A murderer and a serial killer differ in significant ways. The average murder usually consist of one single act. This can be a crime of passion, revenge, or malice. Yet, once the act is complete, many times the killer doesn’t repeat the offense. However, a serial killer typically murders three or more people. After a serial killer kills one person, they could go months or years before they kill another. Serial killers usually develop a pattern, a specific attribute or characteristics in others that they look for and use to fulfill a role in the killer’s fantasies. (Wrightman, pg. 150) What motivates a person to kill and why can’t we get into a their mind? Childhood traumas, may it be physically or emotionally, could be the root of their beginnings. They may have been beaten, emotionally abused, or even bullied because they were different from other children. In most murder cases, the perpetrator’s were tormented so much that it changed them mentally and emotionally. We may not understand the reasonings behind every murderer, or what can cause one to break, but we do know that there is something that drives them. The question is, can we understand their underlying issues by looking at psychological theories? John Wayne Gacy and Bobby Thompson are two murders who each performed violent acts upon their victims. Gacy, most …show more content…
She lead a life full of abuse starting in early childhood suffered at the hands of her father, and continued in adulthood from her husband, Bobby. When Ann and Bobby were married they were eighteen years old. Being young and starting a family has been linked to many factors of child abuse both physical and emotional. Ann has already been a victim of child abuse from her father. Victims of child abuse can lead to problems later in life such as poor attachment skills, lack of empathy and social isolation. (McCoy, 2013 pg.