1. Working Hypothesis 1

Serial killings are not a result of one particular factor, but instead many factors in which could craft a serial killer as a result.

1a. Working Hypothesis 2

Serial killing cannot be defended by a plea of insanity due to the thorough planning and reoccurring crimes with proper knowledge of illegal actions.

2. Academic Sources

Marono, A. J., Reid, S., Yaksic, E., & Keatley, D. A. (2020). A Behaviour Sequence Analysis of Serial Killers’ Lives: From Childhood Abuse to Methods of Murder. Psychiatry, psychology, and law : an interdisciplinary journal of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 27(1), 126–137.

233 male serial killers who experienced abuse in some form as a child were analyzed to find a link between abuse and crimes. At the time of their first kill, men ranged from 6-60. At the time of their last kill, men ranged from 16-68. The number of kills ranged from 3-138. Crime scene behaviors and typology were analyzed. It was found that abuse led to distinct patterns found at crime scenes. A typology is a profile detailing specific characteristics that are commonly found in offenders who commit a certain crime. These profiles are only formed once the crime has been committed and are simply just educated guesses made by investigators and criminal psychologist. “From Childhood Abuse to Methods of Murder” describes serial killings as “Athrough it is form of multicide, serial homicide is not to be confused with mass murder, which is defined as four or more murders that occur in one event, with no distinctive time lapse between them, or spree-killing, which is any murder that occurs at two or more locations with no emotional cooling-off period between.” Researchers have been able to develop a method to determine who is at risk for becoming serial killers. The FBI’s BSU unit configured a portfolio of serial killers and their behaviors. The findings from the Interdisciplinary Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry concluded that the FBI uses, “the present study includes influencing factors before the kill, such as personal histories and serial killers’ experiences of abuse.” Abuse as a child has thought to of contributed to a violent thought pattern and violent fantasies. “A Behaviour Sequence Analysis of Serial Killers” was able to conclude from their research that, “therefore, abuse in childhood is linked to serial killers’ later behaviours; however, what is not known is the sequential pathway between childhood abuse and different types of serial killer. A method is needed that can systematically link and sequence childhood abuse with typology of the criminal and crime scene behaviours.” To come to this conclusion and to find the answer of what links these two together, BSA was used. BSA stands for Behaviour Sequence Analysis which is a formula used to investigate how behaviours and chains of events are connected. They pair the first murder and the type of abuse as a child together to see if there is a pattern in the two. It has been found that sexual abuse as a kid leads to lust or sexual gratification killings. The killers were categorized into the motivations ; lust, anger, power, and financial gain. The crime scene was then investigated for evidence of way the killing occurred and what happened to the body if anything was done such as mutilation, torture, or rape. It can be estimated that those who were physically abused as a kid exert torture and overkill in their crimes. The results from this study partially support the claim that early physical abuse leads to violence and rage.

Ioana, I.M. (2013). No one is born a serial killer. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 81, 324 – 328. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.06.436

“No one is born a serial killer“defines a serial killer as one who commits a series of murders in different locations and target their victims randomly. The victims may posses a similar look or characteristics that the killer negatively associate with a bad memory. The motive can simply be exerting power over victims. This is thought to be associated with powerlessness as a child. Once they make their first kill it can be hard for some to contain the desire to kill again. Genetics are a theory that plays part into what constitutes a serial killer. A rare genetic mutation in the XYY chromosome has been found in serial killers. This gene controls sexual behavior, violence, and lack of empathy. “No One is Born a Serial Killer” theorizes that, “research has established that the frequency of the Klinefelter syndrome among criminals is five to ten times higher than among the general population. At the same time, it was observed that the excess of X chromosomes does not result only in criminal behaviour, but that it fits in a personality which is often abnormal from the psychiatric point of view. The families of serial killers could often be described as problematic with things such as criminal records, absence of parent, addiction, and mental disorders. It is found that in most cases , serial killers do not have satisfactory romantic lives. Ioana found that, “Many abusers reported that, under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they lived unreal states during the murders they committed without being able to perceive the severity and cruelty of their acts, and without having a logical explanation for their actions.” Things like alcohol and drugs can cause a sense of false reality and limit emotional responses. With the satisfaction increasing from each murder, serial killers tend to get complacent which leads to mistake that ultimately cause their capture. Traumatic brain injuries can be to blame for causing lesions on the brain. “No One is Born a Serial Killer” has done research that shows, “the emotional side of their brain is damaged, and the absolute absence of any emotions makes them so dangerous. The more their aggressiveness increases, the more their blood pressure drops, which shows that violence has a calming effect on them… Located in the temporal lobes, the amygdala is responsible for the of emotions such as fear and anxiety. The effect of a destroyed amygdala is that its owner does not feel any thrill of nervousness when he makes the others suffer.” Psycho-traumatism as a child manifests as function disorganization and in adulthood can cause psychosis disorder, behavioral disorders, and hysterical crises. Overall serial killers find pleasure and relief of tension in the murders they commit.

