1. Project: What makes a Serial Killer?
Create a PowerPoint Presentation detailing the following:
Psychoanalysis of Your Serial Killer
What Makes a Serial Killer (cause, reasoning, thinking, normal behaviors, abnormal behaviors, intelligence)
Actions of a Serial Killer (reasons, victims, what they get out of the killings, trophies/keepsakes, what they do with the bodies, etc.)
Media Attention (good or bad or both)
Discuss their adolescence and how it played a part in the person s/he became
What was abnormal about his/her life in comparison to your/our lives (i.e. were there any signs that would indicated this person would become a serial killer)?
What type of killer are they? Motive? Reasons for doing what they do?
Be sure to give sufficient detail on the victim(s) – was there a trend between all the victims? (what does info about the victim(s) tell about your sk?)
Where are they now? (captured-arrest-confession-trial- sentencing)

2. Criminal Profiling Serial Killers & You
Chapter 28: Forensic Psychology
Chapter 29: Forensic Psychiatry
Chapter 30: Serial Offenders: Linking Cases by Modus Operandi and Signature
Chapter 31: Criminal Personality Profiling

3. What is Murder?
Some murders are committed only for the offender’s own enjoyment and psychological satisfaction
Many killers have high numbers of victims and their actions are sadistically brutal
Mass Spree Serial
# of victims
# of events
# of locations
Cooling-off period no no yes
Note: # of victims for serial killers was revised from 3 to 2 at the 2005 FBI-sponsored symposium on serial murder.

4. Mass and Spree Murder
Mass murder: The killing of several people at one location.
Spree murder: The killing of several people at different locations over a period of several days.
These killers typically commit suicide or are killed by the police.
Two types of mass murderers:
Those who chose specific targets who the killers believe to have caused them stress.
Those who attack targets having no connection with the killer but who belong to groups the killer dislikes.

5. Mass and Spree Murder
Most mass murderers are motivated by a hatred that simmers until some specific event provides the flame that brings it to a boil.
Spree killers move from victim to victim in fairly rapid succession.
Spree killing is rare, but spree-killing teams are even rarer and are typically composed of a dominant leader and submissive lover.
Spree and mass murderers have increased steadily in the United States since the middle of the century.

6. Serial Murder
FBI’s three criteria for defining a killer as a serial killer:
Kill in three or more separate events.
At three or more separate locations.
Engage in an emotional cooling off period between murders.
Serial murder: The killing of three or more victims over an extended period of time.

7. U.S. Serial Killers by Decade (Decade of First Kill)15 25 27 17 21 31 94
296
382
260 83
Source: Aamodt & Surrette (2010)

8. General Serial Killer Profile Demographics - Worldwide
Male
Our data base: 88.1%
Kraemer, Lord & Heilbrun (2004) study of 157 serial killers: 96%
White
66.9% of all serial killers (68% in Kraemer et al, 2004)
63.8% of male serial killers
83.8% of female serial killers
Average intelligence
Mean of in our data base (median = 100.)
n = 113
Updated 07/10/2010

9. The Extent of the Problem
Some empirical evidence suggested that roughly 20% of the murders in the United States yearly were committed by serial killers.
However, other data sources contented that the share of serial killers accounted for no more than murders each year.

10. DEMOGRAPHICS 88% MALE AVERAGE AGE 28.5 TARGETED STRANGERS 62%
CAUCASIAN 85%
OPERATE IN SPECIFIC LOCATION 71%

11. WHAT MAKES A SERIAL KILLER?
ADOLESCENT LIFE
ALL COME FROM DYSFUNCTIONAL BACKGROUNDS INVOLVING SEXUAL OR PHYSICAL ABUSE
BIPOLAR MODE DISORDER
A FEELING OF RESENTMENT TOWARDS SOCIETY
SEXUAL FRUSTRATIONS
DAY DREAMING
ISOLATION

12. MENTAL ILLNESS MOST NOT PSYCHOTIC THEY ARE PSYCHOPATHS
THEY PERCEIVE THEMSELVES AS GODS
BECOME ADDICTED TO KILLING
*You can also have Copy Cat Killers: those who set out to copy more infamous killers

13. Psychopath Definitions of Psychopath (or sociopath) on the Web:
* A person who willfully does damage without remorse. "Such individuals are insensitive to other's needs, and unable to anticipate the consequences of their behavior... characterized by absence of guilt and anxiety normally accompanying an antisocial act."

