DOCSLIB.ORG

Assessment of the Extent and Prevalence of Serial Murder Through Criminological Theories

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Assessment of the Extent and Prevalence of Serial Murder Through Criminological Theories Sociology and Anthropology 2(3): 116-124, 2014 http://www.hrpub.org DOI: 10.13189/sa.2014.020307 Assessment of the Extent and Prevalence of Serial Murder through Criminological Theories Kwan Choi1, Ju-Lak Lee2,* 1Department of Police Administration, Hansei University, Gunpo, 604-5, Kyunggido, Korea 2Department of Security Management, Kyonggi University, Suwon, 443-760, Kyunggido, Korea *Corresponding Author: [email protected] Copyright © 2014 Horizon Research Publishing All rights reserved. Abstract The purpose of this paper is to attempt an expand upon the fundamental classifications of murder. assessment of the extent and prevalence of serial murder The classification scheme adopted by the FBI in America through possible criminological theories. Each of the main when dealing with homicide categorises by type and style: theories is discussed to evaluate whether a successful “A single homicide is one victim, one homicidal event; explanation for serial killing can be provided. For the double homicide is two victims, one event, and in one purpose of this piece of work we have concentrated location; and a triple homicide has three victims in one primarily on America as it has the highest rate of serial location during one event. Anything beyond three victims is killings and hence they have produced most of the research classified as a mass murder - that is, a homicide involving into this subject area. Britain is following America's four or more victims in one location, and within one event example; investigative techniques and the development of a [1].” profiling system. There are four parts for better This paper sets out to examine whether it is possible to understanding and exploration in terms of an assessment of ascertain the true extent and prevalence of serial murder and the serial murder. First part looks at the legal definitions of aims to assess the main theoretical explanations of the murder, the categorisation of types of multiple murder and aetiology of serial murder. Each of the main theories is the common elements within serial murder. In second part discussed to evaluate whether a successful explanation for various definitions of serial murder are examined and the serial killing can be provided. many differing typologies of serial killers are looked at. For the purpose of present paper, it concentrates primarily Third part addresses the historical and modern-day extent of on the America as it has the highest rate of serial killings and serial murder and questions the validity of research into its hence they have produced most of the research into this current prevalence. The discussions are that biological, subject area. Britain is following America’s example as psychiatric, psychological, and sociological theories are regards investigative techniques and the development of a discussed and their applicability to the existence of serial profiling system. The paper explores the general standard of murder evaluated. At the end of present paper, a serial murderers to explain, assess and understand by multi-dimensional model of the serial killer is described. researchers through the possible criminological theories. Research methods selected by us, for this paper, is literature Keywords Assessment, Extent, Prevalence, Serial reviews. The paper further argues in terms of the aspect of Murder, Criminological Theories critical points about criminological explanation of serial murderers. 1. Introduction 2. Legal Classifications and General In English Law there are two major classifications of Characteristics of Serial Murder unlawful killing: murder and manslaughter. The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines murder as “the unlawful 2.1. Types of Multiple Murders premeditated killing of a human being by another”, manslaughter being the taking of another’s life without There is a general consensus among academics and law malice aforethought. enforcement professionals that multiple murder can be Murder in general ordinarily implies the involvement of separated into three main forms: mass murder, spree murder one murderer and one victim. However, in cases of multicide and serial murder. Firstly, mass murder can be further where more than one victim is involved, it is necessary to subdivided into categories: classic