Mitchell, H., & Aamodt, M.G. (2005). The incidence of child abuse in serial killers. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 20 (1), 40 – 47. doi: 10.1007/BF02806705

A study on serial killers was conducted in order to find a connection between childhood abuse and serial killings. Compared to societal norms, there was a higher prevalence of physical, sexual, psychological abuse, and neglect in those who were serial killers. According to the Virginia Department of Social Services, physical abuse is when harm is caused or allowed to a child that allows any non-accidental injury to occur. The research from Radford University refers to one particular case, “For instance, the mother of child rapist and murderer Lorenzo Fayne had to be counseled by social services not to strike her son in the head as punishment (Goodrich, 1994; Malone, 2000).”  Sexual abuse can be defined as any sexual practice, activity, or instruction to a child. Psychological abuse is when one suffers intentional humiliation that causes emotional conflict and psychological damage. Things like neglect can be defined as deprivation of food, clothing, shelter, or health care. Lastly, neglect can be found when a child is threatened, abandoned, and a mother is addicted to drug during pregnancy.  A serial killer is defined as someone who kills three or more people in separate instances. After the murders, some have stated it temporarily relieves pressure. The cycle when serial killings occur is typical during a period of stress. Things like brain injury, faulty genetics, and brain anomalies are theorized to play roles in what makes someone a serial killer. Childhood and family make-up is also believed to play large roles such as drug/alcohol abuse of one or both parents and the absence of a parent(s). The researchers of “The Incidence of Child Abuse in Serial Killers” found, “Childhood abuse has been given varying levels of blame in the development of serial killers. De Becker quoted Ressler’s research and stated that “100 percent [of serial killers] had been abused as children, either with violence, neglect, or humiliation.”  Serial killers can be categorized by different types of killings, this article focuses on lust killers which are those who kill for sexual gratification. Mitchell and Aamodt concluded, “no substantial difference in the frequency of abuse among the various types of serial killers was found.” Although we do not get an overall view of all types of serial killers and what their childhood was like, we still are able to get insight into the mind of a killer. Maltreatment was found in 68%, physical abuse in 32%, sexual abuse in 26%, psychological abuse in 50%, neglect in 18%, and no abuse in 32% that was credible. “The Incidence of Child Abuse in Serial Killers” concluded that “serial killers are six times more likely to have experienced physical abuse, nine times more likely to have experienced sexual abuse, and underrepresented in the study is neglect.” From all of the data they were able to gather, it was found that childhood abuse is more frequent in the population of serial killers than in the society of the general public. It is hard to conclude whether or not those who said they did not suffer abuse were being truthful as they do not want to divulge into their past and look weak. This makes it hard to conclude whether or not all serial killers experienced some form of abuse as a child which shaped them into the person they became.

Ressler, R.K., Burgess, A.W., Douglas, J.E., & Depue, R.L. (1985). Violent crime. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, 54 (8), 2 – 31.

The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin- August 1985 “Men Who Murder” section details a study that was conducted on 36 men who were convicted serial killers. This was done to determine if childhood factors played a role in the murders they went on to commit. It was found that they were predominantly white males who were the eldest son. This goes hand in hand with the male dominant attitudes present during this time. They were found to have an IQ equaling average or above average. The FBI found that poverty was not a factor in the majority of the group. Most lived in a two parent home and lived above the poverty line. “Men Who Murder” states, “poverty was not a significant factor in the socioeconomic status of families; mothers were in the home; fathers were earning stable incomes; the subjects were intelligent, white, eldest sons.” Multiple problems were found to exist in the home such as criminal history of one or both parents, psychiatric problems, sexual problems and alcohol/drug addiction. Those at the FBI claim “thus it is unlikely that most of the offenders experienced a good quality of life or positive interaction with family members.” By the time the offenders hit 18 40% were living outside of the home. It was found they lived in foster homes, state homes, juvenile detention centers and mental hospitals. Half of the offenders were only children so it was found that they had no strong role models. Relationship’s with fathers were described as unsatisfactory and uncaring mothers. The FBI found in August 1985 “compounding the offenders limited opportunities for positive attachments were their perceptions of parental discipline frequently, the men reported discipline as unfair, hostile, inconsistent, and abusive.” Although parents were uncaring, they provided role models for deviant behavior. Two factors which really stood out were dominance of fantasy life and history of abuse. These fantasies were reported to be violent and sadistic in nature. Overall, it was found that child abuse was prevalent in these men’s history. The FBI states, “…childhood physical and sexual abuse experienced by these offenders was manifested in their preference for fantasy life.” These fantasies of violence have been thought of as a way to deflect and exert control. These men stated they always knew they were different from a young age. They displayed traits of low social attachment, detachment from family members, and lacked a sense of bonding with any particular person. The Law Enforcement Bulletin was able to conclude that roots from childhood and experiences lead to the actions in which they committed. These factors contributed to setting a trigger off that lead to the deviant actions of rape, torture, mutilation, and murder.

