Introduction to Serial Killers
What is a serial killer? A serial killer is someone who kills without a clear motive, but they have a behavioral pattern. When you think of serial killers you think of someone who has had an abusive parent, who have been sexually abused or physically. Did you know that some are born with a type of rage or curiosity that may make them into the monster they become? Dennis Rader also known as the BTK killer he had a normal child he was in boy scouts he volunteered with his local churches’ youth group. Even though his childhood was normal he mentions that he started having fantasies about bondage and control at a young age he went on to kill many women. So, what makes a serial killer? A serial killer is someone who kills three or more people. Age, race, and gender have no bounds when it comes to the monsters that are out there. Serial killers are be put in four different categories the first being medical they are also known as angels of death or angels of mercy; these killers normally target those who are in their care. They are normally in the medical field; they are anything from nurses to doctors. They can work in the mental hospitals or normal hospitals. Everyone in their care are targets no matter the age race or gender. They normally believe that they are helping their victims from a life full of misery and pain. Next is the organized killers, they are the most difficult to identify and capture. usually highly intelligent and well organized, they seem to be the most normal on the outside hiding their true intent under a sweet smile and nice personality. They must have every detail of their crimes perfect before they can kill. They often must stalk their victims for days even weeks to makes sure they are the right fit for their dark desires’. Then you have disorganized killers these individuals rarely plan out the deaths of their victims in any way. Normally their victims are victims of chance. This type of serial killer strikes when the desire takes over. They often take no steps to cover up their crimes they are often not in one place for very long leaving a trail of death as they go. They are often not close to friends or family. They often use the voices told me to do it or that they are working for Satan.
Case Study: Aileen Wuornos - The Unorganized Killer
A good example of an unorganized killer would be Aileen Wuornos, she is one of the most well-known woman serial killers. She was born on February 29, 1956, since her father was in prison and her mother abandoned her and her brother, they both went to live with their grandparents. Little did they know her grandfather would sexually abuse her while she lived with them. Wuornos would later state that she had a sexual relationship with her older brother. Her childhood was not easy, being sexually abused by her grandfather and kicked out as a teenager she turned to other means to survived, having to turn to making a living as a sex worker on Florida highways. Ever thought she was away from her grandfather and brother the sexual abuse would not stop; she recounts moments she would wake up from being drugged while a man is raping her with a tire iron. During her time of killing Wuornos killed seven men, her killing spree started in late 1989 and ending 1990. Even though she killed seven men she was only convicted for the murder of Richard Mallory. Richard Mallory was a clearwater electronics shop owner she had shot him several time. Even though he was killed on December 1st his body wouldn’t be found until December 13th he was found. Each of her victims were killed by gunshot the nature of the crimes where very gruesome and seem to give off a type of rage. On January 27th, 1992 a jury found Wuornos guilty of first-degree murder for the Mallory case and received the death penalty. Wuornos would claim that the men she killed was in self-defense they were going to either to kill her or rape her. She would later retract her claims. Wuornos was sent to death by lethal injection on the morning of October 9, 2002.
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Case Study: Dennis Rader - The Organized Killer
An organized killer a great example of an organized killer would be Dennis Rader, he had a pretty decent childhood he was in boy scouts and even volunteered for his local youth group. Dennis Rader is also known as the BTK killer. Because of his childhood and how well behaved he was it was easy for him to hide the fact that he was strangling and killing stranded animals. On January 15th, 1974 Rader killed for the first time he strangled to death a family of four in their home, two parents Joseph and Julie and two of their children. I would like to leave their names out for the respect of the family. He also left semen at the scene, this would later set a signature of how he becomes sexually aroused and receives sexual pleasure from his killings, but unfortunately it would only take him only three months before his would strike again. He has stalked a young woman before attacking her on April 4th, 1974 he broke into the apartment of a young woman named Kathryn Bright he stabbed and strangled her when she returned home, he had also shot her brother twice, but fortunately he would survive. In October of that year Rader would place a letter in a public library book in that he takes responsibility for killing the Oteros. This letter was given to the cops in the letter he wrote “It’s so hard to control myself you probably call me a psychotic with a sexual perversion hang-up” he also warned that he would strike again within the letter he would also give himself the name B.T.K killer, B.T.K would stand for bind, torture, kill. He would go on to kill 8 more women. He would later take long break in 1991 to focused on family and work life. Rader would throw off investigators with this thirteen year break, But in 2004 he would resurface, Rader went local media out and authorities several letters filled with items related to his crimes including pictures, a word puzzle and an outlie for the “B.T.K story. Throughout his killing spree Rader sent taunting letters to police and newspapers describing the details of his crimes. Rader was arrested on February 25th,2005 later changed with 10 counts of first-degree murder. The motive for his killing is known as being a sexual sadist
