Separating Fact from Fiction

There is an epidemic of serial murder

14,827 murders in the US in 2012 (65% clearance rate)

Estimates = less than 1% of all homicides (~150/year)

Serial killers are unusual in appearance and lifestyle

Reality – they are very good at blending in. Very average.

Serial killers are all insane.

Common psychological traits:Sexual sadismNarcisismASPD

Doesn’t fit the legal definition of insanity

All serial killers are sociopaths

Common trait, but not universal.

Some neutralize guilt or remorse• Use “techniques of

neutralization”Some compartmentalize/dehumanize

Serial killers are inspired by pornography

Example: Ted Bundy

Reflects their desires, rather than creates it.

Reinforces sadistic impulses

Serial killers are products of bad childhoods

Serial killers are products of bad childhoods

A bad childhood is neither a necessary nor a sufficient factor

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)

No scheme for prediction of future criminality has ever been developed

Best predictor – past behavior

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.

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

If these are distinct types, we should be able to plot them out and see the differences!

Smallest Space Analysis (Multidimensional Scaling)

Plot characteristics to see patterns:

For example: Republicans and Democrats in the House have clearly different voting patterns

“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.”

Serial killers select victims who somehow resemble their mothers

Tend to select vulnerable victims

Most serial killers don’t stick to one particular type of victim.

Most victims are people in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Most serial killers don’t stick to one particular type of victim.

Most victims are people in the wrong place at the wrong time.

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.

If you want to know more, register for Soc 1194: Criminal Profiling

Offered Spring 2014

Don Ricker Mary Reiterdricker@cscc.edu mreiter@cscc.edu Columbus State Community College

Social Sciences Department