Why We Love Serial Killers

by Scott Bonn

  The FBI has recognized that more research is required into the links between serial murder and psychopathy in order to understand both the frequency and extent of its prevalence among serial murderers. Such an understanding is vital to law enforcement authorities during an investigation and upon the arrest of a psychopathic serial offender. The behavior and crime scene of a psychopathic killer are likely to be different from other non-psychopathic offenders. The distinctive behavior of a psychopathic killer can assist law enforcement in linking serial murders and tracking an unknown subject. Once apprehended and in custody, psychopaths are not sensitive to altruistic interrogation themes such as sympathy for their victims or remorse or guilt over their crimes. However, they do possess certain personality traits that can be exploited during interrogation, including narcissism, selfishness, and vanity. Successful interviews of psychopathic serial killers have focused on praising their intelligence, cleverness, and skill in evading capture. Understanding psychopathy is vital to our examination of serial murder so I discuss it in much more detail in the next chapter.

  Conclusion

  In this chapter, I have explained the long history and evolution of criminal profiling. I discussed the various techniques developed by the FBI and psychologists to identify and apprehend unknown serial predators. I have critiqued the effectiveness of criminal profiling and discussed its contribution to the public’s awareness and perceptions of serial killers over the past few decades. As we have seen, criminal profiling has become a very popular topic in the mass media in recent years. I have debunked a number of myths about criminal profiling perpetuated by the news and entertainment media such as that it is an exact science. Profiling is a science, in part, but it is not an exact science. Rather, criminal profiling is both an art and a science—a blending of the two.

  CHAPTER 4

  INSIDE THE PATHOLOGICAL MIND OF THE SERIAL KILLER

  David Byrne, lead singer of the pioneering alternative rock band Talking Heads who co-wrote the song “Psycho Killer,” has said that fictional bad guys such as “the Joker and Hannibal Lecter are much more fascinating than fictional good guys. Everybody roots for the bad guys in movies.” Deranged serial killers have become ghoulish “rock stars” in contemporary popular culture. Best-selling thriller novels, blockbuster films, and television series give us the impression that psycho killers are running amok in this country. Fortunately, as explained in chapter 2, demented serial killers are far less prevalent and prolific in reality than they are portrayed in the popular entertainment media. Nevertheless, despite their relative rarity, the carnage inflicted by real-life serial killers generates intense interest among the general public, as well as criminologists, scientists, and forensic psychologists who seek to unlock the strange workings of their pathological minds.

  In his now iconic song, David Byrne posed the question, “Psycho killer qu’est-ce que c’est?” In other words, what can explain the psycho killer? The possible answer to this question has been the source of much debate among criminologists and psychologists for half a century. Forensic psychologists have identified correlations between serial homicide and certain antisocial personality disorders. This chapter explores two specific antisocial personality disorders that have been linked to serial murder by forensic psychologists—specifically, sociopathy and psychopathy. This chapter offers unique new insights into how the traits of sociopathy and psychopathy are related to serial homicide and how such traits may predict specific predatory behavior in serial killers.

  What Makes the Serial Killer Tick?

  When we talk about the causality of human behavior, serial killing or otherwise, we are talking about a highly complex process that includes numerous biological and environmental factors. Biological factors include genetics and personality, for example, while social factors include such things as education and family upbringing. It is not possible to identify all of the factors that influence normal human behavior. Similarly, it is not possible to identify all of the factors that influence abnormal human behavior. To complicate matters, humans also have the freedom of choice. More specifically, people have the ability to choose at any given time whether or not to engage in a particular behavior, whether good or bad. Therefore, two different people can never be counted on to make the same choice or choices when faced with identical circumstances, despite having similar biological and environmental influences.

  Scientists today recognize that human beings are in a constant state of development from the very moment of conception until death. Human behavior is affected by stimulation that is received and processed by the central nervous system of the body, including the brain and spinal cord. Neurobiologists believe that the human nervous system is environmentally sensitive and dynamic, which allows it to be shaped and altered throughout the human lifetime. Scientists and psychologists have demonstrated that the development of social coping mechanisms begins early in the life and it continues to develop as people mature and learn to interact, negotiate, and compromise with their peers.

  Over the years, neurobiologists have identified several factors that are highly correlated or associated with violent behavior in people. Although they have been scientifically linked to violent behavior, none of these factors, individually or collectively, should be considered sufficient or even necessary for an individual to become violent. First, the failure to develop adequate coping mechanisms in childhood has been associated with violent behavior later in life. Second, neglect and abuse by caregivers during childhood have been linked to an increased risk of adult violence. Third, substance abuse (alcohol and drugs) is highly correlated with increased aggression and violence in adolescents and adults. Fourth, childhood brain trauma—due to severe head injury—has been linked by neurologists to violent behavior in adulthood.

