Serial killers 2

Prior to discussing what serial killers do, we must identify and pinpoint what a serial killer is. We generally tend to attribute the same name for serial killers and mass murderers. This is incorrect because they are two independent and different types of killers. While both of these individuals may kill many people, the difference lies in the reason they kill and the period over which they kill their victims. An event or a build up of circumstance triggers mass murderers and causes them to act. This can be the result of a stressful situation or frustration either at work or in their private lives. For whatever reason, they may choose to use a weapon and kill people that they feel are responsible for their problems. They may also kill total strangers in a bid to get even with whomever or whatever they feel wronged them. Whatever their reason is, they are usually cooperative and quite often docile if they survive the episode. It seems that this one-time outburst of violence, once enacted, puts an end to any future events of this type for that individual. While the mass killer may kill many people in one attack, when the attack is over, their mission is complete. The mass killer's victims may not be chosen for any other reason than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"A serial murder occurs when one or more individuals commit a second murder and/or subsequent murder; is relationship-less ; is at a different time and has no apparent connection to the initial murders ; and is usually committed in a different geographical location. Further, the motive is not for material gain and is believed to be for the murderer's desire to have power over it's victims. Victims may have a symbolic value and are perceived as powerless given their situation in time, place or status within their immediate surroundings."

Serial killers are a totally different and more dangerous threat to society. They may not kill many people at one time, but they may kill for many years without being detected. They are able to kill again and again without being caught because they are careful in their choices of victims. They typically pick victims who are vulnerable and unable to defend themselves such as children, the elderly or women. They also pick victims who will not be missed by society, such as migrant workers, prostitutes, hitchhikers or homosexuals. They may even pick victims based on specifics such as physical build or hairstyle. The serial killer may plan his victims in advance and may "case" surroundings, or he takes advantage of opportunities that are presented to him at random. He may use deception to lure a victim or he may use force. A few characteristics of serial killers stand out ; the two main ones being their charisma or pleasant personalities, and the fact that they are psychopaths who feel no remorse for their actions.

Because of the fact that many serial killers may be mobile, similarities in crime scenes may go undetected by law enforcement agencies. The nation's police departments often lack the modern equipment and technology needed to track and recognize connections between cases. It is generally accepted that many cases of serial murder have not been reported because of lack of evidence or the person murdered is never noticed to be missing.

Canada hasn't had many occasions of serial killers since it is mostly of U.S popularity and because it is hard to pinpoint victims of serial killers. Victims of mass murderers (4 murders or more) are easier to distinguish because of the time frame in which the killings took place. Of course, such names as Paul Bernardo (not too much of a killer), Marc L'pine and Clifford Olson come to mind. In Canada, there is such a thing as "The faint hope clause" (section 745 C.C.) that can allow murderers to obtain a parole hearing before they would normally be allowed to by their sentence. Between 1960 and 1990, there were seventy-two cases that involved four or more victims in one incident. The seventy-two cases resulted in 359 victims, an average of almost five people per case. Several cases involved between thirteen and forty-eight victims, and at least some included multiple killings by arson, a technique mostly used by members of the crime community to wreak havoc and revenge.

The U. S. has had more than 150 documented cases of serial killers since 1800. Retired FBI analyst John Douglas believes that at any one time, there may be from 30 to 50 serial killers active in the U. S. Good locations for serial killers include any city or area large enough to support prostitution, drug cultures, runaway children or street people. They can and do operate successfully in rural areas.

Serial killers were once considered a rarity. Even though reports in Europe go back as far as the fifteenth century, only a few were written about prior to the mid twentieth century. One of the most widely written about was Jack the Ripper, who claimed only 5 victims in a three-month period. This would put him in the bottom of the class by today's standards. During the past twenty years, serial killings have become more frequent. We have even seen up to a half dozen of their cases on the news simultaneously. Cases such as San Francisco's Zodiac Killer; New York City's Son of Sam; Atlanta's child murderer, Wayne Williams; Los Angeles's Hillside Strangler; and Milwaukee's own, Jeffrey Dahmer. Many times, they fit into a pattern, but sometimes there is no pattern. The phenomenon is world-wide, from England's Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe's killing of 13 women prior to 1981, to Russia's Rostov Cannibal, Anderei Chikatilo, who slaughtered and partially consumed at least 53 men and women over a 12 year period prior to 1990.

It is hard to predict whether a person will become a serial killer. A set of childhood characteristics believed by many to be symptoms of violent behavior has been named the "McDonald Triad". Named after psychiatrist John M. McDonald, it speculates that three factors in a person's childhood may determine violent behavior. These three factors presumably linked to homicidal behavior are bedwetting, pyromania, and torture of small animals. There is evidence that many serial killers have some or all of these factors in their past. The fact remains, there are many people with symptoms of the McDonald Triad who do not become serial killers; unfortunately some do. One of the Hillside Stranglers, Kenneth Bianci, had a bedwetting problem and had killed a cat before as a prank. The Son of Sam, David Berkowitz, had set many fires, kept a diary and even nicknamed himself the "Phantom Fireman". Alaska's Robert Hansen, murderer of at least 17 women, was convicted of arson as a youth. An important fact is the "McDonald Triad" is not believed to be a cause of violence, but only a set of symptoms. Serial killers also tend to have something that we refer to as "Mask of Sanity", the title of a classic study made in 1976 on psychopathic personality. It refers to the ability of a serial killer to appear perfectly normal ;

" to conceal his cold-blooded nature beneath a normal fa'ade. Not all psychopaths are criminals. Some are highly successful people. After all, they are masters of manipulation. They can make you believe that they are the most caring, sensitive, charming people in the world. But it's all a show. Under the surface, they?re hollow to the core?complete egocentrics who care about nothing except their own greedy desires."

