Serial Killers: Types, Demographics, and Profiling - Prof. Michael Aamodt, Study notes of Psychology

Download Serial Killers: Types, Demographics, and Profiling - Prof. Michael Aamodt and more Study notes Psychology in PDF only on Docsity! 1 Serial Killers Dr. Mike Aamodt Radford University maamodt@radford.edu Updated 06/05/08 Types of Multiple Killers Mass Spree Serial # of victims 4+ 2+ 3+ # of events 1 1 3+ # of locations 1 2+ 3+ Cooling-off period no no yes Serial Killer Frequency • Hickey (2002) – 337 males and 62 females in U.S. from 1800-1995 – 158 males and 29 females in U.S. from 1975-1995 • Gorby (2000) – 300 international serial killers from 1800-1995 • Radford University Data Base (6/05/2008) – 1,877 serial killers • US: 1,199 • International: 668 2 General Serial Killer Profile Demographics • Male – Our data base: 88.3% – Kraemer, Lord & Heilbrun (2004) study of 157 serial killers: 96% • White – 71.7% of all serial killers (68% in Kraemer et al, 2004) – 73% of male serial killers – 87% of female serial killers • Average intelligence – Mean of 103 in our data base (median = 102) – n = 104 • Seldom involved with groups Updated 06/05/08 General Serial Killer Profile Age 157 1,404 N 28.5Hickey (2002) 31Kraemer et al. (2004) 28.7Our data (2008) MeanRace Updated 06/06/08 General Serial Killer Profile Demographics – Average age is 28.7 • Males – 28.49 is average age at first kill • 11 is the youngest (Kody Scott – Gang member) • 72 is the oldest (Ray Copeland) – Jesse Pomeroy (Boston in the 1870s) • Killed 2 people and tortured 8 by the age of 14 • Spent 58 years in solitary confinement until he died • Females – 30.15 is average age at first kill • 11 is youngest (Mary Flora Bell) • 66 is oldest (Faye Copeland) 5 Serial Killer IQ • Media/Internet – High IQ • Our Database (N = 104) – Mean = 103.6 – Median = 102 – Range (57 – 165) • Rape – Yes (99.02) – No (107.94) • Method of Killing – Bomb (138) – Gun (107) – Hands (101) Updated 06/05/08 Intelligence The Smart • 165 Debora Green • 165 Ted Kaczynski (155) • 160 Charlene Gallego • 152 Carroll Cole • 148 Gary Heidnik (130) • 145 Ed Kemper (136) • 140 Charles Albright • 140 Robert Browne • 138 Michael Carson • 136 Ted Bundy (125) • 134 Thomas Dillon • 130 – Lawrence Bittaker – Harvey Glatman – Marcel Petiot – Angel Resendez – Gerald Schaefer • 129 Paul Knowles • 129 Randy Craft • 128 John Christie • 128 Joel Rifkin • 127 James Debardeleben • 126 David Copeland Intelligence The Not So Smart • 57 Simon Pirela • 60 Eugene Britt • 65 Clarence Victor • 65 Derrick Todd Lee • 68 Bruce Lee • 68 Lorenzo Fayne • 69 Louis Craine • 69 Christine Falling • 70 Kuno Hofmann • 73 Hubert Geralds • 75 Coral Watts • 75 Marty Graham • 78 Marie Noe • 80 Tommy Lynn Sells • 84 “Zoo Man” Huskey • 84 Joseph Kallinger • 85 Otis Toole • 85 Daniel Blank • 89 Henry Lee Lucas • 89 Danny Rolling 6 Family Comparison 1.6%Orphanage 0.5%Abandoned 0.4%3.2%Foster home 2000 CensusN =372 3.1%7.3%Relative 2.5%7.8%Adopted 76.1%79.6%Birth parents U.S. PopulationSerial Killers Updated 06/05/08 Birth Order Comparison 27.392.4%15.3%Only Child 2000 CensusN = 300 14.3% 50.0% 33.3% U.S. Presidents 28.3625.3%Youngest 15.9027.7%Middle Born 28.3631.7%First Born U.S. Population Serial Killers Updated 06/05/08 General Serial Killer Profile Childhood • Unstable home (37%) • Absence of loving and nurturing relationship • Physical ailments and disabilities • Head injuries • Triad – bed wetting – fire starting – animal torture 7 Effects of the Family Child Abuse 32%70%No Abuse Reported Not applicable6%Other 18%18%Neglect 50%2%Psychological 26%3%Sexual 36%6%Physical Serial KillersGeneral Population Type of Abuse Comparison of Serial Killers to the General Population (Mitchell & Aamodt, 2005) A Strange Way to Raise a Child Gary Heidnik • 3 years old • Didn’t clean room properly • Father hung him by his feet out of a 3rd story window A Strange Way to Raise a Child Henry Lee Lucas • 3 years old – Mother forced him to watch her have sex with strangers • 7 years old – Mother made him go to school dressed like a girl – Mother beat him when his teacher gave him a pair of shoes • 10 Years old – Mother’s lover showed him how to kill animals and then have sex with them 10 Herbert Mullin • Crimes – Operated during 1972-1973 – Killed 13 in Santa Cruz, CA – Shot most of his victims • Vision – Voices told him to shave his head and burn his penis with a cigarette (he obeyed) – Voices told him to kill in order to prevent a catastrophic earthquake Joseph Kallinger • Crimes – Operated during 1974-1975 – Murdered 3 in NJ and PA (including one of his