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Serial And Spree

Differences in Characteristics of Criminal Behavior Between Solo and Team Serial Killers

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Introduction

Numerous research and theory have been published in an effort to better understand and categorize the most aberrant of pathological behaviors, those of a serial killer. This research is not only used to understand these individuals and what causes them to act out in this manner, but is also applicable when thinking about prevention and early detection of such behavior. When one can accurately understand patterns of behaviors, and the characteristics of such patterns, one can then begin to understand and trace back psychological mechanisms and etiologies of such behavior. Understanding and identifying precursors to these behavioral patterns will aid in early detection and intervention. A considerable amount of this research has focused on solo serial killers specifically, or serial killers as an entire population. Very little research is available regarding differences between different categories of killers, such as solo and team types of serial killers. The current research aimed to increase specificity of the available research and examine whether there are key differences in various aspects of criminal behavior between solo and team serial killers.

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Serial Murder Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators

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I. Introduction

Serial murder is neither a new phenomenon, nor is it uniquely American. Dating back to ancient times, serial murderers have been chronicled around the world. In 19th century Europe, Dr. Richard von Krafft-Ebing conducted some of the first documented research on violent, sexual offenders and the crimes they committed. Best known for his 1886 textbook Psychopathia Sexualis, Dr. Kraft-Ebing described numerous case studies of sexual homicide, serial murder, and other areas of sexual proclivity. Serial murder is a relatively rare event, estimated to comprise less than one percent of all murders committed in any given year. However, there is a macabre interest in the topic that far exceeds its scope and has generated countless articles, books, and movies. This broad-based public fascination began in the late 1880s, after a series of unsolved prostitute murders occurred in the Whitechapel area of London. These murders were committed by an unknown individual who named himself “Jack the Ripper” and sent letters to the police claiming to be the killer....

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Serial And Spree Homicide: Different Crimes Or All Serial Crimes?

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Abstract:

Currently in the literature there are three types of multiple homicides that have been defined; serial homicide, mass homicide, and spree homicide. Serial homicide is generally defined as an offender who commits a minimum of 3 homicides, with a ‘cooldown’ period in between each homicide. Mass murder generally refers to a single incident, in a single location where an offender kills a number of people. The time element of the definition make these two types of multiple homicides clearly distinct from one another. Spree homicides are generally defined as a series of crimes that occur in a short space of time at different locations, with no cooldown between each homicide. Although on the face a clear definition, confusion arises as to the exact difference between serial and spree homicides due to the lack of definition of the exact time element involved, and the exact nature and duration of a cooldown period. In order...

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