Women's Role In Serial Killers

Milwaukee, Wisconsin. July 22nd, 1991. Police were flagged down by a man named Tracy Edwards who was in handcuffs. When police asked him why he had them on, he stated that a “freak” put them on him and asked if they were able to remove them. Because they were unable to, they went back to the apartment that Edwards ran away from. When they got there, a man responded to the door, and, when questioned, he told the police that, yes, he had handcuffed him; however, he did not give an explanation as to why. At the same time, one of the officers noticed that there were polaroid photos of different men in various stages of dismemberment. He also noticed that the photos were taken in the very room that they had been standing in. As a result of this

The killers’ upbringing can most definitely play a role in who they become as an adult. In some instances, the abuse that children experience by their parents can sometimes be barbaric. For example, in the case of Albert DeSalvo, the Boston Strangler, his alcoholic father sold him as a slave. Many killers portray their childhood as an “endless chain of horrifying sexual abuse, torture, and mayhem.” Some of these stories tend to be exaggerated in order for the killer to gain sympathy; however, even the families that appear to be happy can be putting on a facade. Children often learn this “Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde routine” from their parents, who tend to be outgoing with their neighbors and friends, but then scold their children when they get home. While psychologists are examining these serial killers’ behaviors, they also take into account that the abuse that they suffered were in the hands of their parents; however, they did not grow up to be murderers. In Joel Norris’s book, Serial Killers, he discusses the acts of violence the cycles of violence. He states, “ Parents who abuse their children, physically as well as psychologically, instill in them an almost instinctive reliance upon violence as a first resort to any challenge.” This abuse can also affect the child’s health and could result in brain injuries and other developmental disorders. Some parents believe that “disciplining” their children will allow their child to “toughen up”. However, it tends to create a lack of love and trust between the child and the parent. This leads to there being no foundation of trusting others later in their lives. Furthermore, this could lead to isolation, in which intense fantasies become the primary source of gratification. Ann Burgess, John Douglas, and Robert Ressler in their book Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives write, “instead