Rachel Pointer

Ms. Santiago

UWRT 1102

25 April 2017

The Development of a Serial Killer

On January 24th, 1989, a social, intelligent, and charming law student was executed

(Ted Bundy Biography). This student was Ted Bundy, who had confessed to killing about 30

women (Ted Bundy Biography). How could a man who appeared to be successful, civil, and

admired turn out to be a vicious killer? What caused Bundy, and many other serial killers, to

perform such violent acts? This question is what many researchers have aimed to answer for

years. This paper will view sociological, psychological, and biological factors in order to come

to a conclusion as to what causes serial killers behavior.

So, what is a serial killer? Surprisingly, there is no clear answer to this question. In fact,

serial murder is one of the least understood terms in the criminology literature (Adjorlolo and

Chan 486). Without a clear definition, many peoples understanding of serial murder is obscured

and there are varying statistics regarding the prevalence of serial murder depending on how it is

viewed by the researcher (Adjorlolo and Chan 486). This could be one of the biggest reasons as

to why there is still so much controversy around the factors that influence serial killing. For the

purposes of this paper, a definition that sums up the main things agreed upon by most researchers

will be used. This definition is by Steven Egger, which states:

 a serial murder occurs when one or more individuals (males, in most cases)

commits a second or subsequent murder; is relationshipless; is at a different time

and has no apparent connection to the initial murder; and is usually committed in

a different geographical location. Further, the motive is not for material gain and

is believed to be for the murderers desire to have power over the victims

(Giannangelo 4).

One key thing to note from this definition is the fact that material gain cannot be the motive. This

is something that is often debated between researchers, mainly due to the existence of Contract

Killers who get paid to kill (Miller 5). While Contract Killers murder tendencies would mostly fit

into the definition provided above, the reason that many researchers disagree may be due to the

fact that killing because its pleasurable to the person compared to killing for a living may

indicate extremely different factors that influence these killers.

The term serial killer was coined by FBI Special Agent Robert Ressler in the 1970s

(Miller 2). Although serial murder has only recently been acknowledged as a specific

phenomenon, it is something that has been happening throughout history (Miller 2). The first

documented research on serial murder was conducted in the 19th century by Dr. Richard von

Krafft-Ebing (Morton). But, serial murderers can be traced all the way back to Ancient Rome

(Miller 2). In the 1400s, French nobleman Gilles de Rais brutally murdered hundreds of children

(Miller 2). In the 1800s alone, 117 serial murderers were found (Egger 15). Some serial killers

have been caught as recently as the late 1900s, as seen in the aforementioned case of Ted Bundy

(Ted Bundy Biography).

Almost every month somewhere in the world a new case of serial murder is reported by

the police (Vronsky 15). In the U.S. alone, it is estimated between 3,500 and 5,000 people are
killed each year by serial murderers (Holmes, Serial Murder ed. 1 19). These may seem like

large numbers, but serial murder is a relatively rare event that is estimated to comprise less than

1% of all murders committed in any given year (Morton). But, estimating just how many serial

killers are at large is very difficult, considering that many maintain a low profile, have a job, and

come across as relatively normal (Holmes, Serial Murder ed. 1 20). Statistics show that most

serial killers in the U.S. are men, white, and in their 30s (Aamodt, Serial Killer Statistics). But,

this is not an overwhelming majority, which is commonly stated in stereotypes of serial killers

(Aamodt, Serial Killer Statistics). Since white males make up a very large portion of the U.S.

population, this may be the reason they are found to be the most prevalent serial killers. Serial

killers have been found to span all racial groups, and the majority race of serial killers may be

dependent on what country is being viewed (Morton). Knowing that serial killers can come from

any cultural background, this may indicate that they have more in common psychologically than

they do sociologically, particularly regarding their upbringing and environment.

Throughout the research of these serial murderers, there have been many typologies

created to help classify different types of serial killers (Miller 5). Although there have been many

different lists of typologies made, many of them have similarities, which are the ones that will be

discussed (Miller 6). One type of serial killer is the Sexual Sadist (Miller 6). These serial killers

are the ones who kill for the pleasure derived from the domination, torture, and murder of

another human being, and is the most common type of serial killer (Miller 6). Another type of

serial killer is the Delusion Killers, who are believed to be on a mission, either psychotic or

ideologically-driven, to rid the world of people who they consider undesirable or are under a

false reality that justifies their reason to kill (Miller 6). The last type of serial killer, known as the

Custodial Killer, murder helpless or dependent people under their care (Miller 6). Although these
are usually seen as distinct types of serial killers, the types can sometimes overlap (Miller 6).