Widom, C. S., Fisher, J. H., Nagin, D. S., & Piquero, A. R. (2018). A Prospective Examination of Criminal Career Trajectories in Abused and Neglected Males and Females Followed Up into Middle Adulthood. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 34(3), 831–852.

Research was conducted on 908 abused and maltreated children compared to 667 non-maltreated children starting in 1986. They were followed and studied into adulthood to see if there was a link between abuse as a child and crimes committed into adulthood. They studied official crime reports collected up to age 51. The groups studied were maltreated females, non-maltreated females, maltreated males, and non-maltreated males. The researchers made sure to match groups according to social class so their findings could not be skewed as one lived in a higher social class than another thus making the results not comparable. It was later found the study was best separated into three groups; non-offenders, low-level chronic offenders, and medium level chronic offenders. “A Prospective Examination of Criminal Career Trajectories in Abused and Neglected Males and Females” found “longitudinal studies have reported that abused and neglected children are at increased risk for delinquency and adult criminal behavior. Childhood victimization has also been associated with an increased frequency of offending and an earlier age of onset of offending.” It was found that the risk factors of offending were more common in those who experienced childhood trauma of some sort. The research states, “moffitt’s conceptualization of life-course persistent offenders that implicates neuropsychological deficits, combined with exposure to disadvantaged familial and neighborhood environments to explain early onset and persistence of offending.” Neuropsychological deficits is a blanket term that relates to problems with the brain and psychological issues. Things like head trauma, genetic deposition, medication side effects, and ADHD can be classified under neuropsychological deficits. The effects of abuse on crime was found to be more prevalent in men. Although women also experienced this effect, men were more common to be committed for crimes later in life as a repeat offender. The researchers were able to conclude that, “these results suggest that child maltreatment dramatically changes the criminal career trajectory for females in chronicity (longer), level (higher), and onset (later)of offending
and suggest the need to understand the factors that may account for the later onset and higher levels of offending in these women.” Child abuse and neglect lead to offending patterns but also crime patterns. Not only were victims found to be repeat offenders, but they were found to create a pattern of the types of crime they were committing. The research proves, “these analyses provide new evidence that child abuse and neglect not only affects the prevalence of offending but the pattern of offending and that the impact of child maltreatment on offending patterns affects females as well as males, although in different ways.” The diagnosis of psychopathy helps determine the risk of a patient in the future.

Blair, R. (2003). Neurobiological basis of psychopathy. British Journal of Psychiatry, 182(1), 5-7. doi:10.1192/bjp.182.1.5

Psychopathy does not contain disorders that result from it but there are disorders that go hand in hand with psychopathy. The article, “Neurobiological basis of psychopathy“, states “Classifications of psychopathy are not synonymous with diagnoses of conduct disorder or antisocial personality disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) but represent an extension.” Psychopathy effects the emotional state of a person and makes them incapable of feeling empathy. In his article, James Blair, concludes “psychopathy is defined not only by antisocial behaviour but also by emotional impairment such as the lack of guilt. Only one third of those who are diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder meet criteria for psychopathy.” One factor that can contribute to psychopathy is the nature of parenting style. If a parent is empathetic and enforces positive styles of parenting this will in return create a child who is more socialized and empathetic. If a parent has a negative parenting style and lacks empathy toward their child the then the risk of psychopathy is increased. “Neurobiological basis of psychopathy” determines, ” the emotional impairment found in individuals with psychopathy interferes with socialization such that the individual does not learn to avoid antisocial behaviour.” Psychopathy results in sever difficulties with conditioning and instrumental learning. These difficulties result in inability to sense fear and sadness in others. Another contributing factor to psychopathy is amygdala dysfunction. The amygdala in involved in processing fear, facial expressions, aversive conditioning and instrumental learning. The article, “Neurobiological basis of psychopathy“, is able to conclude “It is therefore suggested that amygdala dysfunction is one of the core neural systems implicated in the pathology of psychopathy… high levels of psychopathy were associated with reduced amygdaloid volume.” Researchers have also poked around with the idea that frontal cortex damage can be contributed to psychopathy. Research that has tested this theory can not be conclusive because it was tested on people with criminal history not those with psychopathy. Studies conducted on those with psychopathy have found reduced prefrontal gray matter but not white. Thus, researchers were not able to directly pinpoint an area of the frontal cortex with dysfunction. Blair concludes “although it appears clear that there is no generalized frontal cortical dysfunction in individuals with psychopathy there is one region of the frontal cortex that could be impaired, i.e. the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC).” Another factor that increases psychopathy is substance abuse.

