'The Iceman' Kuklinski

AJS 225 CRIME AND DELINQUENCY Richard ‘The Iceman’ Kuklinski Serial Killer Profile Shana Maddux 6/18/2015 Richard ‘The Iceman’ Kuklinski Crimes: Richard Kuklinski was a prolific contract killer branded by over a hundred murders, but admits to more than two hundred murders committed. His notoriety was for using the poison cyanide and storing bodies on ice to throw off investigators. When: His first murder occurred at the age of fourteen. Apparently, he was constantly bullied and he had enough, so he proceeded to beat a young man to death. Where: Born in Jersey City, New Jersey which is where the murders began. He moved on to the mafia killing factory at the Gemini Lounge in Brooklyn, NY, where dismemberment ensued. It is said he killed throughout many states. Age of Subject: Richard Kuklinski showed signs of pathological behavior at a young age by being cruel to animals. His first taste for murder was in his teens and continued his criminal career well into his fifties. Brief Synopsis: Throughout Kuklinski’s lifetime he admitted to killing more than two hundred people. First part of his life he killed for no reason other than if someone offended him or even sometimes based upon a bet. Richard became wealthy and a notorious contract killer into his forties. All the while his family thought he was a businessman. Subject Apprehension: In the 1980’s there were a lot of killings happening. State and Federal agencies started to connect Kuklinski to the murders. An undercover ATF officer got Kuklinski on tape discussing murders. On December 17, 1986 a task force felt they had enough evidence and proceeded to arrest him in front of his home in New Jersey. Criminal History: Richard had his first murder by age 14, his next at age 18. He murdered by stabbing, shooting, strangulation, and poisoning. He earned the name of ‘Iceman’ by freezing some of the bodies to deter investigators. He captured some deaths on film. He would take someone to a remote building and tie them up and let rats eat them alive. Richard’s hair trigger temper escalated as he gained satisfaction from killing and decided he could do it for money. His career began with the Gambino family as a brutal enforcer of debts. Murder became his way of life; blowing heads off with a shotgun, cut a man’s tongue off, torture, and beatings are among many ways he violently and brutally killed. Childhood Determinants: As a young boy, Richard endured harsh discipline with rigorous religion practices. He received beatings from both parents, mainly his father. He would get the brunt of the beatings amongst his siblings. His father left his mark on him by the age of eleven. The abuse was so prevalent that Richard’s older brother died by the hands of his father. He was also picked on continually as a juvenile. As a teen, his father abandoned the family. School and Employment History: Richard attended Catholic grammar school up until eighth grade. He was even an altar boy. He learned to become a pool hustler and petty crook throughout his twenties. He also, worked in a film lab where he started to pirate pornography. This led him to the Gambino family where he started to be a hired hit man. Throughout his adult years income came from theft, money laundering, arms dealing, narcotics, pornography, hijacking, and contract killing. Interpersonal Relationships: He hated his mother and his father for their brutality and violence. He was considered a family man. He loved his wife and kids, but admits to being domestically violent to his wife. Drug and Alcohol use: Richard Kuklinski did not have any vices except for killing which made him feel powerful. He did not drink or use drugs, nor gamble or have a promiscuous lifestyle. Questionable Behaviors: He started early on with hurting animals and people. He would tie two cats together by their tails and throw them over a telephone line and watch them kill each other. He also watched a cat burn in an incinerator. Victims were dismembered. Subjects Defense at Trial: He admittedly pled guilty. Possible Contributing Factors His childhood beatings were a definite contributing factor. As a child he saw his father stab his mother in the back. He never received love, only hate, which contributed to his inability for remorse. He dropped out of school in eighth grade which tells me he had no parental supervision or guidance at that time, which is probably when the father abandoned the family. He learned at a young age that ‘good guys finish last’ and he was finally dishing out the beatings and not taking the beatings. This empowered him. Adjudication Results: May 25th 1988 he was sentenced to Trenton State Prison in New Jersey for multiple life sentences. Analysis: Richard Kuklinski had personality flaws: antisocial personality disorder and paranoid personality disorder. He has no remorse or sense of guilt, coupled with impulsive violence. As well as no sense of fear, this is probably a biologically genetic predisposition of fearlessness. He never forgave anyone and had a propensity to seek revenge. He is considered a predator on human beings, not a serial killer. His motivation was greed. In conclusion, I believe his personality flaws are what made him successful in murdering. He may have some biological contributing factors, but ultimately, the environment he endured as a young child was the nail in his coffin. .

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