and family. The taking of Sociology and Anthropology 2(3): 116-124, 2014 117 a number of lives (at least three) by an individual in a short mass murderers could pertain to a serial murderer, and some space of time in the same location is termed classic mass serial offenders are more adequately suited to the traits of a murder. An example of a classic mass murderer is James mass murderer. Huberty, who killed 21 people and wounded 19 in a fast food restaurant in California in 1984, before being shot by a 2.2. Common Elements within Serial Murder SWAT team [2]. Family mass murder is committed when an offender kills four or more members of his/her own family. Holmes and DeBurger put forward five fundamental Jeremy Bamber who in 1985 killed his father, mother, sister elements which all serial murders have in common [5]: and her two children in order to collect inheritance money is About section 1 in Table 1, the serial killer will not cease an example of this type of murderer. until he is prevented from committing more crimes by either Secondly, a spree murder involves the slaying of three of capture or death. His activities may continue for a more people in at least two locations within a short period of considerable length of time. About section 2, one victim time. This offence is usually accompanied by another crime, reduces the chance of victim escape. The offender is not predominantly robbery. The murder on impulse does little to likely to be willing to share the pleasure of the kill with escape detection. The spree murderer is unlikely to re-offend others. However, there are exceptions to this with the as many do not survive; there is a high likelihood of suicide existence of ‘team killers’ who kill together such as Bianchi or being shot by the police. With spree murder there is no and Buono, the ‘Hillside Stranglers’. About section 3, their ‘cooling off period’ between each killing [3]. An example of attacks are motiveless and the serial murderer often shows a a spree murderer is Michael Ryan who murdered 16 people lack of regret for the suffering caused. About section 4, serial in 1987. After killing a female he drove to another location crimes are not victim-orientated and the victims have no and shot at a petrol station attendant. He then travelled to control in the situation. About section 5, Egger argued that another town in close proximity, e.g. Hungerford, where he the motive is generally not for material gain but is usually a indiscriminately killed the rest of his victims, before compulsive act specifically for gratification based on committing suicide. fantasies. The key element is that the series of murders do not Thirdly, serial killing involves the taking of three or more share in the events surrounding one [6]. These ‘motiveless’ lives on separate occasions usually over a long period of time. acts make detection by the police difficult, and connections The serial murder adopts a repetitive cycle and there is a between murders at times do not become clear until the killer ‘cooling off period’ between each murder. The murders are is captured. premeditated and specific types of victim are chosen. Serial Lane and Gregg offer two additional characteristics which murderers have no relationship to their victims and they distinguish serial killing from other types of multiple rarely commit suicide [2]. An example of this type of murder murders [7]: is John Wayne Gacy, who between 1975 and 1978 sexually Table 2. Two additional distinguish serial killing styles from other types of assaulted, tortured and murdered 33 boys and young men and multiple murder then buried them in the crawlspace under his house. Gacy was sentenced to death in 1980 and was eventually executed Section C o n t e n t s by lethal injection [3]. In an increasingly mobile society the serial killer can leave the Table 1. Five fundamental elements in serial murders 1 town where the crime was committed before the murder is noticed. Section C o n t e n t s During a serial murder high levels of violence or overkill are 2 often inflicted upon the victim. The central characteristic of serial killing is the frequency and 1 repetitiveness of the murders. About section 1 in Table 2, the serial killer can travel Ordinarily, serial crimes are one-on-one due to the safety between towns with ease this is particularly the case in the 2 aspect in that there is less likelihood the serial murderer will United States, comparisons between murders will therefore be discovered. not be noticed until precise patterns