Kenzie Baxter

CJ 1010
12/14/2016

Understanding Serial Murderers

In 1998, a federal law was passed by the United States Congress called Protection of
Children from Sexual Predator Act of 1998. In this law was included a definition of a serial
killer, reading The term serial killings means a series of three or more killings, not less that
one of which was committed within the United States, having common characteristics such as to
suggest the reasonable possibility that the crimes were committed by the same act or actors.
This definition was given to have a very limited application; setting the criteria for when the FBI
are allowed to assist local law enforcement agencies with their investigation. (Serial murder,
2016) It is usually believed that for someone to be a serial murderer those three or more deaths
must happen in at least three separate events, having a cooling off period between each.
In trying to understand serial murderers, researchers always begin by looking back into
their early childhood and adolescence. While studying sixty serial killers it was for that sixty
eight percent of them had experienced some sort of abuse as children. When taking a deeper look
at those who were abused they found that fifty percent experienced psychological abuse, thirty
six percent experienced physical abuse, twenty six experienced sexual abuse, and eighteen
percent experienced neglect. (The brain of a serial killer, n.d.) Another, interview based,
research was conducted to deepen our knowledge of the dynamics of serial murder by
examining first-hand the unique ways in which these offenders view themselves and the world.
(Beasley II, B.S., M.P.A., 2004) They selected seven convicted serial killers to help them more
fully understand the interworkings of one who is inclined to commit such acts. Two of the seven
they interviewed were adopted; two were abused by their fathers, another abused by his

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CJ 1010
12/14/2016
stepfather; one was verbally abused by his father, and the last fell in with street gangs at a young
age. (Beasley II, B.S., M.P.A., 2004) Grasping these findings a great way to understand the
starting point for the life-path many serial killers find themselves on; as well as can give us
insight when in pursuit of a serial killer.
Through studying the lives of serial killers, it has been found that most, thought usually
highly intelligent, do not finish their education. Grover Godwin found that only sixteen percent
of the nearly one hundred and seven serial killers he had studied went to college and of those,
only four percent actually graduated. (Serial killers: Nature vs. Nurture, n.d.) Of those seven
men interviewed, two of them dropped out of college, one dropped out of high school and
received his G.E.D., and another completed school through eleventh grade, one finished the
seventh grade before running away from home, and another murdered someone as a teenager and
spent twenty five years in prison. One of the seven had a shockingly low I.Q. and attended
special education classes due to his learning difficulties. (Beasley II, B.S., M.P.A., 2004) A more
unique case is a man known as H.H. Holmes. Not only did Holmes finish college, he went on to
medical school and became a doctor. He was later able to make money from his victims bodies
with that knowledge. He would strip and clean their bones and then would mount their skeletons,
selling them to local medical schools. (Borowski, 2003)
The Hare Psychopathy Checklist- Revised also known as the PCL-r is a forty point
system that highly accurately assesses psychopathic behavior. Those individuals who score a
thirty or higher on the PCL-R are considered to be psychopaths. (Beasley II, B.S., M.P.A., 2004)
In the study J.O. Beasley did of the seven serial killers, it was found that four of them had PCL-R
scores higher than thirty; two had scores in the twenties, and one scored in the teens. The

Kenzie Baxter
CJ 1010
12/14/2016
findings were very interesting; that four of the seven are considered psychopaths. Also very
interesting is that those who are the psychopathic ones have been found to have a larger arrest
record. (Beasley II, B.S., M.P.A., 2004)
There is always talk of Nature v. Nurture when speaking of the criminal mind, but what
people dont often realize is that it is not a versus conversation; not one outweighing the other in
creating horrific behaviors. It should be looked at as more of a nature and nurture idea. Generally
speaking, you must have the nature of a chemical issue or a neurological problem, along with the
nurture of an abusive or neglectful childhood. Neuroscientist, James Fallon, has studied the
brains of sociopath and psychopaths for nearly twenty years. Fallon and other scientists have
been studying the orbital cortex, believing it is involved in moral decision-making, ethical
behavior, and impulse control. Fallon says People with low activity [in the orbital cortex] are
either free-wheeling types or sociopaths. (Hagerty, 2010) He also has spent time studying
twelve different genes that are known to relate to aggression and violence. He has zeroed in his
studies on the monoamine oxidase A gene, or the MAO-A gene, which is also commonly referred
to as the warrior gene. The MAO-A gene helps regulate the serotonin in the brain. Many
scientists believe that if you have a certain variation of the warrior gene, your brain does not
respond to the calming effects that serotonin produce. (Hagerty, 2010)
Sexual sadism is a common feature among many serial killers. Of the seven men studied
by Beasley all demonstrated some degree of sexual behavior in relation to some or all of their
murders. (Beasley II, B.S., M.P.A., 2004) Arthur J. Shorecross raped and murdered eleven
women. Most of whom were prostitutes. When recalling his childhood during an interview, he
spoke of being sexually abused by his mother. He said his mother performed oral sex on him as a

