Tommy Lynn Tolls Summary

The video about Tommy Lynn Sells is an interesting investigation into the brain of a serial killer. In the video, Dr. Adrian Raine discussed new research which suggests that killers have a genetic disposition to murder. The doctor explained how the brains of killers have structural impairment to the amygdala, which is involved in the generation of emotion, hence many serial killers and psychopaths lack conscience, guilt and remorse. Serial killers also do not have normal feelings of revulsion or disgust. Most interesting to me, the doctor described how it is a combination of biology and environmental factors that raise the odds of becoming a violent criminal offender. In the case of Tommy Lynn Sells, his inherited genetics, altered brain structure and chemistry in congruence with childhood abandonment and sexual abuse likely led him to become an incredibly prolific murderer. In fact, in the video, Sells blames his murderous rage on sexual abuse suffered as a child and states, "I didn't want them to live through the pain I lived through."

Though drugs likely fueled his murders, Sells describes his predilection to killing as an addiction. Sells had many different styles of murdering including cutting throats, beating, stabbing and strangling. His fluctuating methods reflects his unstoppable instinct to kill, almost as if he could not control himself and murdered without