Category: Serial Killer

The Nurture Of Serial Killer: Ed Gein, Ted Bundy And Paul Bernardo

The concept of serial murder dates back to over a century, however, became a recognized phenomena in the twentieth century due to the rise of notorious serial killers including Ed Gein, Ted Bundy and Paul Bernardo. A serial killer is defined as an individual who commits three or more murders in separate time periods and events (). For years there has been a contentious debate on whether serial killing is intrinsic and can be biologically explained through the development of the brain, heredity and psychological disorders, a result of a multitude of environmental factors including childhood abuse, loneliness, violent pornography and fantasy, and poor socialization, or a mixture of both. With a deeper analysis of a serial killer’s background, it is evident that several environmental and social factors contribute to the construction of a serial killer. Therefore, the most influential and lasting characteristic in the shaping of a serial killer begins with the nurture and socialization of individuals. In particular, these factors include traumatic childhood experiences, the role of violent and sexual fantasies as a result of destabilizing events and insufficient socialization.

Humans are socialized at the beginning of life and it is often attributed to one’s relationship with a primary caregiver; the presence of an abusive and neglectful upbringing marks the creation of psychopathic behaviour. The parallel between an abusive childhood of a serial killer and their murderous and sadistic inclinations is inevitable as substantiated through many case studies and research. For instance, a study was constructed with fifty serial killers where they were questioned about their childhood, criminal past and destabilizing events in their lives. The study showed that sixty eight percent of the sample usually spent their childhood in an abusive and uncaring environment where their fundamental needs were not met. As a coping mechanism, they developed violent and reclusive behaviours in which slowly escalated to the killing of other human beings ().

The commonality of a deterring and violent upbringing among many serial killers highlights that the lack of a nurturing and social childhood has an adverse effect into their adult life. It is evident that traumatic childhood experiences of a serial murderers aid in their inability to socialize and identify with other humans, integrated with other environmental factors can lead to their ease with killing. Serial killers who have grown up in an atmosphere filled with violence and rejection are likely unable to identify violence as a negative action. This constructs a subculture where violence is not morally wrong but a socially acceptable response. Furthermore, serial killers frequently share an irregular relationship with their mothers from a young age and they often inherit their mother’s beliefs throughout their lives.

An example of this relationship is shown through the Canadian serial killer, Paul Bernado. When Bernado was sixteen, his mother revealed to him that Kenneth, who he believed was his father throughout his childhood, was not his biological father. Bernado then tormented his mother, as he called her a “slob” and “whore” for her act of adultery (). This traumatic event worsened Bernardo’s attitude, specifically towards women. His underlying objectification of women after his mother’s actions were found to be notably pivotal to his criminal behaviour as a serial rapist and murderer (). Women became the main victims of his sexual and sadistic crimes which indicates the power of a primary caregiver, or mother in this instance as Bernardo translated his disgust from his mother’s infidelity and developed dark, forceful and sadistic tendencies. Likewise, many serial killers had a destabilizing and dysfunctional relationship with their father due to physical and psychological abuse.

For instance, Shirley Lynn Scott in her article, “What Makes Serial Killers Tick?” identifies, “It’s usually the sadistically disciplinarian father that pops up in the serial killer’s family tree” (). She examines the father-son relationship with John Wayne Gacy. Gacy was subjected to his father’s frequent verbal abuse calling him demeaning names such as sissy, queer and a failure. After that, Gacy victimized young boys and men and he would instruct them to be brave before facing death (). It is evident that Gacy felt that he must reaffirm a sense of masculinity during his killings as a result of his father’s constant pejorative comments. In essence, the absence of a loving and nurturing childhood is the main determinant in the behaviour of serial killers and ultimately causes emotional deprivation, such as resentment and lack of empathy for other human beings.

In addition to the early traumatization in a serial killer’s childhood, the secluded social conditions of a serial killer acts as an accomplice to their violent and sadistic fantasies that inevitably direct them to kill. Many serial killers face isolation in their youth which oftentimes they turn to fantasies involving violence and sex. As many serial killers are isolated or abused as children, a study by Ressler, Burgess, Prentky, et al in 1988 suggest that serial killers used fantasies of sex, violence and power to cope with unresolved conflict and childhood trauma. For instance, research has found that fantasy related to violence existed in eighty six percent of serial killers. They believe this suggests, “a functional relationship between fantasy and repetitive assaultive behaviour” ().

More research proposes that serial murderers actualize these fantasies as a means to reassert their power over individuals and gain a level of satisfaction. Also, the violent and sexual nature of fantasies, that originate from the aftermath of a traumatic childhood, may also develop into paraphilias. Ressler and Burgess suggest that extreme sexual behaviour stems from the childhood of a serial killer and can develop into paraphilias such as necrophilia, voyeurism, frotteurism and compulsive masturbation (). A common example of a paraphilia that a serial killer exhibits is sadomasochism, which is defined as the infliction of pain or humiliation for one’s sexual gratification. A case study of the serial murderer, Carroll Edward Cole, examines Cole’s early childhood experiences and twisted relationship with his mother. As a child, he was forced to dress up as a girl for his mother and her friends, and witnessed his mother repeatedly engage in affairs with other men as his father was stationed aboard. His humiliation rooted from his mother’s actions later triggered his paraphilia as he would inflict similar acts of humiliation and violence to his victims. He victimized women who were representative of his mother.

These women willingly cheated on their partner with Cole as Cole’s mother did with his father. In his first killing, Cole forced the woman to remove her clothes but then did not proceed to have sex with her. He only did so to humiliate her, which parallels with his relationship with his mother (). It is evident that his paraphilia and fantasies developed through his destabilizing relationship with his mother, and ultimately shaped the framework of his crimes. The representation of pornography and violence in the media is also a contributing factor to a serial killer’s fantasies and behaviour. For instance, Ted Bundy, a notorious serial killer during the 1970s, proposed that his fantasies were stimulated by the portrayal of pornography in the media and True Detective magazines (). Thus, the senseless portrayal of violence in the media is partly responsible for violent and extremist behaviour seen in serial killers and their murders. Often the media glorifies serial killers in such movies as Silence of the Lambs and researchers suggest that the killers extract the premise of their fantasies from pornographic and violent media. The primary and secondary socialization of individuals is a major indicator in shaping of violent fantasies and paraphilias that lead to the execution of criminal behaviour.

Ted Bundy And How Biological Evidence From Bite Marks Helped Convict Him

To many people he is a serial killer, whereas others would term him as a charming and good-looking young man. Some people also applaud his intellect, the judge who announced his death sentence mentioned that he was a very intellectual and a witty law student. Although the estimated number of young girls and women he killed is 30, the exact number remains unknown. The actual number is debatable since in many occasions, he claimed that he might have killed more than that. He used different ways to murder his victims from breaking into their homes at night or even in public using calculated moves. Ted Bundy kept his victim’s personal property or their severed heads for commemoration. This paper highlights his life and how biological evidence from bite marks helped convict him.

No one is born a serial killer .However; ted Bundy early life could have contributed enormously to his wicked ways. No one knows exactly when he first committed his first murder but it is estimated to be when he was in his early twenties. Having been born in 2 November 1946, he was told that his mother was his sister; he was later raised by his grandparents, until his mother moved to a new relationship and gave birth to other four children. Growing up he regarded himself as a social outcast and did not value social interactions. In spite of being involved in petty crimes at a young age and being arrested, this did not necessarily raise a red flag about his later life.

After high school, Bundy proceeded to University of Phughet Sound and university of Washington. Where he majored in Chinese. He fell in love with a lady named Stephanie Brooks. In 1968, he began to loose focus in his academics after his relatives confirmed his suspicions on his parentage. He learnt that the person he had always known as his sister was actually his mother. He dropped out of university of Washington and later rejoined to study psychology; he cleared and got to work with suicide hotline in Seattle. This time he was in a relationship with Elizabeth kloepfer .In 1972, he joined the law school at the University of Phughet. He dropped a few months later and began his life as a serial killer.

