Serial Murder facts and fiction - presented at Columbus State Day, October 12, 2013 (Updated 2021 to fix YouTube issue and update murder rate).

1. Separating Fact from Fiction

2. There is an epidemic of serial murder
16,425 murders in the US in 2019 (62% clearance rate)
Estimates = less than
1% of all homicides
(~150/year)

3. Serial killers are unusual in appearance and
lifestyle
Reality – they are very good at
blending in. Very average.

4. Serial killers are all insane.
Common psychological traits:
 Sexual sadism
 Narcisism
 ASPD
Doesn’t fit the legal definition of insanity

5. All serial killers are sociopaths
Common trait, but not
universal.
Some neutralize guilt or
remorse
• Use “techniques of
neutralization”
Some compartmentalize/
dehumanize
Techniques of
Neutralization
Denial of Responsibility
Denial of Injury
Denial of theVictim
Condemnation of the
Condemners
Appeal to Higher Loyalties

6. Serial killers are inspired by pornography
Example:Ted Bundy
Reflects their desires,
rather than creates it.
Reinforces sadistic impulses

7. Serial killers are products of bad childhoods
Genetics
Brain Injury
Trauma
Child Abuse/
Neglect
Opportunity/
Social
Environment
Serial Murder

8. Serial killers are products of bad childhoods
A bad childhood is neither a necessary nor a
sufficient factor
Steven Stayner &
TimothyWhite
Cary Stayner
TheYosemite Killer

9. Serial killers can be identified in advance
"There are 14 characteristics of a serial killer.Your son has nine of the
14. Jeffrey Dahmer had seven.“ Dr. Phil (Family First, 2004)
This is, in fact, not true.
No scheme for prediction of future criminality has
ever been developed
Best predictor – past behavior

10. 1. Over 90 percent of serial killers are
male.
2. They tend to be intelligent, with IQ's in
the "bright normal" range.
3. They do poorly in school, have trouble
holding down jobs, and often work as
unskilled laborers.
4. They tend to come from markedly
unstable families.
5. As children, they are abandoned by
their fathers and raised by
domineering mothers.
6. Their families often have criminal,
psychiatric and alcoholic histories.
7. They hate their fathers and mothers.
8. They are commonly abused as
children — psychologically, physically
and sexually. Often the abuse is by a
family member.
9. Many serial killers spend time in
institutions as children and have records
of early psychiatric problems.
10. They have high rates of suicide
attempts.
11. From an early age, many are intensely
interested in voyeurism, fetishism, and
sado-masochistic pornography.
12. More than 60 percent of serial killers wet
their beds beyond the age of 12.
13. Many serial killers are fascinated with
fire starting.
14. They are involved with sadistic activity
or tormenting small creatures.

11. All serial killers are organized/disorganized
(or there are distinct types of serial killers)
• Developed by the FBI in the late 70s
• Suffers from the Hollywood effect

12. Organized
• Plans
• Uses restraints
• Emphasizes control
• More intelligent
Disorganized
• Leaves evidence behind
• Keeps bodies
• Weapons of opportunity
• Less intelligent
If these are distinct types, we should be able to plot them out and see the differences!

13. Smallest SpaceAnalysis (Multidimensional
Scaling)
Plot characteristics to see patterns:
For example: Republicans and Democrats
in the House have clearly different
voting patterns

15. “All serial killers are likely to exhibit some aspects that are organized and some that are
disorganized, but the differences between them are, more than likely, differences in
the particular subset of disorganized variables that they exhibit.”

16. Serial killers select victims who
somehow resemble their mothers
Tend to select vulnerable victims
Hunting Areas
• Areas frequented by
prostitutes
• Gay bars
• Women on college campuses
• Singles bars
Most serial killers don’t stick
to one particular type of
victim.
Most victims are people in
the wrong place at the
wrong time.

17. Serial killers really want to get caught
Very “Freudian” idea.
Most try to avoid
detection
The ones we know
of are the ones that
made mistakes.

18. If you want to know more, register for
Soc 1194: Criminal Profiling
Mary Reiter
mreiter@cscc.edu
Columbus State Community College
Social Sciences Department