Since America’s early years, serial killers have been somewhat of a fascination for both psychologists and members of society. Whether it be the stereotypical psychopathic, unremorseful maniac on the loose or simply a thrill-seeker begging for attention- these cold blood killers have definitely sparked quite an interest in plenty of people all over the country. Many of the greatest and most well-known serial killers have some of the most sophisticated and psychologically interesting minds the world has ever seen. This makes it easy to understand why people are so intrigued by them. But what makes a serial killer, well, a killer? By digging deep into the minds, pasts, and behavior of these murderers, we can begin to grasp why they are urged to do what they do.
There are two main types of serial killers: organized and unorganized. While the names are pretty self explanatory, organized killers are usually more bright and typically have IQ scores ranging from 105-120. These killers tend to plan out their murders and will even stalk their victims for any given amount of time to ensure their plan can go without setbacks. However, unorganized killers aren’t as intelligent and normally have IQ scores ranging from 80-95. As one would expect, unorganized killers are more inclined to chose victims at random and rarely do anything to cover up or remove any evidence. While both of those groups are based on how the person commits the murder, the next set of groups, defined by Jacob Margrave, are based on the people they target and the way they are killed.
Thrill seekers are serial killers that see outsmarting the law as some sort of amusement. They enjoy attention from the media and they also enjoy being pursued by the police.
Mission-oriented serial killers are killers that feel that they are doing society a favor by ridding it of certain people; these can include young women, prostitutes, drug dealers, or homosexuals, people they feel that society could do without. These killers are generally not psychotic. Some see themselves as trying to change society.
Visionary serial killers are people that occasionally suffer from psychotic breaks from society. They sometimes believe they are another person, or they are compelled to murder by higher entities such as God or the Devil.
Power and Control serial killers enjoy their victim's terror, suffering and screaming. These killers tend to be very organized and they usually have a history of childhood abuse, which left them feeling powerless and inadequate as adults. Many of these killers also sexually abuse their victims, but they are not motivated by feelings of lust. To them, rape is simply another form of dominating the victim. (Margrave).
Thrill seeking serial killers are motivated to kill by the adrenaline rush they feel while committing the crime. Ted Bundy and the infamous zodiac killer are two of the most famous thrill seekers America has ever seen. The zodiac killer still remains unknown but his taunting letters to the police proved that he felt as if the murders he committed were all just a part of a game. Though many of his letters were written in code, they were eventually solved, revealing the killer’s rant, which read, “I like killing people because it is so much fun.” While we know little to nothing about the Zodiac killer, Ted Bundy’s intriguing psychopathic/emotionless state allowed the public to try to further understand the mind of a thrill seeking killer. Bundy was classified as a high factor 1 serial killer meaning he was intelligent and had little signs of psychopathy early in his life. Factor 1 psychopathy can be characterized by pathological lying, manipulative behaviors, lack of remorse, lack of empathy, and failure to accept responsibility. Ted proved this diagnosis on many occasions, including when he stated, ”I don't feel guilty for anything. I feel sorry for people who feel guilt.” His lack of empathy for the innocent lives he took enraged millions. Yet his inability to feel also grabbed their attention. To Ted, his victims were just another attempt to feel something for once. The rush he felt while killing them was enough to satisfy his sadistic ways and, honestly, he simply enjoyed killing. These qualities are what makes Ted Bundy one of the most infamous thrill seeking killers ever known.
Mission-oriented serial killers are much different than thrill seeking serial killers. While thrill seekers kill because they want to, mission-oriented killers kill because they believe that they have to. They accept that it is their duty to clean up the world by getting rid of the “bad people”. Some mission-oriented serial killers also kill to get revenge on a particular group of people. This was true in Carroll Edward Cole’s case. His mission was to kill women who cheated on their partners and he killed at least 13 women who had sex with him. Cole is one example of a mission-oriented serial killer but these type of killings aren’t too common.
It is widely acknowledged that many serial killers suffer from mental illnesses (to some extent) and these abnormalities sometimes add to their hidden desires to kill. However, visionary killers aren't just living with their illnesses, they are completely controlled by them. Take Herbert Mullin, who killed thirteen people in the early 1970’s, for example. Mullin believed that American casualties in the Vietnam War were somehow preventing a catastrophic earthquake in California. As the war wound down and U.S. casualties decreased, Mullin claimed that a supreme voice told him to raise the number of "human sacrifices” in order to delay an earthquake that would plunge California into the ocean. The killer was a paranoid schizophrenic and FBI profilers believed his mental illness might have been accelerated by the use of hallucinogens in his youth. Mullin’s perception of the world was completely altered by his schizophrenia, leading him to believe that killing was his only option.
Power and control serial killers crave, well, power and control. One of the most famous power and control killers was no other than Jeffrey Dahmer. Jeffrey was described as a happy, energetic kid up until a surgery to correct a double hernia that left him noticeably withdrawn. His family’s frequent moves, the birth of his brother, and finally, the divorce of his parents left Dahmer feeling powerless and added to his anti-socialness. Shortly after graduating high school, his killing spree began: leaving 17 men sexually abused, badly beaten, dead, and eventually dismembered. It was even discovered that Dahmer sexually abused some of the bodies post-mortem and he kept various parts of certain victims as “trophies” including skulls, genitals, and other body parts that he even attempted to eat. It is believed that Jeffrey’s lack of power throughout his adolescence led to his murderous rampage. Once he finally obtained the power to control someone else’s fate- there was no going back. He finally had the power he craved in his childhood and there was no way he could give that up. His need for control manifested so greatly that he even began experimenting with his victims by pouring acid into holes drilled into their skulls. He was ultimately attempting to create a “human zombie” that would fall into a submissive state where Dahmer could control their every move. These experiments obviously failed but definitely gave people a look into the mind of a power and control serial killer.
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