Note on Content: This article may contain references to
sensitive topics such as mental health, violence, and death.
For many people, true crime stories are enthralling and
macabre sources of fascination. Serial killers play important roles in these
stories of human cruelty and evil. It can be difficult to comprehend what
motivates someone to kill on a regular basis. Learn more about the definition
of a serial killer and why they commit such heinous crimes.
Who Is a Serial Killer?
A serial killer is someone who murders a large number of
people in a systematic manner over a period of time. Serial murder is defined
differently by different people. In most cases, the number of victims is three,
though certain investigative agencies move the barometer higher or lower. Many
of these murderers have been apprehended by law enforcement over the years, but
there are still many unsolved cases.
History of Serial Killings
When most people think of serial killer sprees, they think
of a particularly notorious group of murderers from recent history. Serial
killers have existed in some form or another throughout history and are not
limited to a single country. Authorities associate Jack the Ripper, an unknown
person (or persons), with a series of slayings in Victorian England, with the
term "serial killer." Henri Landru (the Bluebeard of Gambais) was a
French serial killer from the same time period.
Signs of a Serial Killer: Common Characteristics
Serial killers frequently share some characteristics. Here
are a few to think about:
1. Childhood trauma: Some of the most prolific serial
killers have a long history of abusing children. Ottis Toole, for example, who
was convicted of six counts of murder, grew up as a victim of incest and family
violence. This is a recurring theme in several serial killer biographies.
Childhood bedwetting, fire starting, and animal cruelty can all be indicators
of future serial killing.
2. Lack of empathy: Serial killers almost always lack
empathy, remorse, or guilt. They believe they have the right to torture and
kill their victims, and they frequently dehumanize them in their eventual
confessions to law enforcement.
3. Charisma and manipulation: Some serial killers are quite
charismatic and manipulative. During his trial, Ted Bundy wrapped the media
around his finger. Along with killing dozens of people, H.H. Holmes made a name
for himself as a prolific swindler and con man. Harold Shipman was a
well-respected doctor and community pillar who murdered over 200 patients.
4. Methodical killing style: The majority of serial killers
kill their victims in a methodical, pattern-based manner. For example, Moses
Sithole of South Africa chose unemployed women in their twenties as victims. He
would lead them to one of the remote areas where he committed his crimes after
offering them jobs.
Serial Killer Motives: Why Do Serial Killers Kill?
While each serial killer may murder for a variety of
reasons, certain motives appear repeatedly. Think about the following:
1. A desire for power: Serial killers frequently murder out
of a desire for power. They want to dominate their victims rather than simply
kill them. Some argue that the worst mass murderers in history (e.g., Adolf
Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, etc.) might have become serial killers if
their rise to power did not allow them to carry out their violent crime
fantasies on a larger scale.
2. Notoriety: Both serial killers and spree killers (such as
mass shooters) frequently kill for attention. The killer of Son of Sam (David
Berkowitz) sent letters mocking New York police. The Zodiac Killer (who remains
unidentified) sent cryptic messages about his murders to Bay Area newspapers
and law enforcement agencies. Albert DeSalvo, the alleged Boston Strangler, may
have confessed to more murders than he actually committed in order to gain notoriety.
3. Psychosis: Many serial killers, some would argue all, are
verifiable and literal psychopaths. Murderers like Ed Kemper and Jeffrey
Dahmer, for example, had troubled pasts before they began killing their
victims.
4. Revenge: Some serial killers use their killings to exact
revenge on those who have wronged them. For example, a "black widow"
(a female serial killer) like Aileen Wuornos may murder innocent men or the
wrongdoers themselves in order to feel as if they are exacting revenge on men
who have brutally mistreated them.
5. Sadistic pleasure: Serial killers may experience a
bizarre sense of pleasure from torturing and murdering their victims. Ted Bundy
and Gary Ridgway (the Green River Killer, for example) both preyed on young
women to act out their sadistic sexual fantasies before murdering them.
