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==Motives==
The motives of serial killers can be placed into five different categories, <ref> Holmes and DeBurger, 1988</ref> although a few serial killers have had featured characteristics of more than one type.


Contrary to popular opinion, serial killers are rarely insane or motivated by hallucinations and/or voices in their heads. Many claim to be, usually as a way of trying to get acquitted by reason of insanity. There are, however, a few genuine cases of serial killers who were compelled by such [[delusion]]s.

====Visionary====
[[Herbert Mullin]] killed 13 people after voices told him that murder was necessary to prevent [[California]] from suffering an [[earthquake]]. Mullin went to great pains to "point out" that California did indeed avoid an earthquake during his murder spree.

[[Ed Gein]] killed two women (or more, exact number is unknown) who bore passing resemblances to his mother. He also used the flesh of exhumed female corpses to fashion a "woman suit" (as well as various other household adornments, such as curtains and lamp shades) for himself so that he could "become" his mother. After his arrest he was placed in a [[mental institution]] for the rest of his life.

====Missionary====
So-called missionary killers believe that their acts are justified on the basis that they are getting rid of a certain type of person (often [[prostitutes]], [[hobos]], [[runaways]], or members of a certain [[ethnicity]]), and thus doing society a favor. [[John Bodkin Adams|Dr John Bodkin Adams]], for instance, grew up in an [[Irish people|Irish]] family that worshipped with the [[British people|British]] [[fundamentalist Christian]], [[Plymouth Brethren]], and the doctor chose to affiliate himself with this group throughout his adult life and while apparently committing heinous crimes on his patients. Yet, while more than 160 of Adams' patients died under mysterious circumstances, he was only tried for the murder of one of his patients and aquitted. It has been said, however, that Adams' rich, 'non-believing' victims were killed partly in order to redistribute their wealth to people Adams considered more "deserving," usually - but not always - himself.<ref>Cullen, Pamela V., "A Stranger in Blood: The Case Files on Dr John Bodkin Adams", London, Elliott & Thompson, 2006, ISBN 1-904027-19-9</ref> Missionary killers differ from other types of serial killer in that their motive is generally non-sexual.

====Hedonistic====
This type kills for the sheer pleasure of it, although what aspect they enjoy varies. This is the most common type of serial killer depicted in slasher and horror movies, psychological thrillers, and so on. [[Yang Xinhai]]'s post-capture statement is typical of such killers' attitudes: "When I killed people, I had a desire [to kill more]. This inspired me to kill more. I don't care whether they deserve to live or not. It is none of my concern."<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3488047.stm BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | China executes mass murderer<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Some killers may enjoy the actual "chase" or "trolling" phase of hunting down and ensnaring a victim more than anything, while others may be primarily motivated by the act of torturing and abusing the victim while they are alive. Some, such as [[Dennis Rader]], [[Wichita, Kansas|Wichita]]'s notorious "BTK (Bind Torture Kill) Strangler," who killed 10 known victims, enjoyed both the hunt and torturing his victims after capturing and subduing them.<ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-06-27-btk_x.htm?POE=NEWISVA USATODAY.com - 'BTK' suspect pleads guilty, describes killings<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Yet others, like [[Jeffrey Dahmer]], may kill the victim quickly, and then indulge in necrophilia or cannibalism with the body. Usually there is a strong sexual aspect to the crimes, even if it may not be immediately obvious; some killers obtain a surge of excitement that is not necessarily sexual, such as [[David Berkowitz]], who got a thrill out of shooting young couples in cars at random and then running away without ever physically touching the victims. It is hypothesized that these individuals have a high tolerance for endorphins. Normal individuals can get a natural high from activities ranging from taking a run to riding a roller coaster. Sociopaths, however, have a high tolerance, meaning they must do something that causes more of an endorphin rush.<ref>http://www.drdsk.com/articles.html</ref> It is also worth noting that some killers of this type, such as [[Gary Ridgway]], the infamous "Green River Killer," may attempt to justify their actions in missionary terms after being caught (Ridgway, for example, preyed primarily, though not exclusively, on prostitutes and runaways), but their choice of socially "undesirable" victims is often a matter of convenience more than anything else... i.e., they know these types of victims will accompany them alone to secluded locations willingly, will probably not be reported missing until a significant period of time after their deaths, and the deaths/disappearances will generally not lead to a large amount of public outcry.

====Gain motivated====
Most criminals who commit multiple murders for material ends (such as [[Mafia]] hit men) are not classed as serial killers, because they are motivated by economic gain rather than [[psychopathology|psychopathological]] compulsion. There is a fine line separating such killers, however. For example, [[Marcel Petiot]], who operated in [[Vichy France|Nazi-occupied France]], could be classified as a serial killer. He posed as a member of the [[French Resistance]] and lured wealthy [[Jewish]] people to his home, claiming he could smuggle them out of the country. Instead he murdered them and stole their belongings, killing 63 people before he was finally caught. Another example would be [[Aileen Wuornos]], who killed 7 men in Daytona Beach between November 30, 1989 to November 19, 1990. Wuornos would pose as a prostitute, get picked up by her victims, shoot them and take their money. Wuornos was suspected of killing the men because of either her hatred of men or as a way to get the money to provide for her lover.

