Serial Killers - Essay Example

A person is labeled as a serial killer if he kills three or more persons within a time frame of 30 days. Most of the serial killers might be mentally disordered persons (psychopathic) and in many serial killing cases the elements of sex involved. Serial killers often make use of unusual methods in order to kill innocent people which make the investigation process much more difficult than ordinary crime investigation. Moreover these killers even though they are mentally disordered persons, take extreme care while selecting their prey and executing their missions so that the investigating team might be forced to search in the darkness.

This paper briefly explains different characteristics of serial killing and serial killers. “The term serial killer was coined in the 1970s due to cases such as Ted Bundy and David Berkowitz. According to an FBI Behavioral Unit study 85% of the worlds serial killers are in America. At any given time 20 - 50 unidentified active serial killers are at work continually changing their targets and methods” (Burns, 2009). Antisocial personality disorder can be generally referred as the reason for all the serial killing crimes.

Serial killers are not born, but the surroundings or the life experiences are making them serial killers. Serial killers generally feel no guilt at all even if they kill several innocent people because of their disordered mental stages. Serial killers repeat their crimes in all probabilities if they released even after prolonged and severe punishments in jails. ‘Serial killers can be classified into three broad categories; Thrill Seekers, mission oriented and power and control (Burns, 2006).

Thrill seekers engage in serial killing in order to enjoy media attention. They take killing as lightly as a game and enjoy creating headaches to the police. Mission oriented criminals on the other hand assume that they are actually helping the society by removing