Serial Essays

between spree killers and serial killers in an ongoing debate between criminologists (Montaldo 2019). Criminologists focus a lot on the psychological issues of spree and serial killers when studying. Serial killers differ from spree killers in many ways, this can include their motivations for killing and their behavior at the crime scenes (Morton 2023). When researching, you should look into past spree and serial murders, like Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer who were serial killers and Charles Starkweather

Serial is an investigative journalism podcast hosted by Sarah Koenig, narrating a nonfiction story over multiple episodes. The series was co-created and is co-produced by Koenig and Julie Snyder and developed by This American Life. It takes an unorthodox approaches to storytelling that its creator Sarah Koenig employs, and, given the podcast’s massive success, it seems that the public is hungry for these new kinds of narratives. Serial and podcasts are growing in population because of its access

The term “serial killer” strikes fear and curiosity into the minds of people; therefore, scientist and medical researchers should look more in depth into the psychology and illnesses of a serial killer rather than their actions alone. A serial killer is an individual who murders three or more people over a period of time typically to fulfill a motive. These motives typically come from past experiences that caused some sort of trauma. Since 1980 there has been an estimated amount of one hundred fifty

Sarah Koenig, the host and producer of the popular podcast “Serial” is known for her engaging storytelling style and ability to use rhetorical devices and tools of persuasion to keep listeners interested and invested in the story she is telling. As a journalist and narrative storyteller, Koenig’s goal is to present a well-researched and balanced account of the events she is discussing and to use her skills as a writer and communicator to convey that information in a way that is compelling and engaging

Serial Killers can be both born and made. Childhood trauma, genetic makeup, and brain activity are all factors that can contribute to someone becoming a serial killer. Have you ever wondered what goes on in the mind of a serial killer? Or what could cause a child to turn into a killer? Due to multiple studies of the brain and trauma, scientists have been able to discover the differences in parts of the brain of serial killers and normal people, and what experiences could trigger a person to become

What is a serial killer? By definition, a serial killer is “A person who murders 3 or more people in a period over a month, with at least some “cooling-off” time between each murder” (Psychology Today 1). Many tend to think serial killers are legally insane when few actually are and the majority of them show signs of psychopathy. There is so much more to serial killers than most people think. Serial killers exhibit psychopathic tendencies such as lack of empathy and lack of remorse that develop from

Serial killers exist in our midst. When a serial killer commits an act, the media disseminates information, and one of the critical inquiries is the motive behind the serial killer committing the act. As a result of numerous socioeconomic causes, crime has only gone up, presumably due to the recent Covid-19 Pandemic. Crime has received much attention in the media. Over the years, humanity is becoming more interested in the factors that motivate these serial killers, even though society is developing

A serial killer can be defined as a person who murders 3 or more people with a significant cooling off period (a break) in between each one (FBI). Credit for coining the phrase “serial killer” is commonly given to former FBI Special Agent Robert Ressler, one of the founding members of the Bureau’s elite Behavioral Science Unit, now called the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU). Serial murder is a relatively rare event, estimated to compromise less than one percent of all murders in any given year. Though

Profiling serial killers has proven to be a difficult task because despite the fact that serial murders have been recorded since the 1400’s, there are multiple definitions of what a serial killer actually is. In the article, “The Use of Criminal Profilers in the Prosecution of Serial Killers” by Chelsea van Aken, she explains the different definitions of what make a serial killer, a serial killer. According to Van Aken, “The FBI characterizes a serial killer as an individual who has various degrees

One might define a serial killer as someone who kills randomly or kills and hides a body. Faqeer Muhammad describes a serial killer as “someone who has murdered at least three people in less than a month, with at least some ‘cooling-off’ time between each murder,” and a PDF written by the FBI describes a serial killer’s actions as “The unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender(s), in separate events.” Both state that serial killers kill two or more people in different ways, locations

