Why sane males become serial killers
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Why sane males become serial killers
Marcy M. Davis
Outline
1. What makes killers sane
A. Childhood relationships
B. Victims
C. Personality and traits
2. Killers history
A. Typical childhood
B. Characteristics of parents
3. Killers profile
A. Fantasies
B. Relationships
C. Actions of killer
D. Beliefs and feelings
E. Appearance
F. Crime scene
Purpose statement
The reason that I have chosen to on why sane males kill is because I
think that the public is generally afraid of serial killers, but they don't
understand them. If we understand what it is that we fear, we are less likely to
fear it.
Introduction
In this paper I am going to discuss the past of serial killers that, and I
use this term very lightly, are sane. Let me make sure that it is understood
that these men were not "Born to kill" and do not have some genetic flaw that
makes them serial killers. The men who are sane never had and will never
have these traits, unlike the criminally insane serial killers who kill for some
perverse reason or untrue belief. I will not discuss the minds of separate
killers such as Jack the Ripper, and The Acid Bath Murderer. All killers minds
are slightly different. All of these men, in their own minds, have found a way
to justify the crimes that they commit.
What makes these killers "sane"? A great deal is what happens to
them during their childhood. During the childhood of a man who grows up to
be sane, there is generally one father. Unlike in the childhood of an insane
killer where there is usually two or more father figures, such as live in
boyfriends, or men who the mother brings home for one night stands. Some
of the killers will reenact childhood traumas, Like raping a male, because it
was done to them, or cutting off the women's head like they did to their sisters
Barbies1, or cut them up with hatchets, because they used to chase their friend
around the yard with one. Such recreations are common in the world of serial
killers.
Sane serial killers will also plan every aspect of their crime, from
abduction to what he, the killer, will take and where to hide the bodies. Each
and every aspect has to be planned precisely, and to do this the killer will stalk
the victim for several months, or more depending on how much of a
perfectionist they are. Their victims fit a specific profile. This can be as
simple as a person who the killer considers to be beautiful2, or maybe a very
specific type, such as : blond hair, blue eyes, 5'2, and shoe size 8. Although,
most serial killers will not get this specific. There are on occasion those killers
who do, making it easier to trace the people they have killed.
To get their victims these men will usually use a ruse to gain control
of their victim. Such as, if the victims car breaks down on the highway they
will offer them a ride into town, or they will pick up hitch-hikers. The ruse
that they use (no pun intended) is usually very effective, and lets them easily
gain control of their unsuspecting victim. Also, as they go along they will
explain exactly what they are doing and are going to do to their victim.
The serial killer likes to take full advantage to rape and torture their
living victim. While they commit the crime, they unlike the insane killer, will
not become hysterical. They will also learn from their past mistakes, and use
them to make improvements for the next time that they kill. They learn to
adjust quickly to all circumstances.
The killers like to relive, replay and remember these crimes later.
They will often take pictures of their victims, especially when their victims are
extremely scared. The killers also like to take trophies, personal items of the
victims, to later remember their crime. They will give some of the more
valuable items to their girlfriends or mothers, so that they only know the truer
significance of the item and will remember their crime. The items stolen are
not usually of great value, though.
The sane serial killer will stage their crime scene. This is one of the
main ways that a sane killer is identified, by a neatly organized and often
staged crime scene. Often times they will have a trade mark, such as a piece
of lace over the face, or cutting off the ring finger on the left hand. Also,
these men will kill quickly. Although, the choice of killing quickly is odd
because they enjoy causing pain to their victims. When they are done killing
they will, in most cases hide the body, unless the reason that they killed is to
make a public statement, like Jack the Ripper.
These men are often good amateur psychologists, which helps them
convince their victims that they can be trusted. The sane killers will often have
an Intelligence Quotient of 120+, and use it to their advantage very well. The
killer feels superior, and to make sure that they are they will choose victims
that are weaker than they are. They feel they have been mistreated and the
whole world is against them. These men believe that they are doing society a
great favor in killing their victims
I referred to the fact that the reason that a person becomes a serial
killer has a lot to do with their history. Like I said sane killers are not born to
kill, but because of their past they either do not understand that it is wrong to
kill, or just do not care.
Often the crimes will refer to things that they did as children, or
reenact things that happened to them. They will often times wet their bed into
the late years of childhood, and are often confined to a certain area and left
alone for extended periods of time. They are often very popular, but instead
of developing normal relationships, where they can't control what happens
they will retreat into a world of sexually violent fantasies, where they can.
They abuse animals and small children, but will often get very upset if
someone tries to harm their pets or siblings. The children that become serial
killers (sane and otherwise) are often characterized by increasing isolation,
acting out, daydreaming, lying, bed wetting, nightmares caused by isolation,
cruelty to animals and other children, running away, assault on teachers,
setting fires, and destroying property.