sons) – Robbed and assaulted many others – His 13 year old son was his accomplice • Vision – Told by God (through a large floating head with tentacles) to murder young boys and sever their genitals Harvey Carignan • Crimes – Known as the “Want-ad Killer” – Operated in Seattle 1973-1974 – Killed 3 (probably many more) by smashing their skull with a hammer • Vision – Told by God to kill women – God didn’t tell him why 11 Types of Serial Killers Missionaries • Kill to “Clean-up” world • Examples – Joseph Franklin • Killed interracial couples and African Americans • Wounded Vernon Jordan and Larry Flynt (Hustler Magazine) – Wolfgang Abel • Killed drug addicts – Axe Man of New Orleans • Killed 11 (most were Italian grocers) – Carroll Cole Carroll Edward Cole • Crimes – Operated during 1975-1980 – Killed at least 13 women in several western states • Mission – Rid the world of loose women – All his victims cheated on their significant-other with Cole Types of Serial Killers Hedonists • Kill for fun or profit • Subtypes – Lust Killers (kill for sexual gratification) • Organized • Disorganized • Mixed – Thrill Killers (kill for the thrill of killing) – Gain Killers • Contract Killers • Black Widows • Lethal Caretakers • Cost Cutters 12 Examples of Lust Killers • Organized Killers – Ted Bundy – John Gacy – Chris Wilder – Kenneth Bianchi – Ed Kemper • Disorganized Killers – Arthur Shawcross – Richard Chase – Jeffrey Dahmer – Danny Rolling Hedonists-Gain Killers Black Widows • The Crime – Kill husbands, lovers, or relatives for financial gain – Almost always women – Almost 90% use poison to kill their victims • Examples – Diana Lumbrera (killed her 6 children for insurance) – Nanny Hazel Doss (killed 4 husbands, 2 sisters, 1 mother) – Lydia Trueblood (killed 4 husbands, 1 child, brother in-law) – Amy Gilligan (killed 5 husbands, several patients) Hedonists - Gain Killers Cost Cutters • Crime – Kill to save money • Examples – Joseph Briggen • Killed 12 ranch hands when their pay was due • Fed the people to his prize-wining pigs – Georg Grossman • Killed over 50 people, put the meat into his hotdogs – Joe Ball 15 Henry Landu • Romanced more than 300 women out of their money during the early 1900s in France • Ran personal ads to meet his women • Married and killed 10 of them • Put their bodies in an oven to dispose of them Lethal Caretakers Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy • The Crime – Kill or hurt others in order to be admired for curing them or to get sympathy for the death of a loved one – Mostly females • Examples – Beverly Allitt injected insulin and potassium into 26 children (4 died, 9 had irreparable brain damage) over a 58- day period – Martha Woods - 27 respiratory attacks in 9 children resulted in 7 being killed (3 were her own children) Types of Serial Killers Revenge Killers • Kill for revenge • Examples – Martha Wise: Killed 3 family members opposing her marriage – Ellen Etheridge: Killed 4 of her 8 step-children because she was jealous of their relationship with her husband – Martha Johnson • Had 4 fights with her husband • After each fight, suffocated a child as revenge • Suffocated by laying on top of them (she weighed 250 pounds) 16 Types of Serial Killers Antisocial Personalities • Definition – Pattern of irresponsible or harmful behavior – Lack of conscience – Ignore social rules and laws – Impulsive – Fail to learn from punishment • Examples – Gang Members – Criminals who kill for no reason The Crime Scene Serial Killer Type . Crime Characteristic Disorganized Organized Body disfigured hidden Sex after death before death unsuccessful successful Weapons finds at scene brings Viciousness torture quick Sophistication low high, learns each time The Crime Scene Serial Killer Type . Crime Characteristic Disorganized Organized Totem not taken taken Follows crime in news no yes Victim high risk low risk Gets to crime by walking, bus drives 17 Killer Profile Serial Killer Type . Characteristic Disorganized Organized Residence close to crime further IQ less intelligent intelligent Employment menial or normal unemployed Appearance unattractive attractive Self-image feels inferior feels superior Social loner outgoing Killer Profile Serial Killer Type . Characteristic Disorganized Organized Romance lives alone affairs, short relationships Anger keeps inside acts out, bully, class clown Birth order low high Habits nighttime daytime Childhood discipline harsh lax or inconsistent Killer Profile Serial Killer Type . Characteristic Disorganized Organized Family alcoholism, mental illness Father’s work unstable stable