The serial killer is absolutely the most frightening person of all psychopaths. It has no basic human emotions, which are empathy, conscience and remorse. For several decades, Albert Fish was travelling through the country, going in and out of jail for petty crimes and public nudity, but the officials never thought of him as being a serial killer. They also tend to have a trademark. For Albert Fish, it was to write letters detailing his crimes. Here's one that he mailed to the mother of Grace Budd, a 12-year-old victim.

"My dear Mrs. Budd,

In 1894 a friend of mine shipped as a deck hand on the Steamer Tacoma, Capt. John Davis. They sailed from San Francisco for Hong Kong China. On arriving there he and two others went ashore and got drunk. When they returned the boat was gone. At that time, there was a famine inn China. Meat of any kind what from $1-3 Dollars a pound. So great was the suffering among the very poor that all children under 12 were sold to the Butchers to be cut up and sold for food in order to keep others from starving. A boy or a girl under 14 was not safe in the street. You could go to any shop and ask for steak-chops-or stew meat. Part of the naked body of a boy or a girl would be brought out and just what you wanted cut from it. A boy or girls behind which is the sweetest part of the body and sold as veal cutlets brought the highest price. John said there so long he said he acquired a taste for human flesh. On his return to N.Y. he stole two boys on 7 and one 11. Took them to his home stripped them naked tied them in a closet. Then burned everything they had on. Several times every day and night he spanked them-tortured them-to make their meat good and tender. First he killed the 11 yr. old boy, because he had the fattest ass and of course the most meat on it. Every part of his body was Cooked and eaten except head-bones and guts. He was Roasted in the oven (all of his ass), boiled, broiled, fried, stewed. The little boy was next, went the same way. At that time, I was living at 409 E. 100 St. near-right side. He told me so often how good Human flesh was I made up my mind to taste it. On Sunday June the 3-1928 I called on you at 406 W 15 St. Brought you pot cheese-strawberries. We had lunch. Grace sat in my lap and kissed me. I made up my mind to eat her. On the pretense of taking her to a party. You said Yes she could go. I took her to an empty house in Westchester I had already picked out. When we got there, I told her to remain outside. She picked wildflowers. I went upstairs and stripped all my clothes off. I knew if I did not I would get her blood on them. When all was ready I went to the window and Called her. Then I hid in a closet until she was in the room. When she saw me all naked she began to cry and tried to run down stairs. I grabbed her and she said she would tell her mamma. First I stripped her naked. How did she kick-bite and scratch. I choked her to death, then cut her in small pieces so I could take my meat to my rooms, Cook and eat it. How sweet and tender her little ass was roasted in the oven. It took me 9 days to eat her entire body. I did not fuck her tho I could have had I wished. She died a virgin."

The typical serial killer is a white male in his late 20s or 30s and murders his victims by beating or strangulation. He may appear cold, show no remorse for his actions and might deny responsibility for his crimes, but psychosis or severe mental illness is rarely present. Only an estimated 10 to 15 percent of serial killers are women. Males are much more likely to use extreme violence such as bludgeoning, beating, strangling, or torture. Women on the other hand favored poisoning or smothering their victims. Where men would normally stalk their victims, the female serial killer would lure her victim to their death. Researchers Anne Moir and David Jessel believe that serial killers lack the voice of conscience that prevents most of us in doing things we should not. Their research made them to believe that serial killers usually have a sexual motive and an inability to appreciate the feelings of others. They only survive because they are able to conceal their identities and appear to be normal.

Dr. Donald Lunde, a psychiatrist who studied 42 murderers over a 5-year period, determined that there are two types of mentalities involved with these types of crimes. The first of these is paranoid schizophrenia which may be characterized by an aggressive, suspicious demeanor, hallucinations, (usually hearing voices in their minds), or delusions of grandeur or persecution. The second type is sexual sadism, which is distinguished by killing, torturing, or mutilating victims for achieving their own sexual arousal. These killers view their victims as objects or life-size dolls or enemies of normal people.

A good example of the paranoid schizophrenic murderer is David Berkowitz, otherwise known as the Son of Sam. He said he killed because a man named "Sam" told him to through demonically possessed dogs. A look, growl, or bark from the dog would tell him who and where to attack. During one instance, the signal was a sign of crossed dog feces on the ground that set him off. He left notes for the police and even corresponded with a newspaper, raving that he was the "Duke of Death." Some believe Berkowitz is only making excuses for his behavior and we may never know the whole truth. For whatever reason, he held one of the most powerful cities in the world, New York City, in a state of fear. Even the heads of several organized crime families were reported to have sent out their soldiers to find him. His rampage ended in August of 1977 and left six dead and nine wounded.

The classic example of the sexual sadist type of killer is the six foot nine inch, 280 pound, Edmund Kemper. At the age of fifteen, he shot and killed both of his grandparents resulting in his being committed to a maximum-security hospital for four years. This was only the beginning for Kemper, and upon his release he shot, stabbed and strangled to death six coeds as they hitchhiked from college. He also severed their heads and limbs, attempted to have sex with the corpses, and devoured their flesh. He kept their heads preserved so that he could use them for his sexual fulfillment. He later murdered his own mother and her good friend. He then decapitated his mother, tore out her larynx, and threw it down the garbage disposal. That way, in his opinion, she could never gripe and yell at him again. ...

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Serial killers 2

Serial killers 2

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