14. Categorizing the Serial Killer
Sex, race, age IQ
Psychopathology
Crime Scene
Type of weapon
Use of torture
Attempt to hide body
Location
Motive
Sex
Power
Fianancial Gain
Victim
Sex, Race, Age
Occupation
Personality

15. A Problem with Profiling
Typical Serial Killer Profile in the Media
A white, male, in his mid to late twenties
Statistics (U.S. Serial Killers)
Male (89.1%)
White (68.1%)
Mid to late twenties (29.5%)
White, male (58.7%)
White male in his mid to late twenties (16.5%)
Updated 09/06/2010

16. Racial Changes Across Time U.S. Serial Killers
Decade
White
Black
Hisp
Asian N
2000
39.0%
58.5%
1.2% 82
1990
59.4%
32.0%
6.6%
1.6%
256
1980
63.9%
26.4%
7.9%
0.8%
379
1970
73.6%
21.4%
3.7%
0.7%
295
1960
80.6%
18.3%
1.1% 93
1950
96.8%
3.2% 31
1940
81.0%
9.5%
4.8% 21
1930
76.5%
23.5% 17
Source: Aamodt & Surrette (2010)
Updated 09/06/2010

17. Serial Killing is a White Thing 1980-2009
Serial Killers
1980, 1990, 2000 Census
White
59.08%
74.40%
Black
32.33%
11.95%
Hispanic
6.72%
9.55%
Asian
1.14%
2.81%
Updated 07/10/2010

18. Birth Order Comparison
Serial Killers
U.S. Presidents
U.S. Population
First Born
32.6%
33.3%
28.36
Middle Born
27.3%
50.0%
15.90
Youngest
25.5%
14.3%
Only Child
14.7%
2.4%
27.39
N = 334
2000 Census
Updated 07/10/2010

19. General Serial Killer Profile Childhood
Unstable home (37%)
Absence of loving and nurturing relationship
Physical ailments and disabilities
Head injuries
Triad
bed wetting
fire starting
animal torture

20. Effects of the Family Child Abuse
Comparison of Serial Killers to the General Population (Mitchell & Aamodt, 2005)
Type of Abuse
General
Population
Serial Killers
Physical 6%
36%
Sexual 3%
26%
Psychological 2%
50%
Neglect
18%
Other
Not applicable
No Abuse Reported
70%
32%

21. Types of Serial Killers
Visionary: betterment of society, for better good
Missionary: justified killings
Hedonistic: pleasure (lust), ‘black widows’
Economic Gain: for material ends, “things”
Power & Control: domination, abused as child, most common
Sexual in Nature
You may come across additional reasons in your research.

22. Types of Serial Killers Visionaries
Psychotic - told to kill
paranoia, schizophrenia
1% of killers are psychotic (Henn et al., 1976)
Examples
Herbert Mullin
Miguel Rivera
Joseph Kallinger

23. Types of Serial Killers Missionaries
Kill to “Clean-up” world
Examples
Joseph Franklin
Killed interracial couples and African Americans
Wounded Vernon Jordan and Larry Flynt (Hustler Magazine)
Wolfgang Abel
Killed drug addicts
Axe Man of New Orleans
Killed 11 (most were Italian grocers)
Carroll Cole