In the families of the sane serial killer the family seems, on the
surface to be normal. The father has a steady job, and the family seems nice,
but the families are truly dysfunctional. The discipline was different from day
to day, and something that you were required to do one day might get you
kicked out the next. The mother often have psychiatric problems, such as
schizophrenia, and the killers often have very bad relationships with them.
In this next section I will give the profile of a sane, or organized
killer. Because these murders deal in fantasy and the murders are driven by
these fantasies, serial murders are classified as sexual homicide. The planning
that they do so carefully is derived from their fantasies, and they are careful to
stick very close to their fantasies while planning their murders.
These men are not capable of maintaining normal sexual
relationships, or normal long term relationships. Their relationships are short
lived, and usually not very meaningful. The killers are not able to initiate,
develop, or maintain close personal relationships. They generally have
multiple sex partners, and multiple short-term partners. These men are
generally very angry at their girlfriends, society, their families and themselves.
They are not only angry at their girlfriends, but women in general.
The killers will act out and do aggressive and senseless acts. They
terrorize young children to make themselves feel stronger, and more dominate.
Most of the killers do know what they are doing, or have done is wrong, and
some say that they have tried to stop themselves from doing it again. But,
they enjoy and take pleasure in murder. They believe that the police are too
stupid to catch them and psychiatrists are too inept to understand them. They
believe that they are the smartest and the most successful people to ever have
lived. In many cases, unfortunately, they are very smart.
Most serial killers are in their twenties and thirties, male and white.
They are often times attractive and very charming. They usually drive their
own car or use victims to get away and transport body. They bring a rape
kit3, and are well prepared for all situations. They will personalize victims, by
asking them personal questions and telling the victims about themselves.
They often will commit fetish crimes taking items such as underwear,
class rings, or cheap jewelry. Their victims are usually strangers and have
never seen the killer, although they may have been stalked for quite some time.
They try to conceal their victims identity, often by hiding the bodies or doing
something to the face. The abduction, death, and sometimes even the site
where the body is found are different.
In conclusion, these men are very dangerous. Their family life as
children is what causes them to become serial killers, but just because one of
those stresses is present does not mean that they will become serial killers.
But, when all of them, or a large number are present there is the potential for a
serial killer, not a definite probability. The children can be changed, if there is
a role model who steps in, in time.
Bibliography
1. Wilson, Colin, A Casebook of Murder
New York, Cowls Book Company, Inc., 1969
2. The Meaning of Murder; Brophy, John
New York, Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1966
3. Whoever Fights Monsters; Ressler, Robert K.; Shachtman, Tom
New York, St. Martins Press, 1992
Marcy M. Davis
Outline
1. What makes killers sane
A. Childhood relationships
B. Victims
C. Personality and traits
2. Killers history
A. Typical childhood
B. Characteristics of parents
3. Killers profile
A. Fantasies
B. Relationships
C. Actions of killer
D. Beliefs and feelings
E. Appearance
F. Crime scene
Purpose statement
The reason that I have chosen to on why sane males kill is because I
think that the public is generally afraid of serial killers, but they don't
understand them. If we understand what it is that we fear, we are less likely to
fear it.
Introduction
In this paper I am going to discuss the past of serial killers that, and I
use this term very lightly, are sane. Let me make sure that it is understood
that these men were not "Born to kill" and do not have some genetic flaw that
makes them serial killers. The men who are sane never had and will never
have these traits, unlike the criminally insane serial killers who kill for some
perverse reason or untrue belief. I will not discuss the minds of separate
killers such as Jack the Ripper, and The Acid Bath Murderer. All killers minds
are slightly different. All of these men, in their own minds, have found a way
to justify the crimes that they commit.
What makes these killers "sane"? A great deal is what happens to
them during their childhood. During the childhood of a man who grows up to
be sane, there is generally one father. Unlike in the childhood of an insane
killer where there is usually two or more father figures, such as live in
boyfriends, or men who the mother brings home for one night stands. Some
of the killers will reenact childhood traumas, Like raping a male, because it
was done to them, or cutting off the women's head like they did to their sisters
Barbies1, or cut them up with hatchets, because they used to chase their friend
around the yard with one. Such recreations are common in the world of serial
killers.
Sane serial killers will also plan every aspect of their crime, from
abduction to what he, the killer, will take and where to hide the bodies. Each
and every aspect has to be planned precisely, and to do this the killer will stalk
the victim for several months, or more depending on how much of a
perfectionist they are. Their victims fit a specific profile. This can be as
simple as a person who the killer considers to be beautiful2, or maybe a very
specific type, such as : blond hair, blue eyes, 5'2, and shoe size 8. Although,
most serial killers will not get this specific. There are on occasion those killers
who do, making it easier to trace the people they have killed.
To get their victims these men will usually use a ruse to gain control
of their victim. Such as, if the victims car breaks down on the highway they
will offer them a ride into town, or they will pick up hitch-hikers. The ruse
that they use (no pun intended) is usually very effective, and lets them easily
gain control of their unsuspecting victim. Also, as they go along they will
explain exactly what they are doing and are going to do to their victim.