Schug, Portnoy, J., Raine, A., Rudo-Hutt, A., Peskin, M., Glenn, A., Niv, S., Gao, Y., & Yang, Y. (2013). The Biology of Childhood Crime and Antisocial Behavior. In Handbook of Life-Course Criminology (pp. 21–42). Springer New York. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5113-6_2

This study is aimed to find the numerous biological risk factors that play into the development of antisocial personality disorder in children. The article “The biology of childhood crime and antisocial behavior” found that “Structural and functional brain imaging studies have implicated several brain regions in the development of antisocial behavior in children, including the amygdala, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and the temporal region. ” Children who have ASPD typically have diminished responses to stressors and stimulus. Antisocial Behavior can be caused by early health factors such as prenatal nicotine exposure and minor physical anomalies. Before we had access to technology allowing us to study DNA, researches used other methods to test if antisocial behavior is due to genetics or environmental factors. They used twin or adoption designs in order to estimate the proportion of genetics vs environmental factors. They found that 41% was due to genetic factors and 59% was due to environmental factors. The researchers state “In particular, this meta-analysis found children to show stronger heritability for antisocial behavior than adults, suggesting that as we age, environmental factors become more important to the development of antisocial behavior” When trying to determine the role genetics plays into antisocial behavior disorder, scientists look first at specific systems that have been found in the past to exhibit the gene for antisocial disorder. One of the systems that is often looked at is the hormonal system. Researches claim “hormonal systems, such as testosterone, and neurotransmitter systems, such as norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin, have all been implicated in antisocial behavior, both in animals and in humans.” In order to understand antisocial behavior in children they must look at antisocial behavior in adults as there has been more studies. Results show that the damage in the amygdala resulting in antisocial behavior is present as a child. Researchers state, “Functional brain imaging studies in antisocial adults, particularly those with psychopathic traits, have consistently observed reduced activity in the amygdala. The amygdala is important in classical conditioning, which forms the basis of conscience development and the generation of anticipatory fear that normally deters individuals from committing antisocial acts (Blair, 2004). More specifically, the amygdala is necessary for the formation of stimulus-reinforcement associations, which are necessary for individuals to learn to associate their harmful actions with the pain and distress of others, thus facilitating empathy for victims and discouraging antisocial behavior.”

American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders : DSM-5-TR / American Psychiatric Association (Fifth edition, text revision.). American Psychiatric Association Publishing.

ADHD is recognized by the American Psychiatric Association as a neurodevelopment disorder. The characteristics to be aware of are

• easily distracted
• forgetful in daily activities
• difficulty organizing tasks and activities
• do not listen when directly spoken to
• failure to pay close attention to detail
• “on go”
• difficulty waiting until their turn
• restlessness

These characteristics can interfere with functionality and development. Impulsivity is a large factor that is seen in those with ADHD. Emotional dysregulation or emotional impulsivity commonly occurs in children and adults with ADHD. Individuals with ADHD self-report and are described by others as being quick to anger, easily frustrated, and overreactive emotionally. There is an increased risk of suicidal thoughts/tendencies related to ADHD. American Psychiatric Associates finds “children with ADHD are significantly more likely than their peers without ADHD to develop conduct disorder in adolescence and antisocial personality disorder in adulthood, consequently increasing the likelihood for substance use disorders and incarceration.”

Conduct disorder is classified as a behavioral disorder by the American Psychiatric Association. The criteria for diagnoses is:

• Aggression to people and animal
• Destruction of property
• Deceitfulness or theft
• Serious violation of rules
• Lack of remorse or guilt
• Callous- lack of empathy
• shallow
• unconcerned about performance

Individuals suffering from conduct disorder are typically male and have disturbed peer relationships. These individuals are more likely to display aggressive behavior towards others. ADHD is co-occuring typically with this disorder. These individuals also have limited prosocial emotions. Symptoms can emerge as earlier as childhood/adolescence but significantly emerge during middle childhood through middle adolescence. Physical aggressiveness is apparent in early childhood and nonphysical aggressiveness becomes more apparent in adulthood.

Antisocial Personality Disorder is a pattern of disregard and violation for others. The American Psychiatric Association defines this personality disorder as displaying symptoms of:

• Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behavior
• Deceitfulness
• Impulsivity
• Irritability and aggressiveness
• Reckless disregard for the safety of others
• Consistent irresponsibility
• Lack of remorse

Antisocial personality disorder begins in childhood and carries on to adulthood. This can also be used to describe beginning stages of psychopathy and sociopathy. This disorder cannot be diagnosed before the age of 18 and the person typically has a conduct disorder as a child. Individuals with antisocial personality disorder can be know to be cynical, lack empathy and remorse. Childhood trauma such as neglect and abuse, unstable or erratic parenting and inconsistent parental structure can lead to an increased risk of this personality disorder.