arise. About section 2, as Serial murderers tend to concentrate on victims with whom the motivation for the serial murderer is the act of killing 3 they have no relationship, hence the term 'stranger-to-stranger' killings. itself, the feelings of pleasure can be prolonged by torturing The motivation to kill present in the serial killer is unlike the victim over a lengthy period of time and overkill may 4 motives in traditional criminal acts of passion. also be adopted. Serial killers show no clear modus operandi or motive for their Other typical traits of serial murderers include the age 5 acts. group to which the majority of murderers belong, generally 25 to 35 years. Most serial killers appear to be unobtrusive, Some researchers have pointed out there are complications seemingly ‘normal’ members of society, they show no age within the categorisation of types multiple homicide preference towards victims though they tend to prey on [2][3][4]. There sometimes exists a degree of merging or vulnerable groups.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Room to Grow
    FRIDAY March 16, 2018 BARTOW COUNTY’S ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER 75 CENTS Conviction upheld in Cartersville murder case STAFF REPORT Timothy Lee Buck. went to Buck’s friend’s home in had been at the scene of the murder • First, Robinson argued that the The murder conviction of a Cartersville where Buck was sleep- earlier that day, he agreed to help evidence against him was insuffi- Gwinnett County man for a crime According to court records: ing on a chair after a night of drink- police with the investigation. cient. He argued that Linley’s testi- committed in Cartersville was up- Robinson, his neighbor (Justin ing. Linley shot Buck, and The subsequent trial of Robinson mony against him was not held Thursday by the Georgia Cody Wise) and a friend (Antonio Robinson and Wise searched the went from March 25-27, 2013, in corroborated. Supreme Court. Linley) agreed to rob Buck because home for cash and valuables. Bartow County. The court said in its ruling that, Ted Debaise Robinson, of Sugar Robinson saw Buck with a large The three found nothing and although corroboration is required, Hill, was convicted by a Bartow amount of cash. fled. In Thursday’s ruling to uphold “only slight evidence of corrobora- County grand jury in 2013 of mal- After initially hesitating, Robin- The next morning, the owner of the conviction, the state Supreme tion is required” when testimony is ice murder, two counts of felony son eventually convinced Linley to the house found Buck dead and Court rejected Robinson’s three made by an accomplice who was murder, attempted armed robbery kill Buck and get him the money called police.
    [Show full text]
  • Death Penalty Case Under Warrant Execution
    DEATH PENALTY CASE UNDER WARRANT EXECUTION SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 15, 2018 NO. IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES October Ter.m, 2017 In Re CARLTON GARY, Petitioner MOTION FOR STAY OF EXECUTION PENDING THIS COURT'S CONSIDERATION OF PETITIONER'S ORIGINAL PETITION FOR WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS JOHN R. MARTIN* Georgia Bar No. 473325 44 Broad Street, Suite 202 Atlanta, Georgia 30303 (tel)404-522-0400 (fax)404-223-6467 [email protected] MICHAEL KENNEDY McINTYRE Georgia Bar No. 494075 965 Virginia Avenue, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30306 (tel)404-879-1515 (fax)404-879-0005 [email protected] Counsel for Carlton Gary *COUNSEL OF RECORD DEATH PENALTY CASE UNDER WARRANT EXECUTION SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 15, 2018 NO. IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES October Ter.m, 2017 In Re CARLTON GARY, Petitioner MOTION FOR STAY OF EXECUTION PENDING THIS COURT'S CONSIDERATION OF PETITIONER'S ORIGINAL PETITION FOR WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS COMES NOW, CARLTON GARY, the Petitioner in the above-styled case, (hereinafter "Petitioner" or "Mr. Gary"), by and through undersigned counsel, who moves this Court to stay the execution currently scheduled for March 15, 2018 for the reasons stated below. I. THE PREMATURE SETTING OF MR. GARY'S EXECUTION DATE In an Order dated December 16, 2009, the Supreme Court of Georgia ordered that Mr. Gary be permitted to perform DNA testing pursuant to O.C.G.A. §5-5-41(c). In response to that Order, Mr. Gary led an Extraordinary Motion for New Trial or in the Al ternati ve New Sentencing (hereinafter "Extraordinary Motion") .