No one really knows who Bundy’s first victim was. Due his reputation and confessions, he is suspected of a number of murders he likely had nothing to do with, including one that took place when he was only 14 years old. However, he was definitely stalking, raping, and murdering women by 1974, having carefully studied and mastered the techniques he knew he would need to get away with his crimes. (Simpson, 2016)

Bundy was arrested in 1976 over several accounts of murder, where police had launched a manhunt and intensive investigations from the FBI but he later escaped on the new year’s eve of 1977. Elizabeth kloepfer recalls how Bundy could sneak out at the middle of the night and how he could find him with weird thing in his car, which he used to kill the innocent young girls and women. His victims were mainly female college students with long parted hair in the middle. He approached disguising himself as a man with an injured arm, with crutches and a briefcase. He would then ask his victims to help him carry the briefcase to his Volkswagen car before killing them.

Investigators have used biological evidence like blood types, sperm samples and bite marks to assist their investigations in curbing criminal activities. For the first time in Florida courts bite mark evidence was used to secure a conviction. In early 1978, Ted Bundy murdered two young girls, Lisa Levy and Martha Bowman . Marks on the buttock and breast of one of the young women were identified as bite marks, one having sufficient detail for the forensic dentist to link the injury to Bundy. This compelling dental evidence helped secure a conviction (Hinchliffe, 2011).

Lisa levy was raped, strangled and later beaten on the head whereas Martha Bowman was strangled and beaten on the head. The murder weapon was not found since Bundy had left the room clean. Blood and sperm samples collected at the crime scene was also not able to provide sufficient evidence for conviction. Biological evidence discovery later became the key evidence, Lisa had odd bites in her breast and left buttock. Photographs were taken for analysis. The unique the indentation marks were outlined and showed how it matched the dental impressions of Bundy’s teeth. Doctor outlined the structure of the unique alignment, the chips, the size of the teeth, and the sharpness factors of the bicuspids, lateral, and incisor teeth.

This evidence was found to be the best the prosecutor had. The verdict was called, and Ted Bundy was sentenced guilty. His own dental impression helped convict him and sent him to the electric chair. Ted Bundy’s bite-mark case was first case in Florida’s legal history that relied on bite-mark testimony, also the first time that a physical piece of evidence actually liked Bundy with one of his numerous crimes.

No one would ever imagine that Ted Bundy an aggressive, good-looking law student would be a killer. He did not have the profile of a killer. He was good at concealing evidence in almost all instances the murder weapon could not be found at the crime scenes. Furthermore, some of the bodies of his victims were not found until months later. Even the DNA recovered from the crime scenes could not match his! (Ramsland,2004).What motivated Ted Bundy to be brutal remains a mystery, no one understands why such a young bright man decided to be a killer of young women.

In conclusion, biological evidence such as bite mark analysis should be employed as it provides useful information that help convict criminals in court. Bite marks evidence if collected, analyzed and interpreted well can be very instrumental in conviction. Ted Bundy’s case was not ordinary; it became the first to be solved based on bite marks analysis. For sure, he will be remembered as one of the horrifying serial killers ever.

REFERENCES

1. Hinchliffe, J. (2011). Forensic odontology, part 4. Human bite marks. British dental journal, 210(8), 363.
2. Ramsland, K. M. (2004). The science of cold case files. Berkley Boulevard Books.
3. Simpson, Z. (2016). Ted Bundy: The Life and Crimes of One of America’s Most Notorious Serial Killers. 1st ed. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

The Zodiac Serial Killer: An Undiscovered Identity

In July of 1969, the start of what would be one of the most nationally renowned unsolved cases began in the Northern areas of California. The San Francisco Examiner, a popular newspaper, received a coded letter that contained a shocking and eerie message. The sender of this letter was none other than the infamous Zodiac Killer, an unidentified serial murderer who struck terror within the minds of Californians far and wide with his public letters filled with mind-boggling ciphers and tumultuous threats, as well as his gruesome murders. While the Zodiac seemingly disappeared in the late 70’s, his legacy of killings remains, inspiring not only books and movies, but three copycat murderers. Who really is this man and why did he kill many innocent people? The identity of this singular man has stumped law enforcement officials and citizens for over five decades, but there are many different theories as to who he is. From normal people who lived in the general areas of the murders, to a political figure named Ted Cruz, and the most likely murderer who is the prime suspect, Arthur Leigh Allen, who has evidence piled against him.

On a Tuesday of June 1963, two seniors who attended Lompoc High School participated in the annual “Senior Ditch Day” to sunbathe on a beach near Gaviota State Park. These students were the engaged couple Linda Edwards and Robert Domingos. The couple was due back that evening, but when they had not returned, Robert’s father began to worry and went out to the beach to search for the teenagers. Robert’s father discovered a shack on the beach and found a terrifying scene inside of it, his son and his son’s fiance’s bodies lying on the floor of the shack. The teenagers had been bound by ropes and shot with a .22- caliber weapon, thus ending their lives. The bodies were then dragged to the shack by the killer who attempted to start a fire to dispose of the bodies and failed. This double homicide was not connected to The Zodiac until 1972, when evidence was compared to other Zodiac cases in the area.

Cheri Josephine Bates was The Zodiac Killer’s next victim in his string of murders. Bates lived with her father and was enrolled at Riverside City College in Riverside, California. On the evening of October 30, 1966, Bates left a note for her father that reads “Dad– went to the RCC library.” and like the two teenagers before her, was due to be home that night. She never arrived home and her body was found brutally stabbed and sprawled between two nearby homes, her vehicle still remaining in the library parking lot. Law enforcement officials collected evidence such as a mens watch, hairs that were stuck in the victim’s blood, and a military make boot print. One month after this murder letters titled “The Confession” were sent to the local police department and newspaper. The author of this letter claimed to be the killer of Bates and stated, “Miss Bates was stupid. She went to the slaughter like a lamb.”and then further added “I am not sick. I am insane.”(Butterfield) Then in April of 1967 almost identical letters were sent to the paper, police department, and Cheri Bates’ father which claimed “Bates had to die. There will be more.”(Butterfield) The letters were all signed with a “Z” like symbol. Soon after, the Riverside murder was linked to the Zodiac crimes and a story about this connection was revealed to the public in The San Francisco Chronicle. This stemmed a response from the killer himself, writing “I do have to give them credit for stumbling across my riverside activity, but they are only finding the easy ones, there are a hell of a lot more down there.”(Butterfield)

While there were many possible and confirmed Zodiac killings, the last confirmed murder was that of Paul Stine, a 28-year old student. Paul worked as a cab driver in San Francisco and the night of his murder he picked up a passenger that needed to be transported to the Presidio Heights neighborhood. While stopped at an intersection the passenger shot Paul in his head. The killer then removed a piece of Pauls shirt to be used as what was believed to be a trophy or keepsake. Police did not have an accurate description of the killer and claimed that he was black male, while in actuality the killer was a white male who fit The Zodiac’s physical profile. The Zodiac Killer had simply walked right past the police without anyone noticing. Just like many other Zodiac murders, a letter was sent to the newspaper, The San Francisco Chronicle, by the killer. The letter was addressed from “The Zodiac” and stated “I am the murderer of the taxi driver.” Also included in the letter was the piece of Stine’s shirt that had been removed.

While the identity of the The Zodiac Killer is still unknown, there are a multitude of suspects who could very well be the killer himself. From probable suspicion to just plain crazy conspiracy theories, many people argue about who this one man truly is. Some even believe that Senator Ted Cruz is the notorious Zodiac Killer because of a tweet he published. Cruz posted a funny Halloween post on twitter in 2016, featuring a Zodiac cipher as his Halloween message. While many people like to argue this conspiracy theory, Cruz was born two years after the first confirmed Zodiac killing, which would mean he wasn’t even conceived when the first murder happened. People also claim that it is a sign that Ted is in fact the Zodiac Killer because his wife, when asked, has not denied it. This may be a funny joke to make or used as a meme, but it is not a plausible scenario given the years of the murders and the age of Cruz at the time they were committed.

Another suspect of the Zodiac case is Arthur Leigh Allen, a resident of Northern California. While Allen did not exactly match the police description of The Zodiac Killer, it was also made clear that the killer had possibly worn disguises which explains why he may not have matched their sketch to a tee. Before the murders began Allen was given a Zodiac watch and the symbol inside the watch was a circle with a cross through the middle, the same name and symbol used to identify the Zodiac murders. Don Cheney, Allen’s friend, also allegedly claims that before he had claimed a multitude of eerie statement around the nature of “I would like to kill couples at random and send the police taunting letters” and “I would like to call myself the Zodiac and use the symbol from my watch to represent me.” Between many of the murders Allen just happened to be in the general area while they took place, but the watch and the exact statements seem to all add up.

