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Understanding the Minds of Serial Killers

 

            Serial killers are one of the most fascinating and morbid groups of people to study. A serial killer is defined as someone who kills 3 or more people with sufficient time intervals between each known as a cooling off period (Sherfy, Jamie). The style and motivation of the killings can vary greatly. I chose serial killers for this project because the idea of someone killing another human being on numerous occasions seemed so out there, so extreme, it just had to be studied. To understand the minds of serial killers I will present some common traits, followed by the classifications of male and female serial killers. Once I have sufficiently grouped serial killers as a whole I will explain who becomes a serial killer and why and what is being done to predict serial killers. Listen to this letter from one of this centuries most infamous serial killers; David Berkowitz (1976-1977) AKA "Son of Sam." "I am deeply hurt by your calling me a woman-hater. I am not. But I am a monster. I am the "son of Sam". I am a little brat. When father Sam gets drunk he gets mean. He beats our family. Sometimes he ties me up to the back of the house. Other times he locks me in the garage. Sam loves to drink blood. "Go out and kills," commands father Sam. Behind our house some rest. Mostly young - raped and slaughtered - their blood drained - just bones now. Papa Sam keeps me locked in the attic too. I can't get out but I look out the attic window and watch the world go by. I feel like an outsider. I am on a different wavelength then everybody else - programmed to kill.Mr. Borelli, sir, I don't want to kill any more. No sir, no more but I must, "honor thy father." I want to make love to the world. I love people. I don't belong on earth. Return me to yahoos. To the people of Queens, I love you. And I want to wish all of you a happy Easter. May God bless you in this life and in the next. And for now I say goodbye and goodnight. Police: Let me haunt you with these words: I'll be back.


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