15 Notorious Serial Killers
These are just a few of history's most heinous serial
killers:
1. Aileen Wuornos: Despite claiming self-defense, juries
convicted Wuornos of six counts of first-degree murder for crimes committed in
Florida between November 1989 and November 1990. In 2002, she was executed by
the state.
2. Albert DeSalvo: Despite admitting to being the Boston
Strangler, many people question his credibility. The Boston Strangler is linked
to thirteen female victims, according to authorities. In 2013, DNA evidence
linked DeSalvo to the sexual assault and murder of one of those victims,
according to experts.
3. David Berkowitz: Berkowitz was dubbed "Son of
Sam" by the media after he used the phrase in a letter to New York police
before they identified him. He was sentenced to life in prison for murdering
six young women and attempting to murder others.
4. Ed Kemper: Dubbed the "Co-ed Killer," Kemper
murdered ten people, the majority of whom were female college students he picked
up while hitchhiking.
5. Gary Ridgway: Also known as the Green River Killer,
Ridgway murdered over four dozen people and dumped their bodies in the woods
around the Green River in Washington.
6. Harold Shipman: An English doctor, Shipman used lethal
injections to kill his female victims. A jury found him guilty of fifteen
murders, despite evidence that he was responsible for the deaths of up to 250
people.
7. Henri Landru: Nicknamed the œBluebeard of Gambais during
his time, Landru was a Frenchman who killed at least 11 people between 1914 and
1919. He was executed by guillotine after the jury found him guilty and
sentenced him to death.
8. H.H. Holmes: Despite being convicted of only one murder,
Holmes confessed to more than two dozen others. He was a con artist prior to
his imprisonment, responsible for check forgeries, insurance fraud, and other
crimes. The state of Pennsylvania executed him for the murder of Holmes' former
business partner, Benjamin Pitezel.
9. Jack the Ripper: Authorities believe this unknown person
(or persons) is responsible for several murders in Victorian England. The
victims were all women who died as a result of violent stabbings.
10. Jeffrey Dahmer: Also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal,
this American serial killer stalked the Midwest for victims. Before being
apprehended by police, he preserved and even ate the body parts of those he
killed.
11. John Wayne Gacy: Also known as the Killer Clown, Gacy
was a party clown performer who preyed almost entirely on young men. When
authorities apprehended him, the remains discovered buried in his home made for
one of the most notorious and grisly crime scenes in history.
12. Ottis Toole: A jury found Toole guilty on six counts of
murder and arson. He died while incarcerated in Florida.
13. Richard Ramirez: This serial killer from Los Angeles
attacked nearly twenty people and killed at least thirteen of them. Before
criminologists were able to track him down and identify him, the media dubbed
him the "Night Stalker."
14. Ted Bundy: Bundy was responsible for crimes in
Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Colorado, and he may have had as many as a
hundred victims. He was responsible for the kidnapping, sexual assault, and
murder of young women in five states.
15. Zodiac Killer: The still-unidentified Zodiac Killer was
active in and around San Francisco in the late 1960s and was responsible for
one of the most notorious killing sprees in US American history. After using
the term "Zodiac" in his cryptic messages to Bay Area newspapers and
law enforcement agencies, the media dubbed the unknown male the "Zodiac
Killer."
The Investigation of a Serial Killer
Various levels of law enforcement will collaborate to investigate a serial killer. If a local pattern emerges, the relevant police department may work with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate it (FBI). If a more dispersed geographical pattern of killings emerges, investigators may start reaching out to other areas about cold cases of a similar nature.
Investigative task forces may work for years, if not decades, to find a serial killer. They attempt to connect disparate events over time in order to construct a psychological profile of the killer. This aids in the search for the perpetrator. They then piece together clues left behind in order to apprehend the murderer. Sometimes they succeed; other times, cases go cold and mysteries go unsolved.
