Female Serial Killers

Question 1

Female Serial Killers

Answer 1

• Serial Murders account for about 1% of all murder
• Men brutally kill ttheir victims
• Females account for about 5% of all serial murders
  
  • 36 female serial murderers in US History
  • Nearly all of these appeared since 1970, but number keeps increasing
• Only about a third of female Serial murderes kill strangers
  
  • Male Serial Killers kill strangers almost exclusively
  • Females kill for Money, Excitement, or Power
  • in institutional setting like hospitals or nursing homes
  • Methods usually involve chemicals (eg. Poison, drugs – nearly 80% of the murders) – less visible methods, more discreet. Tend to have longer careers becasue crimes are more methodical and precise and are hidden by social bias.
    
    • Males use weapons
  • Males manipulate the crime scene to entice the media and kill more people than women.
  • Males are often violent as children and sexual predators who rape their victims.
    
    • Boston Strangler – rapist and arranged the bodies of victims inni suggestive ways.
  • Female serial murders are more complex with a wider range of motivations (with money being most common motivator)
  • Usually, attacks occur in social and professional relationships, so they kill with subtle means.
  • Women start killing later in life than males
    
    • ​But, on average, they operate two-times as long before they are caught.
• Media tends to ignore female Serial murders – likely underreported because they kill in their capacity as caretakers – at home, hospitals, nursing homes.
  
  • these deaths can be explained through (old age or other reasons so often,, they’re not looked at as closely.

Question 2

Kelleher Typology (For Female Serial Killers)

Answer 2

Kelleher Typology (For Female Serial Killers There are 5 Major Categories:

• Black Widow:
  
  • ​Most common (along with Angel of Death)
  • Most Victims are RELATIVES
    
    • husbands, lovers, children
    • Other personal relationships, friends
  • Usually profit
    
    • life insurance, inheritance
  • Usually kill ~ 6-8 victims
    
    • over the course of 10-15 yrs
  • Preferred weapon
    
    • Poison
  • Some are Diagnosed with the Munchausen syndrome – infliction of injury on those they care for in order to receive attention.
• Angel of Death
  
  • ​Most common (along with Black Widow)
  • Hospitals & nursing homes
  • Exhilarated by power they hold over life & death
  • Take victims to brink of death
    
    • & “cure” them
  • Eventually most victims killed
  • Difficult to arrest & convict
  • Often have
    
    • Munchausen’s by Proxy syndrome – harm those they care for to get attention for themselves
    • God Complex
  • Usually kill ~8 victims over 1-2 yrs
  • Preferred weapon: medication mirrors natural cause
• Sexual Predator – only one example – Prostitute who killed men in Florida
  
  • Extremely rare
    
    • 1 in US history
  • Geographically mobile
  • 30’s or middle aged
  • Driven by sexual fantasies of killing
  • Usually kill ~ 6 victims over 3 yrs
• Revenge Killer – Rare – usually one-time crime of passions with women
  
  • Rare
  • Obsession driven
  • Victims usually
    
    • family members
    • representative of group killer finds offensive
  • Generally show remorse after arrest
  • Usually kill ~ 3-4 victims over 2 yrs
  • Do not seek attention
• Profit Killer – contract killers
  
  • Kill for money or profit
  • Hired of kill during other crime
  • Dispassionate
  • Most intelligent type of female serial killer
  • Usually kill ~ 10-25 victims over 10 yrs

Question 3

Team Killer

Answer 3

KILL TEAM about ~33% female serial killers are part of a team, with the team-member typically being a male – boy friend, husband, etc.

• Would not murder on their own
• Killings usually sexual in nature
• Usually kill ~ 9-15 victims over 1-2 yrs
• Preferred weapon: guns, knives, etc.

About 2/3 of ALL serial killers work alone.

Question 4

Lavinia Fisher (1st Female Serial Killer)

Answer 4

Lavinia Fisher

• Method: drugs, poison, stabbing
• Worked with husband
• 1st reported US female serial killer
• Executed 1820 [27 yrs old]
• ~ 100 victims

Question 5

Velma Barfield (1st women executed after death penalty reinstituted)

Answer 5

Velma Barfield

• Method: Poison (arsenic)
• 1st woman executed after death penalty was reinstituted
• 5 Victims

Question 7

Men vs. Women Serial Murders

Answer 7

MEN

• Tend to stalk victims
  
  • Victims are strangers
• Violent murders
  
  • shoot, stab
  • strangle, batter
  • rape
• Kill for sexual pleasure
  
  • ~ 50% of time

WOMEN

• Tend to kill
  
  • relatives
  • friends
  • dependants
• More passive
  
  • Poison common
  • (~80% female serial victims)
• Kill for
  
  • profit (~75%)
  • control (~13%)
  • revenge(~12%)