Serial killers; A Cultural Phenomenon of the US?

[Fishteacher73]

The Renesiance brought about a period of relative stability. People were stationary outside of the warring kings (Which I feel probably was an outlet to the blood lust of some killers). Most serial killers also tend to focus on victims that they do not have a connection with socially. With the onset of the Industrial Revolution, there was great influx of people into the cities. This produced a society of disconected people. This was the grounds that many first were able to ply their "hobby". This is when the first recorded seirial killers showed up; Jack the Ripper.

[Fishteacher73]

Norway gets off the hook again. :naughty:

 

They just got the blood lust out early with the Norse invasions..... :hihi:

[Fishteacher73]

However, I was surprized to see so many kill for greed. I expected that most would kill more for the pleasure they receive.

 

I think these categories can be cross applied, ie someone killed for sexual pleasure as well as greed, etc. Just eyeballing the %'s they total over 100%. (Actually 180.8%). So yes I would assume that killers can fall in multiple categories. (Or Killean has some problems w/ his calculator. :naughty: )

[Killean]

Just to give a couple examples of what I wrote down:

 

Legend:

MK-Mercy Killings

G-Greed

P-Power

J-Jealousy

SI-Sexual Inadequacies

A-Abuse(physical/mental/sexual)

AI-Abandonment Issues

MF-Morbid Fascinations

SG-Sexual Gratification

MI-Mental Issues

Psy-Psychotic

 

David Berkowitz ('Son of Sam') - P/AI/SI/A - US

Werner Boost - P/G - GER

Ted Bundy - Psy - US

Keneth Bianchi & Angelo Buono ('Hillside Strangler') - SG/P/MF - US

Nannie Doss - J/G - US

Albert De Salvo - SI - US

Earle Nelson - MI/AI/A/MF - CAN

 

One of the hardest things we found when trying to categorize these men and women were that rarely can you ever place them under just one category. It's interesting reading up 80 different serial killer cases, but after doing so I think I'm off watching any slasher flicks for a while. :naughty:

[Fishteacher73]

Many of these categories are somewhat intertwined...Someone with sexual inadequacies probably has had a history of abuse, both would fuel the desire for power, etc.

 

The only category that seems out of place is greed. I could see it for mass murderers but not really serial killers. Most SK derive a pleasure from the killing/tortue/mutilating of their victims. Generally the trophies thgat they take have very little monetary value (Clothing, ID, body part, etc.) are are used to relive the event.

[Fishteacher73]

Female serial killers are almost a breed unto themself. They tend to opperate in a very different manner. Many like poisons. Some that are lumped in as SK I feel fall really into the mass murderer file (Aileen Wuornos for example seemed to kill easily, but not with any real intent. The victyims were usually not "hunted" as many SK do.).

[paultrr]

They Covet, to use the old term for such. They may covet power, they may covet position, etc. One interesting thing is if you take the pictures of several serial killers and cover over their faces except the eyes they all have a sort of stare that reminds me of a natural born hunter. Something like the stare of say a hawk. I've often wondered about an evolutionary throw back to the old hunter/gather days playing into this odd psychology they all seem to possess in general common. One thing I also think needs mentioned is the rape involved or sex in the serial killer case has a simular quality to regular rape in that it does not really center on sex at all. Its about power.

 

The recent case where the guy vanished from public eye and killings as far as we know for nearly a decade and started up his pre-killing letters again actually shows that these guys do not always fit the normal profile either.

[Fishteacher73]

The recent case where the guy vanished from public eye and killings as far as we know for nearly a decade and started up his pre-killing letters again actually shows that these guys do not always fit the normal profile either.

 

If you are speaking of BTK (which is what I think you are talking about) they believe they have found other more recent victims. The MO was just about the same with two exceptions: There was not the public gloating and the bodies were dumped. It is not uncommon for the more lucid serial killer to alter his MO because he is aware of the police presence. BTK was a trained military and worked in law enforcement. It would be natural for someone of his background and training to be able to intentionally "throw the investigators off his trail".

[Super Polymath]

Men & women are extremely lonely in this country, in a room full of people.. The divorce is high as all get out. The main problem is materialism>human decency around here. Lesser issues plaguing this country that come from materialism is the racism, women are treated like objects & that doesn't make them any nicer than the fact that their parents try to control their every move, sexually frustrated young males brainwashed by pornography, the bigotry against all kinds of sexual orientation, neo-nazis, parents stripping their own children of individuality & freedom, high society. These all lead to urban terrorism. It all comes from the materialization & sensationalism, the lack of being able to grow up without tv, the internet, & video games turning us into mindless drones that say "okay" without questioning anything before we know it we've let other people tell us who we are & what we believe. Some people snap under that realization & kill a bunch of people more so in the U.S. than any other country.

Edited February 25, 2018 by Super Polymath

[Super Polymath]

Greed is perhaps the greatest sin of all, it causes all the others in people associated with the greedy like a ripple effect. The greatest serial killers in this country are members of high society:

 

http://www.tommieshelby.com/uploads/4/5/1/0/45107805/parasites_and_pimps.pdf

Edited February 25, 2018 by Super Polymath