    [Show full text]
  • The Big Eddy Reading Guide
    The Big Eddy Club: Reading Group Guide The book opens with a description of the Big Eddy Club. What is the club’s significance for the black and white communities of Columbus, Georgia, and what does this tell us about the relationship between them? By the middle of the 1990s, the Columbus courts had sent more men to death row than anywhere else in Georgia. What do their legal officials seem to feel about the death penalty? What explains their apparent enthusiasm for using it? In September 1977, the first of seven white women were raped and murdered, apparently by an African-American. What was the impact of the killings on the city? Did the crimes’ racial dimension add to their horror, and if so, why? Discuss the concept of historical memory, especially in relation to the “Lost Cause” legend and its manifestation in Columbus. How might the memory of events such as the murders of G.W. Ashburn and Thomas H. Brewer have affected black vs. white responses to the stocking stranglings case? Discuss the process by which, more than six years after the final murder, Carlton Gary became a suspect. Do you find Detective Sellers’s account persuasive? How much did Gary’s record of crimes in upstate New York affect the thinking of the police and prosecutors, and how much might it have influenced the jury at his trial? Discuss the role of Judge John Land in the Gary case, his background as the son of the alleged lynch mob leader A.B. Land, his career as a political segregationist and his cover-up of the assassination of Thomas H.
    [Show full text]
  • The Incidence of Child Abuse in Serial Killers
    Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 2005, Volume 20, Number 1 The Incidence of Child Abuse in Serial Killers Heather Mitchell and Michael G. Aamodt Radford University Fifty serial killers who murdered for the primary goal of attaining sexual gratification, termed lust killers, were studied to determine the prevalence of childhood abuse. Informa- tion regarding the childhood abuse sustained by each killer was obtained primarily from biographical books, newspaper articles, and online sites. Abuse was categorized into physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, and neglect and was then compared to societal norms from 2001. Abuse of all types excluding neglect was significantly higher in the serial killer population. For serial killers, the prevalence of physical abuse was 36%; sexual abuse was 26%; and psychological abuse was 50%. Neglect was equally prevalent in the serial killer (18%) and societal norm populations. SERIAL KILLER is defined as a injury involving brain damage, brain person who murders three or anomalies, and faulty genetics. Familial A more persons in at least three contributions include the physical ab- separate events, with a “cooling off pe- sence or lack of personal involvement by riod” between kills (Egger, 2002; one or both parents and alcohol or drug Hickey, 2002; Ressler & Shachtman, dependency by one or both parents. 1992). Serial killers have a type of cycle Perhaps one of the most interesting fac- during which they kill, presumably dur- tors contributing to the development of a ing some period of stress. After the ca- serial killer is abuse that is experienced thartic experience is accomplished, they in the killer’s childhood.
    [Show full text]
  • DEATH SENTENCES and EXECUTIONS 2018 Amnesty
    AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL GLOBAL REPORT DEATH SENTENCES AND EXECUTIONS 2018 Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 7 million people who campaign for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all. Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations. © Amnesty International 2019 Except where otherwise noted, content in this document is licensed under a Creative Commons (attribution, non-commercial, no derivatives, international 4.0) licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode For more information please visit the permissions page on our website: www.amnesty.org Where material is attributed to a copyright owner other than Amnesty International this material is not subject to the Creative Commons licence. First published in 2019 by Amnesty International Ltd Peter Benenson House, 1 Easton Street, London WC1X 0DW, UK Index: ACT 50/9870/2019 Original language: English amnesty.org CONTENTS EXECUTING COUNTRIES IN 2018 4 NOTE ON AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL’S FIGURES ON THE USE OF THE DEATH PENALTY 6 THE USE OF THE DEATH PENALTY IN 2018 7 GLOBAL TRENDS 7 EXECUTIONS 8 DEATH SENTENCES 10 COMMUTATIONS, PARDONS AND EXONERATIONS 11 THE DEATH PENALTY IN 2018: IN VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW 12 REGIONAL OVERVIEWS 13 AMERICAS 13 ASIA-PACIFIC 19 EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA 29