24. Types of Serial Killers Hedonists
Kill for fun or profit
Subtypes
Lust Killers (kill for sexual gratification)
Organized
Disorganized
Mixed
Thrill Killers (kill for the thrill of killing)
Gain Killers
Contract Killers
Black Widows
Lethal Caretakers
Cost Cutters

25. Types of Serial Killers Power Seekers
Kill to exert power over strangers
Examples
Ted Bundy
David Berkowitz
Angelo Buono
Edward Kemper

26. Types of Serial Killers Revenge Killers
Kill for revenge
Examples
Martha Wise: Killed 3 family members opposing her marriage
Ellen Etheridge: Killed 4 of her 8 step-children because she was jealous of their relationship with her husband
Martha Johnson
Had 4 fights with her husband
After each fight, suffocated a child as revenge
Suffocated by laying on top of them (she weighed 250 pounds)

27. Types of Serial Killers Antisocial Personalities
Definition
Pattern of irresponsible or harmful behavior
Lack of conscience
Ignore social rules and laws
Impulsive
Fail to learn from punishment
Examples
Gang Members
Criminals who kill for no reason

28. Types of Serial Killers Antisocial Personalities
Definition
Pattern of irresponsible or harmful behavior
Lack of conscience
Ignore social rules and laws
Impulsive
Fail to learn from punishment
Examples
Gang Members
Criminals who kill for no reason
This type is not the primary focus of our discussion / project.

29. Stephen Giannangelo's Diathesis/Stress Model of Serial Killing
Figure 12.2
Stephen Giannangelo's Diathesis/Stress Model of Serial Killing
Biological Predisposition (low arousal levels, possible prefrontal cortex damage, etc) Environmental Trauma/Stress 
Predisposition Self-esteem and self- control problems
Sexual dysfunction
Maladaptive coping skills
Retreat into fantasy world
Dissocia-tive process
First Kill!

30. Law Enforcement’s Response to Serial Killing
The Investigative Support Unit (ISU) of the FBI has developed methods of profiling serial killers and other violent offenders through extensive interviewing and formal psychological testing of incarcerated killers in order to develop a typology based on personality and other offender characteristics.
Offender profiling is augmented by crime scene analysis, which often tells experienced investigators a lot about the perpetrator’s personality.
May serial murders may occur in diverse police jurisdictions without law enforcement being able to not the connections between them. This problem is known as linkage blindness.

31. Law Enforcement’s Response to Serial Killing
In 1985, the FBI created the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (VICAP) which was a national clearinghouse that collates information on unsolved violent crimes from different jurisdictions.
Law enforcement now has the ability to link a number of homicides committed in different jurisdictions to a single individual or individuals.

32. Serial Killers Henry Lee Lucas Angelo Buono Andrei Chikatilo
Belle Gunness
Richard Trenton Chase
Ed Gein (Tx Massacre)
Jake Bird
Michael Swango
Mary Ann Cotton
Karla Homolka
Robert Yates
Gary Ridgway
Nannie Doss
Bloody-Benders (US)
Thug Behram (India)
Miyuki Ishikawa (Japan)
Alexander Pichuzkin (Russia)
Bruce Lee (Britain)
Nikolai Dzhvmagaliev (Russia)
Karl Denke (Germany)

33. More Serial Killers Jeffrey Dahmer David Berkowicz (Son of Sam)
Jack the Ripper
Zodiac Killer
Albert Desalvo (Boston Strangler)
Yorkshore Ripper
BTK
Weepy-Voiced Killer
Charles Ng & Leonard Lake
Eddie Gein
“Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run”
The Frankford Slasher
William Burke & William Hare
Frederick Bailey Deeming
Fritz Haarmann
Black Dahlia
Black Widow
Charles Manson
John Wayne Gacey
Ted Bundy
Daisey de Melker (South Africa’s 1st serial killer)
Clairemont SK
Green River Killer
Rostov Ripper
Carl Panzram
Axeman of New Orleans
Berrima Axe Murderer
Anna Marie Hahn
Jack the Stripper