Serial Killers: An Overview

During the early 1980s, a large number of young women began disappearing from the Seattle, Washington, area. The confirmed number of missing women was 48, although many believed the number was actually much higher. The unknown murderer was nicknamed "The Green River Killer" because the bodies of some of the victims were found in the Green River. Law enforcement agents conducted a costly and frustrating 20-year search for the killer. But in 2001, a piece of DNA evidence linked an individual to some of the murders. The man would later confess to the rest. In 2003, Gary Ridgway, a quiet, middle-aged truck painter, pleaded guilty to 48 counts of murder.

Although Americans are used to hearing about horrible crimes on a regular basis, perhaps no criminals are as feared by the public as serial killers. Murderers such as Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, and Aileen Wuornos have attracted tremendous media attention as details of their terrible deeds have surfaced. Films, television series, and bestselling books have been created to feed the public's growing fascination and thirst for information about the deadly actions of serial killers.

Throughout history, there have been reports of people who committed large numbers of murders. However, not all multiple murderers are considered "serial killers" by criminologists. It has been difficult for researchers to adequately trace the phenomenon of serial murder back into ancient history because there is not enough evidence to assert that this was a widespread activity before the modern period. However, there is plenty of evidence for the past two centuries to allow scholars to construct character models for serial killers. Today, many criminologists believe that serial killers come from very dysfunctional social backgrounds, with many having suffered significant abuse as children.

However, child abuse is, unfortunately, very common, so it is wrong to assume that it leads a person to become a serial murderer. In the 1960s, American psychologist J. M. MacDonald pointed out that many future serial killers exhibited warning signs in childhood: extreme cruelty to animals, bedwetting beyond what is considered "normal," and arson. These signs, known today as the "MacDonald Triad," have been discovered in many serial killers' backgrounds. Moreover, many serial killers exhibit wild fantasies about murder from childhood onward. There may also be a physiological or genetic component (such as head trauma, brain malformations, or chemical imbalances), that contributes to the creation of a serial killer.

For most psychologists, a serial killer is defined as an individual who kills three or more individuals on separate occasions, returning to a state of normal functioning between murders. As a consequence, many serial killers can murder over extended periods of time without detection, because they do not appear dangerous to the outside world. It is this "normalcy" that makes serial killers both frightening and fascinating. Frequently, none of their family or intimate friends have any idea of what is happening. By contrast, mass murderers kill a large number of people at one time, while spree killers kill many people in a short period of time, but do not return to a normal functioning state between murders.

Because their crimes are so horrific, many people in the general public assume that serial killers are insane. However, most serial killers have been found sane in courts of law, because the American justice system defines insanity as an inability to discern right from wrong at the time of a crime. Most psychologists believe that the majority of serial killers not only know that their crimes are wrong when they commit them, but actually savor the horrified reactions to their crimes by the public.

Law enforcement agencies have worked hard to better define the motives of serial killers in an effort to reduce these crimes. However, it remains very difficult to apprehend serial killers once they are known to be operating, because they usually do not fit the general profile of a murderer. Most murder victims know their killer, or are at least connected to them in some way. Most murders are motivated by emotions such as jealousy, anger, and greed. Serial killers, on the other hand, often select their victims at random, according to opportunity. Unlike most murderers, they kill not because of their relationship with a victim, but to satisfy a desire of their own.

The FBI has studied serial killers for many years by interviewing captured killers and investigating their psychology. By adding together the traits they have in common, the agency has managed to compile profiles of what sort of person the killer is likely to be: male or female, young or old, educated or not. These profiles can help police figure out who they should be looking for. The FBI considers serial killers who are "organized" to be extremely methodical, cunning, and creative in the planning and execution of their crimes. These are people who appear completely "normal" to their friends and families. "Disorganized" serial killers are more impulsive, less intelligent, and less capable or concerned with covering up their crimes once they are committed. They are more likely to be loners or considered "strange" by the public, although they rarely attract much attention until captured.

Once the public is aware that a serial killer is operating, there is often tremendous media and political pressure to capture a suspect quickly. This can prove difficult with serial killers, because profiles are not always accurate. It usually takes multiple killings before a profiler is able to construct an adequate character assessment of the killer, and even then, evidence may be scant until many killings have occurred. However, advancements in DNA and other forms of forensic evidence have assisted law enforcement agencies in their quests to link crimes, helping them recognize serial killers' deeds more quickly than was possible in the past. Even so, it can be very difficult to connect a serial killer to his victims.

Although serial killers only commit a fraction of the murders in society, their horrible deeds attract attention disproportionate to their numbers. Media hype, fictitious accounts, and the dramatic circumstances of their crimes have made many serial killers icons of popular culture. It does not appear that serial killers will cease to be a problem in society, and law enforcement agencies continue to refine their methods of early detection and apprehension.

Sources:

Douglas, John, and Mark Olshaker. Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit. New York: Pocket Books. 1997.

Lane, Brian. Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. New York: Berkley Trade, 1995.

MacDonald, J. M. "The Threat to Kill." American Journal of Psychiatry 120: 125-130.; Vronsky, Peter. Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters. New York: Penguin Group. 2004.