1. Serial Killers

21. Myth 1: There is an epidemic of serial murder Estimates = less than
14,827 murders in the US in 2012 (65% clearance rate)
Estimates = less than
1% of all homicides
(~150/year)
There is no real consensus as to the meaning of “serial killing” or “serial killer.”
There are no official records concerning serial killing.
It is difficult to identify serial killers
The conclusion that one unsolved murder is part of a pattern is easier when committed in the same jurisdiction.
It is extremely costly to investigate serial murders

22. Myth 2
Serial killers are unusual in appearance and lifestyle Reality – they are very good at blending in. Very average.
Dennis Rader - He is known as the BTK killer (or the BTK strangler). "BTK" stands for "Bind, Torture, Kill,“murdered ten people in Sedgwick County (in and around Wichita, Kansas), between 1974 and 1991
Gary Ridgway - Green River Killer, was initially convicted of 49 separate murders and later confessed to nearly twice that number. He strangled the women, usually with his arm but sometimes using ligatures. After strangling them, he would dump their bodies throughout forested and overgrown areas in King County, often returning to the dead bodies to have sexual intercourse with them. Believed to have killed 71.

23. Myth 3 Serial killers are all insane. Common psychological traits:
Sexual sadism
Narcisism
ASPD
Doesn’t fit the legal definition of insanity
Season 9 criminal minds – the inspiration Wallace Hines – a serial killer inspired by the praying mantis. Killer has visions hears voices.
Very few are found insane. Ed Gein was one
Many have pled insanity –
Kallinger - was an American serial killer who murdered three people and tortured four families. He committed these crimes with his 13-year-old son Michael. Kallinger pleaded insanity, claiming God had told him to kill.[6] He was found sane, however, and sentenced to life in prison
Bianchi,- Hillside strangler – claimed MPD At his trial, Bianchi pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, claiming that another personality, one "Steve Walker", had committed the crimes. Bianchi even convinced a few expert psychiatrists that he indeed suffered from multiple personality disorder, but investigators brought in their own psychiatrists, mainly Martin Orne. When Orne mentioned to Bianchi that in genuine cases of the disorder, there tends to be three or more personalities, Bianchi promptly created another alias, "Billy". Eventually, investigators discovered that the name "Steven Walker" came from a student whose identity Bianchi had previously attempted to steal for the purpose of fraudulently practicing psychology. Police also found a small library of books in Bianchi's home on topics of modern psychology, further indicating his ability to fake the disorder. Once his claims were subjected to this scrutiny, Bianchi eventually admitted that he had been faking the disorder. He was eventually diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder with sexual sadism.[2]
David Berkowitz – Son of Sam - During questioning, Berkowitz claimed that his neighbor's dog was one of the reasons that he killed, stating that the dog demanded the blood of pretty young girls. He said that the "Sam" mentioned in the first letter was his former neighbor, Sam Carr. Berkowitz claimed that Carr's black labrador retriever, Harvey, was possessed by an ancient demon and that it issued irresistible commands that Berkowitz must kill people. Berkowitz said he once tried to kill the dog, but was unsuccessful due to supernatural interference.

24. Myth 4 All serial killers are sociopaths
Common trait, but not universal.
Some neutralize guilt or remorse
Use “techniques of neutralization”
Some compartmentalize/
dehumanize
Techniques of Neutralization
Denial of Responsibility
Denial of Injury
Denial of the Victim
Condemnation of the Condemners
Appeal to Higher Loyalties
From these, Matza and Sykes created the following methods by which, they believed, juveniles justified their illegitimate actions:
Denial of responsibility. The offender will propose that they were victims of circumstance or were forced into situations beyond their control.[2]
Denial of injury. The offender insists that their actions did not cause any harm or damage.[2]
Denial of the victim. The offender believes that the victim deserved whatever action the offender committed.[2]
Condemnation of the condemners. The offenders maintain that those who condemn their offense are doing so purely out of spite, or are shifting the blame off of themselves unfairly.[2]
Appeal to higher loyalties. The offender suggests that his or her offence was for the greater good, with long term consequences that would justify their actions, such as protection of a friend.[2]
Disbursement of blame. can occur in a group or co-accused situation where an offender may deny the degree to which they were involved (passing the blame)
Dehumanization of victim. can occur when offender place the victim in a subhuman category e.g. all men are pigs.
Misrepresentation of consequences. where an offender tends to psychologically minimize the injurious consequences, and focus only on the rewards.
2 categories of humans – good/bad – will treat some people in their lives very well, but others have no regard for. Psychology of Evil

