Grand Valley State University ScholarWorks@GVSU Masters Theses Graduate Research and Creative Practice 4-2018 Cold Careers and Occupational Hazards: The Occupational Preferences of Canadian Serial Killers Christina E. Ledezma Grand Valley State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/theses Part of the Criminal Law Commons Recommended Citation Ledezma, Christina E., "Cold Careers and Occupational Hazards: The cO cupational Preferences of Canadian Serial Killers" (2018). Masters Theses. 874. https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/theses/874 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research and Creative Practice at ScholarWorks@GVSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@GVSU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Cold Careers and Occupational Hazards: The Occupational Preferences of Canadian Serial Killers Christina Elise Ledezma A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Science in Criminal Justice School of Criminal Justice April 2018 Acknowledgements This thesis has been a challenging, rewarding, and infinitely worthwhile experience that could not have been undertaken alone. I do not think words can fully express my gratitude. Nevertheless, I wish to recognize those individuals and attempt to convey the highest admiration and appreciation that I have for them. My utmost thanks to my exceedingly expert, passionate, and dedicated committee. Dr. Jaclyn Cwick’s mastery of scholarly writing and firm guidance on the value of “tempering” has tremendously improved and strengthened my capabilities and credibility as an academic. Dr. Carrie Buist’s ever-present support and assurance has counseled me through every panic and instance of self-doubt. And Dr. Christopher Kierkus’s unwavering belief in my potential has encouraged and motivated me to no end. Their mentorship has been outstanding. In working with Dr. Cwick, Dr. Buist, and Dr. Kierkus, I have found that it is not only their knowledge, but their character that has inspired me both as a scholar and person. Of course, my eternal and exuberant thanks to my peers and family. To my fellow graduate students, misery truly loves company! I will always treasure their overwhelming friendship, care, and support. To my mom, dad, Josh, and Jenny, I am forever thankful for their love, encouragement, and willingness to listen through every breakdown and breakthrough. With my family behind me, I can do anything. This thesis will be an unforgettable part of my life because of these unforgettable people. For that, I will always be grateful. 3 Abstract Serial killing is a dark and complex phenomenon. As researchers have begun to recognize that serial killing exists and interacts within a broad modern context, how these factors affect its occurrence has received more attention. This includes serial killers’ occupational preferences and the influence that occupations have on their offending. However, studies on serial killers’ occupational preferences have been limited to the United States and the United Kingdom. This thesis sought to classify the occupational preferences of 36 Canadian serial killers and subsequently analyze how these occupations may have influenced their offending, both instrumentally and psychologically. According to Canada’s 2016 National Occupational Classification, Canadian serial killers preferred occupations in “Management occupations,” “Sales and services occupations,” and “Trades, transports and equipment operators and related occupations.” Using content analysis on biographical cases of Canadian serial killers, it was proposed that these work environments were the most preferred since they contained occupational elements advantageous for their offending. Specifically, the freedom of movements—typically through a vehicle—the lack of supervision, and the provision of solitude. Hence, Canadian serial killers’ offending was shown to be influenced by a lesser-known contemporary lifestyle factor: occupation. This thesis adds to the greatly under-developed literature on serial killers’ occupational preferences and encourages further exploration for both research and application. 4 Table of Contents Chapter 1- Introduction…………………………………………………………………... 7 The Purpose………………….…………………………………………………. 13 The Significance………………………………………………………………... 14 Chapter 2- Review of Literature………………………………………………………... 17 Defining Serial Killing…………………………….……………………….…… 19 Demographics…………………………………………………………………... 21 Typologies of Serial Killers………………………………………….….……… 25 Tracking Serial Killers Through Criminal Profiling.………………………........ 31 How Serial Killers Offend.……………………………………………......……. 34 The “Crazy” Serial Killer…......…………………….