#SERIAL KILLER DEFINITION SERIAL#

Their representation among serial killers is thought to have increased since the mid-1990s, although criminologists are not certain why this has occurred.įemale serial killers are relatively rare. population, but are estimated to be about 22% of serial killers. African Americans make up about 12% of the U.S. With regard to race, however, African Americans are overrepresented among serial killers in light of their proportion of the general U.S. Dahmer, who killed young men in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, took photos of his victims or parts of their bodies before he cannibalized them.Īpart from these broad types of serial killers, it is important to note that most serial killers are White males, whose victims are White males or females. Power/control serial killers also sometimes keep the bodies of their victims for periods of time, may keep souvenirs from the murders (e.g., the victim’s shoes, a lock of hair, the victim’s driver’s license), or may photograph their victims. Thus, the power/control serial killer may keep the victim alive for some time before committing the murder, using the victim as a slave or torturing the powerless victim. The power/control serial killer derives satisfaction from completely controlling the victim. The fourth type of serial killer has been labeled the power/control serial killer, although in many cases there is significant crossover between this type of serial killer and the hedonistic type. Hedonistic serial killers include sexual sadists, as well as mysopeds (i.e., sadistic child killers). One example of a hedonistic serial killer was Edmund Kemper, who in the early 1970s killed at least six young women whom he picked up while they were hitchhiking, as well as his mother, whose head he cut off and used as a dart board. In fact, many hedonistic serial killers include some type of sexual torture or abuse of their victims, either before or after the murder. Hedonistic serial killers derive pleasure- frequently, sexual pleasure-from the act of killing. The third type of serial killer is the hedonistic serial killer. Victims of mission-oriented serial killers may be homosexuals, prostitutes, members of a particular religion, or members of a specific racial or ethnic group. Rather, they view their victims as “undesirable,” and killing them is fulfilling a “noble” mission. They do not hear voices or see visions commanding them to kill. These serial killers are motivated to eliminate certain types of people. Visionary serial killers typically suffer from severe mental illness.Ī second type of serial killer is mission oriented. For example, David Berkowitz, known as “Son of Sam,” killed six young women and their boyfriends as they were parked in “lovers’ lanes” in New York, claiming that a dog that he thought lived in a hole in the wall of his apartment told him to do it. Visionary serial killers maintain that they hear voices or see visions that command them to kill. One type of serial killer is the visionary serial killer. Criminologists have identified various types of serial killers, distinguishing them on the basis of their motives, although researchers caution that some serial killers may be classified as more than one type or may change motives over time. Moreover, the dramatic increase over the years may not represent a real increase in the number of serial killers, but instead may be the result of greatly improved technology and detection methods in law enforcement, such as the use of DNA evidence to establish that the same offender committed different murders at different locations and at different points in time. Analysts caution, though, that these numbers are rough estimates and that the true number of serial killers in any given year is unknown. From 1900-1924, for example, there were only 13 serial killers known to police, whereas from 1990-2004 there were 163. Trend data indicate that the number of serial killers-that is, individuals who commit serial murder-has increased significantly since the turn of the 20th century. The most commonly cited figure is 20% of murders annually in the United States, a figure which would be approximately 3,000-4,000 homicides, are serial murders, but some criminologists put the estimate as low as 2% (i.e., only 300-400 per year). There is disagreement, however, over what percentage of homicides in the United States should be classified as serial murders. Serial murder is defined by criminologists as the killing of three or more people over an extended period of time, often months or years.

Serial killer definition