Serial Killer Essay

Are serial killers born to be killers or raised to be killers? According to the U.S. Department of Justice, "A serial murderer has committed two or more murders separated in time and often in widely different geographic areas, and involving victims who are usually strangers" (Egger). There are a few early signs of a serial killer that a research team at Bowie State University has identified. Some of the early signs are arson, narcissistic behavior, torturing of animals, antisocial behavior, childhood abuse, and poor family life. With murderers being born this way, you have to look into their genetics. The monoamine oxidase-A or MAO-A gene has been identified as the serial killer gene. Those who have this gene are more prone to impulsive aggression

She was nicknamed the Damsel of Death. Aileen was involved in street prostitution. All of her victims were clients of hers. Between 1989 to 1990, she had seven victims. All were men she shot dead and then robbed. When she was finally caught and taken to court, she received six death penalties. Wuornos suffered from major childhood trauma. Her parents divorced before she was born, and her father was in a mental hospital for being a child molester. At four, her mother left Aileen and her brother with her grandparents. Her grandmother was a severe alcoholic and her grandfather would beat her. By the time she was eleven, she was doing sexual acts to earn money. These things affected her life since she continue to do sex work, which is where she met her

The man behind all these nicknames was Albert Fish. Between the years of 1924 to 1928, he murdered three children. Albert was a child molester and cannibal. He would lure kids into his home before killing them. The police were able to catch him because he would send letters to the children's parents. Some believe his obsession with children came from his childhood. His parents left him when he was very young, so he grew up in an orphanage. While in the orphanage, he was getting beaten regularly. As the beatings continued, he began to look forward to them. Later in life, he admitted to liking pain and told people about certain things he would do to himself. One of those things he would do to himself is put needles in his groin. Since Albert Fish found pleasure in pain, he was a masochist. A psychologist named Kendra Cherry wrote, “A masochist might neglect their needs to the point of pain or take pleasure in denying themselves the things they love. They enjoy creating their own discomfort. Negative self-talk: Constant self-criticism and negative self-talk can sometimes signify masochism” (Cherry). This can alter the way a person thinks, especially if they are always speaking negatively to and about