Mass Murder vs. Serial Killer:
The Differences in Murder Typology

Mass murderers are not as psychologically troubled as sequential murderers. Noteworthy distinctions between mass killings and serial killings prevail in the nature and timing of the crime. Although not the most common, mass murder and serial murder are the two most exhibited classifications of murders. Mass murderers terrorize the public by slaughtering victims all at once and often at random. Serial killers induce fear by patiently selecting victims and killing in a pattern over a period of time. The fear of murder at random and the large-scale media coverage of these events are what make serial killers and mass murders the most notorious and intriguing killers to the public. We are urged to be alert and fearful, but we are rarely at risk of becoming victims, at least statistically. The odds of winning the Mega Million lottery are higher than becoming a victim of mass and serial murder.

Similar to serial killings, mass murders are methodically planned to wreak havoc on the general population. The systematic planning both types of killers demonstrate leaves no room to question the sanity of the killer. If insanity were to play a role in the killings, at least in a legal sense, the killer would kill without a plan or any knowledge of the crimes they are committing. The sole phenomenon of a killer being consciously aware of their conduct leads to the generated fear of the public.

Mass murderers are defined as those who kill three or more people within a time constraint of twenty-four hours. Mass murders occur more frequently, or are observed more briskly by law enforcement, than a string of serial murders. We are, statistically speaking, more likely to be victims of a mass murder than a serial killing. Most notably, mass murderers typically kill all of their victims at the same time or within seconds/minutes of each other. In some instances, mass murder has been separated by hours, but never days. The mass murderer type is typically a white male whose age ranges from 30s-40s. The victims of mass murder are, in most cases, strangers who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The family annihilator is an exception, as their victims are members of their family. The actions carried out by the killer are methodically planned out. The most common cause for these mass casualties is anger or revenge towards a certain location. It is important to note that mass murderers are often confused with serial killers, but they are very distinct in nature. Unlike serial killers, the motives behind mass murders are almost never caused by mental illness.

Park Elliot Dietz in “Mass, serial, and sensational homicides” defines mass murder constraints by stating “surely a murderer who kills half the requisite number of victims at one site and then travels directly to another site where the other half are killed ought to qualify as a mass murderer, as would one who killed a sufficient number of victims while shooting from a moving vehicle or traveling aboard a train, ship, or aircraft. I would therefore ignore location or distance in the definition of mass murder.” With these constraints in mind we are able to establish that although there is a time limit to defining mass murder, the location or the number of locations where the murders take place does not disqualify a string of murders from being defined as mass homicide.

Inside the classification of mass murders, befalls three measured varieties. All three subdivisions operate with a common goal, to inflict maximum damage on a specific group of people or a specific geographic location. The classifications of mass murder are broken into categories: the family annihilator, the psuedocommando, and the set-and-run killers. The difference in these types of mass murders is important to note to help better understand the cause and how we can prevent ourselves from becoming victims in the future. For mass murders, these acts are carried out quickly and can wipe many people out in a single incident. 

The first typology of mass murders is classified as family annihilators. The cause for this typically stems from marital problems and/or mental illness/addiction. This is the only type in which the victims are always people the murderer knows and has a personal relationship with, which goes against the common theme of wrong place, wrong time. The nature of this crime is not often premeditated and occurs most when drugs/alcohol are mixed with a mental illness. Since this crime is not usually premeditated, it could occur because of insanity. This has never been found to be the case, but that should not disqualify it as being a worthy case for insanity. The research paper, “Mass, serial, and sensational homicides” establishes family annihilators as “family annihilators, usually the senior man of the house, who is depressed, paranoid, intoxicated or a combination of these.” He typically eliminates every family member who is present and will even sometimes go as far as killing the family pet. The most notable case of a family annihilator is George Banks, who was a former prison guard in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, that killed 12 of his family members and one bystander. These included his four baby mothers and nine children. George banks killed 8 in his family home before driving down the road and killing four more of his family, as well as a bystander walking past the outside of the home. Although Banks had to travel 15 minutes down the road to kill the other four family members, this case is still considered a mass murder as location does not play a factor. The only circumstance for mass murder is the time interval in which the murder occurs. Most family annihilators kill themselves at the end of their massacre or force the police to kill them, but this was not the case for George Banks.

