They are perhaps the most dangerous individuals known to mankind. They are dedicated to their evil deeds and they are somehow able to commit their gruesome crimes without scrutiny from the public. They often appear as ordinary people who attend school, church, work, and even volunteer in community functions. To the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), law enforcement, and media, they are known as serial killers.
The Definition of a Serial Killer
Multiple law enforcement departments and some government agencies have developed their own general definition of a serial killer. Throughout the years, these standard definitions have merged together to create a short list defining a serial killer:
- Typically, someone is considered to be a serial killer when he or she has committed three or more murders. Frequently, there are breaks in between these kills as the killer could be plotting the next attack or stalking the next victim.
- Generally, the serial killer is not motivated to rob the victim, or otherwise steal their personal posessions.
- Serial killers usually follow a certain technique or method of killing their victims.
- Serial murderers are most often Caucasion males ranging from the ages of 25-35.
- Serial killers select victims from within their own race.
- A serial killer rarely picks victims that they are somehow related to.
The profile for the traditional organized serial killer continues to fluctuate but the basic outline remains to be the same. The FBI's standard profile is perhaps the most commonly used.
A Killer Hidden In The Community
Unfortunately for us, serial murderers do not always look as obvious as we would hope for them to. In fact, the majority of them are able to hide their secret lives and function as what would appear normal. Some are married and raise children while others hold respected jobs and have more than a general knowledge of the criminal justice system. This clearly makes it far more difficult for law enforcement officers to make an arrest.
Dennis Rader, also known as the "BTK Killer" was virtually a model citizen. He was baptized at an early age and served in the United States Air Force by the time he entered adulhood. He was an active participant at his church and even raised a family. Rader went years without killing until his uncontrollable obsession with taunting law enforcement caused him to make a mistake while releasing information claiming responsibility for the murders. If not for this critical error, it is possible that the BTK Killer, like many others, would have been able to escape detection linking him to the crimes.
The Killer Is Also The Victim
Law enforcement and society assume these killers are monsters and based on the descriptions of their crimes, they have every right in doing so. The general population rarely has a clear understanding of the nature of the killer's motives and immediately conclude the killer is insane or simply "crazy".
However, in many, if not most circumstances involving serial murder, the killer is quite frequently a victim himself. As mentioned previously, they are rarely born killers.There are usually sustained traumatic experiences that they undergo that contribute to their abnormal fantasies and behavior. Some killers even have confirmed mental disorders that could have been created by an imbalance in the brain.
Although it is rare for anyone to understand how a serial killer can be a victim, it is an interesting concept to examine. If people are aware of what is going on in childhood, careful procedures and precautions can possibly be taken to prevent these heinous crimes from ever being committed.
A New Era
Fortunately, for both law enforcement and society itself, technology and forensic equipment are continuing to advance. Without the advanced DNA testing and criminal procedure we have today, there would no doubt be an alarming amount of serial murderers that would be permitted to escape unpunished. Even though the saying, "you cannot commit a murder and get away with it" is obviously not always true, hopefully with the everlasting advancement in criminology, forensics, and criminal procedure, the percentage of these vicious crimes may gradually decrease.
Kevin Brown - Kevin Brown has won several short story contests and has published a creative nonfiction story in an annual community college magazine.
Join the Conversation