With these many different types of serial killers, one can assume that, depending on what

motives a serial killer has, the factors that influenced this person to become a killer also differ

from other types. But, simply identifying a serial killers motive can be a difficult task, especially

during investigations (Morton). A serial murder may even have multiple motives that evolve

over time, whether it be within a single murder or throughout the murder series (Morton). This

can make identifying the factors associated with the creation of a serial killer difficult to

determine just by going off of their possible motives.

The debate on what factors contribute to the creation of serial killers has been ongoing

since the phenomenon has been recognized (Holmes, Serial Murder ed. 1 61). The motives of

serial killers are unlike any other types of homicide, and with this, many different perspectives

can be seen throughout the studies of the factors that contribute to the creation of a serial killer

(Holmes, Serial Murder ed. 1 61). The most popular perspectives include sociogenic factors,

psychogenic factors, or biological factors (Holmes, Serial Murder ed. 1 61) (Fallon Exploring

the Mind).

A pattern seen throughout all the perspectives is that many believe the creation of a killer

starts during their childhood. Serial killers are often illegitimate or adopted, severely abused as

children, and/or have a high degree of instability in their home life (Miller 13) (Giannangelo 28).

These childhood traumas can cause serious damage to a persons sense of self or their

development of an appreciation of the lives of others (Giannangelo 27). Researcher Giannangelo

states that:

Childhood is when these killers develop their obsessive and distorted view of their

own identities and their ever-increasing need for control. Most have had little, if
 any, control over themselves or their surroundings as children, and their resulting

fear and dread in relation to control issues is understandable, if not predictable

(27).

Many big researchers, such as Holmes and Miller agree with Giannangelos statement, often

referring to the influence of childhood trauma in their research. But, although childhood trauma

has been seen to play a role in the creation of most serial killers, not all people who experience

this type of trauma become killers or even violent (Holmes Serial Murder ed. 2 57). Some

serial killers have even been found to come from stable homes with no signs of abuse (Miller

13). Considering these facts, childhood trauma must not be the only factor, or possibly not a

factor at all, that influences serial killers. But, because childhood abuse is prevalent among most

serial killers, other factors more likely may combine with the experienced trauma to cause the

creation of a serial killer. As for the people who experienced no trauma in their childhood,

maybe they experience a factor that is unlike what others experience.

As pointed out by Holmes, a professor of Justice Administration at the University of

Louisville, in social structure theory it is said that social status correlates with someones

proneness toward delinquency and criminality (Serial Murder ed. 2 55). But, in the case of

serial killers, this theory does not seem to apply. There is no evidence that shows that serial

killers come from a unique social group, whether it be wealthy or poor (Holmes Serial Murder

ed.2 55). This may be due to the fact that serial killers are thought to not murder for financial

gain, as stated by the definition that is being used. But, through other researchers eyes who do

believe that serial killers do murder for financial gains, such as Miller, this theory may apply.

When viewing other social theories though, such as the social process theory, which believes that

criminal behavior is a result of social learning and socialization, serial killers do tend to correlate
(Holmes Serial Murder ed. 2 55). The abuse that most serial killers witness and endure, as

discussed previously, is where they may begin to start learning their violent behavior (Holmes

Serial Murder ed. 2 55). But, as previously discussed, simply experiencing trauma does not

cause everyone to turn violent (Holmes Serial Murder ed. 2 57). This provides another

indicator that other factors might be playing a role in the making of these serial killers.

Much research suggests that aggressiveness and criminality may have a genetic factor, as

stated by Giannangelo (22). It has been seen that identical twins are twice as likely than fraternal

twins to have similar criminal activity (Giannangelo 22). There is also the case of head injuries,

which can possibly have been sustained by a killers abusive upbringings or as a result of a

genetic deformity, that can cause abnormal personality changes, as well as affect higher brain

functions (Giannangelo 22). Neurologist John Pincus, who has examined multiple brains of serial

killers, believes that damage to certain areas of the brain can be a major factor in the causation of

extreme violence (Interview with a Serial Killer, 2006). But, other researchers have stated that

brain damage is rarely a decisive factor in these violent behaviors (Interview with a Serial

Killer, 2006). This could mean that someone who receives damage to the brain while also being

affected by other factors, such as a psychological disorder or genetic factors, is more likely to

become violent. The most compelling evidence of biological factors influencing violent behavior

comes from the research of Richard T. Kraus, who studied the XYY karyotype (Giannangelo