    [Show full text]
  • The Prosecutor VOLUME 52 / NUMBER 4 • FEBRUARY 2019
    The Prosecutor VOLUME 52 / NUMBER 4 • FEBRUARY 2019 • IN THIS ISSUE • VIEW FROM THE HILL — CAPITAL CONFERENCE RECAP PREVENTING FUTURE VICTIMS BY HELPING TODAY'S VICTIMS LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA HAS CUTTING-EDGE CRIMINAL AND GANG INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM 2019 TRAINING COURSE SCHEDULE-AT-A-GLANCE LOCAL OPINION EDITORIALS BY NDAA MEMBERS National District Attorneys Association 1400 Crystal Drive, Suite 330, Arlington, Virginia 22202 703.549.9222/703.836.3195 Fax www.ndaa.org Dear Members, What an exciting time it is to be a member of the National District Attorneys Association! Your insights, feedback and attendance at our numerous trainings and conferences helps the association truly serve as the voice of America’s prosecutors. With your help, we are implementing a lot of exciting new programming, services and other member benefits that we hope you find useful in your offices and communities. Here are just a few of our updates, with more to come: • If you are reading this letter, you’ve already noticed our new design for The Prosecutor, which includes an updated layout of images and information, as well as new sections featuring the expertise of our association members and staff. • In August 2018, we launched a new website to better reflect the professionalism and expertise of the association. • Soon, we will be launching a new membership database which will modernize the way we communicate with our members, including easier event registration, a newsletter of resources and information to help you keep up with the latest emerging issues in the field to better serve your communities, as well as an online store and comprehensive job board.
    [Show full text]
  • Brief Description of the Course and Introduction for the 10 Minutes Talk…
    MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice Hilary Term 2016 The Death Penalty PROFESSOR CAROLYN HOYLE [email protected] This option runs on Fridays from 14:00-15:30 in Seminar E Manor Road Objective of the Option To provide students with a good understanding of the scope and practice of capital punishment and the movement - backed by international organizations and human rights treaties - to abolish the death penalty worldwide. Students will learn about the extent to which defendants in capital cases are protected by due process and have access to qualified defence counsel, and where they lack protection from police abuse, unfair trials, and painful forms of execution. They will explore what happens when the due process safeguards fail and innocent people are convicted and sentenced to death. Further, they will consider whether capital punishment can ever be administered equitably, without discrimination on grounds of race, geography, gender or other non-legal variables. Throughout this course students will draw on recent and controversial cases and decisions, as well as the social scientific literature. Schedule of Seminars 1. Abolition and Retention: a brief tour of the world 2. Capital punishment in law and practice 3. Procedural Protections for the Accused 4. Protecting Vulnerable Defendants 5. Inequity and Arbitrariness in the Administration of Capital Punishment 6. Convicting and Sentencing the Innocent 7. Alternatives to death: is life imprisonment better than death row? 8. Guest Lecture, Carlton Gary: a case study of a wrongful conviction Key Text for the Course R. Hood and C. Hoyle (2015), The Death Penalty: A Worldwide Perspective, 5th edn., Oxford University Press.
