings seems to have increased in the 20th century, perhaps due to increased population or social and cultural shifts. As a general rule, someone does not start out life as a serial killer. The progress from ordinary individual to serial killer may begin early in life, but it proceeds in stages, beginning with crimes like arson, progressing to animal abuse, and then moving into the realm of human abuse. The reasons why people develop into serial killers are not known, although many show signs of childhood trauma and abuse. Psychologists...
Words: 457 - Pages: 2
...something. Lying is done to avoid consequences and conflict as well as to protect ourselves from harm, punishment, rejection or loss. II. Body ''I didn't want to hurt them,I only wanted to kill them.'' This is a quote from David Berkowitz the Son of Sam. David Berkowitz and all of the other serial killers tend to think in unique ways. Dahmer killed various ways and then hacked his victims into several pieces, dumping the bodies into vats of acid, and Gacy molested little boys before strangling them and dumping them into the crawl space under his home. They often tend to have interesting stories behind their killings because they often see and hear things that the normal person doesn't. Schizophrenia is a common source are associated with psychotics. As we examine childhood abuse as a possible key to the serial killer's behavior, we must remember that many children have suffered horrible abuse at the hands of their parents, but did not grow up to be lust murderers. Childhood abuse is not a direct link to a future in crime. And while many girls are victimized as children, very few grow up to be sadistically violent toward strangers. Childhood abuse may not be the sole excuse for serial killers, but it is an undeniable factor in many of their backgrounds. III....
Words: 409 - Pages: 2
...Serial Killers: Inside the Twisted Minds Angel M. Fiore Survey of Criminal Justice Remington College Abstract “Murder” the unlawful taking of ones life. In the next few pages we will explore three main types of murders. We will touch bases on “Spree Killers” such as the 1920's bank robbers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrows. Then we will move on down to the 1995 Oklahoma City Bomber “Mass Murder” Timothy McVeigh. Finally we will go in depth into the minds and life of my favorite of the three types, the “Serial Killers” Aileen Wuornos and Jeffery Dahmer. What motivated those five individuals to participate in their crimes against humanity. Did they have no choice and it was genetics from the time they were conceived? Could it have been a learned behavior from the society and the time around them. Or could it have just simply been that they were completely mad. Before we are done we will see the similar and differences of all five of these individuals and their types of murder. We can say one thing thou, they all have one common bond with each other and their victims. Whether they died from a gun squad of police, the state lethal injection, or by the hands of another inmate like their unwilling victims they all ended up on a mortician's cold dead slab. Murder is defined as “ the unlawful killing of a human being.” We can break down murder into many different categories. Some of those can be broke down as spree killing, mass murder, and serial killers. Let’s explore...
Words: 807 - Pages: 4
...an approaching problem, the serial killer. A serial killer is a person who kills a number of people, usually considered over five, with a cooling off period between each murder, usually one murder at one given time). Two murders at one time occasionally happen and these murders may go on for a period of months or years until the killer is caught. Throughout the last three decades the US serial killer rate has risen 94% and it is estimated that by the next millennium it will claim an average of 11 lives a day. Serial Murder is an epidemic; there are at least 35 serial killers active in the USA today who claim one third of the annual murder rate. The USA has 6% of the world's population yet it has three quarters of all serial killers. Not only are serial killers appearing in more numbers in the US but also all over the world countries are terrorized by serial killers, which are appearing in more numbers year and year after. KILLER TRAIT: A serial killer is a typical white male, 20-30, and most of them are usually in the USA. Their main motives are sex (even though the act of sex may or may not take place), power, manipulation, domination and control. The sex motive is usually rape for an organized killer and sadism for a disorganized killer. They act in a series of 5 or more murders with a cooling off period between each murder. Serial killers can go on for months and years before they are usually caught. The victim is usually the same for every killer - prostitute, hitchhiker etc...
