Why We Love Serial Killers

by Scott Bonn

  In fact, very few serial killers suffer from any mental illness to such a debilitating extent that they are considered to be insane by the criminal justice system. To be classified as legally insane, an individual must be unable to comprehend that an action is against the law at the exact moment the action is undertaken. In other words, a serial killer must be unaware that murder is legally wrong while committing the act of murder in order to be considered legally insane. This legal categorization of insanity is so stringent and narrow that very few serial killers are actually included in it.

  Psychopathic serial killers such as John Wayne Gacy and Dennis Rader were entirely aware of the illegality of murder while they were killing their victims. Their understanding of right and wrong did nothing to impede their crimes, however, because psychopaths such as Gacy and Rader have an overwhelming desire and compulsion to kill that causes them to ignore the criminal law with impunity. When they are apprehended, serial killers rarely are determined to be mentally incompetent to stand trial, and their lawyers rarely utilize an insanity defense on their behalf. Once again, this is due to the extremely narrow legal definition of insanity which simply does not apply to most psychopathic killers. Even David Berkowitz, the infamous Son of Sam, who told his captors tales of satanic rituals and demonic possession, was found to be competent to stand trial for his murders following his arrest in 1977.

  Considerable mythology also surrounds the intelligence of serial killers. There is a popular culture stereotype that serial killers are cunning, criminal geniuses. This stereotype is heavily promoted by the entertainment media in television, books and films. In particular, Hollywood has established a number of brilliant homicidal maniacs like John Doe in the acclaimed 1995 film Se7en. John Doe personifies the stereotype of the evil genius serial killer who outsmarts law enforcement authorities, avoids justice, and succeeds in his diabolical plan. The image of the evil genius serial killer is mostly a Hollywood invention. Real serial killers generally do not possess unique or exceptional intellectual skills. The reality is that most serial killers who have had their IQ tested score between borderline and above average intelligence. This is very consistent with the general population. Contrary to mythology, it is not high intelligence that makes serial killers successful. Instead, it is obsession, meticulous planning, and a cold-blooded, often psychopathic personality that enable serial killers to operate over long periods of time without detection.

  Myth #6: All Serial Killers Must Keep On Killing.

  Reality: Another common myth is that once serial killers start killing, they simply cannot stop. Although this claim may seem reasonable, it is simply inaccurate. There are serial killers who stop murdering altogether before ever being caught. In such instances, there are events or circumstances that occur in the offenders’ lives that inhibit them from continuing a life of murder. These events can include an increased participation in family life, a substitute for sexual gratification, or some other diversion. For example, Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer, confessed to murdering ten victims between 1974 and 1991. There is no evidence that he killed anyone from 1992 until his capture in 2005. In our correspondence, Rader has admitted to engaging in autoerotic activities as a substitute for murder in order to satisfy his sexual desires between killings. In another example, Jeffrey Gorton killed his first victim in 1986 and his next victim five years later in 1991. He never killed again and was finally captured in 2002. To satisfy his desires when he wasn’t killing, Gorton said that he engaged in cross-dressing, masturbatory activities, and consensual sex with his wife. Also, Jack the Ripper and the Zodiac Killer were never apprehended but their legendary killing sprees ended abruptly and mysteriously. Contrary to mythology, not all serial killers are compelled to kill forever once they start.

  Myth #7: All Serial Killers Want to Get Caught.

  Reality: It is popularly believed that serial killers secretly want to get caught. For the vast majority of them, however, this is simply not true. They love the act of killing. Serial killers gain confidence, satisfaction, and are emboldened by their success, particularly at the beginning of their killing careers. They are not experts from the start. As with all novice criminals, serial killers have no experience when they commit their first murder, although they may have fantasized about it for quite some time. The logistics involved in committing murder and disposing of the victim’s body for the very first time are complicated and require meticulous planning. Novice serial killers must learn how to target, approach, control, kill, and dispose of their victims without being detected. The learning curve for novice serial killers is very steep, indeed. Infamous and prolific serial killers such as Jeffrey Dahmer and Joel Rifkin have stated that their first murder was by far the most difficult one for them. Serial killers gain valuable experience and confidence with each new, successful murder. Along the way, they perfect all of their skills and techniques while minimizing problems and avoiding critical mistakes. In other words, serial killers get better and better at the business of murder with experience.

  Joel Rifkin being led into court. (photo credit: Associated Press)

  The skills and confidence gained through their experience make serial killers very difficult to apprehend. As they continue to operate and avoid capture, serial killers become increasingly emboldened and empowered. They relish their ability to kill and avoid detection and may come to believe they will never be apprehended. Such empowerment can cause serial killers to take more risks in their work. By increasing the risk factors in their murders, such as killing during the daytime rather than at night, serial killers can enhance their excitement, but such increased risk can also lead to their apprehension by law enforcement authorities if or when they make mistakes or the unexpected occurs.

