Critical Thinking One
Introduction to Serial Killers
Kaitlin Whitinger
What is serial murder? According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the definition of serial murder is "the unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offenders in separate events with emotional cooling off periods." (Mueller) The offender is referred to as a serial killer. They are very organized and methodical, selecting their victims and planning carefully. This helps them to not get caught by the authorities for a generally long amount of time. They are not to be confused with a spree killer or mass murderer. Though these three groups have the fact that they kill a number of people in common, there are many differences. A spree killer, for instance, kills three or more victims in different locations, but only within a time period of a day at most. They also do not have what is referred to as a "cooling off period" like serial killers do.
English: Ted Bundy in custody, Florida, 1978 or 19...
English: Ted Bundy in custody, Florida, July 1978....
English: This car was owned (and heavily used) by ...The term mass murderer often gets confused with the term serial killer, but a mass murderer is one who murders a large amount of people in one event or incident. An example of mass murdering would be school shootings. Their plan is to go out with a "bang" and take as many people with them as they can. Both mass murders and spree killers have the same motive. They kill in a spontaneous rage due to recent failure, rejection, loss or mental illness. Their tirade generally ends with being apprehended by or turning themselves into the police or committing suicide. This differs from serial killers due to their special efforts to avoid being caught. Therefore, as you can see, serial killers are their own brand. We know why spree killers and mass murderers kill and what brings them to it;...