There are quite a few other suspects in the Zodiac Killer case such as hotel worker Lawrence Kane, Ross Sullivan, a staffer at the RCC library, and radio operator Richard Marshall. Lawrence Kane has a few links to the case like working with Zodiac victim Donna Lass and having a knack for peeping on women in his spare time. Ross Sullivan worked at the same library where Cheri Jo Bates was killed and he had a similar profile to the composite sketch of the Zodiac. Richard Marshall just happened to be living in Riverside and in San Francisco at the times of two different murders committed by the Zodiac Killer. Marshall also began telling people that he found “something much more exciting than sex” which could have been a reference to murder.

The Zodiac Killer: An Astrological Horror

In most American cities the late 60ś to early 70ś was a time of peace and tranquility, but for the residents of the San Francisco Bay area, that time is forever stained red by the blood of the Zodiacś victims. From the late 1960’s to the early 1970’s a serial killer by the name of Zodiac terrorized California, with a total of 5 confirmed killings but at least 37 supposed or claimed killings. While these numbers are astonishing and terrifying at the same time, what’s more terrifying is that the Zodiac was never caught. There have been few leads on the identity and the last disappearance of the Zodiac, one theory states a possible connection between Zodiac and The Red Phantom, apart from that the suspect most often cited was Arthur Leigh Allen, and another possible suspect was Louie Myers.

A less popular theory is that of a connection between the Zodiac and another killer known as The Red Phantom. A large reason for this theory is because on the night of the 5th anniversary of the death of Darlene Elizabeth Ferrin, a murder previously committed by Zodiac, Jo Ann Parker left her apartment at 7:00 PM, and returned around 11:00 that night. The next morning she was taken to the hospital complaining of pain and later died due to internal injuries sustained from being beaten. (Gomez, Pg. 1) The fact that a young woman was seemingly beaten on the 5th anniversary of the death of a victim of Zodiac only to die the following morning is a substantial piece of evidence because of the date. A supposed victim of the Zodiac while he was using a different pseudonym dying on nearly the exact same date as one of his first victims cannot be a simple coincidence. The letter received by The Chronicle, which was a direct hit to “Count Macro” a columnist of the newspaper, from “The Red phantom” stated “Editor: Put Marco back in the hell-hole from whence it came- he has a serious psychological disorder- always needs to feel superior. I suggest you refer him to a shrink. Meanwhile, cancel the Count Marco column. Since the count can write anonymously, so can I—-the Red Phantom (red with rage).” (Gomez, Pg. 1) This letter has since been verified to have been written by The Zodiac. This is one less popular theory on what the Zodiac resorted to after his seeming disappearance in the early 70’s. The next is more a possible suspect than another theory.

The most commonly cited suspect in the case of identifying the Zodiac is Arthur Leigh Allen. Allen was cited as such in the 1990’s because he was institutionalized in 1975 for child molestation. (Encyclopædia Britannica, Pg. 1) Allen’s institutionalization coincided with the sudden cease in Zodiac’s killings at the end of 1974. Allen was a Vallejo school teacher at the time of the first murders, which gives him direct access to many of the areas in which the killings took place. (Encyclopædia Britannica, Pg. 1) This central location if you will, would have given Allen direct access to areas where the murders were committed. Allen might have been the most commonly cited suspect for the identity of the Zodiac but it has never been fully substantiated. Lastly, there is one more less commonly cited suspect to discuss.

Louie Myers is the suspect with the most current evidence to support his claims of being the Zodiac. While dying of cirrhosis of the liver in early 2001, Myers confided in friend Randy Kenny that he was the Zodiac. It turns out that Myers attended the same school as Farraday and Jense, and worked at the same restaurant as Ferrin. (Staff, Bio., Pg. 1) This shows that the suspect might have personally known the first victims, which would further explain the fact that Zodiac knew the astrological signs of his first victims. Myers was on military leave overseas during the years correspondence from the Zodiac stopped. (Staff, Bio. Pg. 1) This would help to explain Zodiac’s sudden disappearance for 3 years before reappearing. This is the next most commonly cited suspect next to Allen.

These suspects/ theories are the most common and contain the most evidence to link them to Zodiac. The few leads on the Zodiac have been at least two cited suspects and one less common theory on what happened to him after his “disappearance”. There are no final suggestions to speak of, but a final evaluation is that it seems even decades later that we will never truly know the monster behind the name Zodiac.

Works Cited

1. Bauer, Craig P. “The Zodiac Ciphers: What We Know.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 8 Nov. 2017, www.history.com/news/the-zodiac-ciphers-what-we-know. Accessed 11 Jan. 2019
2. Butterfield, Michael. “The Zodiac Killer: A Timeline.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 8 Nov. 2017, www.history.com/news/the-zodiac-killer-a-timeline. Accessed 9 Jan. 2019
3. Gomez, Ricardo. “Preliminary Report on Project MK-ZODIAC.” Zodiac Killer | The Story of ‘Sandy’ | Project MK-ZODIAC (An Investigation of the Zodiac Killer), 2013, mk-zodiac.com/redphantom.html. Accessed 10 Jan. 2019
4. Staff, Bio. “The Latest News on the Zodiac Killer.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 12 June 2017, www.biography.com/news/latest-news-on-zodiac-killer. Accessed 8 Jan. 2019
5. ‘Zodiac killer.’ Britannica Academic, Encyclopædia Britannica, 7 Jan. 2009. academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/Zodiac-killer/389351. Accessed 8 Jan. 2019.

Serial Killers And Child Predators

Throughout history, there has been a big discussion on what the definition of a serial killer is. The Federal Bureau of Investigation defines serial killing as “a series of two or more murders, committed as separate events, usually, but not always, by one offender acting alone” (United States, Congress, et., al). The FBI has also stated that the motives can include, but are not specifically subject to, anger, thrill-seeking, financial gain, attention seeking, and sexual contact, which is most often the case. In 2005, the FBI hosted a multi-disciplinary symposium with 135 experts on serial murders from a variety of fields and specialties. The group settled on the definition as “the unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender(s) in separate events” (United States, Congress, et., al) though this definition does not mention the motivation for killing or the “cooling off” period between each murder; which can be described as when “the killer returns to their regular life functions, goes home to the spouse and kids, resumes their job… they cool off before planning and executing their next crime” (“WITH SERIAL KILLERS, IT’S CALLED A COOLING OFF PERIOD”). Though there are different variations of serial killers, child predator serial killers follow the same definite interpretations and characterizations.

Today, serial killers have been less and less prominent, and mass shootings are being more and more notable and well-known to the public. Though this has not stopped serial killings to be a lifelong agenda, “serial killing is a universal, a practice that is ‘at least old as the human species’”(Haggerty, 169).The history of serial killings comes with major themes, the first of which serial killers are routinely presented as unknowable, with actions beyond comprehension. No matter how many studies are conducted or how many case studies are analyzed, serial killers will always be a mystery to the public eye. The second theme is about the definition, as mentioned in this essay earlier, that serial killers must have killed three or more people who were unknown to them and must be subject to a ‘cooling-off’ period. Finally, serial killers throughout history focuses on the overall causes of their behavior. “Almost every major social, biological, psychological or behavioral factor that has been seriously suggested as playing a role in causing crime has been advanced as potentially contributing to the behavior of serial killers”(Haggerty, 169). There is a direct response to neglect of vague social and cultural factors, specifically to understand serial killing. Overall, throughout history, there has not been a big shift of what the typical serial killer consists of, but there is a consistent theme of their actions and operations.

One major child predator serial killer is Pedro Lopez, who is known as the “Monster of the Andes” and has an estimate of three hundred victims (Greig). From a young age, Lopez was exposed to a life of crime and horrible street life, as his mother was a prostitute and there was a brutal lawlessness in Colombia. Though street life is just what Lopez was exposed to, especially at such a young age,“when Pedro was eight years old… his mother found him making sexual advances to a younger sister and threw him out” (Greig). Eventually, Lopez resorted to petty theft and begging to make a life of himself, and was eventually arrested and sentenced to seven years in prison. After two days he was gang-raped. After his release, “he started to take a perverse form of revenge and embarked on a two-year killing rampage. His targets were invariably young girls, mostly from Indian tribes, as he knew the authorities would be particularly uninterested in their fate”(Greig). Lopez was eventually caught and confessed to at least a hundred murdered girls in Colombia, and at least a hundred and ten in Ecuador and even more in Peru. Lopez stated “a preference for murdering by daylight so he could see the life leave his victims’ eyes as he strangled them” (Greig). Lopez was later sentenced to life imprisonment and in the unlikely event that he is ever released, he would be required to stand trial in Colombia, where he would face the death penalty, and he does not appear to be in any way remorseful, but proud and content of his crimes.