  Prolific serial killers who go undetected for long periods of time may begin to take shortcuts and become reckless or even careless in their work. A classic example of a veteran serial killer who became sloppy is Joel Rifkin, the most prolific serial killer of all time in the state of New York, who murdered seventeen prostitutes in the early 1990s. Rifkin was unexpectedly and unceremoniously caught when his Mazda pickup truck was pulled over by a state trooper for having no rear license plate. Upon approaching the truck, the state trooper smelled the unmistakable stench of death and discovered the decomposing body of Rifkin’s final victim under a tarp in the back of the truck. When questioned about the corpse, Rifkin coldly replied, “She was a prostitute. I picked her up on Allen Street in Manhattan. I had sex with her. Then things went bad and I strangled her. Do you think I need a lawyer?”

  It is inaccurate to say that serial killers want to get caught. Most serial killers love their work far too much for that to be true. Sometimes, however, empowered and emboldened serial killers come to believe they cannot get caught and begin to take unnecessary risks in order to heighten their excitement but which can lead to their apprehension. In other instances, highly prolific serial killers may become bored, reckless, or sloppy in their work and make mistakes that can lead to their apprehension. Any serial killer, no matter how meticulous, will make an error that can result in his arrest if he operates long enough.

  Myth #8: All Serial Killer Victims Are Female.

  Reality: This final myth is a corollary to the one stating that all serial killers are male. According to the stereotypical imagery presented in Hollywood films and best-selling novels, male serial killers prey exclusively on female victims. This is simply not true. Just as not all serial killers are male, not all serial killer victims are female, although females do represent the majority of victims. The FBI has been compiling data on the victims of serial killers, including their gender, for nearly thirty years. The FBI data reveal that women are significantly more likely than men to be victims of serial killers but, contrary to media stereotypes, they certainly do not represent all of the victims. According to FBI data, women accounted for 70 percent of the 1,398 known victims of serial killers between 1985 and 2010.5 By way of comparison, females represented only 22
percent of all other homicide victims in the US during that same time period. Based on these statistics, the victim is 3.5 times more likely to be female in a serial murder incident than in a non-serial homicide incident.

  Cold-blooded psychopaths, such as Ted Bundy and Joel Rifkin, who target women typically plan their crimes meticulously in advance. This is counter to the 99 percent of homicides that are not committed by serial killers in the US. The vast majority of murders are not premeditated events, and they involve a male rather than a female victim. More precisely, the typical murder in the US involves one man killing another man either in a momentary fit of rage or to help him commit or conceal another crime such as armed robbery. The motives for serial killing are quite different than for the average murder and those differences result in a divergent victim profile, including gender. Moreover, there are important reasons why the victims of serial killers are so frequently female, and the reasons are unique to male serial killers and their pathological needs.

  The presence of a sexual motive often leads a male serial killer to prey on women. As noted by special agent Mark Hilts, chief of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit No. 2 that profiles serial killers, a “large number” of male serial killers have a sexual motive for their crimes. In fact, it is estimated that sex is a leading motive for approximately 50 percent of all male serial killers.6 Sex is rarely the only motive for serial killers, however. As explained by special agent Hilts, “Sex can be a motivation, but it’s a motivation in conjunction with something else.” Although a sexual element is often involved in serial homicide, particularly when committed by males, sex is generally found in combination with another motive such as sadism, thrill seeking, or a thirst for power and control. Specifically, a deep lust for the sheer act of killing combined with a sexual motive, and perhaps a third motive such as thrill seeking, normally leads a heterosexual male serial killer to target female victims. More rarely, there are homosexual serial killers, such as Jeffrey Dahmer, who target men.

  No Myth: Serial Murder Victims and the New York Connection

  In addition to details on race and gender, the FBI has also released information on the age and geographic location of victims of serial homicide in the US. Concerning age, the data revealed that nearly half of the victims in known serial homicide cases that occurred between 1985 and 2010 were in their twenties or thirties. However, the FBI data also revealed that people of every age have been victims of serial killers during the same period but in smaller proportions.7

  Concerning the geographic concentration of serial homicide by state, the same FBI study reveals that New York, California, and Florida had the most serial killer victims between 1985 and 2010. More specifically, New York led the nation with 137 victims of serial murder. It was followed by California with 128 and Florida with 112 during the same period. Based on the rate of serial crime victims, the state of Washington led the nation with 1.6 serial homicides per 100,000 residents between 1985 and 2010. This finding must be considered an aberration, however, because it is due in large part to Gary Ridgway, Seattle’s Green River Killer, who was convicted in 2003 of strangling forty-eight women and teenage girls. The state of Washington had a total of ninety-five serial killings between 1985 and 2010, so Ridgway alone accounted for more than 50 percent of all the victims.

