Organized Serial Killer Definition
We serial killers are your sons, we are your husbands, we are everywhere. And there will be more of your children dead tomorrow.
- Ted Bundy
A Serial Killer is a person who murders multiple people, usually with a cooling off period in between. The FBI estimates that at any given time, there are from 35 to 50 active serial killers in the U.S.
EtymologyEdit
The term serial killer was coined by FBI Special Agent Robert Ressler who, along with colleague John Douglas, was one of the founders of the BAU. 1 In the past, serial killers were known as Varedwulfs literally, werewolves, as their crimes were brutal enough in the eyes of locals to perpetuate the belief that they were committed by supernatural creatures 2
DefinitionEdit
In order to qualify as a serial killer, an Unsub must exhibit the following criteria:
Quantity: There must be at least three victims
Place: The killings must occur at different locations
Time: There must be a cooling off period
There are, of course, exceptions to these criteria; disorganized killers such as Ed Gein and Jeffrey Dahmer often commit their ghastly deeds at home. Sometimes the term serial killer is somewhat loosely applied to killers responsible for less than three murders. Examples are Gein, who killed two, and Gary Heidnik, who also killed two but held four more captive.
ProfileEdit
Organized/Non-SocialEdit
Organized serial killers, as profiled by John Douglas, former FBI Profiler, normally share the following common characteristics 3 :
White male, aged 25 to 45
Above average intelligence 100
Strong personal and social skills
Able to maintain normal family life
Usually employed in a menial position, often below their abilities
May make an effort to cover up their crimes, often dumping the body in a hidden location and cleaning up the crime scene; some have a working knowledge of forensics
ExamplesEdit
Ted Bundy - Certified Psychologist
John Wayne Gacy - Political activist, artist, chef, Freelance entertainer clown. Gacy also had special clearance by the US Secret Service
Harry Powers - Salesman
Disorganized/AsocialEdit
Disorganized serial killers may share these characteristics:
White male, any age range; but females are common as well
Below average intelligence Edmund Kemper, however, had an IQ of 145
The habit of leaving the body at the scene, not bothering to cover up the crime
May be difficult to catch due to constant relocation
May have a domineering family member most notably a parent
Uses blitz attacks to subdue, as opposed to seduction or sympathy
Has very few close relationships and is often referred to as the quiet type
MixedEdit
Mixed offenders display traits of both an organized and a disorganized killer. For example, they might have a plan and bring murder weapons, gloves and other things used for the killing, but the crime scene becomes a mess when the plan fails.
The Zodiac Killer
The Brown-Goldman crime scene
Angel of Death/MercyEdit
Angel of Death serial killers may share the following characteristics:
Usually in the medical profession
Most often female; but males are fairly common
Motive is highly variable revenge, financial gain, mercy, etc.
Most often use passive means poison, etc.
Charles Cullen
Jack Kevorkian
Donald Harvey
Bluebeard/Black WidowEdit
A Bluebeard or Black Widow is a man or woman respectively that murders their spouses, one after another, by various means.
Secondary PathologyEdit
One thing that most types have in common is the taking of trophies from the victim. This could be an earring, an article of clothing, and sometimes even a body part.
Female Serial Killers Edit
Though most serial killers are male, history has seen its share of females. There are two types for female serial killers:
The Sante Kimes Model are cold and calculating. They prey on men for money. She takes her time building relationships.
The Aileen Wuornos Archetype are motivated by paranoia and fear. They lure their victims with sex.
Historical SignificanceEdit
Serial slaughter has existed since the beginning of human history. Bloodthirsty psychopaths have occupied almost every significant era in our past; Roman Gladiators, medieval executioners, Hessian mercenaries, and even the so called Buffalo Soldiers of early American history. Even today, uniformed sadists are employed in the armies of every country in the world, enlisting alongside their patriotic brothers simply to have the chance to legally perform their psychotic fantasies.
Criminal MindsEdit
Some serial killers in Criminal Minds will be expanded gradually
See AlsoEdit
Further ReadingEdit
ReferencesEdit
The Serial Killer Files by Harold Schecter. Random House ISBN 978-0-345-46566-5 0-345-46566-0
The Serial Killer Files by Harold Schechter p. 129-130
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It may be impossible to fully categorize and understand any serial killer, but it is possible to review their methods and practices to better define what type of criminal they are. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has defined three distinct types of serial killers based on the way they carry out their murders. Understanding which category a serial killer falls into can make it easier to investigate their crimes and how to bring them to justice.
The Medical Killer
Although this type of killer is very rare, there have been some people who have become involved in the medical industry as a way to carry out their nefarious deeds. This type of killer feels they have the perfect cover because it is very common for people in a hospital to pass away. They are usually highly intelligent and know how to carefully and cleverly conceal their murders. As long as it appears that a victim has died a natural death, there will be no reason for anyone to suspect foul play and search for the guilty party. A few doctors in history have managed to kill dozens of people before others began to catch on.
The Organized Killer
This type of serial killer is the most difficult to identify and capture. They are usually highly intelligent and well organized to the point of being meticulous. Every detail of the crime is planned out well in advance, and the killer takes every precaution to make sure they leave no incriminating evidence behind. It is common for this type of psychopath to watch potential victims for several days to find someone they consider to be a good target. Once the victim is chosen, the killer will pick them up, often through some sort of ploy designed to gain their sympathy, and take them to another location to commit the murder. Once the person has been killed, the perpetrator will usually take precautions to ensure the body is not found until they want it to be. A criminal like this usually takes great pride in what they consider to be their work and have a tendency to pay close attention to news stories about their deeds. One of their motivating factors may be just to attempt to stump the law enforcement officers who are trying to solve their crime.
The Disorganized Killer
These individuals rarely plan out the deaths of their victims in any way. Most often, the people they kill just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. This type of serial killer appears to strike at random whenever an opportunity arises. They take no steps to cover up any signs of their crime, and tend to move to different towns or even states regularly to avoid being captured. Disorganized killers usually have low IQ s and are extremely antisocial. They rarely have close friends or family, and do not like to stay in one place for too long. These killers are prone to have no recollection of their deeds, or to confess that they were motivated by voices in their heads or some other imaginary source.
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Serial killer info. Find out what serial killers really are. Are you interested in serial murder or serial killers. In mass murderers or spree killers. In crime or.
There is some disagreement over the serial killer definition, mostly about the number of killings required. There is also debate as to whether organized crime hit-men.
A serial killer is a person who murders three or more people, 1 2 usually due to abnormal psychological gratification, with the murders taking place over more.
This article examined serial murderers, who violated their victims sexually, as reported within the journalistic, academic, and law enforcement literatures.
We serial killers are your sons, we are your husbands, we are everywhere. And there will be more of your children dead tomorrow. -Ted Bundy. A Serial Killer is a.
Which Cop Show has one not appeared in. A Serial Killer is defined as someone who commits multiple murders, out of some kind of mental or sexual compulsion.
Serial Killer Statistics The tables in this report are based on information from the Radford University/FGCU Serial Killer Database. The purpose of the database is to.
