Serial Killers: Nature or Nurture?

Berlin police director Ernst Gennat first used the term serial killer in the 1930s. In America, it was later when the New York Times used the term to describe the Wayne Williams Atlanta murders.

The United States leads in cases of serial killers, with over 3600 counted in a 2020 study. That is alarming! The killers appear as chameleons, with the ability to blend in with normalcy, even within families. But make no mistake, they can flip a switch and become a sadistic killer.

Numerous scientific studies have been conducted, leading us to believe that the causes are complex, involving genetic, brain abnormalities, or environmental factors. It can be said that serial killers have an almost 'perfect storm' brewing within.

Attention has been made of the gene MAOA, also known as the 'warrior gene.' This particular gene is associated with violent behavior.

It has been said that genetics loads the gun, personality and psychology aim it, and experience pulls the trigger. Studies show 74% experienced psychological abuse, 42% experienced physical abuse, and 26% experienced sexual abuse. This doesn't necessarily suggest everyone who suffered some abuse turns into a serial killer, but again, it appears to be a combination of factors.

Pew study reports that true crime is the most popular genre and that Reddit has almost a million members. There's no question we are consumed with true crime.

The FBI established the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) with dedicated agents working around the clock to keep the public safe.

There are four types of serial killers:

• The Visionary: They believe the direction to kill is by God or the Devil
• The Mission-Oriented: They appear to target specific groups, such as prostitutes or gay people
• The Hedonistic: They focus on pleasure or gratification
• The Power Controller: They focus on the need to dominate, stalk, capture, and torture

The peak years of serial killers were at their highest from 1960 to 1980, when in America, there were 770 cases on the books. The allure of committing a crime is also the notoriety it brings through the media, internet, TV shows, podcasts, movies, and true crime books. There are laws in most states that regulate felons from profiting from their stories. That doesn't seem to deter serial killers.

The peak years have been described as the "Golden Age of Serial Killers." We can be grateful that a sharp decline in serial killers has led to more public awareness. Everyone seems to have a smartphone capturing life as it happens; cameras are everywhere, on every street corner, and in businesses.

Other reasons for the decline may be associated with advancements in forensic science, special agencies tracking, and studying serial killers.

• Genetics: susceptibility to develop sociopathy
• Environmental: childhood trauma, abuse, neglect, lack of love
• Neurological: different brain structure, no ability to make moral decisions

Here is a list of ten serial killers not yet caught:

• The Baby Sitter Killer. Between 1976 and 79, at least four children were killed in Colorado
• The Highway of Tears. Hwy 16 in Canada, where over 80 Indigenous women were murdered.
• The Al[habet Killer. In 1970, Rochester, New York
• The Wesy Mesa Bone Collector. Between the years 2003 and 2009, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, seven bodies were found murdered.
• The Black Doodler. Between 197401975, over ten bodies og men were found murdered.
• The Long Island Killrt. From 1996 to 2011, many young women were found murdered. Recently, Rex Heuermann was arrested and charged with seven of those murders. He was arrested in July 2023 and is awaiting trial.
• The Zodiac Killer. Between 1968 and 1969, at least five bodies were found in San Francisco, CA.
• Jack the Ripper. In 1888, in London, women were found murdered and cut open. Over the years, hundreds of theories of the killer who could have been a doctor or an aristocrat have been proposed. Over 100 non-fiction works have been written about Jack the Ripper, but the case has never been solved.

Here is a list if some of the most notorious serial killers:

• Ted Bundy. The charming Ted Bundy, a good-looking lawyer, murdered several young women. He eluded and escaped several times, had several trials, and was finally executed by electric chair in Florida.
• The Black Majic Killer, Ahmad Suradji. He admitted to forty-two murderers between 1986 and 1997. He was executed by firing squad in July 2008.
• The Scorecard Killer, Randy Kraft. Killed 67 people and convicted of murdering sixteen men, 1972-1983, and in 1989, was sentenced to death. He resides on death row in the California Institute for Men.
• The Green River Killer, Gary Leon Ridgeway. He killed some forty-nine women between 1982 and 1998, and he confessed to seventy-one. He received a sentence of forty-nine life sentences without parole and is currently residing in the Washington State penitentiary.
• The Dr, Death Killer, Harold Shipman. An English doctor was suspected of 250 victims over thirty years and sentenced to life in 2000. He hanged himself in 2004 in his cell. <ost of his victims were elderly women.

Yes, even police have been known to be serial killers. Some of them are:

Christopher Dorner, Norbert Poehlke, Zeng Kaigui, David Stepgen Middleton, Gennady Mikasevich, and John Christie.

Perhaps the media should tone down the sensationalizing of serial killers and devote more to the victims and their families, and the trauma and fallout they are confronted with. There is no question that each of us needs to be more aware of our surroundings and trust our instincts if something doesn't feel right. And speak up to authorities if something or someone is not right.

https://times.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

https://bu.edu/articles/2023

https://betflix.com/title/8126456

https://geneticlifehacks.com

https://healthline.com

The Meaning of Murder by John Brophy

Mindhunter

American Predator by Maureen Callahan

Ciper by Isabella Makdonafo. This is a gripping book with tons of twists and turns. Netflix has a film, The Cipher, starring Jennifer Lopez, which is a great film that deals with serial killers.