Words: 4193 - Pages: 17
...VOLUME EDITOR S. WALLER is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Montana State University Bozeman. Her areas of research are philosophy of neurology, philosophy of cognitive ethology (especially dolphins, wolves, and coyotes), and philosophy of mind, specifically the parts of the mind we disavow. SERIES EDITOR FRITZ ALLHOFF is an Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at Western Michigan University, as well as a Senior Research Fellow at the Australian National University’s Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics. In addition to editing the Philosophy for Everyone series, Allhoff is the volume editor or co-editor for several titles, including Wine & Philosophy (Wiley-Blackwell, 2007), Whiskey & Philosophy (with Marcus P. Adams, Wiley, 2009), and Food & Philosophy (with Dave Monroe,Wiley-Blackwell, 2007). P H I L O S O P H Y F O R E V E RYO N E Series editor: Fritz Allhoff Not so much a subject matter, philosophy is a way of thinking.Thinking not just about the Big Questions, but about little ones too.This series invites everyone to ponder things they care about, big or small, significant, serious … or just curious. Running & Philosophy: A Marathon for the Mind Edited by Michael W. Austin Wine & Philosophy: A Symposium on Thinking and Drinking Edited by Fritz Allhoff Food & Philosophy: Eat,Think and Be Merry Edited by Fritz Allhoff and Dave Monroe Beer & Philosophy: The Unexamined Beer Isn’t Worth Drinking Edited by Steven D. Hales Whiskey & Philosophy:...
Words: 90119 - Pages: 361
...Behind the Mask of a Serial Killer ENG/147 AAIA1EJ2I4 December 1, 2014 Kevin Phillips Behind the Mask of a Serial Killer Throughout hundreds of years, serial killers have reigned terror on many people. Some of the most notorious serial killers include Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Ted Bundy. Many people have pondered and wondered what motivated serial killers to kill multiple people. Many psychologists believe that most serial killers’ problems are more of a form of mental disorder, as other people believe that the problems stemmed from their environment. While there is no definitive test for serial killers, there are some important characteristics that can help law enforcement profile and catch these serial killers. Early Signs Law enforcement should examine the early childhood of possible serial killers by observing children with troubled fantasies. According to Feud he wrote, “The grandiose infantile narcissistic ego is characterized by states of magical or omnipotent thinking (Freud 1914)”. This means the fantasies are an illusion and it becomes powerful enough to fulfill these fantasies that are thriving in the mind. Therefore by monitoring early children’s fantasies then, they could be treated to dissolve and maintain these early warning signs of potentially becoming a serial killer in the future. Psychological abuse has also played a major role into the background of a serial killer. Seventy-two percent...
Words: 990 - Pages: 4
...SERIAL KILLERS – FRED AND ROSEMARY WEST Walter and Daisy West gave birth to a baby boy named Fred in the year 1941, in a village not so far from London known as Much Marcle. This family was an odd one, considering that incest was an acceptable part of the household, as claimed by Fred West. Fred, being the rebel that he was, left school at the age of fifteen and started working at the farm. His crimes in society began by the year 1961 when he was fined for minor thefts in Hereford, England. Later in the same year he was accused of getting a thirteen year old girl pregnant. Fred West found nothing wrong in doing so and rebelled furthermore. The family became sick and tired of his acts and so they kicked him out. He started working for construction sites to support himself. At the age of seventeen, Fred was in a serious motorcycle accident causing him serious injury to the head. After his surgery, where he got the metal plate in his skull, he met a young lady named Catherine Bernadette Costello or as he liked to say, Rena. Rena and Fred got married late 62’ and had two daughters named Charmaine and Anne-Marie. Fred was a sex addict and just to fulfill his needs he started driving an ice cream truck for young girls. That’s when he met Anna McFall, whom he impregnated as well. She was trying to convince him to leave Rena and marry her. Turning her into Fred’s first target, he couldn’t stress over it anymore so he killed her and their unborn child. He dismembered her corpse...
