The Misconceptions of Serial Killers

The key thought when the topic of serial killers is mentioned, individuals generally think of the stereotypical blueprint that has been laid out of the loner, who doesn’t quite fit into society. Who stalks and hunts their victims and ultimately long to be caught to achieve notoriety. Along with this blueprint is that they are alone, separate from family and friends and are stereotypically white males and usually between the ages of 20-40. But what the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit is attempting to do is to break this misconception not only because of the fact that they see this as being an incorrect evaluation of a serial killer, but also they see it as being detrimental to the ultimate apprehension of the perpetrators of these types of crimes if law enforcement is looking in a different direction. It can also leave the public vulnerable if they have these stereotypes embedded in their head they may not see the true evil in time.

           I evaluated the types of serial killers and the validity of what the FBI BAU is suggesting compared to what current law enforcement and public opinion currently is. I also looked into if this allegation is true, then this raises an entire other situation involving a whole other set of victimology, that would be the family members of the serial killer. If the serial killer is truly an individual who is maintaining a typical suburban lifestyle; wife, kids, dog, picket fence, then how do those individuals deal with the fact that someone that they loved and trusted is a cold blooded killer? Then also, how do they deal with how the public now reacts to them.

The term ‘serial killings’ means a series of three or more killings, not less than one of which was committed within the United States, having common characteristics such as to suggest the reasonable possibility that the crimes were committed by the same actor or actors.

Behavioral Analysis

The mission of the Behavioral Analysis Units (BAU) is to provide operational support for complex and time-sensitive cases and other matters through the application of investigative case experience, education, specialized training, and research. Each unit has distinct responsibilities:

Behavioral Analysis Unit 1 (counterterrorism and threat assessment): Resources are focused on matters involving terrorism, threats, arson, bombings, stalking, cyber-related violations, and anticipated or active crisis situations.

Behavioral Analysis Unit 2 (crimes against adults): Resources are primarily focused on serial, spree, mass, and other murders; sexual assaults; kidnappings; missing person cases; and other violent crimes targeting adult victims. BAU 2 also provides assistance in potentially non-violent investigations, such as white-collar crime, public corruption, organized crime, and civil rights matters.

Behavioral Analysis Unit 3 (crimes against children): Resources are focused on crimes perpetrated against child victims, including abductions, mysterious disappearances of children, homicides, and sexual victimization.

Behavioral Analysis Unit 4 (ViCAP): Resources are focused on actual and attempted homicides—especially those that involve an abduction, are apparently random, motiveless, or sexually oriented, or are known or suspected to be part of a series; sexual assaults, especially those committed by a stranger, or those known or suspected to be part of a series; missing persons where the circumstances indicate a strong possibility of foul play; and unidentified human remains where the manner of death is unknown or suspected to be homicide. BAU-4/ViCAP also develops and maintains ViCAP Web, the national repository for these criteria cases.

Services provided by the behavioral analysis units include:

• Crime analysis;
• Profiles of unknown offenders;
• Linkage analysis;
• Investigative suggestions;
• Multiagency coordination;
•  Threat assessment;
• Interview strategies;
• Media strategies;
• Search warrant affidavit assistance;
• Prosecution and trial strategies;
• Expert testimony;
• Critical incident analysis; and
• Geographic profiling (provided through an agreement with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives).

The term ‘serial killings’ means a series of three or more killings, not less than one of which was committed within the United States, having common characteristics such as to suggest the reasonable possibility that the crimes were committed by the same actor or actors.

I.                   FBI Behavior Analysis Unit Description of a serial killer

a.       Examples of well-known serial killers that were really more mainstream than maniac

b.      Causality and the serial murderer

                                                              i.      How did this person become a serial killer

1.      Does how they became a serial killer influence whether or not they are a loner or family man?

II.                Serial killers likely to be family men not freaks

a.       FBI report is aimed at dispelling the common myths, which agents say can limit the public's potential to observe suspicious activity or become witnesses

b.      In regard to the stereo type of serial killers being white males, age 20-40, the actual racial diversification of serial killers generally mirrors the overall US population.

c.       The myths that serial killers are only motivated by sex are challenged

d.      Also that they travel in order to kill, or that they are evil, insane geniuses who cannot stop killing and want to get found out. "Serial killers do not want to get caught: over time, as they kill without being discovered, they get careless." (Leonard Doyle in Washington)

III.             Family members of serial killers

a.       Family members of serial killers – the forgotten victims

                                                              i.      This is a blog run my Maureen White in which she discusses her life after it was found out that her brother Richard Paul White was a serial killer. This is the first paragraph of her blog; “Nobody talks about the most forgotten victims of criminals - their families. Not only did they loose a family member as well as the victim´s families, they also feel all sort of blame. While the victim´s families will ask themselves forever "Why did this happen to our loved one?” the offenders families will ask themselves forever "What did we do wrong? Couldn´t we foresee/prevent what happened?"”

                                                            ii.      There is an article on a page “Lemondrop” that interviews Melissa G. Moore who is the daughter of the “Happy Face Killer.” She tells of the time when she was a child and her mother came home to tell her and her brother that her father was in jail, her brother asked for what, and all her mother said was, murder, before she locked herself in her room.

1.      In cases like this these children not only lose their father, but for a while at least, lose their mother until she builds her strength to cope with what has happened.