Serial Killers Essay, Research Paper

I didn`t want to hurt them, I only wanted to kill them. This is a quote from

David Berkowitz, A.K.A., the Son of Sam. David Berkowitz and all of the other

serial killers tend to think in unique ways. This paper will talk to you about

characteristics, motives, different phases, and the correlation between behavior

and aggression. Serial killers like everyone else have certain characteristics

that set them apart. To be considered a bonafied serial killer you must murder

at least three to four people with a cooling off period between each murder.

These killings are usually one on one and are repetitive, occurring with greater

or lesser frequency over time (Characteristics of Serial Murder). Serial killers

usually don`t have a connection with the victim and they very rarely if ever

have a rational motive. The serial killer likes to murder people in the same

pattern, usually with a high degree of overkill. This degree of overkill sets

them a part from different serial killers. Serial murderers also have different

motives for their murders. One of the most obvious is that they turn to

murdering for a sense of power (Forwood). For this sense of power they usually

attack societies weakest members and those weaker than themselves (Forwood).

This includes the homeless, impaired, and usually the young of both sexes. When

they kill the homeless and impaired they are usually acting on the Missionary

Motive. This is when they feel that it is their responsibility to rid society of

its unwanted inhabitants. There are also Visionary killers which are usually

instructed to kill by the voices that are in their head (schizophrenia). The

last type of these motives is the Hedonist. They kill because it brings them the

pleasure to do so. This group is separated into three sub-categories which are

lust killers, thrill killers and gain killers. Lust killers kill for sexual

pleasure. They are usually sexually underdeveloped and they kill for sexual

gratification. Thrill killers kill people because it brings them a rush. These

types of hedonists usually kill a lot more because they are addicted to this

rush. Gain killers always kill people for some type of gain. This is usually

money but it can also be something like a job promotion. Another point of a

Serial Killer is that their mind is constantly going through one of their seven

phases. The first of these phases is the Aura Phase. This is the part where the

killer daydreams about death and destruction. After awhile these demented

fantasies usually have the urge to be acted upon. This leads into the second

stage which is the Trolling Phase. In the Trolling Phase the serial killer tries

to find the perfect victim for their needs. They usually tend to look in school

yards or lovers lanes or even red light districts. This might go on for hours

days and sometimes even months, until the perfect victim will be found . This

will begin the Wooing Phase. Serial killers usually act very debonair to get

their victims to trust them. After the Wooing Stage comes the Capture Stage.

This is where the killer reveals what he is. He may draw you into his car where

there`s no door handle for you to get out. This is disturbingly fun for them and

is included in their sick sadistic game. Then comes the climax, the Murder

Stage. They may just decide to kill you, but sometimes, they will decide to

torture you to death, try to revive you on the brink of death to torture you

more (Scott). The sixth stage is the Totem Stage. This phase is where the killer

will take a memoir of you. It might include your jewelry or clothes or even a

piece of your body. After this, comes the seventh and final phase which is

Depression. There is great emotional let down for the killer. They may even

become so depressed as to attempt suicide. But sooner or later they will start

day dreaming more and this whole cycle will keep repeating itself until the

killer is either caught or dies (Characteristics of Serial Murder). There is

also some correlation between behavior and aggression in serial killers. This

means that as a child, serial killers experience the same childhood

difficulties. Nearly all serial killers have gone through one of the Terrible

Triad. The Terrible Triad includes bedwetting, sadistic abuse of animals and

pyromania. Many serial killers as children have been known to kill and abuse

animals. The most popular choice of these animals is cats. They have been known

to be thrown out of windows and sliced open, just to see how long they would

live. Also cats have had a bad rap of being set on fire. Pyromania is another

trait of young serial killers. They usually keep themselves occupied with this

until boredom sets in and then move on to bigger and better things. Bedwetting

is the last of the Terrible Triad. Sixty percent of all serial killers have wet

the bed past the age of twelve. This causes great emotional pain. Alton Coleman

was one of these bed wetters. He recalls being called Pissy by all of his

neighborhood friends. He went on to kill eight people as he tried to commit a

new act of violence each and every day. However these are not the only

connections. Many of the mental problems that occur with serial killers is

related to bad parenting. As kids, most of the killers suffered from sexual and

or physical abuse and also child neglect. Henry Lee Lucas was beaten and starved

quite frequently as a child (Forwood). He was sometimes made to wear his mothers

dresses, and even forced to watch his prostitute mother with her customers.

Other mental issues have also come forth through serial killers. Usually

neglected children find ways to be noticed. This is shown in the serial killers`

case because they are killing people for the attention that it brings to them.

They see themselves on television and in the newspapers and sometimes even the

magazines. This makes them think, wow somebody out there does know that I exist,

and these thoughts are what keeps them going. Sometimes serial killers even find

out that they are the product of an unwanted pregnancy. This tends to lower

their self esteem and it seems to make them want to gain power. To gain back

these feelings of power and self worth serial killers take it out on the

community, torturing and killing many innocent people. In conclusion there are

many factors that affect the way that serial killers think. Serial killers are

mentally confused but most of them have good reason too be. It is said that

serial killers do not go through the individuation stage as a child (`Characteristics

of Serial Murder). This means that they are not able to tell that what they are

hurting is a living, breathing, feeling human being. Serial killers are not

something to be scoffed at. They are a serious problem to society. Remember the

most chilling fact about serial killers is that its not just a random act of

violence, its planned at first sight.

Characteristics of Serial Murder n.pag. Online. Internet. 22 April. 1999.

Available http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~bakerkm/killers.htm Forwood, Bill.

Repeatedly Killing… Why?!n.pag. Online. Internet. 22 April. 1999. Available:

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/1682/Physio.htm Scott, Shirley. What

Makes Serial Killers Tick? n.pag. Online. Internet. 22 April. 1999. Available:

http://www.crimelibrary.com /serials/what/whatmain.htm