In this paper I will be applying the psychological theories to serial killer Ed Gein. Ed Gein was a prolific serial killer in the 1950’s. He murdered and robbed graves for body parts to make furniture and clothing. He was apprehended in 1957, where he stood trial and was institutionalized. Edward Theodore “Ed” Gein was born August 27th, 1906 to George and Augusta Gein.
Of those men and women incarcerated for murder, how many have been converted from “ordinary men” into killers? What circumstances did it take from carrying out tasks similar to those of Reserve Police Battalion 101? However disturbing this issue is, another part of human nature allows for us to exist in the world, and to experience joy and kindness. Perhaps accepting the possibility that maybe we all carry a little monstrosity inside could even be the first step to avoiding more
Male serial killers tend to use “hands-on” methods like shooting, strangling, suffocating, stabbing, or bludgeoning their victims with knives, blunt objects, and even their own hands to kill (Keeney and Heidi 385 and Hickey qtd. in Hinch and Hepburn). Not only are male serial killers more violent when killing, but also in the time prior to the kill. It is not uncommon for the males to torture the victim before death, or to defile the body after death.
This paper will examine serial killer Ronald Dominique and the acts that was performed on his victims and how individuals he knows viewed him. Robert Dominique target victims were men. In the year of 1997 to 2006, Robert Dominique killed at least 23 men that was account for. However, there is a substantial amount that is not account for. However, Ronald would cross-dress and attend gay clubs.
An attribute of society that has been constant throughout history is criminality, and due to the continuing effort to understand crime, this has resulted in the emergence of many schools of thought. In the 21st century, the world is continuing to see petrifying and outrageous murder cases, a recent one being the case of Canadian citizen Luka Magnotta, who murdered Lin Jun and recorded himself stabbing, dismembering, and performing acts of necrophilia on Jun, mailing his body parts to multiple places in Canada, including to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. After an analysis of the case of Luka Magnotta, when considering a psychological explanation, Magnotta’s criminality can be sufficiently explained through Eysenck’s theory of crime and personality,
The rarest form of murder is the one of serial murders. It is defined as the murder of three or more individuals with a ‘cooling-off’ period in-between. Serial killers have intrigued people for years and we still don’t fully comprehend what drives them to murder countless people. John Wayne Gacy, also known at the famous “Killer Clown” became a national phenomenon when his 33 rape and murder victims were uncovered in his home and other areas. The purpose of this research paper is to consider John Wayne Gacy’s abusive father, internal struggle with his sexuality, and constant need to be accepted and praised as possible reasons that led Gacy to murder 33 teenage boys.
The theory used in this journal pertains to the race, age, and gender of a serial killer; how they kill, the race, age, and gender of the victim; and how the killer lived before and during the killings. Before beginning his own study, Pakhomou (2004) found that “Serial (sexual killers are believed to be mostly white males in their twenties and thirties (at the time of the crimes) with above-average intelligence who commit intra-racial (within the same racial group) murders of strangers” (p. 220). Approximately half of them never had consensual sex with another adult, some joining the military, about half did not finish high school, and they had a history of burglary and sexual offenses prior to murders. There is no set reason or evidence that explains why people commit sexual homicide; however, there are many theories. One set factor that all researchers agree on is that “the most monstrous and most perverse sexual acts are usually committed by persons of sound mind, who are functionally rigid (in terms of a number of activities that they carry on), obsessed with fantasy and who have a determination to do what they want” (Pakhomou, 2004, p. 221).
Richard "Iceman" Kuklinski was viewed as a normal man by society for much of his adult life. This man was far from normal. Kuklinski was a psychopath and a sociopath who was driven to kill by his troubled childhood and his lifestyle as a paid hit man. This paper will focus on the criminological theory of why Kuklinkski committed these murders. Richard Leonard Kuklinski was born in 1935 to Stanley and Anna Kuklinski ("Meet Notorious Contract Killer Richard Kuklinski").
Crime can be defined as an illegal action committed by people and that action is punishable by law. There are many reasons that drive people to commit crime. Some of them would be poverty, depression and other social and mental disorders. For this paper, I chose to write about the Greyhound Bus beheading case. There are many theories that would explain why Vincent Li (the murderer) committed the crime.
He feels as if this is something that’ll never go away, as when these events happen, the media can get coverage and learn every single gruesome detail, thus netting them millions upon millions of viewers. Our generation is the one most adapted to technology. If information like this is going to be covered, what’s stopping people from watching it? People wanted to find the reason as to why the killers did what they did, and this was left very unclear, as it their actions didn’t have any clear justification. Answers were still craved, so naturally, people started making assumptions as to why the shooters did what they did.
Also his signature mark revealed his status as a serial killer as it linked all of his victims together. DeSalvo committed sexual abuse towards his victims in many forms. For instance, DeSalvo would leave his victims in various positions that show different forms of rape, and in some cases murder. DeSalvo was most likely to have committed these crimes as a result of his sadistic desires, most likely derived from his father’s actions. DeSalvo can most likely be defined as a sociopath as his crimes were organized and methodical.
However, that is not the case it’s only the surface level. Until you explore the details of the underlying issue(in this case it’s the psychological impairment of the said killer) it’s impossible to make a justified claim. A good strong point that they make is "Movies and TV have put an image into our minds that these are the characteristics of a murderer when in reality they are masters at disguising their emotions and thoughts letting them blend into society.”
In this article ethos is weakest, due to the fact that Jenkins was too emotionally attached with the event that had taken place because it was her younger sister and her unborn child who were shot by a teenager for the, “thrill kill” and to see what shooting someone would feel like. Jenkins goes on to talk about how the victim’s families are not taken into consideration at all when it comes to the impact that losing someone beloved to a family is murdered by a child. She does not use any ethos to make claims about any other incidents that have occurred with teen murders, or any proof that research has been done on the teen brain that shows teens experience loss of brain mass which leads them to do rambunctious acts. By talking about her own personal experience, Jenkins is creating pity for not only herself but also her family, who is mourning the loss of a beloved sister, daughter, and unborn grandchild, or niece and nephew. By using more pathos than ethos when explaining how victims should be considered when a teen commits a heinous crime Jenkins creates pity upon herself.
Thus, the motives of serial killers have led to heated debates and challenged the nature vs. nurture theory. Many scientists believe that serial killers are genetically incline to commit murders, while criminologists associate violent crimes to childhood and surroundings. Essentially, exploring how and why serial killers commit crimes is an important area because it will help
My paper aims to discuss the three different factors of criminal behaviour, what causes it and why. My essay will examine and focus mainly on the genetic makeup of a person, the environment in which they are raised in and gender differences.