The serial killer likes to take full advantage to rape and torture their
living victim. While they commit the crime, they unlike the insane killer, will
not become hysterical. They will also learn from their past mistakes, and use
them to make improvements for the next time that they kill. They learn to
adjust quickly to all circumstances.
The killers like to relive, replay and remember these crimes later.
They will often take pictures of their victims, especially when their victims are
extremely scared. The killers also like to take trophies, personal items of the
victims, to later remember their crime. They will give some of the more
valuable items to their girlfriends or mothers, so that they only know the truer
significance of the item and will remember their crime. The items stolen are
not usually of great value, though.
The sane serial killer will stage their crime scene. This is one of the
main ways that a sane killer is identified, by a neatly organized and often
staged crime scene. Often times they will have a trade mark, such as a piece
of lace over the face, or cutting off the ring finger on the left hand. Also,
these men will kill quickly. Although, the choice of killing quickly is odd
because they enjoy causing pain to their victims. When they are done killing
they will, in most cases hide the body, unless the reason that they killed is to
make a public statement, like Jack the Ripper.
These men are often good amateur psychologists, which helps them
convince their victims that they can be trusted. The sane killers will often have
an Intelligence Quotient of 120+, and use it to their advantage very well. The
killer feels superior, and to make sure that they are they will choose victims
that are weaker than they are. They feel they have been mistreated and the
whole world is against them. These men believe that they are doing society a
great favor in killing their victims
I referred to the fact that the reason that a person becomes a serial
killer has a lot to do with their history. Like I said sane killers are not born to
kill, but because of their past they either do not understand that it is wrong to
kill, or just do not care.
Often the crimes will refer to things that they did as children, or
reenact things that happened to them. They will often times wet their bed into
the late years of childhood, and are often confined to a certain area and left
alone for extended periods of time. They are often very popular, but instead
of developing normal relationships, where they can't control what happens
they will retreat into a world of sexually violent fantasies, where they can.
They abuse animals and small children, but will often get very upset if
someone tries to harm their pets or siblings. The children that become serial
killers (sane and otherwise) are often characterized by increasing isolation,
acting out, daydreaming, lying, bed wetting, nightmares caused by isolation,
cruelty to animals and other children, running away, assault on teachers,
setting fires, and destroying property.
In the families of the sane serial killer the family seems, on the
surface to be normal. The father has a steady job, and the family seems nice,
but the families are truly dysfunctional. The discipline was different from day
to day, and something that you were required to do one day might get you
kicked out the next. The mother often have psychiatric problems, such as
schizophrenia, and the killers often have very bad relationships with them.
In this next section I will give the profile of a sane, or organized
killer. Because these murders deal in fantasy and the murders are driven by
these fantasies, serial murders are classified as sexual homicide. The planning
that they do so carefully is derived from their fantasies, and they are careful to
stick very close to their fantasies while planning their murders.
These men are not capable of maintaining normal sexual
relationships, or normal long term relationships. Their relationships are short
lived, and usually not very meaningful. The killers are not able to initiate,
develop, or maintain close personal relationships. They generally have
multiple sex partners, and multiple short-term partners. These men are
generally very angry at their girlfriends, society, their families and themselves.
They are not only angry at their girlfriends, but women in general.
The killers will act out and do aggressive and senseless acts. They
terrorize young children to make themselves feel stronger, and more dominate.
Most of the killers do know what they are doing, or have done is wrong, and
some say that they have tried to stop themselves from doing it again. But,
they enjoy and take pleasure in murder. They believe that the police are too
stupid to catch them and psychiatrists are too inept to understand them. They
believe that they are the smartest and the most successful people to ever have
lived. In many cases, unfortunately, they are very smart.
Most serial killers are in their twenties and thirties, male and white.
They are often times attractive and very charming. They usually drive their
own car or use victims to get away and transport body. They bring a rape
kit3, and are well prepared for all situations. They will personalize victims, by
asking them personal questions and telling the victims about themselves.
They often will commit fetish crimes taking items such as underwear,
class rings, or cheap jewelry. Their victims are usually strangers and have
never seen the killer, although they may have been stalked for quite some time.
They try to conceal their victims identity, often by hiding the bodies or doing
something to the face. The abduction, death, and sometimes even the site
where the body is found are different.
In conclusion, these men are very dangerous. Their family life as
children is what causes them to become serial killers, but just because one of
those stresses is present does not mean that they will become serial killers.
But, when all of them, or a large number are present there is the potential for a
serial killer, not a definite probability. The children can be changed, if there is
a role model who steps in, in time.
Bibliography
1. Wilson, Colin, A Casebook of Murder
New York, Cowls Book Company, Inc., 1969
2. The Meaning of Murder; Brophy, John
New York, Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1966
3. Whoever Fights Monsters; Ressler, Robert K.; Shachtman, Tom
New York, St. Martins Press, 1992
