Class Activity: Breaking Down a Serial Killer

Directions: Read the following passages, and on the lines beneath each one determine how
the serial killer developed (through environmental or biological factors), and then select the
type of serial killer that the person most closely resembles. Refer to the definitions and
examples of each type of factor.
Definitions:
Environmental factors: Factors that are externally influenced on a subject such as child neglect,
drug abuse, and more along the lines of those.
Biological factors: Factors that are almost unchangeable such as genes, biological make-up,
psychopathy, mental illness, and other.
Psychopathy: A mental illness or disorder, commonly associated with serial killers.
Types of serial killers: Organized (plans out crime, hides evidence, intelligent, organized),
Disorganized (kills at random, not intelligent, unorganized, anti-social), Medical (kills with
poison usually, targets are hospital patients or sick people, intelligent)
Prompt 1:
James grew up in a family which was split up. Before the parents divorced, there was a lot of
yelling and screaming in the house. He witnessed the dad beating the mother. Social Services
came through a lot. As he grew, he became more violent. Whenever he got into a conflict, he
fought his way out of it physically. However, James was very well educated, and he always kept
his school work well organized. In his adolescence, he began to stalk older women, which
eventually led to murder.
1. Identify the factors and label each with its type.

2. What type of serial killer does James most closely resemble?

Prompt 2:
Jackson was born with ADHD, causing him to have a mutated protein of monoamine oxidase A
which is related to uncontrollable behavior. Later doctors found another mutated protein in
Jacksons gene which was cadherin 13 which is associated with violent behavior. Together these
proteins cause very violent, uncontrollable behavior. Jackson isnt very smart, fails most of his
classes, doesnt have many friends, and has many weird practices. He started to mutate little
animals in his early teens. Later he went on to human targets.
1. Identify the factors and label each with its type.

2. What type of serial killer does James most closely resemble?

Prompt 3:
Jerry is very proficient in school, and he has an internship at a local hospital. He helps treat
patients alongside of a doctor. He is always on time. He does however, have a strange obsession
for needles, and little do his colleagues know about his recent drug abuse. The doctor started
leaving early, and leaving Jerry alone with the patients. After that, the patients under Jerrys
watch started dying from what seems to be drug overdose.
1. Identify the factors and label each with its type.

2. What type of serial killer does James most closely resemble?