Words: 684 - Pages: 3
...Serial Killers and the Media Maureen McCollom Kaplan University Deviance and Violence Professor Major March 26, 2013 Abstract Serial murders are not just part of the United States they also happen globally. There are many investigative tools that are used when working a serial murder case and we will discuss some of those. We will also discuss the problems with the media when it comes to serial murders. We will also talk about how the criticism of the public and media can affect serial murder cases. The crime of serial murder is not just one that in the United States it is a problem that happens globally. In the US we have the help of the Behavioral Analysis Unit as well as the FBI when working a case in any jurisdiction. To help law enforcement and investigators learn new techniques on how to solve these crimes a symposium was held for two days in 2008 to teach them new techniques. In attendance at this conference were mental health experts, scholars, media experts who have been studying serial murders for yeas and investigators in law enforcement field. The conference was held at INTERPOL headquarters, there were delegates from thirty-seven different countries in attendance at the conference. When working on a serial murder there needs to be more cooperation with other countries when working the cases. While most serial murders will stay within their comfort zone or home town, some will travel from place to place as well as out of the country to commit...
Words: 1163 - Pages: 5
...was running from the scene, covered in blood, I thought ‘Was I a monster like all of them said or was I just pushed too far? (Hansen.)” Serial killers are one of the most fascination and morbid groups of people to study. A serial killer is someone who kills three or more people with a cooling off period (Hickey). Now the FBI has changed it to two people. In between their crimes the serial killer appears normal and fits in with society quite well. Serial killers are very different from all other murders. A serial killer is smart, cunning, and will conceal everything they can. A mass murder kills or tries to kill a lot of people at one time; like shooting up a school or movie theater. A spree murder kills one or two victims here drives to another town and does it again. There seems to be no logic to mass and spree killers. A serial killer is very special and has certain characteristics. Serial killers aren’t caught more quickly, because it is possible that many would-be serial killers are apprehended before they kill the three or more victims required to qualify them as such in the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Similarly, it is certain that some serial killers are detained under mental health regulations and do not directly answer for their crimes, others soon to kill many more people over the years without being apprehended. Serial killers, despite the media attention, commit only a tiny fraction of all the murders (James). Murder is usually either a crime of personal relationships...
Words: 1227 - Pages: 5
...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...
Words: 2816 - Pages: 12
...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...
Words: 1060 - Pages: 5
...death are twisted into a passion to kill. Otherwise a “typical” individual, serial killers turn to violence and death in search of power over others, and to explore their fatal addiction to their monstrous thrills. Most of society views serial killers as they are portrayed on television. There’s Dexter, the handsome serial killer who, while leading a normal life, takes it upon himself to rid all of the “bad guys” in the world in order to fulfill his need to kill. Then there’s Freddy Kruger, a disfigured dream stalker who uses a glove armed with razors to kill his victims in their dreams, causing their deaths in the waking world as well. Just to name a few others, there's also The Jigsaw Killer, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Leatherface, Michael Meyers and the infamous Chucky. All of these characters are created to exaggerate something that is not only feared in movie theaters, but in real life as well. But what exactly makes a serial killer? While many of these movies and television programs try and make our minds believe that fiction is reality, there are no such things as ‘dream stalkers’ and talking dolls. A real-life serial killer can be distinguished (not by a scary masks) through the many distinctive patterns in their social and mental behavior, unusual childhood, murder periods, and Modus Operandi; all of which are fashioned in different ways to create a cold blooded murderer. Serial Killers are normally classified by their social and organizational skills. Their social...
Words: 1565 - Pages: 7
...Mind of a Serial Killer Have you ever thought about what it takes to be a serial killer or why people do this? Well, I certainly have. In this paper I will be talking about the motives, the mental functions, and the makings of a serial killer. First, I will talk about the motives of a serial killer. The motives of a serial killer all depend on the situation and the person. “They’re trying to kill me!” This exact phrase is what Shannan Gilbert said as she was running for her life on May 1, 2010. It took police months to find Shannan’s body. They eventually did along with several other bodies. Police never did find out who did the crime (Dennis, Pelisek). Now you might be asking yourself “why would somebody do this”. White, Lester,...
Words: 885 - Pages: 4
...The average person walks past a murderer 36 times in their life; you never know, there might be one living right next door to you. Some murderers can be made from their upbringing and early life experiences, but it all comes down to the genetic disposition or brain abnormality. Despite the fact that childhood experiences can be very influential to a serial killer, signs of psychotic behaviour have occurred in serial killers from very young ages as forensic psychologists have investigated. This proves that people are born as killers due to human evolution and their genetics....
Words: 606 - Pages: 3
...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...
Words: 1009 - Pages: 5
