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Frightening Serial Killers: A Literature Review

Justin Sye
Hampton University

Abstract

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Serial killers are people who commit murders to that three or more people.
Usually the first thought that comes to mind when we think of a serial killer, is
frightening, traumatic, brutal, and can be depressing. Serial Killers can commit
such murders all across the globe, which affects everyone worldwide. This literature
review will inform the audience of motives of serial killers, its lasting impact on
families who relate the victim, and areas that serial killers tend to overtake. Surveys
and credible sources will contribute to the facts behind serial killers and the image
that is portrayed.

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Frightening Serial Killers: A Literature Review

Serial killers are known in society for killing innocent lives in such a brutal
and fatal way. Serial killings not only occur in the United States but across the world.
Serial killers can be classified into different categories such as thrill seekers,
mission-oriented, visionary killers, and power/control seekers, all of which can be
harmful to society. While serial killers may be placed into different categories they
all commit such fatal action around similar motives. Lasting impacts on those
families of the victim will forever be remembered in such remorse, pain, and anger.
Serial killers will always be represented by a small number of people but will change
several lives forever.
Such people can be demoralizing to the rest of the population. In deeper
analysis of serial killers some would say that they are psychotic people who cant
control their actions and are mentally incapable of staying sane. Although no
evidence has been discovered to find out the true reason to why serial killers are
formed sources are still investigating the minds of those who perform such action.
Many people are still suffering from serial killers, but certain areas in the United
States are more prone to such areas than other. Even though these people are
depicted such negatively in society, there are many myths that are surrounded by
serial killers which gives people a misconception of them. In order to gain more
knowledge on such people, four questions need to be taken into account:
1. In what areas do most serial killers crimes occur?
2. What is the rippling effect that serial killers place on the lives of the
victims loved ones?
3. What are myths that are normally said about serial killers?

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4. Before committing a crime, what goes through a serial killers head before
they kill others?
In the following review of literature the audience will be analyzing serial killers from
a different perspective. This review will inform the audience on the areas that serial
killers are likely to be found, their effect on the families of victims, myths and
misconceptions and the motives and what happens through their mind pre-crime.
In what areas do most serial crimes occur?
For those who are unaware of where serial killings take place, they can be
found anywhere. Some would think that serial killers are only in certain areas, but
they could be right in your city. According to the figure below, you will see which
countries are heavily impacted by serial killers. Serial killers are found everywhere
and in particular the United States. Statistics show that the United States surpass
any other nation by thousands with a number of serial killers. In the image you will
see all nations who are
impacted by serial killers for
the year of 2013.

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Although the chart may show such drastic difference in each country, serial killers
are not in strong numbers amongst the general population across the world. The
chart may be somewhat shocking but it displays the areas that are most common.
However, this chart is very broad and does not show the specific areas that serial
killers are more prominent in a particular region.
Continuous analysis of the location of serial killers can be broad, but in the
United States it can be broken down by state. According to Radford University, in
the year of 2013 the highest percentage of serial killers exists in Washington D.C.,
while the least percentage was Hawaii. In the chart below you will see all states and
districts that carry serial killers and the percent of serial killers that come out of that
areas population.

As seen in the data, serial killers were present in twenty five states and one district.
Though the statistics may be a representation of three years ago, the overall gist of
the data is relatively similar today. The chart proves that serial killers take up less
than 0.030% of the total population in an area. People may think that the amount of

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serial killers are high in their area, but compared to the overall population in the
given area serial killers are like finding a needle in a haystack.
States may be a broad way to show where such actions take place, but in
particular areas you wouldnt hear about such crimes in comparison to others. In the
article Why are there so many serial killers in the Northwest? by Kristen Kendrick
and Ameila Greim, it discusses how the northwest has as an high per capita. As
stated in the article, places like California, Texas and New York have more serial
killers than we do. However, per capita, the Northwest is high.

(CITE)

By saying

that he means that there is a higher concentration, geographically in the Northwest.

Another article I read discussed how serial killings tend to happen in places of larger
cities in comparison to smaller cities. In towns that are smaller you are more likely
to get caught rather than in a bigger town where there are more people to notice
such action. Serial killers may not have a designated area to kill those for their thrill
but do take into account these areas that are of higher concentration and easier to
get away with.
What is the rippling effect that serial killers place on the lives of the
victims loved ones?
For those who are not impacted by serial killers and just hear it on the news or
through social media, the death of loved ones for thrills can impact the lives of so
many. Those who suffer the most from victims deaths are their loved ones. Have
you ever imagined or thought about how it would feel to lose someone you love
because of thrill and excitement? Mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, brother,
sisters, children and so many more are left with such a fatal thought in their mind
which will last them for a life time due to the death of someone who they loved.

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Many who are affected by the serial killers feel a sense of hopelessness, and a
feeling of emptiness that is left with them. Having known that they couldve
possible done it for no particular reason just for fun is gut wrenching to them. In a
blog written by Omar R. Quraishi he states that The fear among the local
population is such that no one dare even take down the body and give it a proper
burial. (CITE). Statements made by victims relative states how they would like to
take matters into their own hands and that they have so much anger build up that
they want to kill in return. Another example, for 1983 in Texas, Ronald Carlson lost
his sister to serial killers. He states that would have killed those responsible with
my own hands if given the opportunity. and later discovered Watching the
execution left me with horror and emptiness, confirming what I had already come to
realize: Capital punishment only continues the violence that has a powerful,
corrosive effect on society. (CITE). Families who are in such state of hopelessness
are finding themselves looking for answers on what to do next.
Upon further analysis I took it upon myself to conduct a view interviews amongst
a group of freshman males to see how they would feel about losing a loved one to
such action. According to one freshman, Nigel Thomas-Gibson, he stated that I
would feel resentment, and hate towards serial killers, just because he has no
remorse and they like to kill people as a hobby. When asking him about
punishment towards the serial killer he declared Life behind bars is without a
question the only reasonable punishment. In an interview with another freshman
Paige Clark, she stated I would feel very empty, hopeless, and anger. Along with
stating how she would feel, she boldly claims The most cruel punishment is
necessary for their ridiculous actions. From these interviews I can get a sense of