Psuedocommando mass murderers are those who commit murders using a firearm and ammunition. Psuedocommando killings are typically carried out due to anger and resentment towards those who have physically or emotionally hurt the shooter, or even a location that invokes memories of mistreatment. The anger associated with this type leads him to kill strangers who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. He typically will execute his massacre at a time when the maximum amount of people are present. The article, “The ‘Pseudocommando’ Mass Murderer: Part I, The Psychology of Revenge and Obliteration,” written by James L. Knoll concluded “research suggests that the pseudocommando is driven by strong feelings of anger and resentment, flowing from beliefs about being persecuted or grossly mistreated.” The careful planning and long period of debate before the crime would not classify this case as insanity. These factors prove that the killer had thought about their actions way before the crime was committed, and they had the chance to change their mind. The most relevant cases of psuedocommando murders in the media today are school shootings. This crime is committed after a long period of planning and deliberation. School shooters often exact revenge for the mistreatment they experience at the hands of their peers. An example of this is the case of Parkland school shooter, Nikolas Cruz, who shot and killed 17 of his peers and injured another 17. Cruz was said to be a loner and was expelled from school for disciplinary reasons. Nikolas Cruz took the innocent lives of his peers to fulfill his mission of maximum damage.

Set-and-run killers are arguably the cowards of these different classifications. The main cause for these types of killings remains unknown, but can be estimated to be due to anger and feelings of betrayal by humankind. Set-and-run killers employ devices such as bombs to help them execute the kill without being physically present. This method of murder is seen in terrorists, whether they are domestic or foreign terrorists. They will typically set the bomb down and escape to a place where they can admire their work from a distance. Dietz also states other examples such as “those who bomb buildings or vehicles on which they are not traveling, who set arson fires, or who tamper with food or products, as in the Tylenol poisonings.” With this method, the killer hopes to elude the police. The careful construction of a weapon such as a bomb takes extensive research, planning, and building. Due to the time it takes, this method of mass murder also cannot be established as insanity. If a person takes the time to research and build a weapon of destruction, they are obviously capable of grasping the idea that this crime is illegal. Set-and-run killers sometimes have a single victim in mind such as a political official but consider the surrounding bystanders as collateral to be able to achieve the goal they were hoping to accomplish.

Unlike the mass murderer, a serial killer executes his victims over a period of time, with gaps in time between the kills. To define a series of murders, there must be at least four victims. The article “Mass, serial, and sensational homicide” defines serial murder as “Serial murder involves a string of four or more homicides committed by one or a few perpetrators that span a period of days, weeks, months, or even years.” The FBI Bulletin-August 1985 found that most serial killers are predominately white and are the eldest son.

The explanations/factors for serial killings are endless, but some contributing factors are mental illness, physical/genetic abnormalities, childhood trauma, and traumatic brain injury. “Mass, serial, and sensational homicide” states “while every serial killer is mentally disordered, nearly all are psychopathic sexual sadists, and few, if any, are psychotic. Psychotic offenders rarely have the wherewithal repeatedly to escape apprehension.” Most serial killers do not suffer from a serious mental disorder such as schizophrenia, but many do suffer from an antisocial personality disorder, ADHD, and bipolar. In the mentally unwell state, a serial killer stalks his victims until he decides to make his move. Most serial killers pick their victims based on a certain look. This could be because they find them attractive and do not feel like they have a chance with them, or because the victim reminds them of someone who has hurt them in the past, such as an abusive parent.

There are about five defined types of serial killers. Within these types, the way they kill and the motive for the kill differ. All five typologies of serial killers pick their victims at random and kill over time without being noticed by the police. Each type of serial killer, besides the supposed psychotic killer, will not and should not be granted insanity simply because of the number of times they murder. To kill 4 or more people at different times would be impossible to execute and elude detection by police if the person was insane. The only instance where a supposedly psychotic killer would be granted this defense would be if it had been proven by medical experts that this person has a history of psychosis.

The Psychopathic sexual sadist killer murders for mere gratification and pleasure of the kill. Psychopathic sexual sadist murders are typically the most violent, as the killer is aroused by the pain the victim endures. Many serial killers of this nature commit necrophilia, which is having sexual intercourse with a dead body. “No one is born a serial killer” suggests “From Vernon J. Geberth experience, however, the killer is rarely psychotic. They are usually sexual psychopaths with a deep criminality, and they clearly have a good connection with the reality.” This means that the killer is fully conscious of the crimes he has committed and is not suffering from a mental illness episode. The most notable serial killers of this kind are John Wayne Gacy and Jefferey Dahmer.