  Each one of these correlates of violence—that is, factors which are often found in combination with it—has been observed among serial killers over the years. However, the actual causes of serial killing are still very much in debate among criminologists and forensic psychologists. The root causes of serial murder are considered by professionals to be numerous, varied, and complex. The attendees at the national symposium on serial homicide conducted by the FBI in 2005 concluded that there is no definitive cause and no generic profile of a serial killer.21 Experts at the symposium concluded that serial killers vary greatly in their motivations and behavior. Nevertheless, the attendees did identify certain traits that are common among serial murderers such as sensation seeking, a lack of remorse or guilt, impulsivity, the need for control, and predatory behavior. These common traits of serial killers have been linked to certain antisocial personality disorders.

  Antisocial Personality Disorders

  Forensic psychologists have discovered that certain key traits and behaviors of serial killers are very consistent with two particular personality disorders: sociopathy and psychopathy. These conditions are not classified as mental illnesses by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). They are not even officially recognized or accepted diagnostic terms. The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), released by the APA in 2013, lists both sociopathy and psychopathy under the heading of Antisocial Personality Disorders (ASPD). These disorders are manifested in certain distinct and troublesome behavioral traits and characteristics. Some psychologists and criminal justice practitioners use the terms sociopathy and psychopathy interchangeably and experts also disagree on whether there is a meaningful difference between them.

  I believe that there are important distinctions between the two disorders. The APA estimates that there are approximately one million psychopaths and eight million sociopaths in the US. In order to understand sociopathy and psychopathy, it is necessary to know some fundamental principles about human personality first. The personalities of people represent who they are and how they behave. Personalities result from genetics and upbringing, and reflect how people view the world and believe the world views them. Personalities
dictate how people interact with others and how they cope with problems, both real and imagined. Human personalities develop and evolve until sometime around their late twenties. After that, human personalities are hardwired, static, and cannot be altered.

  The Similarities and Differences between Sociopathy and Psychopathy

  Sociopathy and psychopathy share many common behavioral traits. Their similarities lead to the confusion between them and also help to explain why many people incorrectly believe that they are the same disorder. Key traits that sociopaths and psychopaths both share include:

  • A disregard for laws and social mores

  • A disregard for the rights of others

  • A failure to feel remorse or guilt

  • A tendency to display violent behavior

  In addition to their similarities, each of these two antisocial personality disorders also has its own unique characteristics which are explained below.

  Let’s start with elements that are unique to sociopathy. First, sociopaths tend to be nervous and easily agitated or angered. They are volatile and prone to emotional outbursts, including fits of rage. Second, they are likely to be uneducated and typically live on the fringes of society, unable to hold down a steady job or stay in one place for very long. They are frequently transients and drifters. Third, it is difficult but not impossible for sociopaths to form attachments with others. They are capable of bonding emotionally and demonstrating empathy with certain people in certain situations but not others. Many sociopaths are able to form an attachment to a particular individual or group, although they have no regard for society in general or its rules. Fourth, in the eyes of others, sociopaths will appear to be very disturbed. Any crimes committed by a sociopath will tend to be haphazard or spontaneous. A sociopath who becomes a serial killer will most likely conform to the FBI’s disorganized category of serial predator, as described in chapter 3. Jack the Ripper offers a classic example of the volatile, spontaneous, and disorganized serial killer.

  Psychopaths, on the other hand, are unable to form emotional attachments or feel real empathy with others, although they often have disarming or even charming personalities. Psychopathy is the most dangerous of all antisocial personality disorders. Psychopaths are very manipulative and can easily gain people’s trust. They learn to mimic emotions, despite their inability to actually feel them, and will appear normal to unsuspecting people. Psychopaths are often well-educated and hold steady jobs. Some are so good at manipulation and mimicry that they have families and other long-term relationships without those around them ever suspecting their true nature. When committing crimes, psychopaths carefully plan out every detail in advance and often have contingency plans in place. Unlike their sociopathic counterparts, psychopathic criminals are cool, calm, and meticulous. They make few mistakes. A psychopath who becomes a serial killer will most likely conform to the FBI’s organized category of killer. In fact, the traits of the psychopathic personality are far more highly correlated with the characteristics of meticulous, organized serial killers than are sociopathic personality traits. The charming Ted Bundy provides a classic example of the poised, articulate, and highly organized serial killer.

  The etiology or cause of psychopathy is different than the cause of sociopathy.22 It is believed that psychopathy is the result of “nature” (genetics) while sociopathy is the result of “nurture” (environment). According to the late David Lykken, a behavioral geneticist known for his studies involving twins, psychopathy is related to a physiological defect that results in the underdevelopment of the part of the brain responsible for impulse control and emotions.23 Sociopathy, on the other hand, is more likely the product of childhood trauma and abuse. Because sociopathy appears to be learned rather than innate, sociopaths are capable of empathy or forming an emotional connection with others but only to certain individuals such as a family member or friend and only in certain circumstances. Psychopaths, on the other hand, are simply incapable of empathy and are unable to form real emotional bonds with anyone. Ironically, it is the uncanny ability of psychopaths to mimic empathy with others that makes them especially dangerous and successful serial killers because they are so disarming and seemingly nonthreatening.

