Serial Killers

They are thrill seekers, literally fearless.” (Scott). Similarly, for all serial killers, murder is either a natural or passion-filled choice that they make. Although, the types of serial killers and skill level vary immensely. Serial killers are typically classified by their social and organizational skills, or lack of it. Oddly enough, a serial killer has a regular mental behavior as well, whe... ... middle of paper ... ...anently struck fear in innocent people all around the world, and while it may never be possible to prove why these certain people felt driven to kill, defining the characteristics of a serial killer makes it easier to better recognize their motives, methods and marks apart from other types of criminals.

Even though books about true crimes may be considered insensitive to those involved, the commonly positively reviewed book The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule handles the somber issue of Ted Bundy’s emotionally destructive early life and the brutal crimes he committed that made people more fearful and aware of the evil that can exist in seemingly normal people well. Taking the life of another person is one of the worst infractions of the law to commit. The Bureau of Justice defines serial killing as “[involving] the killing of several victims in three or more separate events” (“Michigan” 1). Serial killers often commit extremely violent crimes; they usually become infamous for these crimes. The first recorded serial killers are probably Jack the Ripper in 1888 and Fritz Haarmann in 1924 (“Michigan” 1).

Macbeth can be concluded to be a serial killer due to the definition of a serial killer, his learning curve, and his evolving motives. The two examples prove that not all killers can be classified using all the same classifications for there is always at least one killer who tries to do something out of the ordinary thus disproving the definition altogether.

Serial Killers' Modus Operandi A plethora of serial killers, dead and undead, have been most horrifying in their methods. There are several types of serial killers, some have been caught while others continue to haunt their surroundings. There are several approaches in categorizing serial killers. One method requires examination of the crime scene, the other requires counseling with the serial killer. In profiling a serial killer, law enforcers realize that serial killers are not unlike regular people; there are several exceptions like schizophrenics but most of them look like everyone else.

What image does the mind visualize when it hears the term ‘Serial Killer’? Most people envision a maleficent being capable of committing heinous crimes that ‘normal’ people are incapable of acting out, or a person with a psych so muddled and twisted that they resort to murder in order to satisfy their vile desires. Although this style of thinking is not completely incorrect, there is a lot more to a serial killer than what meets the eye. Although serial killers are the most infamous of the killer category, most people don’t actually know the difference between a serial killer and a mass murderer or a serial killer and just a regular killer. A serial killer is a person that murders three or more victims on partitioned occasions, but then again, the same may be true in the case of a mass murderer or a spree killer.

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. Several serial killers have a definitive and common personality profile. Almost every major social, biological, psychological behavioural influence that has been seriously suggested as playing a role in causing crime has been thoroughly thought as potentially contributing to the behavior of serial killers (Levin, 2008).

Not all sociopaths become serial killers, but the combination of abusive childhood, environment and genetic influences pushes them to repeatedly kill and take innocent lives. Peoples ideal definitions of a sociopath often mislead them. A sociopath is classified as a person with a personality disorder manifesting itself in extreme antisocial attitudes and behavior and a lack of conscience.Sociopaths are not as uncommon as most people think Your average neighbor may even have the urge to kill and dismember bodies. This being said, not all sociopaths take the leap to murder and often keep their thoughts to themselves . Sociopaths have completely different personality traits and characteristics than the normal human being.

That question is whether or not serial killers are born the kill or driven to murder. Many sources were used in reference to nature vs. nurture, and research on serial killers and if its genetics or decisions. With real life examples, this paper will attempt to answer the unanswerable. One of the most famous serial killers made know is Jeffrey Dahmer. It is said that he murdered not in anger, or revenge, but on impulse and desire.

To understand a serial killer, one must understand the motivations behind what lead them to their illegal behaviors, also known as a trigger. In SERIAL KILLER FILES THE WHO, WHAT, WHERE, HOW, AND WHY THE WORLD’S MOST TERRIFYING MURDERERS it states that “ Psychoanalysis is based on the belief that you can explain an adult’s troubled behavior by tracing the causes back to his childhood experiences.” There have been many serial killers, but three of the most famous are: H.H Holmes,

The Psychology of Serial Killers Many things today confuse, yet enthrall the masses. War, murder, medical science, incredible rescues, all things you would see on The History Channel. There is another topic that is also made into documentaries however, serial killers. Dark twisted people that commit multiple murders are of interest to the population, but what caused them to be this way. What horrible tragic set of events could twist a man to murder one or many people.