Marybeth Tinning is known solely off the basis that she murdered her kids, and only got away with being charged with one homicide. Her third child, Jennifer, died of meningitis, and never came home after her birth. Many believe the successive death of her father, who died three months prior, and her baby may have irritated Marybeth’s fragile mental condition. One after another, all three of her children died within eight weeks of Jennifer’s death. Marybeth then gave birth to her fourth child and three weeks later, claimed she found him lifeless in his crib. Eventually Marybeth had her fifth child and at five months old, he died. Marybeth and her husband decided to adopt a child, when Marybeth got pregnant. She again lost the baby, and this went on for two more times, for a grand total of seven of her biological kids. Once her adoptive child suddenly died, the nurses began to question Marybeth’s odd behavior. During court she claimed “‘I did not do anything to Jennifer, Joseph, Barbara, Michael, Mary Frances, Jonathan…Just these three, Timothy, Nathan and Tami. I smothered them each with a pillow because I’m not a good mother’” (Gado). Eventually, Tinning was only charged for the murder of her youngest child, Tami Lynne. After her trial, Tinning received a sentence of 20 years to life, five years shorter than the maximum penalty for the crime. In 2018, she was released on parole, serving more than 31 years, and will remain on parole supervision for the rest of her life.

Peter Woodcock, also known as David Michael Krueger, was a Canadian serial killer, child rapist and diagnosed psychopath. He was put up for adoption, and had bonding issues with his foster parents and was beat by one foster parent. When Woodcock was 17 years old, he met seven year old Wayne Mallette and strangled him to death, there were no signs of rape but there were two bite marks on Mallette, one on his calf and the other on his butt. One month later, Woodcock strangled and beat nine year old Gary Morris to death, where a bite mark was found on his throat. Then in January of 1957, Woodcock offered four year old Carole Voyce a ride on his bike and eventually murdered her. It appeared she had been choked into unconsciousness and sexually molested and her death was caused by a tree branch being inserted into her vagina forcibly. While Woodcock was imprisoned, he was diagnosed as a psychopath. Eventually in 1991, Bruce Hamill signed Woodcock, now Krueger, out of the hospital for the first unsupervised weekend in 34 years. Krueger had arranged to meet Dennis Kerr in the woods , because he owed Kerr money, and Hamill and Krueger mutilated Kerr’s body, nearly severing his head. Krueger then turned himself in. Krueger spent the next 34 years in a mental health centre and died of natural causes on his birthday (Vronsky, 249-258).

Dean Corll, also known as “The Candy Man”, is an American serial killer who raped, abducted, tortured and murdered at least twenty eight teenage boys from 1970 and 1973. Corll had a rough childhood, as his father was strict and his mother was very protective, and both were in unstable relationships with each other. With Corll’s murders, all his victims were aged 13 to 20 and most were abducted from Houston Heights, a low income neighborhood. He was an accomplice with David Owen Brooks and Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. Eventually, Henley shot Corll after having two teenage boys on a torture board. Therefore, Corll never got a legal and social consequence for his deviant activity (Keppel and Birnes).

Robert Black is the final child predator serial killer discussed in this essay, as he was convicted of the kidnap, rape, sexual assault and murder of four girls aged between five and eleven. Black had sexually assaulted and murdered Jennifer Cardy in 1981, a nine year old, who had ultimately drowned by ligature strangulation. Nearly a year later, after his cooling off period, Black had abducted Susan Maxwell, where she was held captive for half a month, then her body was found covered with undergrowth, with her underwear folded beneath her head, suggesting she had been sexually assaulted. Black’s youngest victim, Caroline Hogg was taken for at least 24 hours, and was later found with an absence of clothing, again suggesting a sexual motive. In 1994, Black pleaded not guilty to each of the overall ten charges of kidnap, murder, attempted kidnap and preventing the lawful burial of a body. Black was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 35 years (Swinne).

Today, there are numerous media outlets portraying serial killers, such as the Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes or Abducted in Plain Sight. Both of these Netflix series discuss serial killers and the perspective of hearing a killer analyze their own lives and their motives. Though, it is very hard to find scholarly pieces of literature because many newscasters and reporters are afraid to interview and dig deep into what makes a serial killer. But recently, there has been a large uproar in the media’s portrayal of serial killers. Specifically, because many people believe the Hollywood Film Industry is romanticizing serial killers, but that’s exactly what serial killers do; they romanticize killing to get what they want out of people. Besides the media, there is a big lack of scholarly pieces of literature, especially recently.

The best theory from class that can be applied to serial killers, specifically child predators is conflict theory. Conflict theory can be defined as a state of perpetual conflict, specifically for rivalry for limited and restricted materials. Conflict theory also has the perspective of social and economic institutions as ways of struggle between their classes, mainly used to preserve inequality and authority in the ruling class, who has the highest power (Quinney). Serial killers can be applied to Marx’s view on conflict theory, specifically the former definition, because when serial killers are in a society, there is a constant state of panic, especially because people do not want to lose their limited resources of family or their own lives.

Studies believe since the beginning of time, there has been serial killers continuously ruining lives and families. Since the early 2000s, there has been a decline in serial killers and a steady rise of a new type of killing, mass murders, such as school or church shootings. There is a big difference in these two forms of murder, as serial killings must have a cooling off period, where the killer goes back to their lives and must kill at least three people, but mass murders must kill in one function. There are numerous child predator serial killers, as mentioned previously, such as Lopez, the Monster of the Andes, Tinning, who killed her children, Woodcock, who was psychologically insane, and many others. Though all can be related back to Marx’s conflict theory; where people in society are constantly in a form of panic and there is inequality in the social classes, something serial killers must deal with, inequality, because when getting their sentence, they have no way of knowing what they did was incorrect. Especially since they way they were brought up was to think their killing was correct.

Works Cited

1. Gado, Mark. “Baby Killer.” Crime Library, Crime Library, www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/women/marybeth_tinning/index.html.
2. Greig, Charlotte. Evil Serial Killers: In the Minds of Monsters. Arcturus Publishing, 2012, Google Books, books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=sRMEAwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT23&dq=pedrolopezserialkiller&ots=Fy962lzQOP&sig=0HETM-VD96Amnasp9Fe12Ewj9Qo#v=onepage&q=pedro lopez &f=false.
3. Haggerty , Kevin D. “Modern Serial Killers.” Crime Media Culture: SAGE Journals , 13 Aug. 2009, pp. 169–169., doi:10.1177/1741659009335714.
4. “Peter Woodcock (David Michael Krueger)- Thirty-Five Years of Therapy.” Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters, by Peter Vronsky, pp. 249–258.
5. “Recognition and Acknowledgment of Serial Murder.” The Psychology of Serial Killer Investigations: The Grisly Business Unit, by Robert D Keppel and William J Birnes, pp. 8–11.
6. Swinney, Chris (2015). Robert Black: the True Story of a Child Rapist and Serial Killer. R. J. Parker. ISBN 978-1-517-62415-6.
7. United States, Congress, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and RJ Morton. “Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators.” Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators
8. Quinney, Richard. “Social Power: Conflict Theory of Crime.” Constructions of Deviance: Social Power, Context, and Interaction, by Patricia A Adler and Peter Adler, pp. 51–59.
9. “WITH SERIAL KILLERS, IT’S CALLED A COOLING OFF PERIOD.” Terrance Zdunich, www.terrancezdunich.com/control/with-serial-killers-its-called-a-cooling-off-period/

The Golden State Killer: A Man Who Was Feared For Over 40 Years

The United States was the leading country in producing serial killers during the 1970s. One serial killer who evaded law enforcement for 40 years is Joseph James DeAngelo; by understanding his background and the impact he had on communities throughout, it is clear to see why he stands out among the many other famous serial killers.

