Serial Killer

Chapter Two: Definition of a Serial Killer

Serial killers are people who kill three or more victims over a period of more than thirty days with a cooling off period between each murder. Their murders usually have some of the same characteristics.

People who kill for fun usually have some type of mental illness. Their crimes could have maybe been prevented if their diseases were treated in time. The disease of psychopath is the least treated. Some killers often plead not guilty by reason of insanity. It needs to be proven, though, that they did not know the difference between right and wrong. Even if a killer is found not guilty by mental deficit, he/she cannot go free.

There are three categories of serial killers: Organized Killers, Disorganized Killers and Medical Killers. Organized killers are the hardest killers to catch because of their intelligence and organization. Every detail of their murder is planned out and they make sure to leave no evidence left behind. They often will watch their victims for several days before they trick them into leaving with them. They take great pride in their “work” and pay close attention to the stories in the media.

Disorganized killers rarely plan out the murders in their victims. They strike at random whenever an opportunity arises. They tend to move from town to town and do not take the precautions to cover up their tracks. They usually have low IQ’s and are antisocial. Disorganized killers do not usually have close friends or family.

The Medical Killer is extremely rare but there have been cases where people have carried out their serial murders through medicine. One such individual was Harold Shipman which I will go into further detail later in this thesis. They feel they have the pe...

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...ortable killing on their driving routes. There has been a serial killer police officer who was named John Gerard Schaefer. He lived in Florida. While he was in his squad he would kidnap teenage girls, tie them to trees, go back to work and after he clocked out, returned to rape and kill them. His alibi was always “I was at work when they disappeared” (Brown, 2003).

Many serial killers suffer from anti-social personality disorder or dissocial personality disorder. They are also psychopathic, meaning they have no empathy or guilt. They kill impulsively and they make up rules for themselves which are they only rules they follow. They have a “Mask of Sanity” meaning they never let anyone but their victims see their true selves. They also have resentment towards society for their own failings and can never take responsibility for their own actions.