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Signature Killers

            Signature Killers describes serial killers and how these killers provide a signature that provides certain facts about them or patterns. Keppel explains the difference between MO or modus operandi, and a killer's signature. The signature is a process in which a killer leaves behind certain cues to tell something about himself. He cites real cases and a factual blueprint of details showing what the killer was clearly thinking and what his motivation was. Keppel uses mostly sexual offender cases in his book.
             The author states that when a killer is leaving a signature he does not change the patterns in signature but the MO does. The operation of committing murders may vary in geographic region, target, race or anything that generally describes the killers way of hunting and stalking its prey the signature however is always constant even if the killer clearly tries to make it untraceable. Unnoticeably, the killer leaves the mark the same way it was left in previous murders. This provides a more accurate picture for investigators of what they are dealing with and the process of establishing a good profile. .
             A killer is motivated to leave a signature because it is their inner most fantasies that have to be let out from being trapped. The confinement of these fantasies or desires progressively builds up violent thoughts and some of the most extreme violent behavior. A need for expression of these desires takes over the body entirely with no control. One detective explains how death is not good for these murderers. They have needed to get more of a thrill in having total control of the individual dead or alive. Sometimes most of this is felt when the victim is dead then the killer proceeds to do fulfill whatever he/she may desire.
             Signature or "calling card" of a killer is usually something rare that appears in a crime seen. It is something that appears unusual and is repeated in a future crime.


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