  From my perspective, it is perfectly understandable that the state of New York leads the nation in the total number of serial killer victims due to size and population density as I explain below. This conclusion is not shared universally among criminal justice professionals, however. Retired New York City homicide detective and serial killer expert Augustine “Gus” Papay was surprised by the FBI data that put New York in first place. As reported by Thomas Hargrove of the Scripps Howard News Service, Papay said, “I thought the numbers would always be higher in California and some of the southern states. California, with its immense population, should lead the country in every major crime statistic.” Detective Papay also expected that some of the southern states would be over-represented in the totals due to a rash of serial killings perpetrated by truckers along southern highways in recent years. When asked to speculate on why the state of New York led the nation in the number of victims, he said that serial killers may be drawn to a metropolitan area like New York City due to its extreme population density. Detective Papay reasoned, “They think it’s easier to get lost in the big city and just think of all the victims! There are all sorts of different people they could target and maybe they think it is harder to get caught here, too.”

  I agree with Detective Papay in his assessment that some serial killers are attracted to the giant public stage of New York City and its vast pool of potential human targets. The decision of a serial killer to hunt and kill in New York can also be seen as both pragmatic and smart. New York City offers anonymity to a serial killer due to its immense size and population density that enable a criminal to easily blend into the crowds and disappear. In a classic example of this, David Berkowitz hid effectively in plain sight in his working class Yonkers, New York, neighborhood during his reign of terror in 1976 and 1977. Throughout his murderous rampage and until his capture, he also basked in the New York media spotlight as the unknown Son of Sam serial killer. The scope and magnitude of New York City make it an attractive hunting ground for a serial killer who desires public recognition for his crimes but also seeks to travel anonymously and hide out in a vast urban jungle.

  Detective Papay is incorrect, however, when he says that the state of California should lead the nation in the number of serial killer victims. On the contrary, the odds greatly favor the state of New York in this regard. The Empire State contains the New York metropolitan area, also known as the Tri-State area, which is the largest metro area in the US. The tri-state area boasts a population of 18,897,109 according to the 2010 census. The tremendous population density of the New York metropolitan area greatly increases the likelihood that a serial killer will strike there instead of a less densely populated area. This conclusion is based on the statistical laws of probability. The actual geographic distribution of serial homicide victims in the US confirms the accuracy of this prediction.

  In fact, the data reveal that the New York metropolitan area has been somewhat of a mecca for serial killers in recent years. In addition to David Berkowitz, the New York area has also been home to such notorious and prolific serial killers as Joel Rifkin and Robert Shulman. As of the publication date of this book, there is a serial killer at large in New York who has claimed at least ten victims in the Gilgo Beach area of Long Island dating back to 2003. The bodies of his most recent victims were discovered in 2011. It is possible that the so-called Long Island serial killer may actually be a current or former Manhattan resident. This is suggested by a series of taunting telephone calls he made to the sister of one of his victims, Melissa Barthelemy, following her disappearance in 2009. The sadistic killer used Melissa’s own cell phone on seven different occasions to torment her sister by relating the horrible things he had done to Melissa. The calls were traced to the Times Square area of Manhattan. The whereabouts and identity of the Long Island serial killer remain unknown.

  Conclusion

  The reality of serial homicide has been largely hidden from the general public because serial killers are presented in biased and stereotypical fashion by state officials and the news and entertainment media. Popular culture images of serial killers as homicidal maniacs or evil geniuses obscure the actual diversity among them in terms of their pathological personalities and behavior. Misinformation and media hyperbole have turned serial killers into cartoonish boogey men and kept the public in the dark about their true demographic and psychological profiles and what leads them to kill in the first place. I seek to present a realistic and accurate picture of serial homicide patterns, motives, and characteristics throughout this book.

  CHAPTER 3

  IS CRIMINAL PROFILING A SCIENCE, ART, OR MAGIC?

  Profiling, or criminal investigative analysis as it i
s called by the FBI, involves the investigation of a crime with the hope of identifying the responsible party based on crime scene analysis, investigative psychology, and behavioral science. Due in large part to Jodie Foster’s portrayal of FBI trainee and aspiring profiler Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs, the profiling of serial killers has become a frequent and reoccurring theme on the popular culture landscape over the last twenty-five years. However, the depictions of criminal profiling and the profilers themselves are so stylized, exaggerated, and unrealistic that it is difficult, if not impossible, for the average person to tell fact from fiction in the media depictions of them.

  In this chapter, I explore the history and evolution of criminal investigative analysis and examine the techniques and procedures used by law enforcement professionals to identify and apprehend unknown serial predators. I critique the effectiveness of criminal profiling in terms of its ability to identify unknown subjects and discuss the contribution of criminal profiling to the public’s awareness and perceptions of serial killers over the past few decades. I contend that, similar to serial killers, the criminal profiling process and profilers have also been popularized and stereotyped in the entertainment media, particularly in popular television series such as CSI, Criminal Minds, and The Following. I also debunk a number of popular myths and stereotypes about criminal profiling that have been perpetuated by the mass media.