What is a serial killer? What is a mass murderer? How do theydiffer?

The author looked at different information that is currently available about serial killers and mass murderers and sought to see how they are different but also how they are alike (Abe, 2017). The author looks at personality models, childhood environments, abuse histories, as well as mental health histories and found that there are comparisons that can be made to explain the similarities but also the differences, one of the big findings was in dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (Abe, 2017).

This is an important study as it seeks to find out about the killers as a whole rather than looking at singular factors. There is also a direction of where to take further research efforts in terms of mental health findings. PTSD is something that is still being studied for veterans so there is room to apply new studies to that of killers; mass or serial.

Allely, C. S., Minnis, H., Thompson, L., Wilson, P., & Gillberg, C. (2014).

Neurodevelopmental and psychosocial risk factors in serial killers and mass murderers. Aggression And Violent Behavior, 19288-301. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2014.04.004

The authors completed a systemic review of literature about mass murderers as well as serial murderers to see if there was common ground that they had (Allely, Minnis, Thompson, Wilson & Gillberg, 2014). The authors found a common ground in three areas of sociological, psychological, and biological factors that seem to have contributed to the killer (Allely, et al., 2014). The authors also note that there appears to be a neurodevelopmental factor such as Autism Spectrum Disorder or a head injury that seems to play a role as well (Allely, et al., 2014). The authors call for more research to be completed that is current and more thorough as there is a lack of recent studies but also a more specific study to be geared towards the neurodevelopmental aspect (Allely, et al., 2014).

This study is important because it draws attention to the neurodevelopmental aspects that are often neglected in terms of serial killers. It is also important because it calls out the lack of research that is currently being done and not helping to further understanding.

Coyle, J., Ross, K. F., Barnard, J. J., Peacock, E., Linch, C. A., & Prahlow, J. A. (2015).

The eyeball killer: serial killings with postmortem globe enucleation. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 60(3), 642-647. doi:10.1111/1556-4029.12714

The authors of this study looked at different motivations for serial killing and also brought light to the fact that not all serial killers are white males (Coyle, Ross, Barnard, Peacock, Linch & Prahlow, 2015). The authors specifically looked at three case studies of three prostitutes over a three month period and the eyeballs missing is what lead to a signature of serial killing (Coyle, et al., 2015). There is a call for a criminal’s past to be looked into so as to potentially point to motivations for their crimes (Coyle, et al., 2015).

While this is a case study the authors do a good job at pointing out facts that are not generalizations that have been so popularly distributed. The authors point to getting a history of the killer and using that history to look for different motivations for the killings. This is important as the question why is not always so easily identifiable.

Harrison, M. A., Murphy, E. A., Ho, L. Y., Bowers, T. G., & Flaherty, C. V. (2015).

Female serial killers in the United States: means, motives, and makings. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 26(3), 383-406. doi:10.1080/14789949.2015.1007516

The authors of this study looked at female serial killers (FSKs) and assessed their findings from mass media reports that consisted of 64 FSKs from 1821 to 2008 (Harrison, Murphy, Ho, Bowers & Flaherty, 2015). While looking at these media reports it was found that these women were mostly educated, white, and in some form of caregiving role to make their kills easier due to the fact that in all of the cases the victims were either children, unable to fight back, or elderly (Harrison, et al., 2015). The reasons found for the killings were for financial gain and they were mostly done by poisoning (Harrison, et al., 2015). It is noted that this is different from men as the female killers typically know their victims, men seem not to have a preference, as well as women tend to not want to get their hands dirty, so to speak, where men will have more brutal killings (Harrison, et al., 2015).

This study is important as it sheds light on the females that are typically overlooked or not thought of as being capable of killing. It also shows the more intimate setting that the females favor in regards to the types of victims as well as the way in which they kill their victims. There is also the potential for there to be far more female serial killers than are currently known due to simply overlooking them or not giving the female population enough credit.

Ioana, I. M. (2013). No One is Born a Serial Killer!. Procedia – Social And Behavioral

Sciences, 81(World Congress on Administrative and Political Sciences), 324-328. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.06.436

The author looks at many different aspects of a serial killer rather than simply believing that a killer is born (Ioana, 2013). There are insights into the personality, emotional, motivational, and natural factors that are not only generated by hereditary, or biological factors, but also related to education, socialization, culture, and the socio-economic environment the serial killer offender lives in (Ioana, 2013). The key findings of the study are that, functional disorganization of the brain, immaturity, and criminal instinctually characterized by the pleasure of murder were the most pertinent factors that pushed serial killers to the act (Ioana, 2013).

This study is important as it looks at the whole killer and also brings notes to a disorganization that is taking place within the killer. There are plenty of routes available for further research in a single area that is noted or to look at the killer as a whole for continued understanding and new findings.