  More about Psychopathy

  Because of its strong link to serial murder, psychopathy warrants an in-depth discussion here.

  Psychopathy is a personality disorder that is exhibited by people who employ a combination of charm, manipulation, intimidation, and sometimes violence to control others, in order to satisfy their own selfish desires. It is estimated that approximately 1 percent of the adult male population in the US are psychopaths.24 Psychopathy is more prevalent among men than women. Generally speaking, psychopaths are glib and charming, and they use these attributes to manipulate others into trusting and believing in them. Because of their strong interpersonal skills, most psychopaths can present themselves quite favorably on a first impression and many function successfully in society. However, a number of the attitudes and behaviors common to psychopaths are distinctly predatory in nature, and they tend to view others as either competitive predators or prey.25 When psychopaths view others as prey, their lack of feeling and bonding to others allows them to have unusual clarity in observing the behavior of their intended victims. Moreover, they do not become encumbered by the anxieties and emotions that normal people experience in interpersonal encounters.

  As argued in a report published by the FBI in 2012, in order to really understand how psychopaths accomplish their objectives, it is very important to recognize that they are classic predators despite the fact that they are also frequently charming.26 The report explains that psychopaths are tremendously resourceful when it comes to locating potential victims. They will attend social gatherings, surf the Internet, or search public records looking for suitable people to manipulate, con, or even murder. For example, they will callously target retirees and then charm them out of their life savings in a complicated investment scam. Incredibly, they will later blame their elderly victims for being too trusting. Most psychopaths are very skilled at covering their tracks and camouflaging themselves through deception and manipulation. They are experts at locating groups or communities where they will have access to an endless supply of victims.

  In the 2012 report on psychopathy published by the FBI, Dr. Paul Babiak and his colleagues explained that psychopaths will often demonstrate a profound lack of remorse for their aggressive and predatory actions, whether violent or nonviolent, along with a complete lack of empathy for their victims.27 These central and defining traits enable psychopaths to act in a cold-blooded and calculating manner toward their victims. They manipulate those around them in order to achieve self-centered goals and satisfy their often insatiable needs and desires. Dr. Babiak and his associates offered these important insights:

  Most psychopaths are grandiose, selfish sensation seekers who lack a moral compass—a conscience—and go through life taking what they want [without consideration for how their actions may affect others.] They do not accept responsibility for their actions and typically find a way to shift the blame [away from themselves and toward] someone or something else.28

  Although it may be difficult for the average person to fathom, the reactions of psychopaths to the considerable harm they cause is typically cold indifference combined with a sense of power, excitement, or arrogant satisfaction, rather than regret, concern, or remorse.29 Such reactions by psychopaths are due to their profound emotional deficit and detachment from other people and emotional events. People closely associated or involved with a psychopath may have a feeling that something is wrong with that person but have no idea as to the nature or severity of their disorder. Moreover, it is very common for normal people to blame themselves for the troubles they encounter with a psychopath, regardless of severity or whether the problems occur at work, at home, or in a social situation. “After interacting with psychopaths, most people are stunned by these individuals’ ruthlessness, callousness, an
d denial or minimization of the damage they have caused,” according to the FBI report.30

  Due to their considerable social skills, many psychopaths have little difficulty joining the ranks of business, politics, entertainment, criminal justice, government, and academia, as noted by Dr. Martin Kantor in The Psychopathy of Everyday Life: How Antisocial Personality Disorder Affects All of Us.31 John Wayne Gacy and Ted Bundy, for example, both had successful civic and political careers despite being ruthless, psychopathic serial killers. Indeed, psychopaths flourish in all types of careers, from high-ranking business executives and medical professionals to blue-collar workers. As reported by the FBI in 2012, a psychopath can be male or female although more men are psychopaths than women in the general population. There is no consensus among experts on why this is so. In addition, they represent all races, religions, cultures, education levels, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Some psychopaths are very intelligent, even brilliant, while others may possess just average or below-average intelligence. They come from both stable and broken homes, and in adulthood they are frequently married with children.32

  Psychopathy and Crime

  Psychopathy is highly correlated with criminal behavior and violence. In Psychopathy: An Important Forensic Concept for the 21st Century, the powerful connection between psychopathy and crime is well articulated by Dr. Babiak and his colleagues.33 Key findings from that 2012 report on psychopathy are discussed below in which I complement the authors’ conclusions with my own observations.