Serial Killer Research Paper

Although serial killers come in all shapes and sizes, there is a general profile that criminologists go by when trying to profile a criminal. The typical serial killer is a white male in his late 20s to early 30s, kills within his own race, his targeted victims share specific characteristics, and his method of murder is “hands on” in means of strangulation. The types of serial killers include visionaries, missionaries, lust killers, thrill killers, gain killers, and power seekers. Depending on the type of serial killer, their profile may change; for example, certain clues from missionary-type killers can help decide their religious affiliation. Also, certain types of serial killers may generally have different age groups. Most serial

Serial murder is one of the most baffling crimes that occur in the U.S. and all over the world. Knight (2006) defines serial murder as the killing of three or more people over a period of more than 30 days, with a significant cooling-off period. The cooling off period may be weeks, months or even years long. Researchers have proposed various psychological, biological and sociological theories that offer a partial understanding of the nature of serial murder. Some propose that the basis for criminal behavior is a predisposition to violence as well as a mix between environment, personality traits and biological factors. Serial killers are predominantly male. Only 3 percent of serial murders are committed by women (U.S. News and World Report,

A Serial Killer is often defined as a person who murders more than three people in separate events with a "cooling off period" between the killings. Serial killers will often be overwhelmed with a desire to kill often during a period of stress in their lives. After they

A basic serial killer is a murderer of two or more victims at different times. There are several types of serial killers. The wildest category would be the Thrill- seekers. Thrill-seekers are known for being fearless of danger, having no remorse for their murders, irrational attitude, and impulsive behavior. They seem to enjoy the adrenaline rush they get when they kill and gain pleasure from doing it. The victims are usually strangers who they may stalk to make it more exciting as “a hunt” (‘Thrill Seekers”). Serial Killers are portrayed all the same in Hollywood. Average serial killers are usually old, uncanny men who go after women for sex or money but, Aileen Wuornos turned

A serial killer is someone who has murdered at least three people on at least three different occasions with a break between the murders (Egger, 2002; Hickey, 2002). … It is likely that they kill during a time of stress and after it is done, they feel temporarily

and that there is an abundance of physical evidence left at the scene, and evidence that is found is used to determine the personality of the person. Visionary killers may also suffer from severe breaks and social reality, which is why they try and justify what they do to be for the greater good. According to Google, a Visionary serial killer is Hedonistic, this type of serial killer seeks thrills and derives pleasure from killing.(Google,2017)

thoughtful planners like their 'organized ' counterparts… Moreover, visionary killers are said to be 'act focused ' because the act of killing itself is their immediate goal. Some visionary killers come to believe that they are someone else while others feel compelled to murder at the behest of entities such as the Devil or God. Both 'God mandated ' and 'demon mandated ' serial killers are fairly common and well documented (Bonn, para. 3-4).

Ever heard of the zodiac killer? He was a serial killer who operated in northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The killer's identity remains unknown. The Zodiac murdered victims in 5 states between December 1968 and October 1969. The general profile for a serial killer is a person who commits a series of murders, often with no apparent motive and typically following a characteristic, predictable behavior pattern. There are many types of serial killers. There are natural born killers who are born willing to kill someone, insane killers which have mental and physical disorders and criminaloids who do not exhibit specific traits. The childhood of a serial killer would typically be someone who is neglected by their family mainly their mothers. They tend to be antisocial and have anger issues. Poor families often cannot provide what the child always wants so they might commit crimes to get want they want. Abused children have a higher chance of being killers also because they have a lot of built up aggression and anger. All can lead to substance abuse which is never a good thing to mix in with a potential serial killer in the making. General behavioral progression from pre-crime to post-crime are that they use killing as a source of relief. Before committing a serious crime they could have built up anger and hatred. They is a high possibility that they are suffering from depression and anxiety too. After killing someone the killer feels relieved. They also feel

A serial killer is traditional defined as the separate killings of three or more people by an individual over a certain period of time, usually with breaks between the murders. (Angela Pilson, p. 2, 2011) This definition has been accepted by both the police and academics and therefore provides a useful frame of reference (Kevin Haggerty, p.1, 2009). The paper will seek to provide the readers with an explanation of how serial killers came to be and how they are portrayed in the media.

The general profile for a serial killer can be described as, but not limited to, Caucasian, male, and late 20s to early 30s in age, often killing within his own race, utilizing a “hands-on” method of murder, and selecting victims that share certain characteristics. However, more specific characteristics of a killer’s profile can vary based on his or her classification as either an organized or disorganized serial killer. Organized killers are typically very intelligent, meticulous, and charming, while disorganized killers usually have low IQ’s, lack close friends or family, and are extremely antisocial. Sometimes, a serial killer can be categorized as mixed; a mixed offender shows careful planning in his crime and indicates a high IQ within this process, but the murder in particular may be messy. Jack the Ripper is a prime example of a disorganized killer, as he primarily used overwhelming force to suddenly attack victims and left their bodies in the same place they were attacked. Ted Bundy is an infamous organized serial killer who was careful in selecting victims and considering the details of his plan to kill each.

Serial killers can be defined as a person who kills multiple people over a long period of time. American media spreads stereotypical information about serial killers. The media portrays serial killers as either a monster or a charming guy next door (Forsyth 868). Serial killers cannot be fitted into the medias cookie-cutter definition. Everyone has experienced unique events throughout their life that shapes their personality and serial killers are not an exception. Ronald Dominique, a serial killer suffered a traumatic event while in jail; he was raped, and this event triggered his serial killings. “Serial murderers like those who kill only once, fit into no single profile; and create too wide a burden to be explained with one idea. They do seem to have one similar characteristic –that is; to blend into society and appear normal” (Forsyth 872).

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

Imagine a peaceful day in your community, which you call home. Where everything that appears to be normal isn't. Where one of your ordinary tender friendly neighbors turns out to be a serial killer. Now you may be asking yourself, what determines a serial killer? Or how do I identify a serial killer before it's too late? Before we can discuss what a serial killer does, we must define what a serial killer is. A serial killer is defined as someone who murders three or more people during separate events. A serial killer is additionally is a person whom everybody knows as a friend a lover of even a father but nobody knows this killer's instinct until it's too late. “His background had shown no clue that, one day, he’d kill..” A man or woman doesn't wake up one day and decide to kill. What makes a person want to kill and why can't we get into a serial killer's mind?

What is a serial killer? Retired Special Agent Robert Ressler, a twenty-two year veteran of the FBI’s Behavioral Sciences Unit in Quantico, Virginia, is responsible for creating the term “serial killer.” He defines this person as “one who commits a series of murders, usually three or more, the victims most often being strangers, and usually with a cooling-off period in between each kill” (Kelleher & Kelleher, 1998; Pearson, 1998; Ressler and Shactman, 1997). This precise definition is necessary to distinguish this type of predator from the mass murderer (who kills many simultaneously), mercenaries, war criminals, or mafia hit men.

A serial killer is a person who murders three or more people over a period of more than 30 days, with a "cooling off" period between each murder, and whose motivation for killing is largely based on psychological gratification.' A sexual element is often involved in the killings (Simon, 2015). Psychopaths, sociopaths, and those suffering mental illness, can potentially be seen as a contributing factor to homicidal behavior. Other factors including sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional and verbal abuse by a family member are often seen as causes to becoming a serial killer. Those individuals whom also endured being neglected by parents who lacked a positive relationship can also be seen as a contributing factor of becoming a serial killer.