The Psychology of a Serial Killer

Can we identify the markers that show a potential serial killer?

Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash

I am fascinated by serial killers. Not in the write them letters and ask them to marry me way, but in their psychology.

From an early age, I have loved psychology, from Watson and his rats to Zimbardo and his prison. More specifically I am fascinated with criminal psychology. What makes a murderer, murder and what makes serial killers keep murdering?

Psychology is a huge subject, it also changes regularly. There are however some factors that are common to the majority of serial killers. Many of these characteristics are found within serial killers.

What Defines a Serial Killer

It is important when we start this process that we identify what is a serial killer compared to a spree killer. The FBI has laid out some clear markers for this.

• A minimum of 3–4 victims
• A cooling-off between kills. — This is the important characteristic that separates serial killers from killers such as Devin Patrick Kelley.
• The victims are usually strangers to the murderer, which leads the murders to appear random and unconnected. They normally have a type of victim they go for, Jack the Ripper preferred…