The societal opinion that serial killers are white men with unattractive features and dysfunctional relationships is dangerous and false. Not all serial killers tortured animals, were abused as children, or have abandonment issues. The current literature review set out to discover the why of serial killing: what makes them do these things? It looks at five serial killers who each have entirely different motives and histories, and what turned them into monsters. Unfortunately, this is not a question

your lifetime you will walk by at least 36 serial killers. This is a shocking fact, showing that we aren’t aware of how dangerous the mixture of genes and experience is. This essay shares the four main factors of the creation of a serial killer. Their psychology, what they think, what they don’t think, and their behavior. Childhood, was it a component of how they turned out? How their environment influenced them, and how their trauma affected them. Serial killers aren’t born, they're created. The

acts, most murderers do not receive the title of serial killer. Commonly categorized by three or more kills, an individual must conduct these in a span of more than thirty days to obtain this label. Arguable, the mental state of these offenders impacts their desires to kill more than three humans. The psychology of these perpetrators confuses many. To understand the psyche of serial killers, experts explore the qualities that potentially make a serial killer: disorders, childhoods, reasons, and the

According to CNN 10, “Serial murders are relatively rare. Fewer than one percent of homicides during a given year are committed by serial killers, the FBI reports” (“Serial Killers Fast Facts”). The term serial killer was first coined in the 1800s; H.H. Holmes, 1890s, was considered the first serial killer in history, but many forget about Jack the Ripper, still unknown to this day, who terrorized the women of London during the early 1880s. There are numerous serial killers within society, but who

In present day, the number of serial-killer cases have increased greatly. Referring to the chart shown (Trends in Serial Killing), in the span of years from the 1970s to today the amount of serial killings climbed up to about 10 times more in 1980 than the amount previous to the 1960s. Since 1980, the numbers have dropped, due to the help of technology and resources used by the government, but they are still much higher than roughly 60 years ago. Currently the approach of ‘hiding in plain sight’

Serial killers are known for how bad their killings are. Most serial killers have had a traumatic childhood event that led them to become who they are. There are many types of serial killers with reasons of killing, but they all have one thing in common which is murder. Some seral killers have the trait of being psychotic which is one of the traits that Macbeth has. Serial killer research began in 1974 by Dr. von Krafft-Ebing who was one of the first to begin the study of serial killers. He began

Serial Killers are everywhere throughout history. From Jack the Ripper who targeted prostitutes to the Anthrax Killer who sent letters laced with a very pure form of the disease-causing bacteria. Sometimes Investigation takes many years to catch the killer but in some cases the killers are never caught. These Notorious killers sent shockwaves of panic and fear throughout their communities. To fully understand all of this, we need to understand what a serial killer is. The distinct difference

Serial is a true-crime podcast narrated by Sarah Koenig. In this podcast, Koenig goes through the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, and whether Adnan Syed, Lee’s ex-boyfriend who was convicted of the crime, is guilty of Lee’s murder. As she narrates the podcast, Koenig presents evidence to support both views and offers her opinions as she navigates through the evidence. In the podcast, Koenig’s narration is clearly biased toward Adnan Syed’s innocence. In the podcast, Koenig shows a clear bias towards

‘’To what extent has psychological and socioeconomic factors contributed in the making of psychopaths and serial killers?” “I robbed them, and I killed them as cold as ice, and I would do it again, and I know I would kill another person because I've hated humans for a long time” – Aileen Wuronos “I don't feel guilty for anything. I feel sorry for people who feel guilt.” - Ted Bundy “I didn’t know what made people want to be friends” – Ted Bundy Deceiving, impulsive, manipulative, failure to hold

Now some serial killers never explain why they did what they did but that’s the fun of it. Trying to decipher why people feel the urge to kill is what makes most people become fascinated about serial killers in the first place. Something that has always made people curious was trying to find out what pushed serial killers to the point of murder. However, not many people have heard about Dr. Harold Shipman, who is best known as the “doctor of death”. Most people, when the topic of serial killers is