……………………...….... 38 Serial Killing as a Contemporary Phenomenon….....………………...………… 41 Linking Serial Killing and Occupational Preferences………………………...... 44 Personality and Occupational Preferences…………………….......………….… 45 Previous Findings On the Occupational Preferences of Serial Killers................. 55 The Importance of Lifestyle’s Influence on Serial Killing…………................... 68 The Lifestyle Factor of Occupation and Its Influence on Serial Killing…........... 69 Conclusion……………………….……………………………………………... 69 Chapter 3- Methodology……………………….……………………………………...... 72 Research Method………………….……………………………………………. 72 Research Parameters…………………….……………………………………… 73 Occupational Classification……………………………….……………………. 75 Sample Group…………………………………………...…………………...…. 76 5 The Context ………………………………………………………………...…... 78 Methodology Exemplified…………………………………………...…………. 80 Chapter 4-Results…………………………………………………………...………....... 83 Top Occupational Preferences………………………………………...………... 83 Possible Reasons for These Occupational Preferences…………....…….…….... 84 “Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations”....…......... 85 “Sales and services occupations”…………………………....………………...... 90 “Management occupations”…………………………....…………………….…. 96 Unemployed/Unknown……………...……………………………………….... 105 Michael McGray: A Negative Case Example………....………………………. 106 Discussion……………………………………………....……………………... 110 Chapter 5-Conclusion………………………………………...………………………. 112 Unemployment as The Best Employment?......................................................... 112 The Significance of Understanding Canadian Serial Killers’ Occupational Preferences…………………………………...………………………………... 117 Limitations………………………….……………………………………….... 121 Future Directions……………………….……………………………………... 126 Final Thoughts………………………….……………………………………... 146 Appendices Appendix A ……………………………………………….…………………... 148 Appendix B ……………………………………………….…………………... 151 References………………………………………………….…………………….......... 153 6 Chapter 1: Introduction The fascination with serial killing is pervasive. Certainly, such extreme actions demand our attention. Even more, the intense awareness that there exists those capable of these actions naturally creates a fear of the unknown: since serial killers, like other criminals, are naturally still at large, it is uncertain how many exist. Estimates on the number of active serial killers in the United States at large can vary from 25 to 2,000 (Moss, 2015, n.p.; Wilkinson, 2017, n.p.). Since victims cannot speak, serial killers can escape capture, it cannot be known absolutely. Even definitions may have an influence on this uncertainty. Nevertheless, the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) designates serial murderers as “those who, either alone or with an accomplice, kill at least three people over a period of time, with ‘cooling-off’ periods between the murders, indicating premeditation of each killing” (Miller, 2014, p. 4). Much like it cannot be revealed how often serial killing truly occurs, this definition hardly reveals the true complexity and brutality of this crime. Serial murders inspire much greater fear and enthrallment than a single murder. Although it is violent and criminal, a single murder can be understood. A person’s choice to kill once can be generally explained by common motivations such as jealousy, rage, revenge, or greed. These are basic, universal human drives. In contrast, serial murders are enigmatic. The motivations behind a person’s continual choice to kill cannot be explained so straightforwardly. In essence, serial murder is an entirely different offense. Theorizing on serial killing has always been an arduous task. Despite the obsession, it is an extremely difficult phenomenon to dissect. Considering new avenues of examination may therefore foster a better understanding of serial killing. For instance, 7 rather than relying on traditional approaches to serial killing, such as the biographical and the aetiology of individual killers, researchers are pushing for a broader framework. This will enable an explanation of serial killing that accommodates the modern social, economic, and cultural factors that affect serial killers’ offending (Lynes and Wilson, 2015b, p. 268). Recognizing that serial killing interacts within its contemporary context may lead to a more holistic understanding of the phenomenon. Therefore, examining how lesser-known factors within these contextual components may play a role in serial killing is of increasing relevance. Since serial killers exist and interact within a broad, influential contemporary context, there may be certain lifestyle factors that affect their offending. It has been suggested that occupational