Studies show that the majority of serial offenders suffered from some kind of trauma. Even though DeAngelo was an exceptional serial killer, his background also fits this pattern since he had to experience the nightmares of growing up in an abusive household and witnessing his younger sister getting raped. Hoping to move on from the trauma of his upbringing and especially the psychological impact of being unable to protect his sister, he sought employment in the U.S. Navy and in the police force. Nonetheless, the fact that he worked in the police force undoubtedly provided him with the necessary insight to commit his crimes without getting caught.

As the Golden State Killer, DeAngelo started his raping spree in 1976 and, as any other serial offender, committed a magnitude of felonies: more than 12 homicides and 45 rapes over the span of 10 years. Investigators dubbed him as extremely thorough due to the fact that he continuously perfected his methods and was able to keep his identity hidden by concealing his face in a ski mask. He observed his chosen targets over a longer period of time, helping him to find some discrepancy in their schedule. The moment he gained access to their house, he would attack the unsuspecting victims in their bedroom. To ensure compliance, the victim was typically threatened with some kind of weapon and subsequently tied up. If the assault victims were a couple, they were usually separated. DeAngelo eliminated the male partner first and sexually assaulted the female victim multiple times. Afterward, the females were excessively beaten with a blunt instrument until they died.

What made the Golden State Killer special, was never straying from attacking the same specific neighborhoods. Over the period of time when the Golden State Killer was actively raping and murdering people all over California, every single person in these targeted neighborhoods lived in fear. To reestablish some sense of security, communities, as well as residents all over the state, started taking precautions to protect themselves. Rape Crisis Clinics, for example, set up various workshops to teach women self-defense; several of these women were also taught how to handle handguns by their spouses. In addition to fear, many people also experienced a feeling of anger because they were being forced to lock themselves inside and to be overly cautious and hyper-aware of their surroundings. Even after several decades have passed, people still feared that the Golden State Killer might reappear.

Nearly 43 years have passed since the Golden State Killer committed his first assault. In 2018 he was finally caught. During the time that the crimes occurred, detectives gathered several DNA samples from the crime scenes – last year they decided to try a new approach by using genealogy websites. Genealogy websites were created to find distant relatives by uploading one’s own genetic data. In this case, detectives uploaded the unidentified DNA samples and received several hits on distant relatives. Using a combination of forensic science and profiling, they were able to narrow the suspect pool down to one person. Identifying Joseph James DeAngelo as their suspect, they compared his DNA to the unidentified DNA and received a perfect match. He was arrested on April 25, 2018. It is, however, questionable if the investigators’ procedure was legal, as they had to create a fake profile and explicitly confirm that they were using their own DNA.

After over 40 years, one of the most prolific serial rapists and killers has been finally caught. Now the surviving victims and their loved ones can try to put some of the most horrific moments in their life behind them.

Serial Killer: John Wayne Gacy

Introduction

John Wayne Gacy was the serial killer who killed 33 young men. He was born on March 17, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois and died on May 10, 1994, in Joliet, Illinois. During that time in history, no one was convicted of killing so many people. He was a pillar of the community before he was convicted. The paper will talk about his life, criminal offenses, investigation and finally his death.

His life

John Wayne Gacy was born into a family that had three children. His father was an authoritarian type of parent; this led to severe disciplinary and verbal abuse. His father also was a violent alcoholic. Gacy was caught wearing women’s underwear during his teen years. He thought his father would think he was less than a man after being caught wearing the women’s underwear. No matter what he did, he couldn’t impress his father. He decided to run away after a disagreement with his dad.

He first got a job in the ambulance server. Eventually, he went to work in a mortuary. He had to leave the mortuary job because his boss started to find bodies that were undressed for no reason. After the mortuary job he took classes for business and also worked as a shoe salesman.

He married Marilynn Myers and then moved to Waterloo, Iowa to operate three stores owned by Marilynn’s father. In 1968 he was arrested for sodomy and was sentenced to ten years but only served eighteen months of his sentence. His wife divorced him, and he ended up moving back in with his mother who was now a widow. He was once again arrested, but the charges were dropped because the victim did not testify. He remarried in 1972. His new wife and mother started smelling a foul odor, but Gacy made up the excuse that it was sewer gas. In 1975, his mother moved out of the house. In October of that same year, his wife wanted a divorce. He had two more brushes with the law in 1978, one charge was dropped and the other one there were no criminal charges.

The Murders

John Wayne Gacy murdered young men and boys. The first person he murdered was a boy that he had picked up at a bus station in Chicago. The last murder was a boy named Rob Piest. The youngest male he murdered was fourteen, and the oldest was twenty-one. He killed a boy while his wife was taking care of his mother in 1975. He then killed six more boys in 1976.

The method he used was to lure them to his house with drugs or money. He even sometimes posed as a police officer or forced them into his car by gunpoint. He suggested that there was an accomplice. Next, he would then attempt a sexual relationship with them which involved in handcuffing them, gagging them and drugging them and then sexually assaulting them. One account by a victim that Gacy released said he would be raped, strangled, be immersed under water, urinated on, and have items inserted into his rectum. It would be repeated severe times, and he even played Russian roulette with him. There is no telling what the victims who were murdered endured but they ended up strangled with a rope twisted by a stick. This was a consistent part of his MO. He buried them in the crawl space of his house, but some of the bodies were found in the Des Plaines River because he ran out of room in the crawl space of his home.

Investigation and trial

In December 1978, a boy disappeared. He told his family that he was going to see Gacy for a job and when he did not show up for his mother’s birthday that night the family called the police. This was the clue that guided law enforcement to catch Gacy. The police put him under 24-hour surveillance. Gacy allowed the police free access to his house to prove that he was innocent. A police officer noticed that when a furnace was kicked that the odor that originated at the duct smelled the same as in a morgue.

During the investigation, the investigators discovered that Gacy had sexually assaulted and murdered over thirty teenage boys. He eventually confessed to the murders. His lawyer asserted the insanity defense. His lawyers relied on four psychiatrists and psychologists to show that he was insane during the murders. “They argued he suffered from “pseudo-neurotic paranoid schizophrenia,” an illness that caused temporary psychosis so that Gacy had no awareness of or control over his actions” (Lauger, 2016). They also said he was projecting himself and his father.

On the prosecution side, the experts diagnosed him with the anti-social and narcissistic disorder. The prosecution also noted that his methods were well planned, thoughtful, and required a rational mind to complete. Gacy lied on the psychological test to seem worse than he was this coincided with someone who was a narcissist. Gacy Lawyers filed many appeals. The last one before his execution, his lawyers said “their 52-year-old client was mentally incompetent, that he was out of town at the time of 16 of the killings and that Illinois’ method of execution was unconstitutional” (Kifner 1994).

His Death

“After years of unsuccessful appeals in both the state and federal systems, Gacy was executed by lethal injection in Illinois on May 10, 1994” (John Wayne Gacy, Jr 2002). His execution was delayed because the tube in his arm was clogged because there was a chemical reaction between the anesthetic and the serum that was meant to stop his breathing. “Like the police search for the killer and the judicial process that finally condemned him, the act of putting him to death was prolonged” (John, 1994). Some comments about him included ‘, He was very popular, very well liked. You just can’t tell.’, ‘It wasn’t like he had horns, or a sign,” and his lawyer said he was like a poster child for the death penalty (Kifner, 1994). Only twenty-four of the victims have been identified. Twenty years after his execution, the police announced that they would collect and test DNA of eight of his victims. They also decided to look through their old paperwork to search for men who were never found and that matched the profile of Gacy victims.

Conclusion

My theory on why he did these murders was closely tied to his father. He could never please his father in anything. He realized he was gay, but he feared what his father would think of it. Eventually, he came to terms he liked the same sex, but since he had no real experience with real love, he likely did not know the right way to express it. He could have been rejected and that would have solidified all the negative comments his father said to him. Even if he did come to terms that his sexuality, he likely subconsciously still feared what his father would think even when his father was dead. He could have subconsciously wanted to tarnish those boys who probably in his mind were better than him in some way. Even though I say this, I do not think it was all based on how he was treated. I say this because based on my research, he never felt guilty in killing any of the young men. I think he was a psychopath, to begin with, but with the way his father treated him, that just brought the psychopath to the surface.

