The average person doesn't wake up in the morning and think “hmm today i'm going on a killing spree. What can really drive another human being to kill various others ? What runs through their minds ? The term “serial killer” was formulated in the mid-1970’s by Robert Ressler, the former director of the FBI’s VCAP (Violent Criminal Apprehension Program) (Shanna Freeman 1). Ressler chose “serial” because the police in England called these types of murders “crimes in a series”. A serial killer is typically a person who commits a series of murders, usually with no apparent motive and typically following a unpredictable behavior pattern. Committing sinister behavior is constantly repeated with every new victim. So it all comes back to this simple question, What causes a serial killer to kill ?
Many serial killers have traits in common, one being insecure and irrationally scared of rejection. The fear of rejection and power are major themes of most serial killers. Serial killers enjoy delaying their victims suffering, this gives them a sense of power. They now get to decide whether or not their victim will live and how they will die. Killing others is usually one way many serial killers achieve this sense of empowerment. Every time these serial killers kill not only do they achieve a sense of empowerment, but they also acquire feelings, feelings that drive them to continuously kill. These feelings excite them, and drive them to commit another murder, in order to obtain these same feelings of excitement.
Most serial killers are very charming and persuasive, but it is only a decoy to lure their potential victims. Psychopaths in general are able to hide their rage and intentions behind this charismatic character which is why they are labeled “psychopaths”. They know what they are doing and the consequences for it and how to not get caught. Many serial killers are labeled psychopaths because of their lack of feelings of remorse or guilt when committing murders, some may even laugh or smile. They lack the sense of feeling and remorse an “ordinary” person would have if to kill another.
Although many serial killers differ they all seem to common a childhood tragedy that has made or drove them to kill/hurt innocent people (Crime Museum). There are however a few signs that help identify those who have the greatest potential to becoming serial killers. Being extremely antisocial is one possible sign, that the individual may show. Antisocial personality disorder is where someone has no guilt or remorse. When one has this disorder they start to show patterns of lying, aggressiveness, and failure to adapt to “social norms” (Crime Museum). Another common warning sign is there love for setting fires. Yes it may be common for young kids to once in awhile enjoy the site of a fire, but a psychopath's interest goes beyond that and they start imaging setting actual fires.
A indicator more common than any is that of the individual killing animals. Many if not all have tortured animals in their children years, their first victims. They purposely provoke, torture and even kill stray cats, dogs and other animals. After watching what they have done, they still show no sign of remorse or regret . Serial killers want control over the life of another, and by killing these small animals they gain control over them and completely dominate them. With the torture of animals being one of the most telling signs of developing into a serial killer, any child who partakes in it is at an extreme risk for developing into a future serial killer (Crime Museum).
While they may common one another, every serial killer is different. One type of serial killer is the Hedonistic. A Hedonistic serial killer kills for the thrill/rush, they also kill for lust and sexual pleasure and lastly financial gain. One famously known Hedonistic serial killer is Jeffrey Dahmer. Jeffrey Dahmer was active from 1978-1991. Dahmer is characterized as Hedonistic because he raped his victims as well as dismembered them. Dahmer raped and dismembered 17 men and boys. He gained a rush/thrill from dismembering their bodies and engaging in sexual pleasure with his victims.
John Wayne Gacy, was another well known Hedonistic killer. Gacy raped and murdered 33 young men and boys, dismembering and hiding their bodies under his home's crawl space. Like Dahmer, Gacy gained a rush/thrill from dismembering the bodies and engaging in sexual pleasure. Gacy like many serial killers went through a rough childhood that drove him to kill (Daily Mail 1). Gacy had a father who continuously beat him and tore him down, on top of the bullying he received at school for being an outsider. John Wayne Gacy leads with 35 possible victims, putting him at the top of the list for having killed the most people in the world.
The basic Power/Control serial killer is next. This type of serial killer is very common, they kill for the satisfaction of being and having complete control. They also kill for their sexual gain as well but their main motive is to gain power during their attack. A famous serial killer that falls under this is category is Ted Bundy. Ted Bundy kidnapped, stalked , raped, and killed his victims. Bundy was very smart in his crimes and made sure he wasn't caught when he first started his terror. He is labeled under the basic power/control type because he stalks his victims and kidnaps them, a common trait in many power/control killers. Ted Bundy was one of the most notorious killers in the 20th century.
One type we don't see much is the Mission Oriented type of serial killer. These serial killers seek revenge, they also want to eliminate a specific group or person. They settle in on the belief that they are “Ridding the world” and are generally not psychotic as compared to those of over types. One well known Mission Oriented serial killer was Joseph Paul Franklin. Franklin killed 12 young black females whom had white girlfriends. Franklin was a racist and believed by doing this he was “Ridding the world” of blacks . He is labeled Mission Oriented because he tried to eliminate a specific group of people.
Visionary, the last type of serial killer, which is also not as common as the others involve the individual suffering from some sort of psychosis. Psychosis is a mental disorder characterized by a disconnection from reality like schizophrenia. Visionaries also have delusions and hallucinations. They also feel compelled or commanded to kill, they believe in God or demons and their victims are not targeted, but more random. One Visionary serial killer is David Berkowitz (Son of Sam). Berkowitz believed a demon possessed his neighbor's dog. He confessed to eight murders and was suspected of many arsons. Berkowitz is labeled as a Visionary serial killer because he had hallucinations and delusions that caused him to kill.
The FBI estimated that there are between twenty-five and fifty serial killers operating throughout the U.S. With that number each one is responsible for an average of three murders per year. The United States is leading with the country that has produced the largest number or serial killers.
When you think of serial killers in comparison to petty criminals you see how much more the scenarios are changed. Petty criminals who steal for personal gain, steal because they may have to. Yes, they engage in criminal behavior and although they may install violence to get what they want, it is nothing in comparison to what a serial killer may do. Serial killers intentionally commit and plot their crimes, opposed to a petty criminal who commits a crime of opportunity. Many efforts have been made to come to a conclusion as to why these individuals kill, many ending in the question “Are they born this way or made”?.
You have many serial killers who live a normal life but simply hide under it or use it as a smoke screen to shy away from their true character. Many of those captured went undetected and appeared as average attractive, successful, active members of their communities. This kind of killer just doesn't go “crazy” one day and kill many people (Crime Museum).
Serial murders have seemed to increase in the past 30 years. Eighty percent of the 400 serial killers of the past century have emerged since 1950. In the United States alone there have been approximately 400 serial killers and within the last century there have been 2,526 to 3,860 victims (Shanna Freeman 1). With serial killers comes the reality of never truly knowing how many victims they were.
In an effort to come to an conclusion about serial killers the Federal Bureau of Investigation hosted a disciplinary Symposium in San Antonio, Texas on August 29, 2005 through September 2, 2005. The goal of the meeting was to bring together a group of well respected experts on serial murder to discuss the similarities between serial murders. This meeting ended in a Monograph, which depicted all the input and views of the attendees. The goal of this monograph was to help in catching serial killers as well as figuring out their agenda eventually as well as outlining their motivation and characteristics. With things like the monograph developing we can finally come to an understanding as to why these serial killers kill.