Forensic Psychology and Serial Killers: EQ: How do we define serial killers and attempt to explain their behaviors?

What is a Serial Killer? DEF: a person who commits a series of murders, often with no apparent motive and typically following a characteristic, predictable behavior pattern: The key to understanding serial killers is to understand the patterns of behavior and characteristics exhibited

What is a Modus Operandi? DEF: a particular way or method of doing something, especially one that is characteristic or well-established: Everyone has a modus operandi, but the key to understanding the serial killer is to be able to identify their M.O. and predict what they will do next

What is a Spree Killer? DEF: a person (or more than one person) who commits two or more murders without a cooling-off period; the lack of a cooling-off period marks the difference between a spree killer and a serial killer. This lack of a cooling off phase can make it more difficult to catch these types of killers and establish M.O.

What is a Mass Murderer? DEF: any individual who kills a large amount of people for a particular and intentional reason The key is that there must be some level of intent

What is a Hunter? DEF: a type of serial killer that targets a victim and actively takes steps to hunt them down to kill them in some pre-determined situation They not only get a thrill from the kill, but also from the hunting of the individual They will usually stalk the intended victim for a period of time to learn the M.O. of the target

What is a Poacher? DEF: a serial killer that targets victims of opportunity Generally, these types of serial killers are looking for a target that fits some set of criteria that has been pre-determined They may investigate an area where they will operate, but also might be more impulsive if they find the correct target

What is a Troller? DEF: a serial killer that moves around in search of a victim Like a poacher, they will usually have some pre-determined type of target they are looking for, but will usually only hunt at certain times

What is a Trapper? DEF: A serial killer that sets traps for their intended victims These can be pre-determined victims or can be random individuals These traps are usually incredibly complex and well thought out, or not