24). Giannangelo thought highly of this research, saying the influence of a biological

predisposition is inescapable (26). It was found that children with this XYY karyotype were

more impulsive, restless, hot-tempered, hyperactive, and lacked control of aggressive impulses

(Giannangelo 24). The extra Y chromosome is also associated with anti-social behavior and its

carriers have an increased risk of developing a psychopathic personality (Giannangelo 24). This
may be the answer to why some children who grow up in good homes develop violent tendencies

and later become killers. But, having this karyotype while also receiving damage to the brain

could likely cause the extremely violent behaviors that are seen in serial killers. What seems like

the most likely cause of violent behaviors though, is the abuse that is experienced in childhood

that then leads to psychological disorders and possibly paired with brain damage.

There are many psychological and personality disorders that have been associated with

serial killers. The classic serial killer personality is known to be the Psychopathic Personality,

which is a type of antisocial personality disorder (Giannangelo 9). People diagnosed with this

personality disorder exhibit aggressive narcissism and chronic antisocial behavior over time

(Giannangelo 9). Specific traits of these individuals include superficial charm, pathological

lying, manipulativeness, lack of empathy, poor behavioral control, impulsivity, and failure to

accept responsibility for their actions (Giannangelo 9-10). But, even though this is a common

personality disorder seen in serial killers, not all violent offenders are psychopaths, and not all

psychopaths are violent offenders (Morton). This may be an indicator that serial killers with this

personality disorder are also being influenced by other factors and the killers without this

disorder are being influenced by different factors entirely.

Other psychological behaviors that can often be observed in serial killers are dissociation

and doubling (Giannangelo 19). Dissociation is said to be the lack of integration of thoughts,

feelings, and experiences into the stream of consciousness (Giannangelo 12). Dissociation is

often found to be the reaction to various traumatic experiences where a person mentally separates

themselves from their physical being as a coping mechanism (Giannangelo 12). From this

information, it can be assumed that childhood trauma experienced by many killers is what causes

this type of coping mechanism. Another behavior that can be seen is doubling (Giannangelo 13).
Doubling is referred to as the division of the self into two functioning wholes so that a part-self

acts as an entire self (Giannangelo 13). This developed behavior is what may allow serial killers

to appear sane when not participating in crimes (Giannangelo 13).

With all the research on these perspectives, something that is often overlooked is the

serial killers perspective. On the rare occasion that a serial killer is interviewed, they are often

asked about their victims, which is an ineffective way to communicate with them due to their

psychopathic personality (Morton). Even so, when viewing these interviews a lot of valuable

information can be taken out of them. In the short documentary Interview with a Serial Killer,

a man named Arthur Shawcross, who murdered 11 women, is questioned (2006). While most of

this interview did consist of talking about his victims, there were some questions directed at why

Shawcross became a killer (Interview with a Serial Killer, 2006). One of the people working

with Shawcross stated: What we discovered and then were able to verify was the fact that he

was horribly mistreated sexually as a child (Interview with a Serial Killer, 2006). It was also

found that Shawcross had brain damage as well as some psychological disorders (Interview

with a Serial Killer, 2006). This could further back up the accusation that a mix of damaging

factors, discussed by the researchers in previous paragraphs, is needed for someone to become a

serial killer.

After looking at all the different perspectives, it is apparent that there is no one specific

factor influencing serial killers, but a mix. When looking at one possible factor, there is always

gaps that are often filled by adding in another factor that is influencing these killers. A good

example of this is seen when viewing the psychological disorders, which are often caused by

environmental factors such as childhood abuse. It seems that serial killers may have to be

something like a perfect storm of all these factors combined in order for them to commit such
violent acts. As for the people who have experienced the same factors as some serial killers and

never end up killing? More research may be needed to answer this question. It may all come

down to a serial killers personal decision to pursue their crimes (Morton).

 Works Cited

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http://maamodt.asp.radford.edu/serial%20killer%20information%20center/project%20de

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Revisited." Aggression and Violent Behavior, vol. 19, no. 5, 2014, pp. 486-491.

Egger, Steven. Serial Murder: An Elusive Phenomenon. Praeger Publishers, 1990.

Fallon, Jim. Exploring the Mind of a Killer. TED, February 2009. Lecture.

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PraegerPublishers, 1996.

Holmes, Ronald, and James Burger. Serial Murder. 1st ed., SAGE Publications, 1988.

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murder. Accessed 9 February 2017

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