====Power and control====
Their main objective for killing is to gain and exert power over their victim. Such killers are sometimes abused as children, leaving them with feelings of powerlessness and inadequacy as adults. Many power/control-motivated killers sexually abuse their victims, but they differ from hedonistic killers in that rape is not motivated by lust but as simply another form of dominating the victim.<ref>Egger, Steven A. "Why Serial Murderers Kill: An Overview." Contemporary Issues Companion: Serial Killers. 2000.</ref>


==Victims==
==Victims==

Revision as of 13:57, 5 September 2008

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A serial killer is a person who murders usually three or more people[1] with a "cooling off" period between each murder and whose motivation for killing is largely based on psychological gratification.[2] One hypothesis is that all serial killers suffer from some form of Antisocial Personality Disorder.[3] They are usually not psychotic, and thus may appear to be quite normal and often even charming, a state of adaptation which Hervey Cleckley calls the "mask of sanity." There is sometimes a sexual element to the murders. The murders may have been completed/attempted in a similar fashion and the victims may have had something in common, for example occupation, race, or sex.

The term serial killer is said to have been coined by Michigan State University alumnus and FBI agent Robert Ressler in the 1970s.[4] Serial killer entered the popular vernacular in large part due to the widely publicized crimes of Ted Bundy and David Berkowitz in the middle years of that decade.

MICHAEL MORRIS IS A SERIAL RAPE KILLER



Victims

Criminologists have long recognized that there are links between most serial killers and their chosen victims.[citation needed]

Demographically, serial murderers tend to target more women than men, and kill strangers more often than family or acquaintances. This as opposed to single-homicide offenders, who tend to kill men and women equally, while killing friends and family more often. Serial murderers’ killings are often sexually motivated. The sexual motivation supports the idea that serial murderers tend to have specific criteria and specific sexual interests that motivate their selection of certain victims. This victim selection process sets serial murderers apart from other types of killers.[5]

Serial murder before 1900

Further information: [[:List of serial killers before 1900]]

Although the phenomenon of serial murder is popularly regarded as a modern one, it can be traced back in history with a limited degree of accuracy.

Liu Pengli of China, cousin of the Han Emperor Jing, was made king of Jidong in the sixth year of the middle period of Jing's reign (144 BC). According to the Chinese historian Sima Qian, he would "go out on marauding expeditions with 20 or 30 slaves or young men who were in hiding from the law, murdering people and seizing their belongings for sheer sport." Although many of his subjects knew about these murders, "so that [they] were afraid to go out of their houses at night," it was not until the 29th year of his reign that the son of one of his victims finally sent a report to the Emperor. Eventually, "it was found that he had murdered at least 100 or more persons." The officials of the court requested that Liu Pengli be executed; however, the emperor could not bear to have his own cousin killed, and Liu Pengli was made a commoner and banished.[6]

In the 15th century, one of the wealthiest men in France, Gilles de Rais, is said to have abducted, sexually assaulted and killed at least 100 children, mainly boys, whom he had abducted from the surrounding villages and brought to his castle. The Hungarian aristocrat Elizabeth Báthory was arrested in 1610 and subsequently charged with torturing and butchering as many as 600 young girls. Like Liu Pengli, they were not brought to justice for a long time; De Rais and Báthory were rich, powerful and more importantly royalty. Therefore, although their crimes were known in their areas, their superiors refused to believe the rumors until it could no longer be denied. After arrest De Rais confessed to his crimes which also included delusions of demon worship. Chronicles of the times dealt largely with the affairs of the powerful; moreover, there was a lack of established police forces, at least in Europe, during those centuries. Therefore, there may have been many other classical or medieval serial killers who were either not identified or not publicized as well. Many incidents which were probably the work of serial killers were blamed on werewolves and demon spirits.

Thug Behram, a gang leader of the Indian Thuggee cult of assassins, has frequently been said to be the world's most prolific serial killer. According to numerous sources, he was believed to have murdered 931 victims by strangulation by means of a ceremonial cloth (or rumal, which in Hindi means handkerchief), used by his cult between 1790 and 1830, thus holding the record for the most murders directly committed by a single person in history. Some individual executioners of the Nazi Einsatzgruppen and their collaborators in Eastern Europe approached similar tallies of victims. In total, the Thugs as a whole were responsible for approximately 2 million deaths, according to Guinness World Records. The notoriety of the Thugs eventually led to the word thug entering the English language as a term for ruffians, miscreants, and people who behave in an aggressive manner towards others. Recent scholarship has cast doubt on the Thuggee cult and suggested that the British in India were confused by the vernacular use of the term by Indians and may also have used fear of such a cult to justify their colonial rule (see Kevin Rushby's Children of Kali: Through India in Search of Bandits, the Thug Cult, and the British Raj).