Multiple Homicide: Patterns of Serial and Mass Murder

A serial killer is identified as a white male in their 20s-30s who target random victims near their house or place of work. They are typically identified as sociopaths that satisfy their personal needs by killing others. Serial killers enjoy the thrill of killing and will often slowly kill their victim and inflicting the most amount of pain. Mass killers, unlike serial killers, kills people he knows and plans out the act methodically and deliberately. Most of the times the victims are killed with a firearm. There are similarities in the typology of killing (power, revenge, loyalty, profit, and terror.) The timing in their killings is the biggest difference. A serial killing and mass murder is classified by 4 or more victims. This number is used to help distinguish the difference and not mix up homicide and mass killings. The acts of these killings are confined to one person or a small group of people who commit these crimes. This is so that things like mob killings which are consequential are not confused as multiple homicides. If multiple homicides do not follow the guidelines of serial or mass killing it is then classified as a spree killing. For a long time, multiple homicides were referred to by some people as a symptom of extreme psychopathy. Three major themes of power/control, state of mind, and apprehension strategies are identified. Multiple Homicide: Patterns of Serial and Mass Murder” states “Serial murder involves a string of four or more homicides committed by one or a few perpetrators that spans a period of days, weeks, months, or even years.” Recent technological advances have tried to detect serial murders but have been unsuccessful. The research states “Despite recent advances in technology and communication, however, law enforcement may still be unaware of the presence of many serial killers. In what Egger (1984) termed “linkage blindness,” investigators are not always able to connect homicides, separated over time and space, to the activities of a single perpetrator, particularly murder sprees that cross jurisdictional boundaries.” Serial killers range from high-school dropouts to well educated college grads. When looking from the outside those who are serial killers seems “extraordinarily ordinary.” Researchers from “Multiple Homicide: Patterns of Serial and Mass Murder” states “there is one trait that appears to separate serial killers from the norm: many are exceptionally skillful in their presentation of self so that they are beyond suspicion and thus are difficult to apprehend.” Serial murder is categorized by a victim-offender relationship of strangers. Serial killers do not know their victims and pick them at random. A lot of times victims follow a certain typology or look that the killer tends to target. This could be because they are targeting someone whom they dislike or have hurt them in the past. They could also be targeting people they are attracted to as a motivation for sexual purposes. The researchers have found that “male serial killers prey on strangers whom they select on the basis of some sexual fantasy involving capture and control. Female serial killers, by contrast, generally kill victims with whom they have shared some kind of relationship, most often in which the victim is dependent on them.” Studies have found that most serial killers stay local to a certain area, distance or state. Research suggests that some serial killers travel to avoid detection like Ted Bundy but this is not the case in most. A heavily focused reason for serial murders is a desire for power and control. Power and control gives the serial killer thrill, sexual satisfaction, and dominance that they have not had before. They feel pleasure from tying up their victims and watching the victims scream and cry. The act of degrading the victim gives them the feeling of asserting control and power that they have lacked in their life previously. Unlike other homicides, serial killers almost never use guns. They enjoy holding the power to control how fast and when their victim dies. A gun makes the act end quickly and serial killers enjoy making their victims suffer in pain. Researchers state “Regardless of whether the critical component is the stimulus (the direct infliction of pain) or the response (the victim’s suffering itself), the fundamental objective in the actions of the sadistic serial killer is to achieve complete mastery over his victims. In other words, humiliation, enslavement, and terror are vehicles for attaining total domination over another human being.” It also states “Through murder and mayhem, therefore, the sexually motivated serial killer literally chases his dreams. With each successive victim, he attempts to fine-tune the act. Through what Prentky, Burgess, and Rokous (1989) call “trial runs,” the killer strives to make his real-life experiences as perfect as his fantasy. But because the trial run can never match the fantasy exactly, the killer repeatedly needs to stage his fantasy with another victim…As his crimes become more vicious and
barbaric over time, the serial killer’s mental script can become more demanding. Not only is his behavior driven by fantasy, but the fantasy itself is altered and reinforced through the offenses that he has committed. As a result, the killer’s crimes can increase in severity as he constantly updates his fantasy in a never-ending spiral of image and action.”

Kolla, N.J., Boileau, I., Karas, K. et al. Lower amygdala fatty acid amide hydrolase in violent offenders with antisocial personality disorder: an [¹¹C]CURB positron emission tomography study. Transl Psychiatry11, 57 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-020-01144-2

A study was conducted to determine the link between function of the amygdala and anti social disorder. The article categorizes antisocial personality disorder by “Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by reckless, aggressive, and impulsive behavior.” A highlighted feature in those with ASPD is reactivity and aggression. The brains endocannabinoid system has been implicated is those with aggressive tendencies and antisocial disorder. It was found that a decreased FAAH expression is linked an increased cannabinoid receptor which is theorized to be responsible for hyper-activity in the amygdala in reactive aggression. This study found that amygdala density was lower in those with Antisocial Personality Disorder. This type of low density of the amygdala has also been found in those who drink and do drugs. They were able to conclude that primarily internal disorders such as depression and ptsd would result in higher amygdala volume and personality disorders like bipolar and ASPD result in low volume of the amygdala.

