Learning to Kill: Contract, Serial, and Terroristic Homicide
Abstract:
The majority of homicides are spontaneous acts with a smaller number of homicides not of the spontaneous or unplanned type. These are planned and sometimes highly planned. In this chapter, three different types of homicide, where the offender not only plans the crimes, but frequently studies methods to kill in order to perfect the technique are reviewed: the contract murder, serial murder, and terroristic murder. The contract murderer is an individual who is hired to take the life of another person, with the majority of contract murders carried out by amateurs acting for a specific gainful purpose. Serial murder is viewed as sexually motivated and basically a subtype sexual homicide. Sexual homicide becomes serial when multiple victims are involved, usually in multiple locations. The terroristic murderer is not seeking sexual gratification or money, but rather the killings are motivated by political philosophy or extreme religious doctrine....