Serial Killer - Research Paper Example

Richard Kuklinski Richard Kuklinski Richard Kuklinski was a serial killer who was also referred to as “The Ice Man” He was born on 11 April 1935 in Jersey City and he died on March 5, 2006 during the years of his imprisonment. He was a ruthless killer who confessed to have killed more than 100 people. He started murdering people who displeased him and went against him. He soon adapted murdering as his profession and turned into a hit man and murdered people for money. He killed people by different ways and the weaponry that he used for the killings ranged from firearms, hand grenades, chainsaws to bombs.

His brutality can be analyzed from the fact that he labeled the spraying of cyanide on to his prey as the best killing option that he liked. Richard Kuklinski was a criminal who did not feel guilty about his acts. His dark childhood laid an impact on his future killings (Holmes et al 2009; Martin 2006). Richard Kuklinski was born to Anna and Stanley Kuklinski. They belonged to a low income household. His father was an alcoholic and his mother was a Catholic and a strong follower of her religion.

He received many beatings at the hands of his father and his mother. The cruelty with which his father used to beat the children can be analyzed from the fact that his beatings resulted in the death of one of Richard’s siblings. Thus, Richard was brought up in a very disturbed household. His childhood was not only darkened by the trauma that he had to suffer at his house, but Richard was also the victim of the bullies of his neighborhood (Shaw 2008). The instillation of violence in his character began at an early age.

He used to make the cats of his neighborhood as the victim of his violence. He committed his first murder at the bare age of 14. He killed a boy named Johnny who was bullying him by using a cue stick as his weapon. His first killing raised his spirits and he continued this act of killing anyone who displeased him. He got married to a woman named Barbara at the age of 26 years. He then adapted the criminal path for his livelihood. He first sold pornographic material and later he became a hit man for the Gambino family.

He fell in the hands of the police authorities in the year 1986 during a major crackdown operation (Holmes et al 2009; Martin 2006). The differential association theory of crime truly depicts the character of Richard Kuklinski. The differential association theory puts forward the fact that a person is directed towards committing of crime from what he learns and sees. This can be understood as Richard was instilled with violence and aggression by his parents. This theory further puts forward that the way of committing the crime is also learnt.

This can be considered true as Richard used a cue stick for his first killing and this can be associated with the stick that his mother used for beating him up. Furthermore, this theory also explains that one criminal act becomes the basis for the next criminal acts. Richard Kuklinski continued committing the murders and there was no stop to it once he had started it (Hagan 2010; Shaw 2008).ReferencesHagan, F. E. (2010). Introduction to criminology: Theories, methods, and criminal behavior. London: SAGE.Holmes, R. M.

, & Holmes, S. T. (2009). Serial murder. London: SAGE.Martin, D. (2006, March 9). “Richard Kuklinski, 70, a Killer of Many People and Many Ways, Dies.” The New York Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/09/nyregion/09kuklinski.htmlShaw, L. (2008, November 11). “Analyzing the Iceman - Richard Kuklinski.” Associated Content. Retrieved from: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1188430/analyzing_the_iceman_richard_kuklinski.html?cat=37