Reference

1. John Wayne Gacy. (1994). In Newsmakers. Detroit, MI: Gale. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com.liboc.tctc.edu:2048/apps/doc/K1618001270/BIC?u=tricotec_main&sid=BIC&xid=ed7322fd
2. John Wayne Gacy, Jr. (2002). In World of Criminal Justice. Detroit, MI: Gale. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com.liboc.tctc.edu:2048/apps/doc/K2425100128/BIC?u=tricotec_main&sid=BIC&xid=3dfd355f
3. Kifner, J. (1994, May 11). Gacy, Killer of 33, Is Put To Death as Appeals Fail. New York Times. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com.liboc.tctc.edu:2048/apps/doc/A174434919/BIC?u=tricotec_main&sid=BIC&xid=15292926
4. LAUGER, T. (2016). Gacy, John Wayne (1942–1994). In S. Chermak & F. Y. Bailey (Eds.), Crimes of the Centuries: Notorious Crimes, Criminals, and Criminal Trials in American History (Vol. 1, pp. 285-286). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com.liboc.tctc.edu:2048/apps/doc/CX6482900172/GVRL?u=tricotec_main&sid=GVRL&xid=82166ab5

Serial Killers: Dorian Gray VS Ted Bundy

Dorian Gray and Ted Bundy were both Serial Killers. But one is a Fictional Character and the other was a Real Person. Serial Killer, someone who commits a Series of Murders, most of the time with no single purpose and sometimes they do follow a predictable behavior pattern as one of their characteristics. “As explained by the FBI in a 2005 report on serial homicide, a serial killer selects victims based on availability, vulnerability and desirability.” In their mind, know whether to think/plan out their kill beforehand because let’s face it, in the world today, it is very difficult to just point out who is a serial killer and who isn’t. Which gives the serial killer a larger variety and selection of people when it comes to who they’ll target next. Someone involved in today’s topic, Ted Bundy has this to say about how he feels about people, “I’m as cold a mother*ucker as you’ve ever put your *ucking eyes on. I don’t give a *hit about those people.” This was said by one of, if not the most famous Serial Killer to ever walk on the planet. Based on that we can pretty much imagine how the majority of the serial killers view innocent people. A Serial Killer Profiler, Paul Harrison described the mind of a serial killer as, “that person’s on their own I’ll be in control and then all of a sudden it’s happened the victim has seen me, they know what I look like, so again snap judgment I’ve killed them nearly on the throttle the victim and it’s that kick that they get when they do that the power of a life and death.” That’s to make sure they won’t be seen or caught by the police for evidence for commiting a murder.

Theodore Robert Bundy, better known in today’s society as Ted Bundy, was born on November 24, 1946 in a town called Burlington in the state of Vermont. His mother was Eleanor Louise Cowell and his father’s identity hasn’t been revealed. In 1946, Louise faced limited options as she gave birth to Ted Bundy in an ‘unwed mother’ facility. As Ted grew up, she constantly told him that her parents, (Ted’s Grandparents) were his Mom and Dad and that she was his sister. In 1974 was when finally he realized that his mother Louise had lied to him all these years. From the time he was an infant till he turned four he was raised and brought up by his grandparents, Eleanor Cowell and Samuel Cowell. Ted’s last name was changed to Bundy when his mom and him moved to Washington where she got married to Johnnie Culpepper Bundy in 1950. Ted Bundy grew up to be a handsome, intelligent and Educated man who appeared to be very acceptable to look at. Before his mass murdering Spree of Young girls and women in 1974, he was in multiple relationships. Stephanie Brooks in 1967 where she put an end to the relationship a year later, Elizabeth Kloepfer in 1969 which happened to be his longest known relationship. But in the meantime, Ted was a student at the University of Washington Studying Psychology. The Fire finally Sparked on January 31, 1974 when an attractive female student at the same university suddenly disappeared. In upcoming weeks, months, and years, more disappearances of attractive female students followed. Ted’s victims were generally young good looking women with dark hair parted in the middle. It was the starting point of Ted Bundy commencing his killing spree. He brutally raped and murdered multiple young women in several states across the country. He was tied up to at least 36 murders, but some people thought he had committed about 100 or even more. His Final Arrest took place on February 15, 1978 where he was arrested and taken into custody by the Pensacola police department when they did a check on his license plates and realized the car that Ted was driving was in fact stolen. At court the officials did a Teeth Impression Scan on the Bite wounds found on one of the Chi Omega victims From Florida State University and the impressions matched the teeth marks on the victim as it was confirmed Ted Bundy was responsible for that murder as well. He was executed by being strapped to an electric chair and in the morning of January 24, 1989 at the Florida State Prison in Starke, he was pronounced dead at 7:16 am. Many people around the country cheered and celebrated his death with champagne. The shaman intelligence made him something of a celebrity during his trial, Ted Bundy’s case inspired many novels and films about serial killers.

From Nonfiction to Fictional, In the picture of Dorian Gray, we don’t really know too much about his past/background other than that he is a very good-looking young man. In the words of one of his best friend basil, “The merely visible presence of this lad, for he seems to me little more than a lad, though he is really over 20, it’s merely visible presence, ah!” (Basil CH.1). Also, Lord Henry’s aunt Lady Agatha had to say this about Dorian, “lady avatars she told me she had discovered a wonderful young man, who is going to help her in the east end, and that his name was Dorian Gray. He said that he was very Earnest and had a beautiful nature.” (Lady Agatha CH 1). One final Character in the book, Lord Henry, Perhaps Dorian Gray’s greatest ally and mentor said, “All the candor of youth was there, as well as all youth’s passionate purity. One felt that he had kept himself unspotted from the world. No wonder Basil Hallward worshiped him. He was made to be worshiped.” (Lord Henry CH 2). The three quotes stated above just shows that they viewed Dorian basically as a God and that there isn’t a single soul walking on the planet who could detrone this greatness. All just for a reason as simple as being such a good-looking human being. In addition, Dorian didn’t see himself much differently than how others viewed him. He knew his looks sparked a fire in any anyones’ eye that has ever seen him. But the spark grew more and more as Lord Henry has such a big Influence on Dorian’s change of behavior throughout the novel. This is portrayed when Basil realizes that Dorian before his eyes is totally different from the Dorian he captured in the painting years ago. Basil expressed his feelings to him by saying, “Dorian, this is horrible! Something has changed completely. You look exactly the same wonderful boy who, day after day, used to come down to my studio to sit for his picture. But you were simple, natural, and affectionate then. You were the most unspoiled creature in the whole world.” (Basil, CH 7) He lets Dorian know why he should stop being influenced so easily by Lord Henry by saying, “Now, I don’t know what has come over you. You talk as if you had no heart, no pity in you. It is all Henry’s influence. I see that.” Basil believes he is partly the reason that Dorian has turned into this Narcissist. So finally he expresses his regret to Dorian by saying “well, I am punished for that, Dorian – or shall be someday.” (Basil, CH 7). All in all, Dorian’s new narcissistic behavior led Basel to believe that he will be punished in the future for the fact that he revealed to Dorian his true beauty through the portrait.

The similarities between Ted Bundy and Dorial Gray are that they were both very good looking men and took advantage of their handsome and everyman appearance . The key fact that they were both “normal-looking,” social, and smart allowed them to attract people and play whatever role needed to trick their victims and of course those closest to both Dorian and Ted. Finally, the handsomeness of Ted Bundy led him to have “fans” even when he was on Death Row. His attractive appearance made him somewhat of a celebrity and he got the attention of a lot of female fans. One of his so-called fans had this to say about him, “He just doesn’t look like the type to kill somebody.” We can conclude that this is how he got so many victims to fall for his trap. It is a known fact that Ted Bundy kept changing his appearance to get away with things and keep the cops guessing whether it’s him or someone else. He went from Young Bundy, to a Clean-cut Bundy, to even “Normal” Bundy and many more different combinations and appearances. In the meantime, all of this chaos of police not being sure and only being able to guess if they have the right man, just helped him out and boosted his time even more to stay free and away from authorities. But he got caught and eventually Bundy gave up and pled guilty to his crimes just before being executed by electric chair in Florida, 1989. And now Dorian Gray on the other hand took his own life. He followed a very bizarre concept of the belief of immortality. After having his soul trapped within a painting of himself in The Picture of Dorian Gray thanks to Basil Hallward, Dorian gained immortality. He does not age whatsoever and it looked to be unaffected to any and every artificial Sickness, weaknesses, illnesses, and overall poor-health was not in Dorian’s life agenda after he trapped his soul. However, Once Basil starts to remind Dorian of the sins he’s managed to do since the portrait was painted, Dorian got very angry and showed a side of aggression toward Basil. The aggressive behavior led Dorian to stab Basil with a knife until he was dead. He believes Basil was the reason for his change of character and even after he’s dead Dorian just continued to blatantly blame Basil for painting the picture and reminding him of his sins. But eventually, Dorian realizes that he has committed multiple crimes and gotten away with them, but not entirely and still feels the guilt very much even after he just committed another crime. He lives with the fear of his picture eventually being unveiled to the people of London so then the public would know the truth about him and what kind of person he really is. This is stated in the book as, “It was his beauty that had ruined him, his beauty and the youth that he had prayed for.” (Wilde CH 20). To round up the novel Oscar Wilde portrays that reality will always break through to win the battle between Reality vs Appearance. Dorian thought that by destroying Basil’s painting the crimes and the sins would vanish from sight. He slashed the painting of himself with the same knife he used to kill Basil, but his plan takes a dramatic and backfires instantly as he stabbed the portrait, he unknowingly kills himself.