Crime spree killers are those who commit murder with other crimes, such as robbery. These types of killers enjoy the thrill that they gain from the power exerted over their victims. The book “The People Behind Murderous Crime Sprees” states “There may also be different motives, such as the need to eliminate witnesses, killing to ensure getaway, or the need to kill for killing’s sake.” These killers kill in at least three locations and at three separate times. The most notable case of crime spree killers is Bonnie and Clyde. During the great depression, this couple traveled through the central United States while committing bank robberies and murdering those who stood in their way.

The organized crime functionaries are those who are contract killers. This means that they are hired to take out someone else’s opponent for money. Although their motive for the killing is money, they also enjoy the power and thrill that the killing provides. The most common form of these killers is political assassins and rival gangs.

Custodial killers are often referred to as “angels of death”. These killers kill the person who is in their care. The article “Serial killers: I. Subtypes, patterns, and motives” gives the example of “The most common examples include “angel of death” cases involving nurses in hospitals or nursing homes who surreptitiously murder ill or elderly patients, usually by asphyxiation or medication overdose.” This type of serial killer contains the highest number of female serial killers, which is uncommon. The serial killer believes they are helping the victim in these cases, but they also enjoy the power that comes with holding someone’s life in their hands.

Psychotic killers are those who experience delusions that convince them to kill. These killers may sometimes believe they need to rid the world of a certain type of person. These killers may experience schizophrenia and/or psychosis, which is a severe mental disorder in which one’s thoughts and emotions are so impaired that they lose touch with reality. “No one is born a serial killer” defines the context of psychotic or psychopathy as “this psychopath term is used when the psychological, biological and genetic factors, as well as the social influences and childhood experiences, helped to develop the syndrome.” This type of serial killer is the only type that could potentially receive a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. This is due to alleged delusions these killers experience, which would keep them from knowingly committing a crime. Even in cases of this nature, many serial killers who try are declared sane by professionals. Ed Gein is the most notorious psychotic killer. He killed two people and dug up over 30 graves and used human skin to make furniture, purses, and shoes.

There are many distinct differences between a mass murderer and a serial killer. The most significant difference between the two is the time constraint. Mass murderers commit their murders in large numbers within 24 hours of each other. Many are typically committed within seconds or minutes of each other. While, serial killers commit their murders over days, weeks, or even years. It is not uncommon for serial killers to go through dormant periods where they contain their compulsions and do not kill. Typically, the first murder after the dormant period is brutal overkill to make up for the lost time.

Serial killers are also much harder to capture. Mass murderers are typically present on the scene at the time of the murders, so it is easy to find them. Some mass murderers do get arrested, but a large number commit suicide or force the police to kill them. In contrast, serial killers escape by the time the police learn of the crime. Different locations make it harder for the police to connect the string of murders, and a serial killer can often go unnoticed for years before the police realize they have a problem.

Serial killers are more feared by the public and often cause community unrest. “Mass, serial, and sensational homicide” claims “massacres do not tend to generate the same level of public fear and anxiety. Until a serial killer is caught, he may be on the loose for weeks, months, or years. Citizens are terrified; they want to protect themselves from becoming the next victim. Each newly discovered murder reenergizes the community’s state of alarm. However, a massacre, though catastrophic, is a single event. By the time the public is informed, the episode is over. There may be widespread horror, but little anxiety.” The public has become fascinated and intrigued over the years, thus making them more popular and feared. As stated before, a serial killer on the loose terrorizes the public until he is caught, but not many people fear a mass murder until it happens, and after the murder, people are more shocked than scared of another event.

Serial killers and mass murderers never sustain a verdict of not guilty due to insanity, but many have tried. This verdict has only been granted in the case of a serial killer one time, and has never been granted to a mass murderer. To qualify for legal insanity, it must be determined that the killer was not aware during the time of the crime that it was an unlawful act. This verdict is difficult to sustain because of the number of times serial killers or mass murderers kill their victims. To truly establish a verdict of insanity, we must first look at the background of the killer and determine what it is that made them kill

Although serial killers and mass murderers are diverse, the twain targets the innocent and finds pleasure in exerting power. The different types of serial killers and mass murders represent all the causes and factors that make one kill. Studies are published every day to try and figure out the reasoning behind the peculiarities of mass and serial murder. Not the most common murders, but serial killings and mass murders are found to be the most fascinating and mind-boggling by the public.

Works Cited

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

Ioana, Ilie Magdalena. “No One Is Born a Serial Killer!” Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, Elsevier, 20 July 2013.

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.

Miller, Laurence. “Serial Killers: I. Subtypes, Patterns, and Motives.” Aggression and Violent Behavior, Pergamon, 14 Nov. 2013.

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