Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations Sociology & Criminal Justice Winter 2014 A Façade of Normalcy: An Exploration into the Serial Murderer's Duplicitous Lifestyle Maryann Stone White Old Dominion University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/sociology_criminaljustice_etds Part of the Criminology Commons, and the Psychology Commons Recommended Citation White, Maryann S.. "A Façade of Normalcy: An Exploration into the Serial Murderer's Duplicitous Lifestyle" (2014). Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Dissertation, Sociology & Criminal Justice, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/g86d-vs63 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/sociology_criminaljustice_etds/45 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Sociology & Criminal Justice at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A FACADE OF NORMALCY: AN EXPLORATION INTO THE SERIAL MURDERER’S DUPLICITOUS LIFESTYLE by Maryann Stone White B.A. May 2006, University of South Florida M.A. May 2008, East Tennessee State University A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Old Dominion University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY December 2014 Approved by: Dawn L. Rathe ison Chappell ( George Cronin (Member) ABSTRACT A FACADE OF NORMALCY: AN EXPLORATION INTO THE SERIAL MURDERER’S DUPLICITOUS LIFESTYLE Maryann Stone White Old Dominion University, 2014 Director: Dr. Dawn L. Rothe The crime of serial murder both fascinates and repulses a myriad of academic disciplines, law enforcement agencies, news media, and popular culture. Despite the vast attention the phenomenon of serial murder has received, serial murderers are poorly understood. The current study used an interdisciplinary approach, combining insights from criminology and psychology to explore what mechanism(s) allow serial murderers to maintain a seemingly normal existence, frequently maintaining personal relationships, steady employment, and reputable social networks. The data were analyzed using a deductive approach guided by a set of research questions as well as an inductive approach, which allowed emergent themes and patterns to be identified. Findings indicate that these offenders demonstrate some psychopathic traits and show some evidence of learning and neutralizing their behavior. The results suggest, however, that these criminological and psychological elements do not sufficiently explain how serial murderers are able to deceive others into believing that they live a normal existence. Overall, the findings suggest that while it appears that serial murderers are able to live a duplicitous lifestyle, there are typically red flags that could alert others to their criminal behavior. Limitations of the research, as well as implications for prevention, intervention, and future research are also discussed. Copyright, 2014, by Maryann Stone White, All Rights Reserved. This dissertation is dedicated to those who have lost their lives to the violence of serial murder. “We serial killers are your sons, we are your husbands, we are everywhere. And there will be more of your children dead tomorrow.” -Ted Bundy “Do I look like the Green River Killer?” -Gary Ridgway V ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project ended up being quite the journey. But, I would have never completed it without the help and support of several people. First, I would like to sincerely thank my committee members: Dr. Scott Maggard, Dr. Allison Chappell, and Dr. George Cronin. Thank you for your guidance, patience, and support throughout the completion of this project. A very special thank you goes to my dissertation chair, Dr. Dawn Rothe. You believed in me and assured me that I could do this when I was unsure that I could. When I didn’t even know where to begin, your guidance helped me find my way. You stuck by me, continued to support me, and encouraged me to study something that I am truly passionate about, even if others may not share in the same passion. I can’t express my gratitude enough. To my family, my rock. I never could have made it here without you. You have never once given up on me and for your never-ending love and support I will never be able to thank you enough. Mom, Dad, and Robby - you guys have supported me and believed in me through it all. I will forever be grateful to you for everything you have done and continue to do for me. Brian - thank you for all that you do and have done to allow me to complete this project. Thank you for putting up with all of the serial killer books and “stuff’ throughout the house - 1 know others find my research a bit unconventional (to say the least), but it meant everything to me to be able to complete a project on something that truly fascinates me. You have continued to support me and believe in me and I will always be grateful for that. I love you and I can’t wait to see vi what the future holds for our family. Madelyn Shae - you came along unexpectedly in the middle of all this and changed my world in more ways than you’ll ever know. You are my heart. Although this has been a long road, I hope that I can show you how to always follow your dreams and to never give up. Thanks for putting up with the “monsters” and for showing me that no matter how hard something may be, you can do whatever you put your mind to. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES................................................................................................................... viii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................... 1 2. LITERATURE REVIEW........................................................................................................ 8 THEORY...................................................................................................................... 37 3. METHODS..............................................................................................................................56 DATA......................................................................................................................... 61 VARIABLES............................................................................................................. 67 METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS................................................................69 4. FINDINGS..............................................................................................................................71 5. ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION........................................................................................77 RESEARCH QUESTIONS......................................................................................77 EMERGENT THEMES........................................................................................... 99 OUTLIERS............................................................................................................... 118 SUMMARY.............................................................................................................120 6. CONCLUSION.................................................................................................................... 121 LIMITATIONS....................................................................................................... 126 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH....................................127 IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS...........................................................128 REFERENCES..........................................................................................................................134 APPENDICES...........................................................................................................................156 A. DISSOCIATIVE EXPERIENCES SCALE................................................... 156 B. ITEMS IN THE PSYCHOPATHY CHECKLIST-REVISED.....................160 C. SERIAL MURDERERS IN THE SAMPLE.................................................. 161 VITA 168 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Sample of Serial Murderers ...................................................................................................61 2. Demographic Description of Sam ple...................................................................................72 3. Psychopathic Traits in Sample ............................................................................................. 74 4. Dissociation in Sample.......................................................................................................... 75 5. Characteristics of Learning in Sample ................................................................................ 75 6. Techniques of Neutralization in Sample .............................................................................76 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Since the initial study of serial murder by the FBI’s Behavioral Sciences Unit more than 20 years ago, fact has blurred with fiction as popular culture and the media have sensationalized this phenomenon (Beasley 2004). Over the past few decades, our society has become intrigued with the crime of serial murder as evidenced by the many books, movies, and television shows that have emerged on the subject (Egger 1990; Egger 1998a; Jenkins 1994; Surette 1998). For example,