Gao, Z., Wang, H., Lu, T., Froudist-Walsh, S., Chen, M., Wang, X.-J., Hu, J., & Sun, W. (2021, December 1). The neural basis of delayed gratification | science advances. Science Advances. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abg6611

Impulsiveness is increased by instant gratification. Instant gratification occurs when an act is committed that send signals of gratification and happiness to the brain as a direct result. Instant gratification is a precursor for diseases such as addiction and obesity as the release from these actions occurs directly at the time they are committed. Delayed gratification is the most important and creates distance between time and increased gratification. Delayed gratification is when one withholds from the action that provides gratification with hopes that the gratification is larger and more rewarding. In order to recieve delayed gratification the killer must suppress the compulsion to kill.

Anderson, J. (1994). Genesis of a Serial killer: Fantasy’s Integral Role in the Creation of a Monster. Available at patowic@ jurai. net.

Serial killers are not motivated by things like money or some ideal like paid assasins or guerilla warriors are. Serial killers are motivated purely by the thrill and pleasure stemming from the kill the second it is initiated. The sexual undertones of these crimes are often called into play as a mean to determine why the killing had occured in the first place. The consciousness of a serial killer is called into question in the article. The author is trying to determine whether or not serial killers have free will or if they lack control of it. He also takes into account that idea that serial killers CHOOSE to kill and are not out of control. Addiction is found to be present in many serial killers. A large number of serial killers are addicted to a fantasy life. Compulsions are a form of cravings that stem from addiction. Studies have shown that sexual addictions and gambling addictions are just as hard to stop as drug addictions. Does this mean that serial killers physically cannot stop killing because they are addicted to the high they get from it. Addictions are a progressive disease which means that as time goes on the addiction keeps spiraling worse and worse. A factor of the progressiveness of addiction is its consuming nature. The person from the addiction becomes all consumed by the addiction and is no longer able to exert free will against what their addiction is.The article states “essentially, the addictive substance is psychotropic, and as such, is an understandable coping device. All of these behaviors can make an individual feel better for a little while, and this brief respite from anxiety is what eventually leads the individual into addiction.”This can be seen in serial killers as we see them go from organized, being able to control when and where they kill and also without a trace to unorganized, unable to control their killing pattern, and ultimately become sloppy which leads to them getting captured. Studies also show that those who are serial killers require more thrills than others. Many suffer from antisocial personality disorder. Individuals with this disorder suffer from outbursts of violence and anger. The serial killers enjoy fantasizing about doing harm to humans even as a young child. Some serial killers try to claim that their crimes were spontaneous but due to the knowledge and research on fantasies in serial killers it is very hard to believe these crimes were spontaneous. The fantasies create a well thought out plan for the serial killer to complete. Victim type is another example of fantasy. Almost all serial killers target people who all look alike which is not a coincidence. Serial killers often pick their victims off of a certain type that they find attractive and this type is often created in the fantasies. Each murder results in the fantasy becoming more intense and refined. A serial killer will not stop on his own and the only way for him to be stopped is by being captured. This is what makes it so hard for the police to find serial killers until they notice the pattern or a tiny mistake is left behind.

Freeman, R. (2019, January 17). What is psychopathy? – neuroinstincts: Dr. Rhonda Freeman. Neuroinstincts. Retrieved October 17, 2022, from https://neuroinstincts.com/psychopathy/ 

Psychopathy can be defined as a neurodevelopmental personality disorder. This means chemical imbalances in the brain shifts and alters ones personality. The condition of psychopathy is very unique from any other mental illness and can be the most dangerous if not properly managed with medication and therapy. Psychopathy is typically seen in men but it is not limited to one gender. Some people who suffer from psychopathy are predatory by nature which means they stalk, or hunt with the purpose of violation, gratification, control, release and sex. Not all serial killers suffer from psychopathy but all serial killers do hunt/ stalk humans with the purpose to fulfill some type of gratification, violation, control, release, or sex. Psychopathics accounts for high volumes of crime. Psychopaths lack the ability to form emotional connections with others around them and often feel isolated and alone. To add, they also have emotional processings problems and are not able to distinguish and pinpoint what they are feeling. Lack of remorse and guilt is largely seen in serial killers who suffer from psychopathy. They are unable to process negative emotions such as the remorse and guilt that we believe one would feel after committing such a horrific crime.

Apsche, J. A. (1993). “Probing the mind of a serial killer” –. Eprintedbooks. http://www.eprintedbooks.com/Samplers/Sampler_Probing_the_Mind_of_a_Serial_Kiler-Dr_Jack_Apsche.pdf

In todays day and age the question of insanity is a legal question rather than a psychiatric/mental question. Insanity is determined based off of M’Naghten’s rule which takes into account whether or not the defendant understands the nature and quality of the crime that they are accused of. This also tries to determine if the defendant knew the difference between right and wrong when the crime occurred. Apsche claims “a person in not responsible for criminal conduct if at the time of such conduct, as a result of mental disease or defect, he lacks substantial capacity to appreciate the criminality (wrongfulness) of his conduct to the requirement of the law.” Many professionals have different opinions when it comes to determining who is insane and sane. One professional may declare someone like Jeffrey Dahmer insane while another may declare him sane. The explanations the psychiatrist conclude from interviews does not lead to a better understanding for the mental state of a serial killer. Most serial killers classify as legally sane because they are aware of the crimes they committed. “Probing the mind of a serial killer” states ” the compulsive ritual of a serial murderer has been rehearsed to perfection, with an overactive fantasy life, sometimes for decades. These rituals are rehearsed and improved further with each kidnapping or murder. A level of logical thinking and awareness is an inevitable conclusion.”