Case Study: Charles Cullen - The Angel of Death
Lastly you have your angels of death, angels of mercy, or your medical killers, the most well-known would be Charles Cullen’s he was born February 22nd, 1960, Cullen confessed that he killed up to 40 patients during the course of his 16-year career as a nurse in New Jersey. Cullen was the youngest of eight, he would lose his father when he was only 7 months old. Cullen’s had described his childhood as being miserable he constantly bullied by his sister’s boyfriends and his schoolmates. His first of many attempts to suicide he was as young as nine to drink chemicals from a chemistry set. Cullen’s would lose his mother during his junior year of high school. He would recall her death as being devastating. Cullen’s first confessed to murders that occurred at St Barnaba’s. His first murder would happen on June 11th,1988 he administered a lethal overdose of intravenous medication to a patient. He would later admit to killing several other patients including an AIDS patient who died after being given an overdose of insulin. Cullen’s would leave St. Barnabas in January 1992 when the hospital authorities began investigating who had contaminated iv bags. One month after leaving cunning took another job at Warren Hospital in Phillipsburg. While there he murdered three elderly women by giving them overdoses of the heart medication digoxin. His last victim said that a sneaky male nurse had injected her as she was sleeping. her family and healthcare providers at the hospital dismissed her comments as unfounded. In March 1993 Cullen stared stalking woman. Cullen claimed to have killed 40 people during his career and worked for 10 different nursing homes and hospitals. To prevent people from caught on to him killing his and other patients. When authority’s and his coworkers would start to question the death around him, he would quit and find a job at a different nursing home or hospital. What was his motive for killing Cullen stated he administered overdoses to patients in order to spare them from coding, He had told the detectives that he couldn’t bear to witness or hear about the attempts at saving his victims lives. Even when investigators told Cullen that he may have caused more pain and suffering to Cullen’s appeared to not realize that he was more focused on sparing them from coding. Cullen was able to move from facility to facility undetected because of lack of requirements to report suspicious behavior by medical workers.
Nature vs. Nurture: Are Serial Killers a Product of Their Environment?
Are serial killers a product of their environment? I would have to say no they are not their childhood has no baring’s on if they are going to be a killer or not. Look around you or in your neighborhood you next door neighbor could be one of the worse killers ever. If you ask John Wayne Gracey’s neighbors before he was caught if you thought, he was a killer they would say no. Even the most normal looking people can hold a rage in them that is killer. Some stalk their victims and plan out every detail down to how they are going to lure their victims. Look at Ted Bundy, Dennis Rider and Jeffery Dahmer they all had pleasant childhood and they are three of well-known serial killers, but they are also the most disturbed serial killers out there. So, no serial killers are not a product of their environment. The ones who did have a nice childhood are more organized and harder to find. If you look at the killing of Ted Bundy, Dennis Rader and, Jeffery Dahmer they have every detail thought out they have a ritual that they must follow. In some cases, they stalk their victims When you find someone, who has had a difficult childhood they are more disorganized. If you look at the victims of Aileen Wuornos, Richard Ramirez and Mary Bell you can tell they were disorganized killers. All their victims were victims of opportunity not planed out at all they left evidence behind, so they were easily ID being caught that is different. Also, their victims show more rage in their killing than someone who has a better childhood. So, no environment means nothing when it comes to a serial killer, but it does mean the differences in an organized killer and a disorganized killer and the number of victims and the amount of rage that is behind the killing for the victim.
References
- “Crime Museum,” https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/serial-killers/types-of-serial-killers/
- “Aileen Wuornos.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 10 Sept. 2019, https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/aileen-wuornos.
- “Dennis Rader.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 22 Aug. 2019, https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/dennis-rader.
- Siegel, Larry Criminology: Theories, Patterns, and Typologies. Boston, Massachusetts: Cengage Learning. p. 353. ISBN 1-133-71052-2
- Bauer, Craig P. Secret History: The Story of Cryptology. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. p. 17. ISBN 978-1-4665-6186-1.
- Hickey, Eric W. (2012). Serial Murderers and Their Victims. Boston, Massachusetts: Cengage Learning. p. 254. ISBN 1-285-40168-9.
- 'Killer nurse gets 11 life sentences'. Graeber, Charles (2013). The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder. New York, NY: Twelve. pp. 6–7. ISBN 1455574139.
- Pérez-Peña, Richard; Kalinowski, David; George, Jason. “DEATH ON THE NIGHT SHIFT: 16 Years, Dozens of Bodies; Through Gaps in System, Nurse Left Trail of Grief'. The New York Times.
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