    [Show full text]
  • Muscogee County Superior Court Order Dated September 1, 2017 Denying Mr
    DEATH PENALTY CASE UNDER WARRANT EXECUTION SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 15, 2018 NO. IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES October Ter.m, 2017 CARLTON GARY Petitioner, v. STATE OF GEORGIA, Respondent. PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA APPENDICES FOR PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI APPENDIX A: Muscogee County Superior Court Order dated September 1, 2017 denying Mr. Gary's Extraordinary Motion for New Trial or in the Alternative for a New Sentencing APPENDIX B: Decision of the Supreme Court of Georgia dated December 1, 2017 denying Mr. Gary's Application for Discretionary Appeal, Carlton v. State Case No. S1800399 APPENDIX C: Decision of the Supreme Court of Georgia dated January 16, 2018 denying Mr. Gary's Motion for Reconsideration, Carlton Ga v. State Case No. S18D0399 DEATH PENALTY CASE UNDER WARRANT EXECUTION SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 15, 2018 NO. IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES October Term, 2017 CARLTON GARY Petitioner, v. STATE OF GEORGIA, Respondent. PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA APPENDIX A Muscogee County Superior Court Order dated September 1, 2017 denying Mr. Gary's Extraordinary Motion for New Trial or in the Alternative for a New Sentencing IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF MUSCOGEE COUNTY GEORGIA, MUSCOGEE COUNlY CLERK'S OFFICE SUPERIOR COURT STATE OF GEORGIA FILED IN OFFICE SEP - 1 2017 '6 ~ £{~~ tyJ6z DEPUCLERK CARLTON GARY, Petitioner, * * Indictment Nos. 48573 and 48937 v. * * STATE OF GEORGIA, * Respondent. * ORDER ON PETITIONER'S EXTRAORDINARY MOTION FOR NEW TRIAL OR IN THE ALTERNATIVE FOR A NEW SENTENCING The above and foregoing matter having come before the Court on February 24-28,2014, February 5-6, 2015, and January 12-13,2017 on a remand from the Supreme Court of Georgia on the Petitioner's Motion for the Performance of Forensic Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Testing, as well as the Petitioner's Extraordinary Motion for a New Trial or Alternative Sentencing, with Petitioner represented by counsel, it is hereby ADmDGED, DECREED, and ORDERED as follows: I.
    [Show full text]
  • Fulfilling Porter's Promise
    William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice Volume 27 (2020-2021) Issue 3 Article 5 April 2021 Fulfilling orP ter's Promise Danielle Allyn Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/wmjowl Part of the Criminal Procedure Commons, Disability Law Commons, Disability Studies Commons, Law and Race Commons, and the Military, War, and Peace Commons Repository Citation Danielle Allyn, Fulfilling orP ter's Promise, 27 Wm. & Mary J. Women & L. 765 (2021), https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/wmjowl/vol27/iss3/5 Copyright c 2021 by the authors. This article is brought to you by the William & Mary Law School Scholarship Repository. https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/wmjowl FULFILLING PORTER’S PROMISE DANIELLE ALLYN* ANOTE ON LANGUAGE Person-first language: Person-first language is used to describe communities affected by a type of disability or oppression.1 For ex- ample, “incarcerated person” or “person” is used to describe someone rather than “offender” or “inmate.”2 Gender pronouns: Where the gender-specific pronoun “he” is used, it refers to a named person or is reflective of the fact that the six veterans profiled in this writing identify as male. Veteran: As used in this report, “veteran” refers to any person with a history of service in the United States military, irrespective of length of service, combat exposure, or discharge designation.3 Race and capitalization: This Article capitalizes Black and White as proper nouns when referring to race. This choice reflects the reality that both terms represent historically created categories. Capitalizing Black in reference to individuals of African descent acknowledges a collective identity and a shared history and accords with publishing standards in institutions predominantly serving Black communities.4 Capitalizing White recognizes Whiteness as a socially constructed * JD/MSW, New York University.
    [Show full text]
  • Supreme Court of Tfje ®Nttcb States; BRIEF in OPPOSITION
    No. 17-8085 3fn t fje Supreme Court of tfje ®nttcb States; Carlton Gary, Petitioner, State of Georgia, Respondent. On Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the Supreme Court of Georgia BRIEF IN OPPOSITION Christopher M. Carr Attorney General of Georgia Beth A. Burton Deputy Attorney General Sabrina D. Graham Senior Assistant Attorney General Office of the Georgia Attorney General 40 Capitol Square, SW Atlanta, Georgia 30334 (404) 656-3300 Counsel for Respondent l QUESTIONS PRESENTED Petitioner, Carlton Gary, spent nearly thirty years attacking his convictions and sentences in state and federal court. On the eve of his execution over seven years ago, Petitioner filed a motion for an extraordinary new trial under O.C.G.A. § 5-5-41 requesting never sought before DNA testing. For the next seven years Petitioner was granted extensive DNA testing and granted three evidentiary hearings during which he was allowed to present evidence regarding the DNA results and other evidence which had already been considered in both state and federal court. During these hearings, the State presented the new DNA results that definitively matched his DNA to the vaginal washings of one of his victims. Ultimately, applying the standard of review announced by the Georgia Supreme Court in Timberlake v. State, 246 Ga. 488, 491 (1980), the trial court determined Petitioner had failed to meet the state law requirements in order to receive a new trial. Petitioner asks this Court to grant certiorari review on the following questions: 1. Whether the trial court's factbound decision rejecting his request for a new trial based on adequate and independent state law grounds can be reviewed by this Court in order to create a new standard of review for free-standing actual innocence claims in a state proceeding on an extraordinary motion for new trial? 2.