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how others would feel who would be impacted by such acts. My interviewers begun
to get emotional because they couldnt bare how anyone else would feel.
What are myths that are normally said about serial killers?
Although serial killers have a lasting impact on lives of families and are in
different areas across the world, myths of serial killers can give the public a
misconception of what they really are. Society may envision serial killers as such
negative people, and though they have a negative impact on society some ideas of
them are false. Misconceptions of anyone but in particular serial killers can give
humans a false implication on what serial killers are.
Several sources have discussed how the general population may think of reasons
to why serial killers kill or to a certain race that tend to have more serial killers. In
an article by Karly Rayner, entitled The FBI Have Debunked These 6 Serial Killer
Myths to Keep Us All Safer she discusses myths that have been discovered by the
FBI. One myth that many people would think that serial killers are all white males.
Although white males do take up majority of the serial killers in the United States,
all ethnicities are present in serial killers. Serial killers like Charles NG from Hong
Kong and Rafael Resendez-Ramirez who was a Mexican show exception to the rule.
Another myth that may be thought of is that serial killers are only motivated by sex.
Motives can come from visionary, mission-oriented, thrill, comfort/profit, and/or
power control. Sex or perversion is not necessarily a motive to kill because there are
several others.
In scientificamerican.com, Scott Born states why certain myths on serial killers
exist. One myth that he mentioned is that All Serial Killers Are Men, in which may
seem true but is certainly not. Scott stated:

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In fact, approximately 17 percent of all serial homicides in the U.S. are committed
by women.2 Interestingly, only 10 percent of total murders in the U.S. are
committed by women. Therefore, relative to men, women represent a larger
percentage of serial murders than all other homicide cases in the U.S. This is an
important and revealing fact that defies the popular understanding of serial
murder. (CITE)
Scott also mentioned how he some think that Serial Killers are Isolated and
Dysfunctional Loners. The reality of the situation is that some serial killers are not
social misfits who live alone and are not the isolated monsters that society
deems them. As we face several myths and misconceptions we need to realize what
is really true and what is false.
Before committing a crime, what goes through a serial killers head before
they kill others?
In relation to myths and motives that drive serial killers to kill up to three or
more at a time. Several different motives can drive serial killers can entice them to
do such things. Motives may include visionary, mission-oriented, thrill,
comfort/profit., sex, and/or power control. Serial killers like to seek thrill which will
make them want to continue to excessively kill innocent people. Digging deeper into
the reasons why serial killers commit crimes, will give the audience a detailed
description of the mind of a serial killers.
With no hesitation or attachment to the victims serial killers may have an
unnecessary desire to kill. In research conducted by Radford University in 2013
statistical data shows the motives that come from serial killers along with how many
people they kill. In the figure shown you will see a broad set of motives that serial
killers use as reasons to kill people. Although we may not understand exactly why
these motives will fulfill their need and desire to make someone else suffer, the

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audience will get a clearer picture of a serial killers mind. In the figure below it will
show the percentages of motives used by serial killers.

As seen in the figure above the highest percentage of motives for serial killers is for
their pure enjoyment. Enjoyment will fulfill their need to kill, and ones excitement
will be controlled after such action is committed. Motives may be influential but
serial killers have no specific number preference on how many they kill. As seen
they usually kill up to three or more but the numbers can vary by person. In the
figure below you will see the number of victims that are taken by a serial killer in
2013.

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Serial killings can be from

two or more people. The
more people can be in relationship to the amount of thrill or excitement that the
killer wants. The relationship between motives and the number of people may be
small but the relationship is still there.
Conclusion
Serial killers can bring such negative impacts on families, communities, and
society as a whole. As we continue to dig deeper into the minds of serial killers we
will find that they are just an average joe. They may portray psychotic or
psychopath acts but they are humans just like everyone else. Analyzing serial killers
will help the audience understand the areas in which theyre more likely to be
found, the effect on victims families, myths and misconceptions, and their mental
process before the action. Organizations like the FBI and psychologist will further
investigate serial killers so we can see the true face of the person behind the crime.

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References
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"Why Are There so Many Serial Killers in the Northwest?" Why Are There so Many
Serial Killers in the Northwest? N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.
"Why Does the US Have Far More Serial Killers than Any Other First World Country?"
- Quora. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.
"M. William Phelps: My Obsession with Death - CrimeFeed." CrimeFeed. N.p., 07 Apr.
2014. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.
Quraishi, Omar R. "Ripple Effect:Our Very Own Serial Killers." Blogspot.com. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.
Bonn, Scott. "5 Myths about Serial Killers and Why They Persist [Excerpt]." Scientific
American. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.
Rayner, Karly. "6 SERIAL KILLER MYTHS DEBUNKED by the FBI..." Moviepilot.com.
N.p., 27 May 2015. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.
Brogaard, Berit. "The Making of a Serial Killer." Psychology Today. N.p., n.d. Web. 03
Mar. 2016.
Rogers, Abby. "A Terrifying Glimpse Into The Mind Of A Serial Killer." Business Insider.
Business Insider, Inc, 08 June 2012. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.