Lampley, S. (n.d.). “Serial killers: Insane or super intelligent?” Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/captivating-crimes/202006/serial-killers-insane-or-super-intelligent

Media and tv have created the misconception that all serial killers are either insane or super intelligent. Almost all serial killers cannot be classified as legally insane. Only one serial killer who tried the insanity plea was granted because it is an extremely hard thing to prove and the criteria is very strict. Most serial killers are diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder which creates aggression, violence, and lack of remorse but those with this disorder are aware of their actions which an insane person would not be. Because Jeffery Dahmer tried to stop murdering and knew his crimes were illegal, he did not qualify to be declared insane even though his actions were some of the most gruesome killings the country has seen. Another misconception the media spews is that all serial killers are very intelligent and have genius iq levels. While some serial killers who are organized and meticulous do have a higher iq, those who are unorganized and manic have a slighter lower iq. Overall, these misconceptions are largely due to the fault of the media which puts serial killers on a pedal stool.

Dietz, Park. (1986). Mass, serial and sensational homicides. Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine. 62. 477-91.

Park Dietz in “Mass, serial and sensational homicides” deciphers the differences and similarities in mass, serial and sensation homicide which the title suggests. He starts by making note that in all of these types many killers strive for publicity from their crime to envoke fear and gain the interest of others. The severity of these offenders is determined by the degree of publicity. Some killers have been found to return to the scene of the crime and move/pose the body to ensure that it is found to watch the fear develop in the communities eyes and to have their crimes recognized. These three types of murders are the least to occur which in return means that we have the least knowledge on these crimes and the offender. Park defines mass murder as “mass murder should be defined as offenses in which multiple victims are intentionally killed by a single offender in a single incident.” Mass murder must include at least 3 victims and be within a time interval of 24 hours committed by the same offender. The distance in these crimes is not relevant as long as the travel and kills are within 24 hours. There are three types defined types of mass murderers. There is the family annihilator, psuedocommando, and set-and-run killers. The family annihilator is typically the head male of the house who suffers from depressions, paranoia and/or addiction. This type of mass murder kills all of the family members who are present and will even sometimes go as far as to kill the family pet. The motive for this type of kill stems from rage and feelings of betrayal. The psuedocommando mass murder always carries out the kill using a gun and ammunition. These raids are meticulously thought out and deliberated before occurring. This type of murder will typically force the police to kill him in order to protect themselves and the surrounding community. Set-and-run killers are the type who place items like bombs or posion to inflict maximum damage to a certain area on random victims without having to carry out the killing with heir own hands. These killers will set up their device and walk off to watch from afar to avoid detection from the police and to avoid damage. The most common motive for these types of kill are anger and revenge towards a certain place, busisness maybe, or group of people. A group of people they target could be due to religion/faith. Serial killers are those who are defined as killing at least 3 people in different instances. A serial killers kills must be spaced out to be classified as so. These time periods between kills can span from years to months to weeks to even days as the intensity for the killer kicks up and the compulsion worsens. Victims of serial killers are typically strangled, beaten raped, and or stabbed. These methods provide more intimacy and feelings of control/power for the killer. Dietz defined five different types of serial killers which consists of the psychotic sexual sadists, crime spree killer, custodial poisoner/asphyxiators, and supposed psychotics. The psychotic sexual sadist is always male and typically suffers from antisocial personality disorder and sexual sadism. These men experiences intense fantasies that they reenact through their crimes. Crime spree killers are those who kill during a series of crimes like robberies for money, valuable items and excitement. The most famous example of this type of killer is Bonnie and Clyde. Custodial/asphyxiators are typically caretakers or nurses to those who are disabled and kill to “end the suffering” of the victim. Lastly supposed psychotics are those who claim to suffer from delusions. Dietz categorizes these killers as supposed because he has not come across any evidence to prove that these killers actually suffer from such delusions and compulsions. These types of killers typically claim to hear voices which tell them to kill their victim. The son of sam would be an example of a supposed psychotic as he claims a neighbors dog told him to kill his victims but there is not any proof to prove this absurd delusion.

Knoll, J. L. (2010). The “Pseudocommando” Mass Murderer: Part I, The Psychology of Revenge and Obliteration. Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online, 38(1), 87–94.

