The majority of serial killers are not lonely outsiders living alone. They are not monsters and may not seem strange. Many serial killers hide in plain sight of their communities. Serial killers often have families and homes, are employed, and appear to be normal members of the community. Because many serial killers can fit in so easily, they are often overlooked by law enforcement and the public. After the arrest of a serial killer, the question always arises: how did this person become a serial killer? The answer lies in the development of the individual from birth to adulthood. In particular, a person`s behavior is influenced by life experiences, as well as certain biological factors. Serial killers, like all humans, are the product of their heredity, upbringing, and the decisions they make during their development. Causality, as far as the development of serial killers is concerned, was discussed at length by the symposium participants. A total of 135 experts attended the five-day event. These included law enforcement officers who had successfully investigated and arrested serial killers; mental health experts, academics and others who have studied serial killers and shared their expertise through education and publication; court officials who have convicted, prosecuted and defended serial killers; and media representatives who inform and educate the public when serial killers strike. Participants also reflected the international nature of the serial murder problem, as there were participants from ten different countries on five continents.
The agenda covered a variety of topics related to serial murders, including common myths, definitions, typologies, pathology and causation, forensics, the role of the media, law enforcement issues, the organization of the investigative task force, and important case management issues. Each day included panel discussions, case presentations and focus groups addressing a range of topics related to serial murders. The relative rarity of serial murders combined with inaccurate and anecdotal information and fictional depictions of serial killers has led to the following common myths and misconceptions about serial killers: Participants at the Symposium on Serial Murders agreed that there is no generic profile of a serial killer. Serial killers differ in many ways, including their motivation to kill and their behavior at the crime scene. However, participants identified some traits common to some serial killers, including sensationalism, lack of remorse or guilt, impulsivity, need for control, and predatory behavior. These traits and behaviors are consistent with psychopathic personality disorder. Participants felt it was very important for law enforcement and other professionals in the criminal justice system to understand psychopathy and its relationship to serial murder. The relationship between psychopathy and serial killers is particularly interesting.
Not all psychopaths become serial killers. On the contrary, serial killers may possess some or more of the traits consistent with psychopathy. Psychopaths who commit serial murders place no value on human life and are extremely insensitive in their interactions with their victims. This is especially evident in sexually motivated serial killers who repeatedly target, pursue, attack and kill without remorse. However, psychopathy alone does not explain the motivation of a serial killer. In Commonwealth v. LaCava, 783 N.E.2d 812 (Mass. 2003), the defendant, Thomas N. LaCava, was convicted of premeditated and premeditated murder of his wife. LaCava admitted to the shooting and murder, but claimed that due to his diminished mental capacity, he could not form the malice required when he committed the murder in order to be convicted of first-degree murder.
The Massachusetts Supreme Court has concluded that Massachusetts law permits psychiatric evidence to attack the deliberate aspect of murder. However, the judge`s instructions to the jury regarding the definition of murder were sufficient to render the error harmless, the court concluded. The definition of murder has evolved over several centuries. According to most modern laws in the United States, murder comes in four variants: (1) premeditated murder; 2. murder resulting from intent to cause serious bodily harm; (3) murder resulting from a corrupt heart or extreme recklessness; and (4) murder committed by an accomplice while committing, attempting or fleeing certain crimes. In these complex cases, the detection and investigation of a series of serial murders is often seen as a separate process from the other main objective: the prosecution and conviction of the perpetrator(s) responsible for the homicide. Participants in the symposium agreed that law enforcement and prosecutors should work together, as investigative and prosecutorial procedures are inextricably linked. If police suspect that one or more homicides may be the result of a serial killer, involving the prosecutor early in the investigation can mitigate significant problems during the trial. Criminologists and other experts distinguish between a serial killer and a mass murderer, although the profiles of these perpetrators are often similar. A serial killer is usually a younger white man who targets certain strangers near his job or home. This type of killer is typically a sociopath who kills to satisfy delusional personal needs and desires by killing by physical force.
Serial killers such as Jack the Ripper, David Berkowitz, Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy are household names. A mass murderer is also often a young white man who acts intentionally and methodically in carrying out his murders. One of the most famous mass murderers was Charles Joseph Whitman, who climbed a tower at the University of Texas at Austin in 1966 and participated in a 90-minute rampage. He shot dead 44 people and killed 14 before being shot dead by a police officer. The motivation of a serial killer or mass murderer obviously varies depending on the murderer, but experts note that it is often terror, power, revenge or profit. These murders and the nom de guerre “Jack the Ripper” became synonymous with serial murder. This case has spawned many legends about serial murders and the killers who commit them. In the 1970s and 1980s, cases of serial killers such as Green River Killer, Ted Bundy, and BTK sparked renewed public interest in serial murders, which flourished in the 1990s after the release of films such as The Silence of the Lambs. The men and women of the FBI`s Behavioral Analysis Unit 2 look forward to further partnerships in our joint efforts to better understand the serial killers who exploit our citizens and subsequently generate a more effective investigative response. The BTK case is an example of how a proactive media strategy contributed to the capture of a serial killer. The BTK killer first appeared in 1974 and killed a total of ten victims over time. From 1974 to 1988, BTK sent a series of five communications to the media, citizens, and police, in which it was not only called BTK (Lie them, Torture, and Kill them), but also claimed responsibility for the murder of a number of victims.
In 1988, he abruptly stopped communicating. He resurfaced in 2004 by sending a new announcement to the media. The Wichita Police Department has formed a task force with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the FBI and other agencies. The FBI`s BAU-2 was contacted and delivered a proactive media strategy that was used throughout the case. This strategy involved using the lieutenant in charge of the investigation to issue written press releases at critical moments, resulting in 15 press releases during the investigation.