25. Opportunity/ Social Environment
Myth 5
Serial killers are products of bad childhoods
Genetics
Brain Injury Trauma
Child Abuse/ Neglect
Opportunity/ Social Environment
Serial Murder
Social environment:
Mass media and celebrity status – many serial killers become famous
Society populated by strangers
Depersonalization of others
Culture that devalues certain groups of people – women, the elderly, children, prostitutes, homosexuals, the homeless
Greater mobility – anonymity

26. Steven Stayner & Timothy White
Myth 6
Serial killers are products of bad childhoods A bad childhood is neither a necessary nor a sufficient factor
Steven Stayner & Timothy White
The Yosemite Killer
Cary Stayner
MAOa/Brain Dysfunction/
Stephen Staynor – kidnapped at 7 by Kenneth Parnell and held for 7 years. Escaped when Parnell kidnapped 5 year old Timmy White to save White. There was a book, and TV Movie (he was portrayed by Corin Nemec – who has portrayed Ted Bundy and Richard Speck) His brother, Cary Staynor – became the Yosemite Park killer – convicted of killing 4 women now on death row. Said he was jealous of Steven’s fame, was sexually molested as a teen, wanted to kill women sice he was 7 (before Steven was ever kidnapped).

27. Myth 7 Serial killers can be identified in advance
"There are 14 characteristics of a serial killer. Your son has nine of the 14. Jeffrey Dahmer had seven.“ Dr. Phil (Family First, 2004)
No scheme for prediction of future criminality has ever been developed
Best predictor – past behavior

28. Dr. Phil’s 14 Characteristics:
Over 90 percent are male.
Tend to be intelligent, with IQ's in the "bright normal" range.
They do poorly in school, have trouble holding down jobs, and often work as unskilled laborers.
Tend to come from unstable families.
Abandoned by their fathers and raised by domineering mothers.
Their families often have criminal, psychiatric and alcoholic histories.
They hate their parents.
Commonly abused as children — psychologically, physically and sexually.
Many serial killers spend time in institutions as children and have records of early psychiatric problems.
High rates of suicide attempts.
From an early age, many are intensely interested in graphic, violent pornography.
More than 60 percent wet their beds beyond the age of 12.
Fascinated with fire starting.
Involved with sadistic activity or tormenting animals.
Depends on how you define serial killer
They have IQs from all over the board – no correlation
Not all. Can’t make a blanket statement. Bundy (law), Shipman (MD), HH Holmes (MD), Kaczynski (PhD), Randy Kraft BA in Econ, Rodney Alcala BA in Art, Chikatilo Degree in Russian Lit
Common, but not universal
Myth
Common but not universal
Possibly, more likely they feel nothing
Abuse is common but not universal
Common but not universal (28 had been treated for mental illness)
I’ve seen no statistics on this
Myth! No evidence whatsoever
Myth! No evidence whatsoever
Source: Internal Association of Forensic Science, an article written by FBI Special Agent Robert K. Ressler "The Serial Killer," Harold Schechter

29. Myth 8
Serial killers select victims who somehow resemble their mothers Tend to select vulnerable victims
Hunting Areas
Areas frequented by prostitutes
Gay bars
Women on college campuses
Singles bars
Most serial killers don’t stick to one particular type of victim.
Most victims are people in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Targets are women, children, and the elderly. Serial killers don’t like a challenge or a fight.

30. Myth 9
Serial killers really want to get caught Very “Freudian” idea. Most try to avoid detection The ones we know of are the ones that made mistakes.
Freudian – circular reasoning “Why were they caught? Because they want to get caught. How do you know? Because they were caught.”
It’s untestable – supposed to be based on hidden, subconscious motives. How do you measure something that is hidden and subconscious?
William George Heirens - "The Lipstick Killer" was a serial killer in Chicago in the 1940s. Though a serial burglar named William Heirens confessed to the murders, he has since recanted his confession on the grounds that it was forced.