References

1. “Ted Bundy.” IMDb, IMDb.com, www.imdb.com/name/nm0120421/bio.
2. Harrison, Paul. A Serial Killer Profiler Explains the Minds of Murderers, VICE, 10 Dec. 2018, youtu.be/JbHg6U5DL0w.
3. “Serial Murder.” FBI, FBI, 21 May 2010, www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/serial-murder.
4. Kettler, Sara. “Inside Ted Bundy’s Troubled and Disturbing Childhood.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 14 July 2020, www.biography.com/news/ted-bundy-childhood.
5. Harfenist, Ethan. “How Did Ted Bundy Get Away With His Murders For So Long? With Good Looks, Friends And More.” Oxygen Official Site, 4 Feb. 2019, www.oxygen.com/martinis-murder/how-did-ted-bundy-get-away-with-murders-so-long.
6. Mihalachi, Vlad. “Concept of Immortality in The Picture of Dorian Gray.” Medium, For Future Reference, 6 Oct. 2016, medium.com/vlad-mihalachi/concept-of-immortality-in-the-picture-of-dorian-gray-ec563e06af0.
7. McMahon, Alle. “No, You Should Not Think This Serial Killer Is Hot.” ABC News, ABC News, 31 Jan. 2019, www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-01/ted-bundy-why-the-serial-killer-attracted-female-fans/10763676.

Essay on Serial Killers: Analysis of Social Factors

Was conducting my research, I found that there is a massive debate in criminology over whether serial killers are born serial killers or made that way by things such as social factors. This is called nature and nurture; nature refers to all the genes and hereditary factors that influence who we are from our physical appearance to our personality characteristics. Whereas nurture refers to all the environmental factors that impact who we are, including our early childhood experiences, how we were raised, our social relationships, and our surrounding culture. There have been numerous research conducted in both areas which I will be examining to ascertain if one is more prominent than the other.

Social factors that May have had a role in creating a serial killer (Nurture)

Newton has estimated that there are around 1,500 known serial killers in history conforming the act of serial killing is indeed quite rare. Crime traveler suggested that some of the researchers from the University of Radford in Virginia set up an experiment to compare childhood abuse history against 50 convicted serial killers. The results showed that the killers had a considerably high rate in physical, sexual, and psychological abuse in their childhood. During my research into serial killers, it was apparent that childhood abuse has received a lot of attention in the media as being a big factor that influences serial killers. There is a lot of research backing up the idea that many serial killers have suffered abuse at the hands of a parent or guardian which can cause even more trauma and that this could have contributed to their murderous behavior later on in their life. Although there is quite a lot of evidence to show that not all victims that experience this kind of abuse grow up to be criminals or abusers themselves there is a heightened risk that is associated with things like childhood trauma. A number of studies have been zoned in on some of the world’s most well-known serial killer cases who have reported that they experienced some sort of abuse when they were a child, people such as John Wayne Gacy, Gary Ridgeway and Ed Gein they all stated that they were either physically or verbally abused when they were a child. Although they stated that they were either physically or verbally abused we cannot hundred percent believe what they say, because there is a lot of evidence suggesting that serial killers can be quite notorious for lying so we cant believe everything that they say.

Secondary Research

In 2005 there was a study created by Mitchell and Aamodt in the university of Radford in Virginia showing how serial killers stated that there was some sort of abuse in their childhood. Childhood abuse was in a category that meant that an individual would be abused under the age of 18 years old. Psychiatrist reports have separated childhood abuse into four different categories these include physical abuse which is causing or allowing nonaccidental physical injury, sexual abuse which is any sexual activity that is non-consensual, psychological abuse which is causing emotional conflict or causing psychological harm and lastly neglect which is failing or refusing to provide adequate food, clothing and other necessary needs for a child. The results suggested that childhood abuse in serial killers is higher than the general population across all types of abuse except neglect, the results suggested that 36% of the serial killers suffered from physical abuse, 26% experienced sexual abuse, 50% suffered from psychological abuse and 18% experienced neglect but on the other hand 32% of the killers reported having no abuse in their childhood at all. During this research, they also found data on serial killers when they were put into different groups such as organized, disorganized, and mixed offenders and they found that there was no difference in the frequency of abuse that the injured as a child. The results showed that those who suffered more psychological abuse did not become a more organized killer compared to the disorganized killer. The percentages of abuse suffered in each type of abuse were very similar across the three offender types. 25 of the 50 were organized killers, 11 were disorganized and 14 were mixed.

For any of this information to actually mean anything, we need to be able to see a clear difference between the serial killer population and the general population to see whether serial killers do actually experience more abuse than the average person and if that is a factor in creating a serial killer. As this graph shows serial killers have a higher rate of abuse in most things apart from neglect compared to the general population. This graph proves that serial killers have injured more abuse in their childhood than just the average person. Serial killers have injured more physical, sexual, and psychological abuse than the average person. The fact that psychological abuse is so high among serial killers may be a contribution to the person that they become in the future. On the other hand, these results cannot be proven to be hundred percent accurate because the general population has no reason to publicize there abuse and may lie about there abuse because they may be embarrassed or may still be with there abuser. On the other hand, some serial killers are known for lying and giving false statements and lying about their childhood to make themselves look better. Although that there is some evidence that childhood abuse may be a factor of abuse it may not be the only factor that contributes to such criminal behavior. These findings really interest criminologists and psychologists studying serial killers and the factors that contribute to their behavior.

Researchers have shown that many serial killers have a few things in common when it comes to their childhood experiences. Researchers have suggested there are possible eight different characteristic traits that serial killers may have had in common during their childhoods these include emotional abuse, researchers have suggested that those who go on to become serial killers have suffered from a lot of childhood abuse in particular emotional abuse. Some researchers have also suggested that some serial killers would have experienced some sort of neglect during their childhood. Study`s have shown that neglect can affect a child`s ability to develop empathy, which is one of the main reasons that serial killers keep on their killing sprees. The second characteristic is fantasies this has a link to being neglected as the child would feel as if they lack control in their own life so they would often turn to fantasy to escape their situation, because of their own links to neglect and not having control in their own life their fantasies normally revolve around control and violence due to these fantasies sometimes the urges get to much and are sometimes acted out. The third characteristic which is circulated a lot on the media as being the main trait of a serial killer from their childhood is cruelty to animals some serial killers are known for harming animals in their childhood.

A well-known case of this is Ted Bundy, Bundy reportedly derived pleasure from tormenting small animals, cats, and dogs. In some cases, this is not always the case for example serial killer john Wayne Gacy was a notorious serial killer who killed up to thirty young boys, although in his childhood Gacy was known for having a love towards animals and taking animals home to look after them. These are just character traits of some serial killers, not all serial killers have been shown as having these traits. Another trait that is often shown when looking into serial killers, is the killer having or being around a dysfunctional relationship. Researchers have shown that serial killers tend to have problems with relationships in their childhood this includes not being able to form or maintain relationships, this also refers to being around bad relationships and being around bad influences. Psychologists have found that nearly three-quarters of serial killers grew up in homes in which other family members have had some sort of problem with alcohol or drug abuse which could have an impact in the way that they have grown up, because they have grown up around either alcohol or drug abuse may have caused them to pick up either drug addiction or and alcohol addiction which may have linked to them becoming a serial killer later on in life.

Other characteristics that serial killers may have experienced as a child include low self-esteem, poor social functioning, academic failure, witnessing violence family and being a victim of bullying.