The psuedocommando murder commits his killings in the day time when there is the most people around. These types of mass murderers plan their attacks very throughly and they do not create an escape plan. They expect to be killed while executing their task. A psuedocommando killing is committed with arsenal. The motivation for this type of killing is anger and resentment. Psuedocommando killers have fantasies of revenge which lead them to commit the mass murder. The article states “It is argued that revenge fantasies become the last refuge for the pseudocommando’s mortally wounded self-esteem and ultimately enable him to commit mass murder-suicide.” In 1986, Park Dietz coined the term to describe a mass murderer who plans his killings after long deliberation. The killings are at random but can also be targeted towards family members or a psuedo-community who the mass murderer believes has caused him harm. The article states “he appears to be driven by strong feelings of anger and resentment, in addition to having a paranoid character. Such persons are “collectors of injustice”³ who nurture their wounded narcissism and retreat into a fantasy life of violence and revenge.”

3. Topics for Smaller Papers (very preliminary)

Brain Injury can lead to violent behavior

In on of my smaller papers I could dedicate it to the link between traumatic brain injuries and violence. In the articles I have read so far, I have found significant evidence that a traumatic brain injury affects many lobes of the brain. This injury can contribute to violent behavior after the injury. Some serial killers have been found to have traumatic brain injuries.

(cause/effect) Brain Injury from things like abuse, accidents, or sports can cause violent and sadistic behavior.

(counterargument/flaws) A brain injury can not change the brain chemistry enough to cause one to commit a violent crime like homicide. Other factors, such as previous violent and antisocial behavior, added onto a brain injury would only have this affect

Males are more likely than females to commit violent crimes

I could devote on of my smaller papers to the statistics of crime rates between males and females. I was shocked to find that males are significantly more likely to commit violent crimes such as murders.

(cause/effect) Men typically engage in risker behavior and violence causing them to have higher crime rates than women.

(counterargument/flaw) Not all men engage in violent or risky behavior. Just like, not all women are more docile. Women have been linked to violent crimes therefore you cant conclude men commit violent crimes more than women. This is all situational and based on how one was raised as a child.

Antisocial behavior is a product of a genetic mutation

A rare mutation of the XYY chromosome in males has been found to be linked to increased violence, homicidal behavior, and antisocial behavior. Numerous serial killers have been found to have this genetic mutation. This is interesting to me because this supports the theory that serial killers may be born and not made.

(cause/effect) Some have a mutation of the XYY chromosome. This error in genetic mutation is thought to be the cause antisocial, sadistic, and violent behavior

(counterargument/flaws) Not all men who have this rare mutation are violent or antisocial.

Abuse as a child affects productivity in adulthood

This topic would make an interesting small paper to determine the long term affects of child abuse. I would like to discover if my theory that people who hold positions with authority were abused as children is true.

(cause/effect) Abuse as a child is traumatic and therefore causes lasting effects into adulthood.

(counterargument/flaws) Accomplished individuals who experienced abuse as a child have overcome their trauma and have gone on to be very successful. Oprah Winfrey and Albert Einstein overcome their struggles and can be considered very successful in all they have contributed to society.

Individuals with ADHD have an increased risk of committing crimes

(cause/effect)

(counterargument/flaws)

Antisocial Personality Disorder stems from conduct disorder as a child

(cause/effect)

(counterargument/flaws)

Legal insanity is impossible to prove:

(cause/effect)

(counterargument/flaws)

Practice Opening 1:

Amygdala damage, which is caused by traumatic brain injuries or mental illness, is frequently found in the brain of a serial killer and is responsible for violent behavior. Damage to the amygdala is often found in those who also suffer from neuropsychological conditions like ADHD, schizophrenia or PTSD. The amygdala is responsible for processing emotions such as fear, anger, and empathy. With damage, the amygdala is no longer able to create a distinction between these emotions and in return the host lacks emotion. The lack of empathy or the increase of violence caused by damage to the amygdala becomes dangerous and even deadly when mixed with mental disorders or environmental factors like abuse and trauma.

Practice Opening 2:

Serial killers, who experience a compulsion to kill, are not able to exhibit free will. The term compulsion has been coined by serial killers around the world when they are questioned on the reason for committing their gruesome crimes. Compulsion, controlled by the frontal lobe, generates a feeling of relief once the obsessive behavior is performed. Even if he doesn’t want to claim a new victim, a feeling of needing to continues until his next target is locked in. Many serial killers try to exert free will by retreating into a dormant period where he could go a certain amount of time without killing anyone. But despite his own conscious wishes, a serial killer loses his free will and claims another victim. This is due to the feeling of compulsion “pulling” and “nagging” until the crime is committed and a feeling of gratification takes over. The gratification doesn’t last long before the compulsion returns and the cycle starts all over again.

5. Current State of My Research

I feel really good about my current state of research. I have found many different articles relating to the mental, physical, and environmental factors that create a serial killer. I have also found some really interesting articles and books which detail the difference between serial killers and mass murders and the different typologies if each. This has been very useful for my definition argument which is where I define the difference between the two and detail why we are looking at serial killers to prove this theory. At this point I have come to the conclusion that there are too many factors in which makes a serial killer and we cannot blame one specific thing such as child abuse or psychopathy. The conclusions I have been able to draw from this information has not surprised me at this point.