Introduction to the Serial Killer

The United States is home to an overwhelming 76% of all serial killers.  Serial killers are unlike any other type of criminal and have various motivations for their dreadful actions.  The successfulness of a mass murderer depends on his ability to choose vulnerable victims, kill them in an efficient manner, and leave their corpses in hidden places where the police would fail to search.  A serial killer must have a high level of intelligence to murder over an extended period of time without the police catching him or her.

Adam Lanza, the man responsible for the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting.

On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza committed the most horrific mass shooting in the history of the US.  He killed innocent young children and teachers as they were starting their school day.  As horrified parents learned of the tragedy that had occurred in Newton, CT, they speculated why Lanza had chosen to commit such an atrocity and whether his actions were preventable.  Lanza ended his life at the end of his shooting spree, making it impossible for investigators to question him and learn of his true motive(s).   

Jeffrey Dahmer, a cannibalistic serial killer.

Ted Bundy, a manipulative serial killer.

Throughout investigations such as the Sandy Hook shooting, FBI investigators consult profiles of famous serial killers including Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy to find similarities in the current killer with past mass murderers.  They have determined that serial killers have several common factors that motivate them to murder many times.  The majority of these factors become prevalent during childhood.

You might ask “how might you prevent a child who possesses common traits seen in serial killers from becoming adult murderers themselves?”  Well, I’ll first explain some common traits seen in serial killers.  Then I’ll give tips how to identify these traits in children and explain different counseling and treatment methods.  Tune in next week to learn about the personalities of serial killers.