Serial Murder: A Forensic Psychiatric Perspective

The connection loss can cause many problems for the serial killer’s thought process. A person’s negative emotions are censored by the prefrontal cortex which is then controlled by the amygdala. The amygdala responds to the emotion that is needed after the impulse reaches the prefrontal cortex. When the connection of the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex is low, the body has trouble processing negative emotions (Brogaard 2). The lack of negative emotions can make the serial killer lose the recognition of when they or someone around them needs empathy, is embarrassed or is hurt by others’ actions.

What drives a serial killer to their breaking point? What is it that makes them start killing? Nature and nurture are both key elements. They both play their part in turning a once innocent person, into a psychopath. Which drives a serial killer more though? Is it the nature of their lives and their surroundings? Is it their family genes and the way they grew up with their family? Many serial killers are affected differently. They aren’t all driven by the same thing though. There is something in each serial killer that makes them different. There is something inside that drives them into their psychotic rage. Even though nature and nurture both play a part in a serial killer’s life, nurture is more effective to a serial killer’s life than nature.

In “What Makes a Serial Killer”, La Donna Beaty aims to provide an evidence regarding the most vital characteristics of a serial killer. Mainly, the information given in the article is based on eight different sources with the help of which the author supports her primary argument. There are four essential characteristics that the author distinguishes as being the most influential in terms of becoming a serial killer. Concretely, according to the presented theories, these characteristics include the impact of society, the general atmosphere within one 's family, the heavy use of alcohol and mental illnesses. Beaty 's essay is fairly an informative piece as suggesting what might form a serial killer, she does not say what she thinks may

The Effects of Gender on Serial Murder The car pulls over onto the side of the road. The man rolls down the window, knowing exactly why a woman would be on the side of the highway dressed in barely anything in the middle of the night; however, the man does not know what will become of this encounter. He argues about the price, and is met with a handgun. Eventually, his body is found in a junkyard without a wallet or a watch.

As societal crime rate continues to escalate, the epidemic of homicides and mass murders remains a prevalent social problem. Thus, the emergence of serial killers has caused alarm among many criminologists and psychologists. Serial killers usually have an impulsive desire to kill for no particular reason, which makes it difficult for law enforcement and criminal professionals to understand their motives.

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.

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).

Murder is defined as the illegal taking of another human's life and is grounded in the intent of this action. Many murders occur at the time due to an increased passion of a situation; jealousy, anger, or a lapse in judgment that leads to someone else's death. In the case of serial killers, this is not about the passion of a onetime situation, it can be a compulsion that drives a person to kill over and over. The cause of this compulsion is motivated by mental illness, a sense of duty to a particular person or entity, or it is a way to release pent-up frustrations that the killer does not have the emotional capability to handle. This last one is the case for Edmund "Ed" Kemper III, also known as the Co-Ed Killer.

Introduction I. Look around this school and think about exactly how many students are here daily. How would you feel if I told you that one out of every twenty five people are sociopaths(Pratt 2006).The fact of the matter is that not everyone who is a sociopath is a serial killer but oddly enough it has been proven that all serial killers are sociopaths. II. I have chosen serial killers that I found intriguing and that I thought not many people would know a lot about.

Some people believe that all killers have to have mental issues, while on the other hand different people say that they have a motive against a certain group or individual. However, there are also people who believe that the main cause is an early childhood trauma. While researchers on this topic might not all agree,

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.

Nurture- The un-answered question), which usually lead serial killers to murder strangers. Grover Goodwin conducted a study that shows 90 % of the victims of serial killers are complete strangers to the killer and the majority of the serial killers are male. He also added that their crimes are based on psychological satisfaction (Nature Vs. Nurture-

Being a seriel killer also may have some sort of psychological gratification with the murder committed. The number one reason a serial killer murders is for some sexual reason others are motivated by anger, thrill, finanxial gain and because they crave the attention. Murders can be attempted or completed in the same manner. Victims would have either

The FBI defines serial killing as "a series of three or more murders, committed as separate events, usually, but not always, by one offender acting alone". The “separate events” part is what makes serial killing different than spree killing and mass killing. Another thing that makes serial killers stand out is that they often demonstrate specific patterns that can be easily identified by police investigators. It was often debated that those patterns are products of either their genetics, or their environment. We now know that both are important to the development of all people, so now people argue which one is more important, especially when it comes to serial killers.

Analyzing the crimes the dominant constantly in of changing with life experience addiction can have its traits, Organized killers usually have a IQ score ranging very high these people planned out well in advance and take ever precaution behind that would link them to the murder that was committed this person watch potential victims for days to see if that person they might consider for a good target. Disorganized killer has a lower IQ this person rarely plans out the event to kill they kill at ransom don’t take the extra precaution to cover up are always on the move of any evidence. Thrill killer are the killers that who enjoy attention from the media and police what they do they keep detailed records of their killing and at the same they