There was a study conducted by a criminologist Burgess, he carried out a study of serial killers that were sexually motivated in 1986. The study was able to find the type of things that serial killers experienced during their childhood. The results of Burgess’s study showed that there were four different categories that could influence the creation of a serial killer these included that they grew up in an ineffective social environment, experienced negative events in their childhood such as a loved one passing away, they developed destructive behavior, for example, setting fire to things which is shown a lot in serial killers childhoods, the breakdown of relationships which may include not getting along with a family member and if they developed certain characteristics during their childhood. Burgess found that younger people had more of a tendency to retreat into a fantasy world, Burgess thought this might have been to do with their social isolation, he also found that the love for fantasy tended to become deeper as the child grew up. This might show why serial killers don`t kill until they are older.

Moesch found that most serial killers tended to hate women which usually stems from having a dysfunctional relationship with their mothers. Moesch also stated that a high number of serial killers were found to have overly controlling or emotionally abusive mothers. He found from the sample of serial killers analyzed that sixty-eight percent had been brought up in families in which the mother was the dominant figure.

Other social factors that may have a role in creating a serial killer include education, peer groups, and education groups.

Psychopathy and sociopathy within serial killers

After acquainting myself with several bipolar disorder essays and researches, I can affirm that the causes of psychopathy are still unknown we are still unsure whether psychopathy is a product of nature or nurture. There is some research suggesting that psychopathy traits are more due to DNA than upbringing, the research suggests that if only a couple of hundred mutations take place during early fetal development, the mutations most likely multiply over a number of years leading to psychopaths having a vast genetic difference to the average person.

These brain scans show the difference between a psychopath`s brain and the average person’s brain. Forensic psychologists stated that psychopathic criminals were associated with a decreased connectivity between the amygdala, a subcortical structure of the brain that processes negative stimuli, and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, a cortical region in the front of the brain that interprets the response from the amygdala. When the connectivity between these two regions is low, the processing of negative stimuli in the amygdala does not translate into any strong feelings or emotions. Therefore, linking to serial killers because they do not feel nervous or feel bad seeing people suffer, it gives them more reason to act on the crime again.

Sociopathy just like psychopathy is also unknown to whether it is a product of nature or nurture. scientists have some theories. One is that the brain of a sociopath matures at a slower rate than the brain of a non-sociopath which we can see in this comparison of an average brain and a sociopath`s brain. Damage is not the only thing that can cause the brain to develop abnormally. Researchers are also studying biological dysfunction, or faulty wiring, as a sociopath cause. Some people also believe that sociopaths may be influenced by the environment that they surround themselves with. For example, researchers believe that early childhood trauma such as abuse may also be a trigger for sociopathy. Whilst doing my research I have found that any child has the capacity to become a sociopath. Sociopaths are known for feeling remorse and guilt. Serial killers who are sociopaths are known for being very dangerous because it is easier for them to integrate into society. So, if you were with a sociopath you probably would not know that they were a sociopath. Therefore, some serial killers find it easy to lure their victims in because they are just like average people. An example of a sociopath was Ted Bundy. Michael Stone has come to the conclusion that less than one percent of the female population are psychopaths. Whereas three to five percent of men are psychopaths. He suggested that men are more likely to have antisocial personality disorder. Researchers have shown that men are genuinely stronger than women which can be another reason why there are more men serial killers than women.

Biological factors of creating a serial killer (Nature)

Adrian Raine was the first person to conduct a brain study on murderers he also continued to do a study on the brains of violent criminals and psychopaths. He stated that while there is a social and environmental element to violent behavior, there is also another side which is biology. The main question that circulates the courts is that if serial killers have a brain dysfunction that came relatively early in their live show we fully hold that adult responsible.

What if that individual had birth complications and they were exposed to things like toxins and a low resting heart rate? Other things that have been looked at whilst looking at the biology of serial killers is if the serial killer had the gene that raises the odds of violence. Scientists have identified that there is the main gene that leads to extreme violence the first one is a variant of cadherin 13 which is involved in neural connectivity and has been linked to impulse control in extremely violent offenders like serial killing. Psychological experts have called serial killers a biological disaster. This means that some psychologists believe that serial killers are already born into this world already marked as a disaster.

Researchers have identified that serial killers are genetically different from the average person. Ph.D. stated that there could be two different biological factors that could have a role in creating a serial killer. The first idea is that serial killers are caused by an abnormality in the frontal lobe. There are a few different ways that people can gain damage to their frontal lobes, these include having a head injury which can be from when they were a child or later on in their life, having a stroke, or having an infection that affects the frontal lobe. Having damage to the frontal lobe can make people act more violently. Therefore, when we hear of serial killers most of them have had damage to their frontal lobe which may have caused them to act more violently toward their victims. The second idea is that serial killers are bred by circumstances which means they have a dysfunctional brain, for example, if the individual has a right orbital cortex that is not functioning well, the individual may be at a biological disadvantage. Some researchers have found that having that most serial killers do have a dysfunctional brain which is one of the major reasons why serial killers kill. A certain gene has been linked to someone becoming violent, this gene is called monoamine oxidase-A this is also known as the violent gene which is found in almost all serial killers. Mothers pass down the dysfunction in the form of the MAOA gene to their sons. This suggests why there are more male serial killers than female serial killers.

A genetic scientist stated on a genetic level some people are more prone to becoming a serial killers. Researchers have suggested that just like any other gene the serial killer gene can also be passed down through the family tree. Adrian Raine suggests that we may encounter someone with such a genetic disadvantage that their aggression cannot be cured. This suggests that not even the best therapy can help change a serial killer because it is all in their genes. Raine stated that with damage to the frontal lobe with the dysfunction of the MAOA gene, we can certainly conclude that serial killers are genetically pre-disposed to violence, he also suggested that dysfunctional brains and dysfunctional genes are the leading reason why serial killers killers

Aileen Wuornos Serial Killer through Social Control Theory: Essay

The case of Aileen Wuornos is a difficult one, there are many factors that combine when attempting to understand why she committed the murders of 7 men and her practice of prostitution. Wuornos had a difficult upbringing as she was raised by her grandparents her mother was not in the picture and her father was away in the army as a way to escape from the sentence for the crimes he committed. Wuornos’ parents were very young when they had Aileen as the mother was 14 and the father was 16. The father, Leo Dale Pittman, was diagnosed with schizophrenia and after his time in the army was sent to prison due to his sexual acts against children. Pittman eventually committed suicide by hanging himself in prison. Wuornos was raised by her grandparents instead of her parents and that led to her not having strong parental figures. Wuornos had experienced trauma at a young age as she was molested when she was young and that led to a childhood of sexual promiscuity. It is documented that Wuornos and her brother had an incestual relationship and that Wuornos was known for having sex with young teenagers. At 14 Wuornos became pregnant and put the child up for adoption. Wuornos was also described as a loner with only one true friend her entire life. These aspects can lead to the fact that Wuornos had a warped sense of view starting as a child and that continued into her adulthood when she committed violent crimes. This falls in line with the social control theory of criminology, where Wuornos would become a product of her tragic life experiences.

The social control theory relies on the principle that those with traumatic pasts often lead to them committing crimes later on in life. This is the case with Wuornos and her acts of violent crime. Wuornos would become no stranger to violence at a young age as she was molested and that led to her committing crimes of violence later on in her life. The social control theory follows the principles that a lack of solid background built up as a child and the experiences of the child lead to crime later on in life. The lack of understanding of social norms is key to this theory as quoted by the Oxford Bibliography: “Social control theories, however, focus primarily on external factors and the processes by which they become effective. Deviance and crime occur because of inadequate constraints” (Kempf-Leonard, Morris, 2019). The theory relies on the belief that those who commit crime were adequately taught the value of social norms which leads to those committing crime later on in life. This applies to Wuornos perfectly as she was not correctly taught the importance of social constraint which led to her violent crimes later on in life. Her past of being taken advantage of sexually led to her becoming a prostitute, and eventually that built up to her murdering those 7 men. Wuornos was a ticking time bomb due to her lack of experience with the norms of society.

The social control theory explains how Aileen Wuornos turned out in her lifetime and why she committed her crimes. It covers that because of her rough upbringing and not being correctly taught the correct social norms as a child, she became a deviant within society. Wuornos was simply a product of how she was incorrectly raised in the world due to the faulty parenting that she received and how she was alienated by her peers.