James, J., & Proulx, J. (2014). A psychological and developmental profile of sexual

murderers: A systematic review. Aggression And Violent Behavior, 19592-607. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2014.08.003

This study looked at 1836 sexual murders that were committed by serial and non-serial murders between 1985 and 2013 obtained from 45 empirical studies (James & Proulx, 2014). What was found is that the crimes were committed as a way to get the killers anger out as well as a way to get vengeance (James & Proulx, 2014). There is a call for profiling as well as looking into those murders that are committed by a serial murderer as there are more factors behind the why of the killings as well as comparing findings internationally to see if any connections can be made to further understanding(James & Proulx, 2014).

This study is important as it again, points to profiling. Not only profiling but drawing comparisons and looking at those killers that are committing multiple murders and then comparing them to international murderers as well. Rather than being limited to a specific geographical area it is opening lines of communication.

Lynes, A., & Wilson, D. (2015). Driven to kill: British serial killers and their occupations.

Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, 54(5), 413-433. doi:10.1111/hojo.12142

The authors of this study looked at the occupational histories of known British serial killers in an effort to see if there were any similarities amongst them (Lynes & Wilson, 2015). There are generalizations out there that serial killers switch jobs often and that they are unintelligent. What was found by these authors is that there are four main groups of occupations that the British serial killers prefer from business, healthcare, driving and transient work, to public and personal service (Lynes & Wilson, 2015). This is far from the generalizations that were previously believed to be true.

This study is important as it sets out to look at an important aspect of serial killers, how they make their living and how they are able to blend into their environment. This is important as generalizations exist that lead the public to believe that serial killers will be outcasts that have a major mental illness that will be easily detected by others and therefore make the killer stick out like a sore thumb. This is not always true and this study is a great start to that understanding.

Miller, L. (2014). Serial killers: II. Development, dynamics, and forensics. Aggression

And Violent Behavior, 1912-22. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2013.11.003

The author of this study looked at what drives serial murders as well as patterns in their offenses (Miller, 2014). The author looks at dysfunctions as well as different brain mechanisms that are important to killers (Miller, 2014). There is a call for further understanding of behavioral profiling and the importance of such measures (Miller, 2014).

This study is important because it draws attention to behavioral profiling. There are plenty of articles that think it is a pseudo-science and that it should have no part of investigative measures as it is not exact. While some of that may be true behavioral profiling has been shown to be effective in catching killers as well as later showing patterns to their killings and bringing a better understanding to these individuals that are committing serial crimes.

Murray, J. L. (2017). The Role of Sexual, Sadistic, and Misogynistic Fantasy in Mass

and Serial Killing. Deviant Behavior, 38(7), 735-743. doi:10.1080/01639625.2016.1197669

The author examined how violent fantasizing influences the behavior of a brutal mass and serial killers (Murray, 2017). They identified four common fantasies including revenge fantasy that may be sexual, sadistic or misogynistic fantasy; suicidal-homicidal ideation; and search for validation through infamy and media attention fantasy that greatly motivate the actions of mass and serial killers (Murray, 2017). The study was conducted using the ethnographic content analysis, and empirical phenomenology or occurrence of serial killing (Murray, 2017). Artifacts generated by the serial killer-offenders, survivor or witness accounts, and relevant literature played a central role in understanding these serial killer fantasies (Murray, 2017). The study revealed that the homicidal personality was a result of early derailing influences and pervasive life losses that make the offender have a fragmented concept of self (Murray, 2017).

This article is important as it looked at some of the artifacts as well as looked into witness accounts and applied that to current understanding. This is important as it gives a different window into seeing the killer and getting a glimpse at what they may have been seeing or feeling at the time. It brings a more human element to research as opposed to simply referring to or referencing case studies that have a certain level of detachment associated with them.

Stefanska, E. B., Beech, A. R., & Carter, A. J. (2016). A systematic review of the

literature comparing male non-serial sexual killers and sexual aggressors: examining homogeneous and heterogeneous characteristics of these groups. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 22(3), 323-341.

This study looked at sexual killers that were male by a systemic review of characteristics of consistent and non-consistent characteristics (Stefanska, Beech & Carter, 2016). Of the 10 cases that were looked at with 300 sexual killers there was a consistency in why the killings happened and that was most frequently due to loneliness as well as anger and there was a consistency in the groups with mention to family structures, criminal history, sexual abuse history, as well as mental health history (Stefanska, et al., 2016). The authors note that there is an inconsistency in some of the available material that makes a true comparison difficult to obtain (Stefanska, et al., 2016).

This is an important study because it draws attention to why some of the killings may be happening as well as noting the inconsistencies that are present in the current research material. Drawing attention to the lacking information is important so that there is a place to start on new research opportunities.