    [Show full text]
  • African Americans and Serial Killing in the Media the Myth and the Reality
    10.1177/1088767905280080HOMICIDEWalsh / AFRICAN STUDIES AMERICAN / November SERIALKILLING 2005 African Americans and Serial Killing in the Media The Myth and the Reality ANTHONY WALSH Boise State University There were many expressions of shock and surprise voiced in the media in 2002 when the “D.C. Sniper” turned out to be two Black males. Two of the stereotypes surrounding serial killers are that they are almost always White males and that African American males are barely represented in their ranks. In a sample of 413 serial killers operating in the United States from 1945 to mid-2004, it was found that 90 were African American. Relative to the African American proportion of the population across that time period, African Americans were overrepresented in the ranks of serial killers by a factor of about 2. Possible reasons why so few African American serial killers are known to the public are explored. Keywords: serial killing; African American; media stereotypes; racism In Copycat (Fiedler, Nathanson, & Amiel, 1995), Sigourney Weaver plays a criminal psychologist and expert on serial killing. In the opening scene, she is giving a lecture in an auditorium in which she asks all the males in the audience to stand, emphasizing that serial killing is primarily a male behavior. She then asks all Afri- can American and Asian American males to sit down, leaving only White males standing as representative of serial killers. The message that viewers of Copycat get is that only White males com- mit these heinous crimes and that members of other races or ethnicities never do. This stereotype is pervasive in the United States, so much so that the only African American serial killer that any of my crimi- nal justice department colleagues could name was Wayne Wil- liams (the Atlanta child killer), and the only mass or spree killer named prior to the 2002 John Mohammed and Lee Malvo sniper HOMICIDE STUDIES, Vol.
    [Show full text]
  • Shelbie Ewing
    METHODS TO THEIR MADNESS: TRACKING DOWN SERIAL KILLERS By Shelbie J. Ewing A Thesis respectfully submitted To Dr. Hal Campbell Florida Metropolitan University Online In partial fulfillment for the degree of Master of Science in Criminal Justice 06 July 2007 © 2007 Shelbie J. Ewing All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or part, by photocopy or by other means, without permission of the author. "I never knew where I was going, I never knew what I was doing - that's why you never nailed me . you never knew." ALBERT DESALVO "You'll never get me. I'll kill again. Then you'll have another long trial. And then I'll do it again." HENRY BRISBON II ABSTRACT METHODS TO THEIR MADNESS: TRACKING DOWN SERIAL KILLERS Shelbie J Ewing 06 July 2007 This thesis involves the methods for tracking serial killers and what the criminal justice system can do in order to ensure that future serial killers are caught before they are allowed to kill again. In the criminal justice system, serial killers rank as one of the worst types of murderers because they are unpredictable and ruthless. This paper will give vital information on just how ruthless these killers are and how they have advanced as technology and our society has advanced. It will detail current as well as historical data about the methods of tracking serial killers and the apprehension of these vicious criminals. This thesis will also compare and contrast the data that has been collected thus far about serial killers and what means of apprehension have worked versus those that are still works in progress.
    [Show full text]