Midterm Flashcards
Myths vs. Reality
Most serial killers have about 50 victims - but most of them have no more than 10
Most serial killers are white - 50% are of another race
Multiple Murder
Invented early 1980s (FBI Profiler Robert Ressler
Sequence killers or mass murder. Commit a series of three or more events with cooling off periods. No relation between victim and offender = stranger homicide. Unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender in separate events. Modern phenomenon. Long-standing fascination to society.
Single person Homicide vs. Multiple Murder
Previous relationship between killer and victim
Under educated, suffer from drugs & alcohol addictions, chronically unemployed
Strangers
Wide background; employed, conventional lives/futures
Concept issues
Dark figure of crime. Impact crime statistics. Many serial killers are never identified.
Identification
- Modern forensic science: Ex. Golden State Killer - ran his DNA through match family database
- Police and investigations greater understanding and development of serial murderers
- The media and public are much more aware and educated
Hickey’s Factors
- Underreporting - less pool to investigate
- Looking for serial killers - find more
- Conflicting definitions of serial killers confused on what constitutes a serial killer
- Fascination of ultra violence in film media influence behaviour
- Accessible pornography can depict violence, sadomasochistic acts, bondage etc.
- Downturn economy may cause incidence
- Feminist scholars presented the idea of patriarchal system coinciding with serial murder
Motives of serial killers
- playing God
- power control
- Intrinsic: within us - motivation is driven by internal reward
- Extrinsic: external motivations such as money something of value (not from within)
Primary Motivation of Serial Killers
Anger: rejection from romantic
Enterprise : commit violent crime to gain notoriety
Financial Gain : black widow killings, women who kill their husbands for their assets
Ideology : making point Ex: Racial and ethnic attacks or specific gender
Power Thrill: seeking excitement and empowerment over victims
Sexual: most common motivation, kill for sexual purpose and fulfill a sexual fantasy
Psychosis: suffer from serious mental illness: delusion and paranoia
Holmes & DeBurger(1988)
World class researchers in the fields of criminology and serial killers
4 Categories (typeologies)
- Visionary type: severe mental illness
- Mission Oriented Type: responsibilities to better the world:children, prosititutes, racial, or ethnic
- Hedonistic Type: gain satisfaction from murders a lot of planning
- Power/control type: no solely sexual based, increased aggression levels (enjoy the begging and pleading before the murder
Organized Killers
- Higher or average intelligence
- seem generally normal
- personal appearance matters
- violence crimes is usually committed far from living area
- fantasy is important
- torture kit
Disorganized Killer
- average or below average intelligence
- loner
- sexually interpersonally inadequate, poor self image and esteem
- voyeurism, linger theft
- impulsive and spontaneous
- victims of opportunity
- blitz attack
- Crime scene sloppy
- overkill
- high anxiety
Nomadic Killers
Roam from place to place
Ex: Ted bundy
Place Specific Killers
Either kill in their own homes or kill within short radius of their homes
Ex: John Wayne Gacy & Dennis Nelson
Victims
- choose victims at random
- argued that serial killers select are what eager refers to as less dead