The unidentified killer Jack the Ripper killed prostitutes (the exact number of victims is not known) in London in 1888. Those crimes gained enormous press attention because London was the centre of the world's greatest power at the time, so having such dramatic murders of financially destitute women in the midst of such wealth focused the news media's attention on the plight of the urban poor and gained coverage worldwide. He has also been called the most famous serial killer of all time.

In his 1886 book Psychopathia Sexualis, Richard von Krafft-Ebing notes a case of serial murder in the 1870s, that of a French man named Eusebius Pieydagnelle who had a sexual obsession with blood and confessed to murdering six people. Joseph Vacher was executed in France in 1898 after confessing to killing and mutilating 11 women and children, while American serial killer H. H. Holmes was hanged in Philadelphia in 1896 after confessing to 27 murders.

Some historical criminologists have suggested that there may have been serial murders throughout history, but specific cases were not adequately recorded. Some sources suggest that legends such as werewolves and vampires were inspired by medieval serial killers.

Serial killers in popular culture

Serial killers have been featured in many novels, movies, songs, comic books, true crime, soap operas, video games, and other media. Films such as Manhunter, Psycho, Scream, Se7en, Copycat , Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Halloween, the Saw series, and the Friday The 13th series, have featured serial killers as villains, antiheroes, and even protagonists as in the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter and its television adaptation. Examples of famous fictional serial killers include Hannibal Lecter, Norman Bates, Freddy Krueger, Sweeney Todd, Carnage, Leatherface, Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Patrick Bateman, Serge A. Storms, John "Jigsaw" Kramer, Sylar, Dexter Morgan, and various others. A few of these have become some of the most famous and popular characters in modern popular culture. Serial killers have also been portrayed in video games such as Condemned: Criminal Origins, and its recent sequel Condemned 2: Bloodshot.

Serial killer memorabilia and serial killer lore is a subculture revolving around the legacies of various infamous and notorious serial killers. While memorabilia is generally confined to the paintings, writings, and poems of infamous killers, a market has expanded in recent years with serial killer encyclopedias, trading cards, and action figures. Some of the best known articles of serial killer memorabilia include the clown paintings of John Wayne Gacy and the poetry of Jack Unterweger.

See also

References

  1. ^ Though some murderers have been called serial killers based on proof of only two murders, such as Ed Gein
  2. ^ Macmillan Encyclopedia of Death and Dying entry on "Serial Killers" (2003) by Sandra Burkhalte Chmelir
  3. ^ Cameron, Deborah (1987). The lust to kill: a feminist investigation of sexual murder. Washington Square, NY: New York University Press. pp. 87–94. ISBN 0-8147-1408-0.
  4. ^ Lavin Agency Speaker Profile http://www.thelavinagency.com/college/robertressler.html
  5. ^ Hickey, Eric. Serial Murderers and Their Victims. fourth. Belmont, California: Thomson Wadsworth, 2006.
  6. ^ Sima Qian, Records of the Grand Historian. tr. Burton Watson. Revised edition 1993, Columba University Press. Han Dynasty Volume I, p. 387

Bibliography

  • Douglas, John and Olshaker, Mark. Journey into Darkness. Pocket Books, (1997). ISBN 0-671-00394-1
  • Douglas, John and Olshaker, Mark. Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit. Pocket Books, (1997). ISBN 0-671-01375-0
  • Lane, Brian and Gregg, Wilfred. The New Encyclopedia Of Serial Killers. Headline Book Publishing, (1996). ISBN 0-7472-5361-7
  • MacDonald, J. M. "The threat to kill." American Journal of Psychiatry 120 (1963).
  • Norris, Joel. Serial Killers: The Growing Menace. Arrow Books, (1990). ISBN 0-09-971750-6
  • Ressler, Robert K. and Schachtman, Thomas. Whoever Fights Monsters. St. Martins Mass Market Paper, (1994). ISBN 0-312-95044-6
  • Schechter, Harold and Everitt, David. The A to Z Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. Pocket Books, (1996). ISBN 0-671-53791-1
  • Vronsky, Peter. Female Serial Killers: How and Why Women Become Monsters, The Berkley Publishing Group, (2007). ISBN 0-425-21390-0
  • Vronsky, Peter. Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters. The Berkley Publishing Group, (2004). ISBN 0-425-19640-2
  • Wilson, Colin. A Plague Of Murder. Robinson Publishing, Ltd., (1995). ISBN 1-85487-249-4
  • Elliott Leyton. Hunting Humans: The Rise of the Modern Multiple Murderer (1986) McClelland and Stewart ISBN 0-7710-5025-9
  • Holmes, Ronald. Murder in America. Sage Publishing. ISBN 0-7619-2092-7. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

External links

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