Kenzie Baxter
CJ 1010
12/14/2016
child and had sexual intercourse with him when he was fourteen. (Martin, 2008) One man, after
leaving home just past seventh grade, lived with an older homosexual male on and off for several
years and engaged in sexual relations with him. He killed at least six men; all were white and at
five of them were known to be homosexual. Some of his victims paid him for the purpose of
them performing oral sex acts on him. (Beasley II, B.S., M.P.A., 2004) In some of his crimes he
forcibly shoved various objects down the deceased victims mouths; including dirt, leaves,
clothes, and a dildo. Another man killed three white females during a two week period, at the age
of twenty five. He stated he forced each to masturbate and then perform fellatio on him. He also
masturbated, and raped each victim anally and vaginally. He said that he had felt an intense rage
and anger toward women for some time prior to the murders. (Beasley II, B.S., M.P.A., 2004) It
is very intriguing that many of the sexual sadist serial killers have had some sort of sexual
violation in their own personal history, usually as an adolescent.
It is fascinating how many serial murderers have a history of animal abuse and animal
torture during their childhood years. Sociologist Arnold Arluke compared the criminal records
of one hundred and fifty three animal abusers with one hundred and fifty three non animal
abusers and what he found in his study is that those who were animal abusers were five times
more likely to commit acts of violence such as assault, rape, and murder against others. What
was understood from this study is that serial killers in their childhood would resort to killing
animals because they felt powerless against their parents who had control over them. Since these
children did not have control in the household, they resorted to killing small animals in which
they could exert their dominance and power over to do anything that pleased them. (Serial
killers: Nature vs. Nurture, n.d.) Bradley R. Johnson, MD, and Judith V. Becker, PhD studied

Kenzie Baxter
CJ 1010
12/14/2016
nine adolescents who had expressed a desire to commit serial killings. One young man referred
to as L., admitted using his B.B. gun to kill a variety of animals in the area surrounding his
home. When he was admitted at fourteen, he had been killing up to ten animals a day. This
included birds, rabbits, dogs, and cats. He killed then in various way counting drowning,
stabbing or lighting them on fire. Another boy they studied referred to as S., who was sixteen,
said he began killing animals at fifteen. He killed rabbits, cats, ducks, and dogs. He usually
strangulated or stabbed them. He then prepared and mounted the skulls, hanging them in his
bedroom. On one occasion, he became sexually excited while killing an animal and placed his
erect penis inside the open would of the animal and masturbated. (Johnson, MD & Becker, PhD,
1997)
Ted Bundy said We serial killers are your sons, we are your husbands, we are
everywhere. And there will be more of your children dead tomorrow. I think this statement from
Bundy hits the nail on the head for why people are so intrigued by serial murderers. Its
something that is a completely foreign idea to most; but for those who are so inclined to commit
the horrific act of murder, multiple murders, it is very natural. And people who do fall into this
category generally blend in to the rest of society quite well. Thats what keeps people interested.
Knowing that someone around them could possibly have those tendencies and they may never
know. And knowing that there are some signs to watch for, some ways to possibly identify those
who are killing, ways to catch them.

Kenzie Baxter
CJ 1010
12/14/2016

Works Cited

Serial murder. (2016, July 18). Retrieved December 11, 2016, from https://www.fbi.gov/statsservices/publications/serial-murder

Beasley II, B.S., M.P.A., J. O. (2004). Serial Murder in America: Case Studies of Seven
Offenders. In Behavioral Sciences and the Law (pp. 395414). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Hagerty, B. B. (2010, June 29). A Neuroscientist Uncovers A dark secret. Retrieved December
11, 2016, from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127888976

Borowski, J. (Director). (2003). H.H. Holmes: Americas First Serial Killer [Film]. Netflix.

Martin, C. (Director). (2008). Interview with a Serial Killer [Film]. Netflix.

Serial killers: Nature vs. Nurture. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://www.nccm.org/article213.htm

Johnson, MD, B. R., & Becker, PhD, J. V. (1997). Natural Born Killers?: The Development of
the Sexually Sadistic Serial Killer. Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry Law, 25(3),
335348.

The brain of a serial killer. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from

http://www.bestcounselingdegrees.net/serial-killer/