Why We Love Serial Killers (38 page)

Conclusion

In this final chapter, we have seen that the impact of the serial killer in society can be explained in terms of the functionalist concept of anomie. The serial killer creates an imbalance in the social order that must be eliminated. We have seen that the social construction of the serial killer as evil by law enforcement and the media reduces the anomie created by the killer’s presence in society. The social construction of evil relieves the public of its moral responsibility to comprehend the motivations of the serial killer. Although this can be comforting, it is also dangerous because decisions based on good-versus-evil comparisons are rarely informed and are often misguided. We have seen that the socially constructed serial killer identity serves a purpose by enabling the public to consider its own dark nature in relationship to it. The stereotypical image of the serial killer depicted in the news and entertainment media also helps to clarify the moral boundary that separates human and monster.

In summary, the public loves serial killers, and there are a number of very good reasons why that is so. First, they are rare in the business of murder with perhaps twenty-five or so operating at any given time in the US. They and their crimes are exotic and tantalizing to people, much like traffic accidents and natural disasters. Serial killers are so extreme in their brutality and so seemingly unnatural in their behavior that people are drawn to them out of intense curiosity. Second, they generally kill randomly, choosing victims based on personal attraction or random opportunities presented to them. This factor makes anyone a potential victim, even if the odds of ever encountering one are about the same as being attacked by a great white shark. Third, serial killers are prolific and insatiable, meaning that they kill many people over a period of years rather than killing one person in a single impulsive act, which is the typical pattern of murder in the US. Fourth, their
behavior is seemingly inexplicable and without a coherent motive such as jealousy or rage. They are driven by inner demons that even they may not comprehend. Many people are morbidly drawn to the violence of serial killers because they cannot understand it and feel compelled to. Fifth, they have a visceral appeal for the public similar to monster movies because they provide a euphoric adrenaline rush. Consequently, their atrocity tales in the news and entertainment media are addictive. Finally, they provide a conduit for the public’s most primal feelings such as fear, lust, and anger.

The serial killer represents a lurid, complex, and compelling presence on the social landscape. There appears to be an innate human tendency to identify or empathize with all things—whether good or bad—including serial killers. I believe that we try to humanize serial killers to make them less scary, but we also try to dehumanize them to create a moral boundary between good and evil. Arguably, the serial killer identity is a mirror reflection of society itself. As such, there is much that the rest of us can learn about ourselves from the serial killer if we look beyond the superficial monster image presented in the mass media. Like it or not, the serial killer is one of us. From a functionalist perspective, they offer a safe and secure outlet for our darkest thoughts, feelings, and urges. They excite and tantalize us. They also remind us that despite all of our faults, the rest of us are just fine. Why do we love serial killers? We love them because, oddly enough, we need them.

ENDNOTES

1
.   Morton, R.J. 2005.
Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators.
National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime. Washington, D.C.: US Department of Justice. Retrieved
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2
.   Uniform Crime Report. 2011. Retrieved
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-US-2011/violent-crime/murder

3
.   Hickey, E.W. 1997.
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and Their Victims
. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

4
.   Farrell, A.L., Keppel, R.D. and Titterington, V.B. 2011. “Lethal ladies: Revisiting what we know about female serial murderers,”
Homicide Studies, 15
(3), pp. 228–252.

5
.   Hargrove, T. 2011.
Women account for 70 percent of serial killer victims, FBI reports.
KSHB-TV online, March 1. Retrieved
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6
.   Morton,
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.

7
.   Hargrove,
Women account for 70 percent of serial killer victims, FBI reports
.

8
.   Winerman, L. 2004. “Criminal profiling: The reality behind the myth.”
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(7), p. 66.

9
.   Ibid, p. 67.

10
.   Vronsky, Peter. 2004.
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. New York: Berkley Books.

11
.   Pinizzotto, A.J. 1984. “Forensic psychology: Criminal personality profiling.”
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(1), pp. 32–40.

12
.   Winerman, “Criminal profiling,” p. 67.

13
.   Canter, D.V., Alison, L.J., Alison, E. and Wentink, N. 2004. “The organized/disorganized typology of serial murder: Myth or model?
Psychology, Public Policy and Law, 10
(3), pp. 293–320.

14
.   Winerman, “Criminal profiling,” p. 68.

15
.   Kocsis, R.N. 2006.
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Totowa, NJ: Humana Press.

16
.   Winerman, “Criminal profiling,” p. 68.

17
.   Ibid, p. 68.

18
.   Ibid, p. 69.

19
.   Ibid, p. 69.

20
.   Newton, M. 2012.
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21
.   Morton,
Serial Murder.

22
.   Bouchard, T.J., Jr., Lykken, D.T., McGue, M., Segal, N.L. and Tellegen, A. 1990. “Sources of human psychological differences: The Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart.”
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23
.   Ibid.

24
.   Morton,
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.

25
.   Babiak, P., et al. 2012. “Psychopathy: An important forensic concept for the 21st century.”
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin,
July. Retrieved
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26
.   Ibid.

27
.   Ibid.

28
.   Ibid.

29
.   Ibid.

30
.   Ibid.

31
.   Kantor, M. 2006.
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. Westport, CT: Praeger.

32
.   Babiak, et al., “Psychopathy.”

33
.   Ibid.

34
.   Morton,
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.

35
.   Ibid.

36
.   Ibid.

37
.   Babiak, et al., “Psychopathy.”

38
.   Vronsky,
Serial Killers
.

39
.   Meloy, R.J. 1992.
The Psychopathic Mind: Origins, Dynamics, and Treatment
. New York: Rowman & Littlefield.

40
.   Ibid.

41
.   Hare, R.D. and Neumann, C.S. 2008. “Psychopathy as a clinical and empirical construct.”
Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 4
, pp. 217–246.

42
.   Ibid.

43
.   Ibid.

44
.   Babiak, et al., “Psychopathy.”

45
.   American Psychiatric Association. 2013
. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5
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Edition (DSM-5)
. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

46
.   Rogers T., Blackwood N., Farnham F., Pickup G., Watts M. 2008. “Fitness to plead and competence to stand trial: A systematic review of the construct and its application.”
Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, 19
, pp. 576–596.

47
.   Ibid.

48
.   Morton,
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.

49
.   Ibid.

50
.   Ibid.

51
.   Ibid.

52
.   Holmes, R.M. and Holmes, S.T. 1998.
Serial Murder, 2nd Edition
. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

53
.   Vronsky,
Serial Killers
.

54
.   Ibid.

55
.   MacCormick, A. 2003.
The Mammoth Book of Maneaters.
New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, p. 431.

56
.   Morton,
Serial Murder
.

57
.   Douglas, J.E., Burgess, A.W. and Ressler, R.K. 1995.
Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives.
New York: Free Press.

58
.   Ibid.

59
.   Vronsky,
Serial Killers
.

60
.   Ibid.

61
.   Ibid.

62
.   Ibid.

63
.   Ibid.

64
.   Ibid.

65
.   Frei, A., Völlm, B., Graf, M. and Dittmann, V. 2006. “Female serial killing: Review and case report.”
Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 16
(3), pp. 167–176.

66
.   Ibid.

67
.   Vronsky,
Serial Killers
.

68
.   Frei, et al., “Female serial killing.”

69
.   Ibid.

70
.   Vronsky,
Serial Killers
.

71
.   Kovaleski, S.F. 2010. “Backers give ‘Son of Sam’ image makeover.”
The New York Times
, July 12, New York/Region. Retrieved
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/13/nyregion/13berkowitz.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0