Definition of a Serial KillerDefinition of a Serial KillerDefinition of a Serial KillerDefinition of a Serial KillerThe term serial killer, coined by Special Agent Robert Ressler, is defined as, “someone who kills

3 or more people with sufficient time intervals between each, known as a “cooling off period”

The basic profile of a serial killer is; white male, between the ages of 18-32, with a history of child abuse resulting in the child abusing animals.

Males brutally kill their victims and desecrate the bodies, usually sexual predators who rape their victims dead or alive.

Women are less visible as killers as their methods tend be more discrete to avoid being detected.

Eric Hickey (1991) describes female serial killers as, “These are the quiet killers, every bit as

lethal as male serial murderers, but we are seldom aware of one in our midst because of their

low visibility.”

Methods and motives Male vs FemaleMethods and motives Male vs FemaleMethods and motives Male vs FemaleMethods and motives Male vs Female

Motives

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Sex

Control

Money

Enjo

ym

ent

Oth

er

Male

Female

Methods

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Firearm

s

Suffocation

Sta

bbin

g

Blu

dgeonin

g

Pois

on

Dro

wnin

g

Male

Female

Above the chart explains the motives and methods used by both male and female. As you can clearly see from the

information women seem have a definite preferred method and motive, being poison as their favourite way to kill topping

at a huge 80%, and money as a motive towering at a massive 72%. Men on the other hand tend to have a more varied preference of method, with stabbing, shooting, and suffocating with very close results. As you can see it is a different

story with the motive with men as sex tops in at 55%.

From these results alone it is obvious how different the two sexes are, females prefer to be discrete but appear to have

a money driven mind, whereas men seem to enjoy “the bloodier the better” method and a perverted sexual motive.

Frequency of Serial Killers Gender by Frequency of Serial Killers Gender by Frequency of Serial Killers Gender by Frequency of Serial Killers Gender by

DecadeDecadeDecadeDecade

Male vs Female frequency by Decade

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

90.00%

100.00%

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Men

Women

As shown in the table above you may notice that at the

beginning of the century the numbers between male and

female were much closer together but vastly grew apart over

time.

Aileen Wuornos

1956-2002

1946-1989

Kelleher TypologyKelleher TypologyKelleher TypologyKelleher Typology

Women Killer Groups

Black WidowsKills husband, lover

Angels of deathKills patients

Sexual Predators

Systematically kills

in clear acts of sexual

homicide

Revenge KillersKills out of hate or

jealousy

Profit Killers

Kills for profit or in

course of committing

another crime

Male killer groups

Visionaries

Psychotic-Told to kill

MissionariesKill to “clean up”

world

Hedonists

Kill for fun or profit

Power seekersKill to exert power

Over strangers

Profile; Demographics-Average age is 29.1

Male; 28.9 is a average age at first kill

9 is the youngest (Robert Dale Segee)

72 is the oldest (Ray Copeland)

Female; 30.3 is the average age at first kill

11 is the youngest (Mary Flora Bell)

66 is the oldest (Faye Copeland)

John Wayne Gacy 1942-1994Mary Ann Cotton 1832-1873

Britain Infamous Serial Killers Male & Britain Infamous Serial Killers Male & Britain Infamous Serial Killers Male & Britain Infamous Serial Killers Male &

FemaleFemaleFemaleFemale

Executed 19496-9 people24/07/1909John George Haigh

Death by hanging

1873

21 people including

her own children

1/10/1832Mary Ann Cotton

Indefinite life imprisonment 1966

5 children2/01/1938

23/07/1942

Ian Brady &

Myra Hindley

Life imprisonment in

1941

13 women2/06/1946Peter Sutcliffe

Life imprisonment

1983

16 men23/11/1945Dennis Nilsen

Minimum of 3o years

1993

13 children4/10/1968Beverly Allitt

15 life sentences

January 2000

215-260 patients19/01/1946Dr. Harold Shipman

ConvictedNo. of victimsD.O.BName

Here is a

table of a list of

names

selected off the

BBC News

website.

Source SlideSource SlideSource SlideSource Slide

http://officialpsds.com/Bloody-Razer-Blade-PSD68464.html

http://officialpsds.com/operating-hand-PSD77241.html

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aileen_Wuornos.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FBI-360-Ted_Bundy_FBI_10_most_wanted_photo.jpg

http://officialpsds.com/BETTER-BLOOD-SPLATTER-PSD11647.html

http://brainshare.zxq.net/criminology/Serial%20Murderers%20and%20their%20Victims.pdf

http://psyed.org/r/psd/pd/pdd/male_v_female_killers.html

http://www.familyofmen.com/female-serial-killers/

http://www.helium.com/items/1695413-female-serial-killers

http://www.lsu.edu/faculty/jpullia/femaleserialkillers.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johnwaynegacyrosalynncarter.jpg

http://officialpsds.com/Bloody-Knife-PSD75078.html

http://officialpsds.com/bloody-body-PSD55423.html

http://officialpsds.com/Bloody-Axe-PSD75076.html

http://officialpsds.com/-----Bloody-Scapel--PSD47069.html

http://officialpsds.com/Blood-Border-PSD26586.html

http://www.horror-web.com/fact.html

Newton, Michael. The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. New York: Checkmark Books, 2000.

wwwpsychology.concordia.ca/fac/Laurence/forensic/ProfileAnalysis1.ppt

http://prisonphotography.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/hindley.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/John_wayne_gacy2.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mary_Ann_Cotton.jpg

http://codeaires.deviantart.com/art/Female-Serial-Killers-COMPLETE-168830726

ROW 1: Sara Aldrete, Juana Barraza, Elizabeth Bathory,

Marie Alexandra Becker, Marie Besnard, Elfriede

Blauensteiner, Mary Ann Cotton

ROW 2: Nanny Doss, Amelia Dyer, Kristin Gilbert, Delfina and

Maria de Jesus Gonzalez, Dana Sue Gray, Belle Gunness

ROW 3:Anna Hahn, Myra Hindley, Karla Homolka, Hélène

Jégado, Delphine LaLaurie, Enriqueta Martí, Dagmar Overbye

ROW 4:Dorothea Puente, Raya and Sakina, Darya Saltykova,

Jane Toppan, Rosemary