1. Serial Killers
• Serial killers have been portrayed as antagonists in popular media.
• However, there are protagonists that have been portrayed as
anti-heroes.
– Examples of this are Showtime's “Dexter” And
Norman Bates in “Psycho”.
» Some of the most popular fictional killers
are based off of real serial killers. For
example, Buffalo Bill is a combination of
Ted Bundy and Ed Gein. Bundy would lure
women to his car by feigning injury, Then
knock them unconscious. Gein Murdered
and stole bodies of women from grave
yards in an attempt to make a Woman Suit
that looked like his mother.

2. Psychology
• Serial Killers are often considered to be insane, but
insane would imply that they do not know what they are
doing. Most are not insane, they just do not understand
or care what death means.
– Most tortured small animals as a child. They would
also play out their own execution.
• Serial killers lack empathy or compassion.
– Most had a rough upbringing. You will find that
a most had a domineering mother, and a weak
or absent father.
» Calm in a crisis.

3. Traits
• -Awful childhood.
• -Domineering mother, Weak or absent father
• -Tortured animals, Dennis Rader was known to hang
stray cats as a child. Ted Bundy surrounded his sleeping
mother with knives at the age of three.
• -Abnormal Strength, serial killers such as Kemper or
Bianchi were known to have this trait.
• -Frequent alchohol and/or drug abuse.
• -Chronic Social Rejection. May have lack of success with
women or men.
• -Sexual frustration. May have never engaged in the act.
• -Turned on by violence and fire.
• -Need for power and control.

4. Motives
• There are several motives for serial killers, some more clear than
others.
– The most common motive is sexual. Serial killers tend to be
aroused by violence and death. This is because killing gives a
sense of power and control.
– Some killers are Paranoid Schizophrenics & are delusional.
– Many have killed for attention to overcome
feelings of lonliness and isolation. Most of
these types send letters to police and news
outlets.
» Thrill seeking. Few find killing to be the
ultimate thrill of all.